Blessings Upon Blessings

Son, the tea for sure, not so sure about the fire!

I'm sorry.  I tried waiting until tomorrow morning but just couldn't wait.  We are having such a wonderful Thanksgiving.  It began Wednesday evening as I began preparation for cooking the next day i.e., chopping onions, celery and baking the cornbread for the Sausage Cornbread Dressing.  By the way, wonder why they call it dressing instead of stuffing?  Is it because we're dressing the turkey and not stuffing it?  Just asking.  Boiled eggs so they could cool for making Deviled Eggs (is that indicative based on the people who eat them?); made great-grandpa's favorite Cranberry/Nut Jello Salad. Tell him sorry, there's none left but it sure was good with the turkey: just like always. All the while, dad is running from store to store trying to find some Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage.  Nope, five stores later and still no Turkey Sausage.  I'd tell him "I told you so", but he's never heard me say that so don't think I'll start this year.

Thanksgiving table 2011

Thanksgiving Day morning.  Oops! We didn't get to bed until 1:30am and so we didn't get up until 10:30am.  I don't think I've seen dad sleep that late since the first year I knew him.  It sure was a good thing I had done all the prep work the night before. Everything was ready to go so it was just a matter of putting things together.  I started by making the Blueberry Pie.  Dad says he's decided he likes the Blueberry Pie better than his all-time favorite, Raisin Walnut!  I know, I couldn't believe it either. Go figure!  Dad did the cleaning and I did the cooking until it came to stirring the dressing and my arm just wasn't up to it so he took over.  You have to watch him close though.  He has a tendency to "drown it", with chicken broth.  He did a great job this year.  Everything came out wonderful and beautiful.  I took a picture of our table like I do every year.  Did you already sneak a peek?  

Jon, Corey and Josie came over at 6:00 for dinner.  It was so fun to set the table with grandma's crocheted table cloth Aunt Lena had made her and the silver from grandma and grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary. Grandma always loved setting the table for everyone, and that was usually quite a crowd.  All of us kids kept trying to get her to serve buffet style on paper plates so it would be less work for her. We never really understood why she insisted on doing all that extra work.  Once we had you and began having holidays at our own home, I understood.  It's just not the same without the table being set with all the things that have such great memories and serving the dishes that everyone enjoyed so very much.  It might be sappy.  It might be traditional. But, I love every minute of it and I know you did too.  I'm so glad we carried on with those traditions. We ended the evening watching The Princess and the Pony with Josie.  What a hoot!



Yesterday dad and I just took it easy, had left-overs and enjoyed our time together.  It has been absolutely beautiful weather; no jacket required.  We attempted to watch our annual Friday after Thanksgiving Christmas movie, Home Alone last night.  Both of us slept through half of it.  It's not like we don't know how it ends.


Today I made my first batch of fudge to take to Jon Corey's tonight for dinner.  As soon as dad gets back from his daily walk with Jamison I'm going over and baking a Pecan Pie and helping Josh make Grandma's Ranch Style Cornbread.  The kids have been in the kitchen cooking all day.  We're having dinner together tonight at 5:00.  Can't wait!

Oh my, wish you could have experienced the feast we had last night.  It must have been very close to the first Pilgrim Feast!  The kids cooked all day and the food was amazing. We had roast turkey and chicken, dressing, sweet potato/pecan salad, squash souffle, fresh green beans, grandma's cornbread (I'll tell you about that later), garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry salad and homemade applesauce.  Desserts?  Oh my, it reminded me of the annual display that appeared every year on

Let the cooking begin!

grandma's kitchen counter.  Hot pecan, pumpkin & cherry pies. Pebble Marshmallow Krispies with White Chocolate Drizzle, Red Velvet Whoopie Pie, Fudge and Vanilla Ice-Cream.  Not only did the kids cook but they cleaned and wash all dishes as they cooked.  Sierra made beautiful arrangements for the tables. Corey even "scooped out" the gourds they grew in the garden this year and made tea light candle holders for the table.  Everything was beautiful and way past delicious.  First Thanksgiving in Troy...success beyond belief.  Thank you.


