Technological Whiz or Technological Ditz??

I used to be a techology whiz.

Not sure what happened.

Now I find myself screaming at my iPad and wanting to throw it in the trash.

No, it isn't menopause.

I've just had one of those weeks.

Lately, I've had some password challenges.  I'm sure everyone has these nowadays (that's a word, right?).  I mean, we have to create passwords for different email accounts (yeah, I've got an email account for my apple id, an email account for my internet account that is tied to my cable, I used to have one that was tied to my old internet account with AT&T that we got rid of when we got our new internet account and that one was on our iPads, iPods, and iPhones.  I was trying to change the iMessage on the iPad from the bellsouth.net account to my me.com account and it wasn't taking what I KNEW was the right password for the me.com account.  (You followed all that, right?)  I ended up handing it to Tom and saying "It's all yours."  Turned out the iMessage doesn't even work on the iPad so no wonder the password wasn't working.  Not sure why it worked with the bellsouth account to begin with.  Who knows.  Another of life's mysteries.

Side Note: At last count, I had about 168 different passwords in my password database.  Yeah, kinda extreme, but I'm a complicated gal.

I got froggie and decided to go to google + with my comments on my blog.  AFTER I did that I saw that it said that I would lose all my previous comments when I did so.  WHAT???  I have so FEW comments.  I CHERISH all my comments.  Oh well.  A technical HIT again.  It turns out that it isn't as bad as I thought.  I can't see the comments in the stats but I can still see them on the individual blog entries.  More cumbersome, but all is not lost.  (Whew)

The new med the doctor put me on for the migraines is doing really well.  No migraines in the past week.  I adjusted to one a day and started on two a day today.  Back to feeling fuzzy but I am sure that will straighten out after a week just like the one a day did.  I REALLY like not having a headache. 

Here is some Max for today:

"The Fire that Consumes You

By Max Lucado

God will speak to you differently than He will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. No, God reveals His heart personally to each person. We learn His will as we take up residence in His house and seek to listen to him every single day.

Want to know God’s will for your life? Then answer the question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? What is the fire that consumes you? Mark it down. Jesus comes to set you on fire and he will speak to you. The fire of your heart is the light of your path. Fan it at your own delight. Blow it. Stir it. Nourish it. Disregard it at your own expense! Your delight is God’s message to you!

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. Ephesians 2:10"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Three Cookie Days

This really is a big deal for a cancer survivor...

Yeah, I'm gonna talk a little about cancer again today.  I try not to go here anymore but this is like celebrating a birthday.  :)  It's definitely a three cookie day!

I am TWO YEARS (count them) TWO YEARS past my last radiation treatment.  I just had my 2 year checkup with my medical oncologyst and everything is going well except for some migraines that I have been having.

So, now I'm on a new and exciting (not) med.   I was having migraines just like these BC (before cancer).  After chemo, I didn't have them anymore but a couple of months ago, they decided to start visiting again just like old friends.   (I did not invite them and they are definitely not 'best' friends'.  HA.)

The new med is Topromax which was initially released for epilepsy but they found that it stops migraines in their tracks before they get started so I'm willing to give it a try.  I've been on it for two days and the first day, a headache was acting like it was going to start but today, nothing.  So far, so good.

The good news is that all my blood work is NORMAL again also.  My white count is all the way up to 5.1 which is amazing for me.  My platelets are normal for the first time, my BUN is within the normal range.  Anyway, without boring you totally to death, let's just say that they all look really good for the first time in two years.  We've been exercising again which I know is a good thing.  (Probably what is causing the headaches...LOL)

Off of cancer and back to sewing...lol.  A WAY more fun subject.

I did finish some curtains to match a quilt hanging in my bathroom.  Here is a picture of that.

 

Yes, this was actually the wall hanging from my office.  I took the one I had made for the bathroom and took it to the office because I wanted to make the invisible hanger for this one and the other one ended up matching my office better and I had a lot of matching material to this one for making curtains so I did a switcheroo.  This one matched the bathroom quite nicely too.  8-)  It has taken me almost 6 years to decide what to do with that window.  I'm such a procrastinator.  sigh. 

 

I also made curtains for the guest bedroom so that it would be homey when Mom came down to visit. 

 

Here is a pic of the curtains.  I made them out of some of the material that I had left over from the monstrosity quilt material.  8-)  The color of the walls is correct in the picture below and the color of the walls in the picture above is incorrect.  I took the picture of the bathroom with my iPhone and the picture below with a real camera.  The walls are actually the same color in the two rooms...lol. 

 

I ran across these neat little magnetic curtain tie backs that are holding the curtains open.  I wasn't sure if I was going to like them or not but I like them more and more each time I see them.  It's such a simple concept.  It is two metal leaves with magnets inside of them and a metal wire running between them.  You put one leaf on the back and one on the front of the curtain and they snap together to hold them in place.  I'm sure when Roman spends the night, he'll have a lot of fun rearranging them.  HA!

 

 



That is about all I've been up to lately.  Here is some Max for today.  Cancer was all vegetables, but I'm definitely having three cookie days lately. 

"Three Cookie Days

By Max Lucado

Every day, God prepares for us a plate of experiences. Some days are “three cookie days.” Many are not! Sometimes our plate has nothing but vegetables, twenty-four hours of celery, carrots, and squash. Apparently God knows we need some strength, and though the portion may be hard to swallow, isn’t it for our own good? All are important and all are from God. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.”

The next time your plate has a portion you find hard to swallow, talk to God about it. Jesus did. In the garden of Gethsemane His Father handed Him a cup of suffering so sour, so vile, that Jesus handed it back to heaven.