But back to the cornbread. Josh and I timed his cornbread to come out of the oven hot and steaming just as dinner began.  Timing was perfect. The smell of that hot cornbread permeated the entire kitchen when it came out of the oven.  It was so hot you could barely handle it and the butter just melted and seeped into the "inner core" of the yellow mass.  Oh, it was so yummy!  And from the mouth of Jamo as the hot, butter mass, slid over his tongue and down his throat, "Josh, you've won!". To which Josh replied, "No, we've all won!". To the rest of us, we didn't even know there was a contest! Wish you could have been here.  On second thought, no I don't! What you have now is way past hot cornbread! Enjoy!

Greg barefoot skiing.

I had a great conversation this week with a friend I have not seen or talked with for over 40 years, Greg Crocker  I'm sure you remember me telling you the stories of water skiing on Pinto Lake  while in high school.  It use to be one of our favorite hang-outs.  Greg's parents owned the local A&W.  They'd bring out the boat to the lake and we'd ski until we dropped and then most of the time we'd all go back to A&W and have burgers, shakes and fries.  Mrs. Crocker had the most amazing sauce for the hamburgers.  No one could duplicate it.  Boy do I miss those hamburgers sometimes.  I have another story about A&W but that's for another time.  And sometimes we dropped before we skied!  Greg was so good at skiing, he use to ski flat-footed, on his heels and even on his elbows.  He worked for quite a while at Marine World.  I think it's better known now as Six Flags.  He was a trick skier. Greg and his wife Kay, who was also in our youth group at First Baptist Church in Watsonville CA, had a son, Jeffrey, who passed away at an early age too. Maybe you've met him? (Well, that's what you would have asked me!)  They understand and it was great to talk with him again.  Once he sees this picture I image I'll be talking with him again.  But hey, it was on his facebook page so I figured, fair game!

By the way, November 21st was your grandpa's 85th birthday.  Did you bake him a cake?

Sunset view from our mountain.

You'll be happy to know, although I do believe you probably already do know, that I've started my daily walking again.  Jamison and I started out just walking around the property.  He feels pretty luck, two walks each day.  If I haven't put my shoes on by 11am he's right on my heels to remind me.  We walked the property daily for a couple of weeks. This week we started walking down the hill to the corner and back up. It's quite a slope for these bum knees.  Jamison is little, but he's mighty.  If I'm not careful he could easily pull me over going down the hill.  It's great coming back up the hill though!  As you know, dad walks with him everyday.  Dad never misses.  We decided this morning, since I spend most of the day talking with you, that on Sundays we'll all walk together when dad and Jamison normally take their walk.  Jamison was NOT happy about that this morning!

Home

Now, I know I promised you more pictures of the house and things moved so quickly I never got them to you.  I finally finished them so here they are. Since you saw a layout of the house this will give you a better idea of what it looks like inside.  You saw a few pictures of when we finally got here but other than the guest room, we're pretty settled in as far as where furniture goes.  I still have quite a bit of "custom" work to do come Spring but all in all, it's all good!

Our Troy Home

Until next week....if I can hold off that long. I love you. mom



PS  I don't know what's going on with the links today.  If it's bold and in another color, just click on it! You know what to do.

The Joy in the Journey

View from hill above our home

 My husband brought up a very good point this morning.  He suggested that every once in awhile explain the nature of my blogs since October of this year.  I guess I assumed that everyone ready would understand what I'm doing here, but just in case there's someone out there who's never read my blog I'll take a minute and bring you up to speed. My husband and I lost out son to colon cancer on October 2nd of this year.  He fought a courageous battle for three years with the cancer and a battle a year before with a misdiagnosis of diverticulitis. These "conversations" with my son Aaron are an attempt to maintain what little sanity I have left and hopefully, to continue his message of "Choose Joy" no matter what the circumstances. I am a  child of God, so was my son and his father a retired pastor. I can also speak for my husband when I say, we know where are son is, with his Heavenly Father. But, being a human being and a mother I deal with the same pain and agony any other mother would feel at the loss of a child at 38 years of age.  These "conversations" with my son help me handle the pain of his loss. My hope is that you will follow along on my journey and experience the joy of life.

Okay son, this update is probably going to be a really long one.  Yeah I know, I can hear you now, "it's from you mom, I expect it to be long!". Funny, funny, ha, ha.  I forgot to tell you about one of the funniest things that happened last week.  Remember me telling you about going to Sierra's performance of Les Miserables?  Well, it was a family event as they usually are. Right before the performance began everyone was roaming around and visiting as usual.  The house was full.  Jon decided to take the boys and go check out the balcony.  They took a look around and sat in different seats checking out the view from different angles.  When Jon said it was time to go to their seats the boys talked him into letting them stay in the balcony.  With a warming to stay in their seats and be quiet Jon brought Josie and came back to their seats which were directly across the theater from where the boys were sitting in the balcony.  As with any kid, as soon as Jon's butt hit the seat the boys immediately started moving around and changing seats.  Jon watched for a minute and realizing he couldn't get back to the balcony before the house lights began to dim, he yelled across the theater, "guys, get your butts in your seats", to which every man in the theater responded by immediately taking their seats!

Today is Monday, cold and wet.  I've been in my studio most of the day trying to finish the organizing.  Dad is going to help me hang the first sign you and I made, "Always Kiss Me Goodnight".  Remember that? It's 10' x 12"!  That was quite a task.  What?  Of course I moved it with us! It was my first sign and you helped me lay it out so we could get it straight.  You taught me how to work with the vinyl.  I wouldn't take anything for that sign.

Dad's Award-Winning Chili

Dad is making his famous chili. He's been at it since about 10am and it's 3:45pm and he's still going.  Wednesday night I'll make grandma's famous Ranch Style Cornbread to go with it and we'll have a scrumptious meal with the family...all 11 of us!  The vote is in, it was another award winning batch of chili.  Oh it was yummy! Wish you were here.  You would have loved it and you and dad would have had your normal conversation about whose chili was best. I wasn't happy with the cornbread.  I decided just to go with the recipe on the back of the bag of cornmeal.  Mistake!  Next time I'll stick to grandma's recipe.  It's the best in the world.  None of the kids noticed the difference though.  It didn't take them long to empty the pan.  That's always a great feeling...to see them enjoy what we've cooked.

Grandma's Ranch Style Cornbread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spray a 9x13' baking pan with cooking spray

Combine following dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix; add remaining ingredients and stir until mixed.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until done.

2 cups Yellow Cornmeal

2 cups Sifted Flour

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

6 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 teaspoons Salt

2 Eggs

2 cups Milk (skim or whole), I use skim

1/2 cup Canola Oil

And the blooming of another beautiful day!  You know me, I love mornings...although mine don't really begin until after about 8:30 anymore.  Dad and I don't sleep very well so we rarely turn the lights off before 11:30pm or midnight. I think part of it is we know we usually don't have to get up until we decide, part of it is we require less sleep and part of it is life. The biggest for me is being able to make my own schedule!  And I really, really, really like that part. Bet you're laughing your head off 'cause you don't have any reason to NOT sleep well but probably don't sleep. I'm so happy AND joyful that you are finally pain free.  There are some things as a parent that you just can't explain to a your child until they have children of their own.  I use to tell you that when you were younger.  While you were sick many times you would ask me what was going on with me.  There were so many emotions going on inside of me that I just couldn't explain because here on earth you really did have to have children to understand.   Now I know you understand.  


I am so thankful you introduced me to blogging.  It would be so easy for me to sit here every day, all day and "talk" with you but I do have a life you know! I know, so do you.  Wish I could hear about it now but I'll wait if you don't mind!  And I know you don't. Dad and I put the picture of you up yesterday with your purple hair, holding the yellow mum!  I think that is our favorite picture of you.  That picture is SO you and so much the son we see when we think of you.


One of the things that I still have trouble getting my mind around is that you were 38 years old.  As you often told me, "Mom, I'm not 18 anymore!".  Where on earth did all those years go.  It was like they happened overnight.  Remember how dad use to say all the memories we were created that we thought would be for you.  Wrong!  Those memories are helping us go on.  I was going through some pictures yesterday and they were a mixture of your life.  I had such a great time.  I thought for sure I'd end up crying, but I didn't, I ended up laughing.