“My Father,” He prayed, “if it is possible may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Mark 14:36)."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Really Just a Hobby

I am thinking more and more about sewing for money after I retire.  I love to do it so why not make money at it?  I don't want to do things like alterations or making clothes (ugh)...I just want to be creative.  I feel like I have all this creativity just bursting to get out of me.  I don't know that I have a natural talent but I am seeing great strides of improvement with each quilt that I do.  Practice makes perfect and all that...

This all started just a year ago.  Tom bought me a small machine that did sewing and embroidery.  I made some window dressings and then moved on to a quilt.  I quilckly realized that I needed a machine with a bigger opening for quilting so we went shopping at our local Sew 'n Vac store and found a Brother Quattro 2 for a healthy price but I swear the thing dances for me.  Every time I use it, I find new features to it that make me go 'WOW'.

I got all excited about the machine and thought up a very complicated quilt design with embroidery on every other square and a log cabin design for the alternate squares.  Green being the major color for the embroidery matching the green in the log cabin on one row and then the next row would be burgundy.  I got 11 rows done with 9 squares across and said to myself "ENOUGH".  Too much work.  It wasn't fun anymore so I put it away.  As I said in another posting...it was a monstrosity.  So, about 3 months later, I pulled it out and rounded the corners and finished it with binding.  All right...I have to be honest here...When I decided to pack it away, I had just seen a flaw two rows up from where I was.  I couldn't fathom ripping out all those seams and fixing it.  One of the embroidered designs was going in the wrong direction.  YES I'M A LITTLE OCD.   But, even with that mistake, I really like the way the quilt came out.

Then, for Christmas, he bought me some quilting design software that allows me to create my own designs and print out templates for each piece that needs to be cut out.  I created an optical illusion quilt hanging from that software over Christmas and realized that the possiblity of creating is endless. 

My boss asked me to turn his T-shirts into a T-shirt quilt and he PAID me 250 dollars when it was done.  I mean...he actually paid me.  I had told him not to pay me because he loaned us his trailer to help move the kids out but he insisted.  (I wanted to give him an out in case he didn't really like it.)  BUT he really loved it.  I was astonished.  Of course, that just fed the beast and flattered me to no end.  Can't hardly get my head into the house now.  I got brave enough now to make my Mom a quilted wall hanging for her birthday.  (Since she doesn't read my blog anymore, I'm pretty safe putting this out there)  Sent a picture of it to my sister and now she would like one for Christmas.  I did some very intricate quilting on the wall hanging.  I'll probably make myself one also.  Each year we always give each other something that we have ourselves so that we have like items.  Not really sure how that got started.

Anyway, everyone wants to do what they love for a living.  If I knew how to market what I do, it would be great.  I could easily sew for 12 hours a day with no problem.  I'd probably lose touch with reality though which wouldn't be good.  Tom might move out and I wouldn't even know it.  I'd end up in the twilight zone just sewing away.

I want to get better at free motion quilting.  They make it look so easy in the how-to videos and when I try it, my free motion looks like someone with epilepsy was doing it.  I know I know...practice, practice, practice.  I've ordered some templates and a pouce pad so that I can just follow some lines on the quilt when I do the quilting part.  I'm afraid that will be the best I can do.  I will continue to practice the free motion quilting but I'm not sure I'll ever get good enough at it.

I understand the joke now about "Whoever dies with the most cloth wins".  Cloth and I are having a love affair.  I just keep stocking up on my favorite colors when they are released from Connecting Threads.  This is an awesome site that have amazing quilting material.  Good thick material at very low prices.  No, I'm not advertising for them...just sayin'.

I guess the bottom like is that it is really just a hobby but I would love to make money at it.  8-)

OK, enough about sewing...here is some Max for you today.

"Get Ready For a Surprise

By Max Lucado

Have you got God figured out? Get ready, you may be in for a surprise. Hear the rocks meant for the body of the adulterous woman drop to the ground. Listen as Jesus invites a death-row convict to ride with Him to the Kingdom in the front seat of the limo. Listen as the Messiah whispers to the Samaritan woman, “I who speak to you am He.” And listen to the surprise as Mary’s name is spoken by a man she had buried.

God appearing in the strangest of places. Doing the strangest of things. Stretching smiles where there had hung only frowns. Hanging a bright star in a dark sky. Many more knees will bow. And many more seekers will celebrate.

“For no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him!” (1 Corinthians 2:9)"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Monstrosity

Sometimes, I get myself in over my head (and way over my patience level) with sewing.  (How else am I going to improve though if I don't try new things?)  I had this great idea last fall (Here is the link to the thought process on the creation of this quilt monstrosity.) to design this quilt that had embroidery all over it as well as squares that were pieced together.  It was fun for about 10 minutes and then it became a monstrous amount of work.  Being the person that I am (all type A personality) I forged on with it.

I worked on it from September until about December and then I folded it up and packed it away until BJ and family got out of the house because it really was consuming too much of my time.  Oh, AND, I had found a flaw right in the middle of the quilt.  I had turned one of the embroidery pieces in the wrong direction which pretty much ruined it for me.  (Yeah, more Type A personality going on.)  I had already sewn two rows past that mistake and there was no way I was going back and taking all that stitching out.  (I tend to quilt as I go with each row so that it isn't so bulky when I am quilting.) 

I finished a project last weekend and then found myself fingering the material on the monstrosity quilt.  I  HATE to have unfinished projects cluttering up the back of my mind so I pulled it back out.

Here is a picture of the wall hanging I finished for the bathroom last weekend....it really did come out perfect!  I think I even impressed Tom with this one.  I am improving in my skills all the time and for the most part having a blast with it!

You can see that I even tried a little free motion quilting on the center squares on this one.  I am still nervous about doing that and I need to practice a LOT more.  8-)

So, back to the monstrosity story...

I pulled it out and laid it across the twin in the guest bedroom and realized that I had done enough on it to have it be an additional blanket for that bed.  I finished the quilting process on the last two rows, put the binding on it and wala...it is finished.  It has a lot of minor flaws (all giving it character of course...ha ha ha) and one major one that if you look closely, you can see in a couple of these pictures...