Well, dad and I are getting ready!  Next Friday night we watch our annual Christmas movie, "Home Alone", to kick the season off and then Friday, "let the decorating begin"!  As I said before, we'll see how long dad can go without putting up some outside lights.  Especially since we have a front porch where he can stand on the porch and hang the lights without having to get on a ladder.  It's going to be different this year.  It's the first holiday season in 38 years you haven't been here.  I'm sure dad and I will get out the Christmas album and go down memory lane. I'll bet it's like Christmas all year long in heaven. What's it like having angels all around you? 

Yesterday I went with Corey and Josie to take three of their chickens out to her Rabbi's farm. Outside of Josie, all the kids were gone.  This meant that Corey had to catch the chickens. I wasn't there to see that but all I need to tell you is that it was Corey...let your imagination do the rest!  She said that as she chased the one loose chicken (lucky for Jon it was only one loose chicken)  round and round the chicken coop the other chickens ran round and round the chicken yard chasing her.  She must have figured this was going to be a simple task because she was still dressed up in a skirt.  By the time she picked me up she was covered in pieces of branches from the trees and shrubbery around their house and shavings from the chicken coop.  She ended up phoning Jon, who was in the house, telling him this wasn't a one person job she had imagined. Can't you just see her running like mad and dialing the phone at the same time while chasing a loose chicken? Only Corey!  Jon came to the rescue, caught the chicken and she was on her way.  I don't think Jon was having as much fun as Corey was. We delivered the three chicken's to the Rabbi's farm. Corey did shed a few tears.  When they put "her" chickens in with the Rabbi's chickens, one of the Rabbi's chickens pecked at Corey's chickens. It's a wonder we didn't come back home with 3+ chickens!  Her three and one of the Rabbi's for "retraining".

Josie in the kitchen

Josie was here last night.  She was quieter than usual.  She didn't want to play with puzzles or sit with your dad to watch a movie.  She stuck like glue to me all evening and lay in my lap on the couch with a blanket to watch her movies (not that I didn't eat that up). She was pretty quiet all evening, for Josie.  She did perk up when I said she could hold two of my porcelain dolls while she was on the couch.  Of course holding meant taking their shoes off.  Josie is like me when it comes to shoes.  You wear them when someone makes you wear them and not until.  She perked up again when I said, "let's make Rice Krispie Treats". She measured out the rice krispie cereal into the bowl and once I had the marshmallows melted, she stirred and stirred.  We did have a "few" on the kitchen floor, from the sink to the stove on the other side of the kitchen actually.  But she had a ball.  She had them stuck all over her hands so naturally, we had to play at the sink in the water for awhile to get them off.  She made a rice krispie lollipop by coating a wooden spoon.  She ate her "lollipop" while sitting on the living room floor watching, you guessed it, "Alice in Wonderland".  As soon as she was finished her "lollipop" it was back to the couch with a blanket and pillow and her head on my lap where she promptly fell asleep.  An ending to a great day. Of course there's always that part where Jon and Corey come in and take her home.  Poop!


I sure could use one of your hugs.  Made any "connections" there yet where you could send me one?

Sierra, Jamo, Josh, Trey, Dylan

, 

Hunter & Josie

We're going to celebrate our family Thanksgiving next Saturday when all the kids are home. Thanksgiving afternoon Jon, Corey and Josie are coming over for dinner.  We'll have our traditional Thanksgiving meal.  Here's the menu:

Appetizers

Salmon Spread & Crackers

            Veggie Tray

     Dinner

Roast Turkey

Sausage/Cornbread Dressing

Cranberry/Walnut Jello Salad

Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Asparagus (if I can find asparagus)

Mashed Potatoes

Biscuits

Deviled Eggs

Dessert

Blueberry Pie

Cream Cheese/Walnut Shortbread Cookies

Christmas Dinner 2010

Your mouth is watering? What was it, the Salmon Spread?  Another of grandma's recipes.  Do you see a theme running through my recipes? Hey, I know a good thing when I see it.  Guess you'll have to deal with it. Wish you could tell me about Thanksgiving in heaven. I know it's rejoicing and being thankful continuously.  Just wish I could enjoy it one more time with you.  Of course, I'll be thinking and saying that the rest of my life so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.  We'll miss Rita and Morris this year too.  Our last three years of holidays were especially fun because we really didn't know how many people we were going to have or who it was going to be. If we'd have had one more year we'd have had to set tables up in the bedrooms and down the hall (boy, that would have been a tight squeeze!).  But it would have been so much fun. It's not that I'm not grateful for what I have and for where I am.  I am so truly blessed and thankful.  It's just that I thought the holidays wouldn't be as hard as they are evidently turning out to be.  I love our family, where ever they may be and  I love my friends where ever they may be. Without all of their love and support I cannot imagine where my life would be.  But son, some days, Choosing Joy...how did you do it? Sorry, I didn't mean to cry today.  I guess it's just one of those days. Boy, do I ever need to get out of this funk!  I can't even see the page right now.  I hope it was "funk" I just typed.  Guess dad will be reading this closely before I publish today.

Oh, you'll be very pleased to know that I finally did finish the shadow box with great-grandpa's harmonica.  I could never decided on what picture of him to use. Then one night when I couldn't sleep I was thinking through all of the pictures I have and it dawned on me.  The perfect picture was on jacket of Aunt Lena's book "Buck".  It worked perfectly.  I have it hanging on our living room wall. Show you?  If you want to see it, you come here!  Just kidding.  I'll take a picture and include it on my blog. I know you, you think you can get me all teary-eyed and sentimental and you can sneak something in on me.  Not a chance

It's a beautiful, sunny day today!  63 degrees.  As Jamison and I took our daily stroll this morning.( I call it a stroll because we cover a lot of area but the pace isn't very fast). I let him control where we go and how long we spend in one spot.  He loves the wind and he couldn't go without his sniffing, finding and following the trail of the nearest chipmunk.  The walking has also really helped with the water on my knee since I fell a couple of months ago. 

Son

Jamison misses you too.

Son, these weekly conversations with you are so wonderful.  I look forward to them every week.  They make Sunday's very special. I hope too that my conversations with you may reach another mom somewhere.  I would hope for every mother that she be able to have or form a relationship with her son like we have. The Lord gave us a very special gift and I'm so happy that we knew it all along and didn't have to wait for the Lord to call one of us home before we realized what we had. We loved spending time together, laughing together, strolling through stores together.  We just enjoyed our time together.  I'm thankful you allowed me to be a mom and share my views with you. Oh I know you were thinking in the back of your head, "Good grief, my mother is off her rocker". Not only do mothers have eyes in the back of their heads, but we can read minds too.  To be honest with you, there were times I thought you were off your rocker too.  A tattoo?  I mean really, what child of mine would I let have a tattoo?  And now, I have one too and you went with me to get it. Guess it runs in the genes.  (Shh! Don't tell grandma I said that!)

Well, I say so long for now.  I've rambled on enough.  Next weekend, Christmas and Hanukkah preparations begin.  Wish  you were here, but understand you have more important things to do. I truly am joyful that dad and I had the privilege to raise you to honor the Lord and  have the knowledge that you are where you are needed the most;  although I will never understand.

Until next week, love mom

Love Is What It's All About

Well, here we  are again!  It's Sunday again already son.  Where do these weeks go? Since the day I retired time has been flying by.  It seems as though I just put my feet over the bedside on Monday morning and the next thing I know it's Sunday morning again. The days and weeks are good. We are on the go in one way or another every minute of the day. If I don't start making notes during the week I know I will forget half of what I want to tell you.  I love Sunday's and these conversations with you. I spent some time this week looking through some of your blogs.  It's great to see someone send you a note on Facebook ever so often. As I've been organizing the studio I come across dozens of pictures of you and it makes me smile every time I see your face.  You brought so much joy to my life.  And you know of course that when I say "my" I mean dad too.  We two became one many years ago. It use to tickle me when you'd say "Now I'm going to tell you something, but you can't tell dad."  Was it that you really didn't understand that dad and I told each other everything, or, was that your way of telling dad something that you really wanted him to know and hear? I kinda think it was the later and I'll bet you're laughing your head off right now so stop it!