It adds some color to the white bedspread in there.  I might make some curtains for that room out of the burgundy flowered material I had left over.  (I had a LOT of that material left over.)  Not sure why I bought so much of that one...probably just liked it.

The quilt had 99 squares by the time I was finished with it and for those that know BJ...in his words...'tas enuf.

Here is some Max for today...kinda fits in with my theme (in a very loose way...lol)  I like to think I took something that I thought was a failure three months ago and took another look at it and finished it.

"What's Done is Done

By Max Lucado

What do you do with your failures? Could you do it all over again, you’d do it differently. You’d be more patient. You’d control your tongue. You’d finish what you started. You’d get married first. But as many times as you tell yourself, “What’s done is done,” what you did can’t be undone.

That’s part of what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). He didn’t say, “The wages of sin is a bad mood.” Or “The wages of sin is a hard day.” Read it again. “The wages of sin is death.” Sin is fatal.

What do you do? Don’t we all long for a father who will love us? A father who cares for us in spite of our failures? We have that kind of a father. A father whose grace is strongest when our devotion is weakest. Your failures are not fatal, my friend!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Is Heaven for Me?

Busy busy weekend.  We went truck shopping and found a beautiful new Tacoma for Tom.  It is a Magnetic Gray Metallic.  We got there at 1:00 (had an appointment) and were driving away with it by 3:30.  We got a great deal on the trade-in for his 2008 Tacoma.  This will probably be our retirement truck.  We still need to get a hard tonneau cover for it though.  He's found the one he wanted and has ordered it.
The rest of the weekend was spent chatting with my Mom, cleaning house, sewing, and resting.

Roman's birthday is on Saturday and we're going to do a cake, eat out, and then I got them tickets to the hockey game for Saturday night.  Yeah, we don't do hockey but they really enjoy it and I get the tickets free through Boeing so it makes for a perfect end to his birthday. 

I gave the finished t-shirt quilt to my boss and he really seemed to love it.  It is a good feeling to make people happy with quilts.  I understand why my Mom enjoys doing it so much!

My next project is another wall hanging.  One of the walls over the tub in my bathroom is totally bare.  (I"m never in a hurry for decorating...I have the rest of my life and it makes it fun along the way to decorate instead of killing myself when we first move into a house.  Ok, so it's been 5 and a half years since we moved in and I still have blank walls.  Big deal..it's my house...lol)  I've designed the pattern I want for in there, cut the cloth and I laid it out to see how it would look.  The binding will be made out of the darkest gray color.  I am having a ton of fun with the design software Tom got me for Christmas.  8-)

I've been reading a book that was written by Amber Myers called "The Swimmer's Assistant".  Amber is the one that does the Whispering Writer Blog. (You can connect to that blog over on the right in my "Blogs I enjoy reading" section.)  The book is every bit as funny as the Stephanie Plum series books.  In fact, in some ways, I'd say it was funnier.  If you like funny books, you can get this one on Amazon for .99 in Kindle format.  It is a LONG book too...not just a little short one like most of them are today.  And no, I don't personally know the writer...I just read her blog a lot when I was going through chemo to keep my spirits up.  She is as humorous in real life as she is with her books.

Here is a little Max for today.

"Is Heaven for Me?

By Max Lucado

My friend Joy teaches children in an inner city church. Her class is a lively group of nine-year-olds. There’s one exception—a timid girl named Barbara. Her difficult home life had left her afraid and insecure. She never spoke. Never. Always present. Always listening. Always speechless. Until the day Joy talked about heaven—about seeing God. About tearless eyes and deathless lives. Barbara raised her hand. “Mrs. Joy? Is heaven for girls like me?”

I would’ve given a thousand sunsets to have seen Jesus’ face as this tiny prayer reached His throne. A prayer to do what God does best: To take a pebble and kill a Goliath. To take a peasant boy’s lunch and fed a multitude. To take three spikes and a wooden beam and make them the hope of humanity. To take the common and make it spectacular!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

T-Shirt Quilt

I've been working on a quilt for my boss.  He ran marathons and 2K runs a lot when he was younger.  He had to have his hip replaced in 2005 and he ran for one more year and then decided the hip and running just didn't work out so well.  Anyway...long story short, he wanted me to turn all of his t-shirts from the runs into a t-shirt quilt.  I'd never done a T-shirt quilt before but I was sure that I probably could do it.  I'm not one to give up on a challenge.  :)

It is one thing to make a quilt out of material that you could easily replace...kinda scary when you are doing it with non-replaceable t-shirts.  In fact, I had kind of a scary moment when I accidentally cut off a corner of one of the t-shirt squares.  I repaired it and it is hardly noticeable now (I doubt he will ever see it) but at the time I had a few choice words to say about the error.  (Note to self: keep the table cleaned off when cutting.  ARGHHHH.)

I found the secret to making a t-shirt quilt is in the interfacing that you back the t-shirt squares in.  The interfacing keeps the squares from stretching all out of shape when you are sewing them together or quilting them.

Here is a picture of the quilt without the binding.  I'll be binding it next weekend.

We are heading Friday to find Tom a new truck.  This will be his retirement vehicle. He had a red truck before this gray one that he has.  He says he wants another red one.  The Tacoma comes in a very pretty Barcelona Red.  I'm trying to decide whether to trade in my car and his truck when we go to pick it out.  He drives me everywhere but I hate to give up the independence in case I want or need to drive.

Here is some Max for today:

"Whispering Thoughts
by Max Lucado

Reporter Dan Rather once asked Mother Teresa. “What do you say to God when you pray?” Mother Teresa answered quietly, “I listen.” Taken aback, Rather tried again, “Well then, what does God say?” Mother Teresa smiled, “He listens.”