Your cousin Renee is here this weekend.  It has been great to see her and visit with her. We all went last night to the Cohoes Music Hall to see Sierra in the production of Les Miserables School Edition.  She was fabulous!  Sierra not only shares your acting ability but your great voice as well.  She sings beautifully, as you know.  This was a group of 32 high school people and three elementary children.  They did a beautiful job.  The theater is beautiful.  I wish you could be here to see it, you would have loved sharing the experience with her.  Of course as I sat there I remembered the last time I saw the production.  It was at Springfield High School and you were in the production. As always, you were amazing and had a great talent. My mind can't help to go to the question during times like these.  I can't help ask the question, "Why God?".  Yes, I know He doesn't owe me any explanation, and I know I'm not going to get an answer. But why on earth would He give you all the amazing talent  He gave you in drama, improv, music, writing and speaking and then take it all away. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.  Stop questioning mom!  We humans, as you know, always have the questions, even when we already know the answer.  That's part of our makeup.  Dad and I always let you question and ask why...respectfully of course.  Or at least that was our intention and I hope we did. We believe it allowed you to have an opinion and the ability to think and reason yourself.  Sometimes you and dad had quite the "reasoning" sessions as I recall.  I guess what I'm saying is, I love you and I miss you.  But you already know that.  You're in heaven for crying out loud!

Friday, we had a "girls" lunch, minus Josie who decided that would be boring and she wanted to stay and play with uncle. We went to the Cheesecake Factory in Colonie Center.  Oh my! We had a 45 minute wait but it was worth every bite!  I had

SkinnyLicious™ Turkey & Bacon; Avocado Sandwich

Freshly Roasted Turkey Breast, Smoked Bacon, Avocado, Tomato and Mayonnaise on a Toasted Bun. Served with a Green Salad

and

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

World Famous! Available From October through the Holidays.

We each ate more calories in our dessert than we normally consume in a day!

And we have a winner!

BUT, any-hoo, during our 45 minute wait I got acquainted with the Christmas Store   Oh son!  You cannot imagine this store in your wildest dreams.  Well, maybe YOU can. Do you still dream in heaven? Sorry, sidetrack for a minute. I mean this is like being in the world of all world stores for Christmas!  They did manage to incorporate one half isle to Hanukkah which Corey was very much able to get into. I can't wait to go back.

I want to make sure to get your dad there too.  It will have to be early in a day during the week and it's going to have to be soon.  You know dad and crowds.  It will be a big enough challenge to get him to a mall, let alone a Christmas store this time of year.  I want to take him when we can just take our time and look.  I don't want him crowded where he feels uncomfortable. We can just hold hands and stroll and ooh and ah. Won't that be fun?  Wish you were here. It was a wonderful time to laugh so hard we cried over the most innocuous things; Sierra, Renee, Corey &me.   Thank you son.

Last week dad helped me finish the studio project.  At least the part he could.  I still have some "clean up" to finish. My work area is piled high but I'll get that finished in the next couple of days.  It took us all week to get things put back in order, the house dusted and the floors done.  It's a good thing that all of this was happening during Halloween cause there were enough cob webs it just looked natural!  I promised dad no more projects until after the holidays.  I hope he doesn't remember that Christmas is a project in and of itself.  I have worked it out though so that we can bring all the Christmas bins upstairs and leave them until after the holidays when we put things away.  I didn't want to have to make a dozen trips up and down the basement stairs with all those bins.  He was happy to hear that.  As always, it's November and dad is wanting to begin the decorating.  As always, he says, "I'm not putting up any lights or decorations outside this year!"  How many years have we heard him say that and how many years has he ended up decorating outside?  Right, every year.  I'm sure this year isn't going to be any different.

Even the lions don't mess with Josie!

So, let me update you a little.  Last weekend Jon and Corey took Josie and went to NYC for the weekend. All the other kids were occupied elsewhere and it was a good get away weekend. We would just as soon have kept Josie but they love taking her and spending time with her.  She is quite the fun magnet.  Anyway, at one point during their trip Josie decided she was going to change her outfit as they were getting ready to leave the hotel for an outing.  Now in case you don't remember, Josie can go through more outfits in a day than Target has on their shelves!  She is the outfit queen! The first thing she does when she gets home each day is to change into one of her "dress up" outfits; princess, Wonder Woman, you get the idea.  Well anyway, they waited while she changed.  As she got to the door she decided the outfit wasn't quite right so wanted to change again.  And then again she wanted to change her pants because as everyone knows, Josie does not like to wear pants!  Finally Jon told her this was the last change.  Pick an outfit and that was it.  Well, since she knew this was the last change she couldn't make up her mind. Jon finally made the decision for her and that's when it began.  Oh my, the wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Now as you know, Josie is very much an a-typical three and a half year old.  She is well behaved, they can take her anywhere, and do.  If she starts whining you simply say, "please say it without whining" and she corrects herself.  She has a super soft heart and if she things she's hurt someone's feelings it bring her to tears.  Very seldom do you see Josie, or any of the kids for that matter, "throw a fit" so to speak.  But my oh my, was this day different.  So much so that it took Jon and Corey completely by surprise and they just stood there watching her in amazement looking at each other. Wish I could have been there.  Not to see Josie. To see the two of them dumb-founded!  You've seen parents walking along the street or in a store with the kid crying and throwing a fit and the parents walking along holding their hand, talking and acting like nothing else was going on.  Well, this was Jon and Corey walking along the streets of NY talking and enjoying the sights with a screaming Josie yelling, "I don't wear pants!  I hate pants! I wear dresses and leggings! I don't wear pants!".  She wore pants that day!

The following week was parent-teacher conference for Josie.  As Corey entered the school she saw Josie's teacher laughing and talking with another teacher down the hall.  As she approached she heard Josie's name mentioned. When the teachers saw Corey their laughing increased. Being the curious mother that Corey is....and the "mother bear" that she is I'm sure the hair on the back of her neck was beginning to rise. She soon was beyond herself with laughter. Evidently the day before, the day following her "you will wear these pants today" day, Josie had come to school, undid her coat, put it in her cubby and there she stood in only her tights and a t-shirt.  When the teacher asked her where her pants were she replied, completely straight faced, "I don't wear pants!".  Now you can think whatever you want, but I think this was an "I gotcha Mom and Dad!".  The teacher explained to her that she needed to have more on than just tights and a t-shirt at school.  She had a pair of pants in her cubby for emergencies but this wasn't an emergency to Josie so she ended up wearing a tutu all day until time to go home when she removed the tutu, put on her coat and headed home and to her dress-up closet.

Chicken Update:  The roosters, which were shipped as chickens, are crowing! Number one, it's pretty scary that someone doesn't know the difference between a rooster and a chicken.  How exactly would you know the difference between a chicken and a rooster when they're only a month old?  Don't answer that.  It's bad enough that Corey knows how chickens mate and describes it! Secondly...poor neighbors!  Sometimes being.9 miles away from the chickens has it's own rewards! They haven't started laying eggs yet but if they don't pretty soon.....It might be most cost effective to "stew them up" than to continue to feed and house them.  Not only is their water going to have to be heated, someone is going to have to tromp through snow to gather eggs, make sure they have plenty of heated water, clean out the coop, make sure they have plenty of clean shavings and plenty of light.  Someone is going to have a very busy winter for those eggs that are hopefully going to show up before they've eaten their weight in gold.

You and Dad (my favorite picture)

Dad is going to make his (and yours, although it was his recipe...lol) award winning chili today...if I ever get the beans cooked.  They won't take long though 'cause I soaked them all night.  He wants to get it ready for dinner Tuesday night for the kids.  It always tastes better after a couple of days.  It gives the spices a chance to really be absorbed into the beans and ground beef.  I'll make some cornbread and dinner is a go. Wednesday nights we've started a new tradition.  It's one of the late nights for everyone and a very busy day.  Dad and I pick Josh up at Hebrew School and go back to the house.  I get the biscuits in the oven, Corey gets home and starts the bacon and poached eggs and we all have breakfast for dinner.  Throw in a cup of Corey's famous hot Chai tea and it's a perfect evening.  Thank you son.