Why don’t you give God your listening thoughts. Just whisper to him, “Am I in your will, Lord?” “Am I pleasing you, Lord?” By the time your life is over, you’ll have spent six months at stoplights, a year and half looking for lost stuff—double that in my case, and a whopping five years standing in lines. Why don’t you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as, “Thank you, Father,” and “You are my resting place, Jesus,” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Give God your whispering thoughts."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Where have I been??

OK, so I've been a bit busy for the last four months.  Shoot me.

So many holidays, so much family time.  (It's  been amazing!)  I've made several quilts, helped my son and his family move out of our house and into their new one.  (Yeah for all of us...lol)  They now have a very beautiful newly built home that should last them a lifetime.  No, surprisingly, I don't have any pictures of it yet.  How odd is that?  Didn't even think to take pictures...maybe I will this weekend. 

Well, maybe not this weekend.  We still need to tear apart the trampoline and get it moved over there and they have some stuff in the storage unit that still needs to be moved to their house so I probably won't have time then either.

I'll give them a chance to settle in and get it decorated the way they want to before I start flashing the camera all over the place.  HA!

I connected with my very first best friend during the last month.  That was amazing...it's probably been almost 45 years (ahem..yeah...wow...that long) since we were connected and it has really been fun to catch up.  I hope to stay connected with her as time goes on.  She has some physical challenges (don't we all!) but she is one tough lady with a sweet heart.

I have given my house a good spring cleaning and reorganization since the kids moved out.  I even have my own sewing room now.  While they were here I had used our formal dining area as a sewing room....hated all the mess out in the middle of everything but I couldn't give up sewing...lol.

I'm currently working on a T-Shirt quilt for my boss.  Yeah, it's a bit nerve wracking to be sewing for my boss....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Here is a very poor picture of a wall quilt I made over the holidays.  Tom got me some quilt designing software and this is the first thing I designed.  I had a lot of fun making it and what is really cool is that the software even spits out the templates for the pieces that you have to cut.  I made it to hang on one of my office walls at work because the calendar that was up there had been put up by the janitor and he put these huge holes in the wall and the calendar wasn't being replaced.  So....I had to get creative.  8-)

We also bought a couple of bicycles in the last month.  We had gotten our grandson a bike for Christmas but he didn't have anyone to ride with so we thought we would make great riding pals for him.  We used to enjoy riding bikes so we thought since we didn't have our treadmill room while they were here we would take up biking again.  WOW, was that hard.  The first time we went out our legs felt like weak pitiful old rubber.  We are slowly (EVER SO SLOWLY) building back up those muscles.  We live out in the country so it is a great place to ride the bikes. 

Well, here's some Max for today...very interesting perspective:

"What if?

What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? Waking up in your bed, walking in your shoes, assuming your schedule? With one exception—nothing about your life changes. Not your circumstances. Your schedule. Your problems. Only one change occurs! His priorities govern your actions. His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy?

Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Appointments. Would anything change? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life. Then frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus.” God wants you to be just like Jesus!

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

This and That...

Trying to decide if there is really anything to blog about. 

I don't have any pictures to post.  Not as much fun without pictures.

Nobody is sick in the house this week.  Hurrah!!  I ended up with the flu last week.  Yeah, that pretty much sucked.  I stayed home from work for a couple of days just lying in bed and sleeping through it.  I had fun everytime Tom came in the room I would imitate Roman and cry "I'm dying...I think I'm gonna die."  It made him laugh every time.  Oh wait...I guess I didn't tell that story on one of my blogs.  Roman was sick the weekend before I got sick and at one point we heard him back in the bedroom crying and screaming at the top of his lungs, "I'm dying...I think I'm gonna die."  Ok, maybe it loses something in the translation but neither of us had ever heard a child say they were going to die when they had a cold or flu.  He is very dramatic about everything. 

I went to the oncologyst and we talked about the cancer meds that I quit taking a couple of months ago because of bone and joint pain.  (I know EXACTLY how it is going to feel when I get about 20 years older...)  He gave me a new script for Tomoxifin.  Side effects from that one sound really yummy.  More weight gain, embolisms, stroke, etc.  Nice.  Can't wait.  (Yeah, yeah...that is heavy sarcasm you hear.)  Of course, he swears there is no bone or joint pain with it.  We'll see.

He's doing a pet scan to make sure the cough I have isn't anything to worry about.  I'll be doing that on the 23rd and then going back on the 25th to see if there are any concerns from it.

Roman is making great grades on his school work.  He is working really hard.  His Mom had bought him a Spongebob umbrella and the kids made fun of him at school yesterday.  Is six REALLY too old to like Spongebob Squarepants?  It seems like the perfect age for it to me...kids are just mean.

Work is busy as usual.  I had a 'meet and greet' with one of the guys from home office in St. Louis yesterday.  He was diagnosed and treated for Stage 4 melanoma eight years ago.  He is a walking miracle.  I am daily thankful for the strides we have made in getting rid of cancer cells.  God is so good all the time.  8-)

Here is a a little Max for today...amen and amen...

"Not Just Mercy, But Grace

By Max Lucado

We are poor, spiritually for sure; monetarily, perhaps. We’ve buried our dreams, desires, and aspirations. Like the mother with Lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line, we’re out of options.

Yet Christ approached us “while we were yet sinners!” “Will you cover us?” we asked him, and Grace smiled.

Not just mercy, mind you, but grace. Grace goes beyond mercy. Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance. Grace threw him a party. Mercy prompted the Samaritan to bandage the wounds of the victim. Grace prompted him to leave his credit card as payment for the victim’s care. Mercy forgave the thief on the cross. Grace escorted him into paradise.

Mercy pardons us. Grace woos and weds us. Grace does this. God does this. Grace is God walking into your world with a sparkle in his eye and an offer that’s hard to resist!

“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5″"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Changing of the Season

I always feel a bit melancholy when summer turns to fall.  I looked out the kitchen window this morning and this is what I saw.

Now, I'll admit, the sun isn't up yet and, even when it comes up completely, it will be overcast but it really matched my mood this morning.  The leaves are beginning to fall off of the trees and I know that before long, the trees will be bare and that will be the view for several months while the world goes into the dormant winter state.  The air has turned crisp and cool and I have already turned the heat on to knock the chill out of the air. 

It's funny, even though the leaves are falling off the trees, the roses are still generating new leaves.  I haven't fertilized in probably six weeks so I must have fertilized to late in the summer.  They are still really pretty and I stand amazed that they survived me and the drought this year.  8-)

I have been able to avoid all doctors for the last six months and, I have to admit, it has been wonderful!  Next Wednesday I have to go see my oncologist for my six month check up. (Which will generate other appointments such as mammograms and probably a pet scan).  Hopefully, all the diagnostics that they insist on doing will come back clean and I can go on for another six months without any more doctors.  8-)

Sometimes, I get so caught up in life that I forget how precious this time with BJ, Madora, and Roman is.  Sometimes, I find myself screaming internally, give me just five minutes without the noise and bustle that their family brings into the house.  Max has some wonderful words of wisdom about how I should be dealing with this.  I mean, I never let them know that I feel that way but does being Christ-like mean that we don't have those feelings or that we don't show them?  8-}

"Piranha Hour

By Max Lucado

We used to call 5:00 p.m. the “piranha hour.” It was that time of day when our girls all wanted a piece of mom at the same time. And I, the ever-loving, ever-sensitive husband, wanted Denalyn to drop everything and talk to me about my day. When is your piranha hour? When do people in your world demand much and offer little?

Jesus teaches us how to live through them successfully. When hands extended and voices demanded, Jesus responded with love. He did so because the code within him disarmed the clock.

The code is worth noting: “People are precious.” He gave sight to eyes that would lust. He healed hands that would kill. Many of those he healed would never say “thank you” but he healed them anyway.

God’s goodness is spurred by His nature—not by our worthiness. He knows the value of people!

“…but the crowds learned about [what Jesus was doing] and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Luke 9:11″"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Pre-Approved!

Well, we had some really great news last night.  BJ and Madora have picked out the house they want to have built and they are pre-approved for the loan.  Hurrah!  We were all estatic about it.  I mean, really...the house we live in, while it is a 4 bedroom, all of us are used to having our own space so it will be nice (in about 4-6 months after the house gets built) to return to our usual spaces and get together once a week for family night as well as other occasions.  It will be nice to have family living in the area (but not in our house...lol).

At Roman's school this week, they've had dress-up days all week.  The first day, they wore their pajamas.  (Get out of here...PAJAMAs?) and the second day, they had to dress up like someone from another era so Roman picked dressing up like a Gangsta.  (Gangster in normal language) Here is a picture of him from that day.

I mean really...does it get any cuter than that?

I found a winter coat for him at the Boeing Store.  He is all about being in the military right now so I got him a fighter pilot jacket and surprised him with it on Monday after it arrived.  He was so excited when he was telling his Dad about it that he couldn't speak clearly.  It came out "Dad, loo loo, Can you believe, look what GiGi got me....loo loo...it's a 'for reals' fighter pilot coat."  You have to imagine all the gasping breath sounds in between all the words.  I can honestly say that I have never taken a kids breath away in excitement before.  It was amazingly adorable.  (Mark one up for GiGi...whoo whoo)

We are looking forward to our Friday off tomorrow...it will be our first day with no one in the house in two months.  We are almost as excited as Roman was about his coat...ROTFL.

Well, that's about all the news for now.  Here is some more from Max on Grace...(my favorite subject)

"Make it Personal

By Max Lucado

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but the anger of God!

God didn’t overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you lest he destroy you. He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner. Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you the credit for Jesus’ perfection. As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but not change you.

Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me!”

For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day Grace happened to you!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Reflections...

I thought it might be time for some reflection this morning.  Life has gotten very busy...sometimes fun, sometimes stressful, sometimes just plain old relaxing (not a whole lot of the relaxing thing happening though...). 

I am coming up on my 6 month Oncologist appointment and it always throws me into a bit of an internal frenzy.  For about 5 months I just pretend I didn't have cancer and enjoy life, then about a month before my appointment, I have to assess how I am doing 'cancer-wise' and be prepared to talk about it.  I have a bit of a cough that has us concerned but it could just be allergies.  Especially since I am allergic to dogs and we have added one to the house.  The only thing is that I had the cough a bit before the dog...it has just gotten worse since he got there.  (See....that totally points to allergies!)  I found a lump in my other breast a couple of weeks ago but I think it is just a milk duct.  They told me that if I ever find a lump in the other breast that it will not be from the original cancer but that it would be a brand new one.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure that is just a milk duct that I never felt before...I mean, good grief, who can remember all the lumps and bumps in breasts.

On to other reflections...

Roman is a special child who loves easily and is just one big burst of energy that is non-stop. 

Imagine, if you will, a fifth dimension...one where the atoms in a child are always in motion, never stopping, always eating to fuel it's constant state of flux.  A dimension where if the child stopped, he would literally explode into nothingness.  A dimension that is not just imagination but a reality called the Small Person Twilight Zone. 

Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but believe me...he never seems to stop moving.  Even when he is eating, he is squirming in his chair, ready to take off as soon as allowed.  Not sure how many times my mouth has uttered, "Roman, please stop running in the house..."  Sometimes, watching him just wears me out.  LOL

Madora is a good daughter-in-law.  BJ is right...'She IS the one.'  She is his soul-mate and it is obvious that they adore each other.  She asks my opinion on things (which is unheard of in past daughter-in-laws) and we laugh together.  We also disagree at times and that is ok...it is good that she feels comfortable enough with me to disagree.  (It obviously doesn't mean she's right...but I'll let her disagree if she wants.  HA!)