I know there is so much more I want to tell you. Things that happened this last week that I have evidently lost track of.  Like I said earlier, I'd better start keeping notes or you're going to miss all the fun. I miss you son.  I know God has a greater purpose but I still miss you. You never understood how proud dad and I were of you.  Maybe you can see that now.  All you ever had to be was Aaron.


Love, mom

The Sun Comes Up and The Sun Goes Down

Good morning son!  Here we are at Sunday again. Frost is in the air, it's colder and the leaves are still falling.  There are some beautiful golden yellow leaves right out front.  If I ever get this house put back together I'll bring some in and make a Fall arrangement.  

Josh's BD Dinner

Today is Starr's 14th birthday!  It's almost impossible to imagine how all they all are growing up. Allegra turned 17, Sierra 16....and on, and on and on. I don't feel any older.  Weary, but not older. We've been celebrating birthdays for weeks here.  Three since the 23rd of October; Sierra, dad and Josh. Josh wanted "breakfast" for his birthday dinner.  He even was able to make that meal into a party.  He turned his dinner into a face! Two poached eggs, blackberries, strawberry nose, a bacon mouth and sliced banana teeth.  I see you in him every time he gets these creative urges.  Every birthday is a party!  Cake and the works.  Most of the time, dinner too.  We celebrate everything here.  As we should.  

Princess Josie

Halloween Parade

Monday, Halloween day, Josie (a princess of course) had a Halloween costume parade in the morning and then Josh Grim Reaper), Dylan (Mad Hatter), and Trey (went as his older brother Hunter) that afternoon at school. Jon brought the kids by Halloween night.  If Jon hadn't brought the kids over we would have had no trick or treat. Worked out okay for them though!

Paint Splatter

Boy, do I have a mess!  What began as a very simple idea of moving the studio from the back to the front of the house has turned into a four week project.  Now I will say, other things have happened during this time that have taken the focus from the task at hand. (Stop laughing!)  Why do all these "small" projects always take on a life of their own.  For crying out loud, the room needed a coat of pain.  How bad can that be, it's 6'x 8'. We have learned during this project that if I need more shelves it will be via a cupboard or bookcase.  Why I didn't do that this time is beyond me.  This old house is plaster and lath.  Not only is it impossible to drill through the 3' of plaster but when you get to the lath you have to worry about the screw splitting the lath with the 3' screw you have to use.  But, dad prevailed as always.  The painting is done, shelves are up. floors are scrubbed and waxed, drapes hung, furniture is in and I'm almost unpacked and organized.  Should finish that process this afternoon.  (Why are you always laughing at me?! A person would think you've seen this before.)  I did end up with a linen closet through all of this though.  I've had no place to put all my tablecloths, Christmas linens and such.  But since I have the shelves and the double paper sorter cabinet I found for free, I don't need the earlier cabinet I bought.  Viole' a linen closet. For right now I'm just going to get things put away but come spring, look out here comes the paint!  Where on earth did I end up with all of this stuff in the studio.  I rid myself of a great deal before we moved and it's a good thing.  I moved out of a 12'x12' studio into this 6' x 8' studio.  I had a good plan going until I realized yesterday while moving the rolls of vinyl that I have 60-100 completed signs I have to make room for.  Yikes!

Well, the day's almost over, actually with the time change it's only 4:39 pm but it feels later. It's already getting dark out.  (That's something you don't have to worry about anymore; no darkness in heaven!)  I managed to reclaim my dining room today.  If anyone wants to come and visit for the holidays they'd better give us a heads up because what is going to be the guest room has no room for guests right now.  At least everything is in the right room.  Tomorrow we'll clean and tidy up and be ready for a new adventure.  Well, actually more of the same until I get the rest of the things put away in the studio...but at least it's IN the studio.  That's progress.  (You know son, I'm looking through Google images to find one of a sunset.  It's interesting that, for the most part, all the pictures of sunsets are over water or with palm trees.  Do they not think that the sunsets over dry land or here in the East?  Although we are in the East and I know the sun rises here, we also have sunsets...although we are not in the West.  Do you think people realize that?  I mean, maybe the record needs to be set straight.)

I love you son.  There isn't a day that goes by I don't think of you a million times.  Yes, I know it's weird, but I do wonder what you're doing. I do so miss you.  Until next Sunday, mom