They've been with us now for a couple of months and we've settled into an easy rhythm.  On the weekend, she helps me clean house and BJ helps Tom with the yard.  We cook and eat meals together Fri-Sun.  During the week, we fend for ourselves since we are on such different working schedules.  Tom and I get our laundry done on Thursday and Friday evenings and they get theirs done on the weekend.

Saturday mornings, I work with Roman to help him learn his spelling words and do the 4-6 worksheets he  has to get done for school.  He is doing really well in school now.  He is in the first grade and the first week, before we really understood what the teacher wanted, he didn't do so well on his spelling test or the worksheets but now that we understand (we meaning, his Mom, myself, and Roman.) and we are making sure he learns everything and understands all the math, spelling, and reading worksheets that he has to accomplish each week.  He doesn't like to slow down enough for good penmenship (reference twilight zone paragraph above) and we are having to work on that a lot. 

I am still sewing when I have a moment or two.  I got 38 squares sewn together this weekend for a quilt I am working on.  Next weekend will be doing the embroidery squares for inbetween the pieced squares.  Here are the first two rows of the quilt that I put together a few weeks ago.  It is made with basically 5 different fabrics.  I cut 1.5 inch strips of 4 of the fabrics and sew them together, then I cut out triagles that are 4 inches tall.  Then I sew 4 of one type of triangle together to make the squares.  I use the alternating triangles for every other row.  Then I use the basic cream color fabric to make the embroidered squares.  I didn't have a pattern for this quilt, it was just something that I thought up out of my widdle head.  Not sure what I will do the border in yet.  It is going to be 11 squares wide by 14 rows long when I am done.  Each square comes out to approximately 7 inches. 

Well, I guess that is enough prattling for today. 

Here is some Max for you:

"Grace Happened!

By Max Lucado

We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We have been found guilty!

Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting the final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door. We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else! “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you!”

The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out.” And we find ourselves shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, what just happened?

Grace happened! Christ took away your sins.

Romans 3 says: “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.”

What happened? Grace happened!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa



Jumping Beans...

We recently had a new addition to our back yard.  The three men of the house built it.  Here they are about half way done with it.  (I think they were mentally scratching their heads at this point)

Later, I could hear Roman stating "I can help, honest, I know things."  I was proud of him though, even though he kept saying that, (which was annoying to the men on many many levels) he kept his little arms folded waiting patiently to help.

He got to help when it came time to test it out.  He was totally fine with that!

 



Then BJ had to get in and make sure it could handle the extra weight of an adult.  (right)

 

Roman is getting the hang of it now.

 



 Then the next day, we had a 'bug' problem.  I wish I had gotten a picture of him laying down on the trampoline trying to identify every leaf and possible bug on it.  Roman does NOT like bugs.  So we moved it from under the trees to the back of the house.   This way he could climb up in it from the porch.  Another amusing thing was watching him try to get into it without help.  Oh...did we have a good laugh watching him. 

Finally, GiGi gave it a try.  It really was a lot of fun and some tremendous exercise.  So, every night we go out and jump around in it and when we get tired, we both lay down on the trampoline and toss a soft ball up in the air for him to catch.  His catching skills are getting really good.  8-)

 

 

 Tom has been tremendously patient through this transition of more family in the house.  He isn't getting much 'me' time but he also knows that this is just a small transition time until they get into their own house.  I feel blessed to have the time to get to know my grandson so well and to spend time with BJ and Madora. 

Tom and Madora got on the trampoline also but I didn't have the camera at the ready when they were on it.

Roman has taken over the watering of my roses and he's doing a really good job.  He likes to work and help around the house.  He is quickly becoming my little helper.  He also helped me scrub down the patio last weekend.  I used the hose while he scrubbed with a brush on a pole.  He is also doing well with his school work.  He seems to like to learn from me and I enjoy the teaching.  8-)  We are pretty much becoming best buddies.  I had forgotten how much fun little boys can be.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Super BroHam

With the new addition to our family came the dilemma of what to be called.  Roman already had a Grandma and Grandpa (Madora's parents) so he didn't want to call us by those names.  When we visited them in Las Vegas he came up with the name "Bro-ham" for Tom immediately.  Tom turned right around and called him Bro-Bacon.  They both laughed over that.  I embroidered a sign for his room that has Pluto (the Disney Dog) on it and says "Bro-Bacon's Room".  He liked it so much he asked if he could take it with him when they move into their new home. 

I was a little more difficult for him.  He and his Mom came up with the name "Gigi".  So we are now Bro-ham and Gigi.  To us, it doesn't matter what he calls us because we love him dearly.  He is completely endearing (well, 99% of the time...he can be challenging some of the time, especially when he is tired.) and we are thoroughly enjoying him.

On Saturday, he goes up to his Bro-ham and says "I love you...".  Bro-ham in turn says "Well, I love you too, Roman" and Roman proceeds to tell him that he needs to show him the inside of the observatory.  We all laughed because we knew something was coming as soon as he said "I love you".  So, Bro-ham and Roman walked out to the observatory and had a look around.   Tom pulled out his smaller telescope for Roman to take a look through.

"Are you sure we can't look through the BIG telescope?"

"WOW...Gigi is really big in here.  How did she get so big?"

Two men and a Cat...

I wish I had gotten a picture of him when they were going out to cut the grass.  It was too adorable...he had his work boots on with his hard hat and when his mother wanted him to try on some pants that I needed to hem for him, he explained to us that he had to go outside and do what MEN do, not change pants for hemming.  Never the less, I got the measurements I needed and he proceeded to go out and do all the manly things that men do outside.  

So, he is Super Bro-Ham to Roman.  They truly have a great bond going on and it is amazingly fun to watch. 

"Every Day - Closer to Home

By Max Lucado

Too seldom do I hear thunder and think “Is that God?”

I’ve been known to let a day pass, even two days, without a glance to the eastern sky. Let’s do better!
Colossians 3:2 reminds us to “Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.”

Blessings and burdens. Both can alarm-clock us out of slumber. Gifts stir homeward longings. So do struggles. Every homeless day carries us closer to the day our Father will come.

The Bible tells us God will wipe away all tears, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain.

All of that gone forever. Write checks of hope on this promise! With Paul in Romans 8:23, we “wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children.”

Every day—closer to home!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Enjoying the Son...

We have really been enjoying having BJ around the last few weeks.  He has gotten into our rhythm and even cooked a few meals for us, on top of helping with the yard and the house cleaning.  It really has been a blessing to have him around.  We all laugh at Triton (the dog) who has adopted me as his plaything.  (literally)  Triton loves the big yard to romp around in too as long as it is cool and shady from the trees in the evening.  I tried to get him out with us when Tom was cleaning out his shed but he just sat on the porch and watched us.  No hot sun for that pup...lol. 

Madora and Roman are still in Texas with her mother.  Her mother has had a couple of surgeries in the last week (One of them to put in a tracheotomy and the other one I am not sure of.)  I haven't wanted to bug her with a bunch of text messages because she is stressed enough without having to tell the same stories more than once so I ask BJ what is going on.  I'll get the full scoop when she gets back into town sometime this week.

I've been busy the last few weeks with sewing.  I made a quilt runner for my sewing maching table top so that if Roman gets inventive with running his cars across furniture, it will be protected.  I'd much rather protect stuff than fuss at him for doing every little thing.  I was just going to do a solid piece of fabric and quilt it but it just wasn't in me to go so simple.  HA!  That would have been too boring.  Here are some pictures of the runner. 

Here are some pictures of BJ and Triton trying to eat BJ's pizza.  For some reason, Triton thought it would be fun to crawl in BJ's pocket.

"Maybe if I crawl into his pants, he won't notice me and some food will drop down here?"

"Maybe if  go under the tunnel, I can get to the food?"

I have also finished the next (and hopefully last) request from Clifford.  He originally wanted another memory quilt with all the kid's names on it along with their spouses but honestly, I am quite sick of making that memory quilt (for now anyway) so I made him a shadow box that came out really well.  I found the pattern online at the Embroidery Library.  Mom and I found it while we were chatting yesterday. 

Here is a little Max for today:

Heaven is Your Home

By Max Lucado

The dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home! In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plan landed. Never.

No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t’ make me leave! Let me stay and eat more peanuts!” We’re willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address.

Nor does this world.

Paul said in Philippians 3:20: “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior.”

What about you? Is your fear of dying robbing your joy of living?

Romans 14:9 says, “Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died.”

In Christ, heaven is your home!

By Grace Alone -

Teresa



Busy Life...

Oh my...things have been busy.

BJ and Madora got settled and we were having a wonderful time with them when Madora had to go pick up Roman.  Her mother has taken a turn for the worse and could not handle Roman any longer.  Madora has decided to stay and help with her mom until Roman has to start back to school.  This will be a hard separation for she and BJ...the two of them are so connected to each other...Tom and I both see that they have the bond like he and I do.  BJ has definitely found his "Soul Mate" this time.

I haven't been sewing or planting or really doing anything other than working, cooking, and cleaning.  Speaking of cleaning...they have the most adorable little dog.  It is a Chihuahua.  A really good dog.  Only 9 months old but hadn't had an accident yet.  (Whew...so glad about that even though we have hardwood floors...don't want any accidents in the house...lol)  He is playful and seems to just make friends with everyone.  Doesn't know a stranger.  Barks every time he thinks someone that doesn't belong is coming near the house but that is very seldom.

We got their Rental Truck unloaded a couple of Sundays ago and realized just how old and out of shape we are...HA!  Not up to that kind of work anymore but somehow we all made it through it.  YEAH TEAM!!

Madora had found a job just before she got called to go pick up Roman.  We are hoping the job is still available when she gets back but it is important that she spend this time with her family right now.  It will all work out to whatever God's plans are for her.  8-)

Anyway, life is full and we are pressing on with it.  We've got Roman's room set up really cute and ready for him to just come in and fall into bed when he arrives (yeah, I'm sure that will happen...lol).  

Here is some Max for today...

"Taking out the Trash 

By Max Lucado

Who wants to live with yesterday’s rubble?  Who wants to hoard the trash of the past?  You don’t, do you?  Or do you?

I’m not talking about the trash in your house, but in your heart.  Not the junk of papers and boxes but the remnants of anger and hurt.  Do you rat-pack your pain?  Amass offenses?  Record slights?

A tour of your heart might be telling.  A pile of rejections.  Accumulated insults.  No one can blame you.  They’re innocence takers, promise breakers, and wound makers.  They’re everywhere and you’ve had your share.

Jesus answered Peter’s question in Matthew 18:21 and 22 when he asked:  “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Seven times?”  “No, not seven times,” Jesus said.  “Seventy times seven!” 

Do you want to give every day a chance?  Jesus says to get rid of the trash.  Give the grace you’ve been given!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

The Prodigal Son

OK, so maybe The Prodigal Son title is not exactly accurate, but the last few weeks have been a flurry of getting ready for BJ and Madora to arrive.  They both agree this is a much better place to raise a child and are headed this way even as I type.  Before July it had been 2.5 years since I had seen him and the reunion was wonderful.

Roman is currently with his other grandparents in Texas and he will be arriving in a few weeks just before school starts.  Madora's mother has stage 4 cancer and wanted to spend some time with Roman before...well, you know what I'm saying here.

We are very excited to have them coming, I have cleaned out their bedroom and walk in closet (yeah for an attic!!) and started cleaning out Roman's room.  (I got one of the two closets cleaned out.)  Mostly we just have to get the two treadmills out of there (darn...now we won't be able to exercise .... do we hear the sarcasm dripping out of my mouth??).

I did finish the wedding memory quilt that I was making for them and the Myranda memory quilt that I made for Tom.  Here are the pics of those.

For some reason, I had a hard time with the center embroidery for the wedding memory quilt.  First I spelled BJs name wrong and left the i out of it.  (His actual given name is Guillermo not BJ...BJ is a nickname for Bill Jr)  Then I decided on different colors for the flowers.  Then the stitching messed up on the wording and I found that I had used the last bit of cloth that was supposd to match the outside triangles and I had gotten the material in Las Vegas so OOPS...I had to go shopping for more material.  Well, the Hancocks here did not carry the same material (true, there are 4 Hancocks in the vacinity and I only checked one of them but I only have so much energy) so I got a coordinating solid color for the center.

Myranda's went without a hitch and we put Tigger on it because she always loved Tigger...even as a teenager, she picked T-shirts with Tigger on them.

Anyway, tonight, probably in the wee hours, Madora and BJ will be arriving and we are very very excited.  It will be nice to have so much life in the house.  Now all they need to do is find some good jobs here and then find a home to live in.  Keep praying for them!

Here is some Max for today...

"God is Enough

by Max Lucado

Let’s face it–anxiety or worry have no advantages! They ruin our health, rob us of joy, and change nothing! Our day stands no chance against the terrorists of the Land of Anxiety.

But Christ offers a worry-bazooka. Remember how He taught us to pray? “Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11” This simple sentence unveils God’s provision plan: live one day at a time.

Worry gives small problems big shadows. Corrie ten Boom said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.” And Romans 8:28 affirms: “Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

Most anxiety stems, not from what we need, but from what we want. Philippians 4:4 says, “delight yourselves in the Lord, yes, find your joy in Him at all times!”"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa



Home Again....

That was a really awesome trip.

I don't even know where to start because there is so much to tell.

This is the point where I usually close the browser and get on with life but I really want to share what a joy BJ's family is.  They made me laugh like I haven't laughed in a really long time.

I clicked with Madora like I clicked with my high school friend Connie.  She and I went to Hancock Fabrics to find some fabric so that I can make a wedding memory quilt for she and BJ.  I was driving [I offered for her to drive...giving her an out to my lousy driving but we climbed into the rental car anyway...HA...wuwahwahwah (hands rubbing together with a gleeful smile on my face)] and you have to realize that Las Vegas has the craziest roads you can possibly imagine.  The lane you are in will suddenly disappear and become NOT A LANE to drive in but a median.  Honestly, you'd have to experience it to understand.

We had an incident where my lane ended and guess what...the people in Las Vegas are not nice.  They don't see that you are having issues and let you in, they make sure that you DON'T get into the only remaining lane. 

Then there was this time when we were sitting at a stop light and this huge SUV decided that he was going to get around me (slowly creeping around my left with only a hair's breadth between our vehicles) and I turn to him and say "And what is that getting you?" and then when the traffic took off, he was able to get in front of me and I found myself saying "I guess it got you that, huh?"  We had a really good laugh about both of those incidents.

Madora and I both decided that we could be best of friends.  I've never had that opportunity with any of BJ's wives before.  (Yes, there were two before this one...it's been hard for him to settle down for some reason but it is obvious that this one is his soul mate.)  In fact, she liked me so much that they are thinking of moving to Alabama to be near us.  She is going to start looking for a job here and BJ's job with Apple allows him to move anywhere because he works from home.  I sent them the information from my realtor who did a great job finding us our home.

On to Roman...he is like a little tornado...constantly in motion.  He is six years old and not a shy bone in his body.  He calls Tom "BroHam" (None of us are sure what that means except when he says it you can tell that it is an endearment because he and Tom were totally connected.)  He said he wants to call me "Granny" which is ok, not what I would have chosen but if that is his choice, I'll take it.  We both fell in love with him.  He is all imagination and quite a free spirit.

He didn't like having his picture taken so he would find ways to avoid the camera so in the videos you will see that he hides behind Tom or anything else he can get behind if he thinks that I am filming him.  Sometimes the camera will look like it isn't filming anything and that is because I was in stealth mode trying to hide the camera from him.  The little bugger is smart and I had to work hard to get any pictures of him.

Boy and Dog having a conversation.

"Don't take my picture..."

"See how strong I am?"  Dog looks confused...

Can't even comment on this one...sigh...lol...somehow, the dog loved it.

Now Triton is slobbering back on him.

"Man Snuggling" with Grandpa.

Telling Grandpa what life is really all about...

As you can see above, he latched onto his "BroHam" quite nicely.  8-)  As for me...the first time I walked in, I had a couple of bags of toys for him.  Then the second time I walked in, I had a toy and some candy (Toxic Waste) that we got at the Atomic Testing Museum.  We went out, on our last night there, to get some hamburger buns and came back and he looks at me and says "anything for me?"  HA...I had to tell him not this time...and he was totally ok with that but I thought it was so funny how quickly I became the one with the gifts...He and I played with the Model Magic the first day and I didn't get pictures but his Mom and I played with it on the second day and below is the picture of the three characters we made.

Now, without really knowing Roman, the vidoes below won't really be that special for anyone but two new grandparents, we thoroughly enjoy watching and rewatching the video below.  What I realized on the plane home was that I was so entrenched with capturing Roman on video that I forgot to take any pictures of BJ and Madora.  WOW...what a space case.  We have several other videos of Roman but since it took me all day to get this one uploaded...this is all folks.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa