tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50239163453655994832012-02-12T19:43:09.653-06:00Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.comBlogger8641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-2014550464451191272012-02-09T07:09:00.001-06:002012-02-09T07:59:32.375-06:00

Dr. Seuss's Oh, the Places You'll Go!, refers to Waiting Places. (One does tend to wind up there from time to time.) Despite a range of dates, we're stalled in one such Waiting Place for answers as to when The Boy might be home.  The insurance company required a switch to their in-house pharmacy for I.V. medication infusions this year, and January saw a four day wait for the administration.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-59958312553218274842012-02-04T19:29:00.000-06:002012-02-04T19:29:28.510-06:00

The belt/blanket is coming along. I'd post a photo, but, really, it's still just a fat string developing into a scarf. Skater Girl and I are headed to the rink tomorrow before church to observe a testing session. After mastering the Basic Skills, a skater may choose to enter the USFS test structure. The tests at this point require months of  practice and coaching before registering for sessions

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-24119582110253336002012-02-01T09:35:00.001-06:002012-02-01T10:50:07.342-06:00

Every other year the paperwork is submitted for Skater Girl's GT testing. Every other year the committee informs us that she's just not Gifted and Talented material. One of my BFFs (who works for the school district and has two children in the program) and every single one of Skater Girl's teachers seem convinced that the kid is a fit for the program; therefore, we persist in filling out the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-37565454583605648512012-01-31T09:44:00.003-06:002012-02-01T20:13:34.117-06:00

There were more silly pictures than not. That said, the darling duo looked pretty snazzy. That's not really what caught my eye, though. I love their silliness, and their sweetness. They are both rone to occasional nervousness that strikes when one or both of them find a situation where he/she is suddenly uncertain of what to do. One such moment arrived when, in the midst of the picture-taking,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-69651986042424376892012-01-30T12:44:00.004-06:002012-01-30T12:57:39.479-06:00

Middle Child and Perfect submitted to a half hour of wandering around the Village Friday night in search of locations for their Winter Formal photos. We unanimously agreed that pictures would be taken a half hour earlier the following evening to capture more daylight. They were silly, and it was fun to just watch them goofing around.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-58623505084602756402012-01-28T20:54:00.000-06:002012-01-28T20:54:36.094-06:00

Just one little picture tonight, but more to follow with the silliness of the test shots and the sweetness of the darling duo heading off for their big night out. Middle Child and Perfect at the Village

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-2070317140844342462012-01-27T09:42:00.005-06:002012-01-27T10:43:12.221-06:00

 Unexpected * July 13, 2008   Sometimes things crop up unexpectedly. This sunflower blooming in a field of brick and stone caught my eye years ago as the mister and I explored an area being built to replicate a European village. The first shops were open and few homes inhabited, but much remained unfinished. In the years since the photo was taken, the Village has become a popular site for

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-6297639678526863002012-01-26T14:50:00.003-06:002012-01-26T16:08:40.494-06:00

I arrived at the school to pick up Skater Girl before dismissal for a doctor's visit, and duly presented my driver's license to prove she was mine. The secretary called down to the classroom. As I stood waiting, it seemed like the secretary was staring. I tried ignoring her. Finally, she said, "You look like an actress..." *sigh* Here we go. I waited for her to decide which actress she was seeing

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-27794956197869032922012-01-23T19:45:00.006-06:002012-01-23T22:43:19.331-06:00

Middle Child and I are planning to try our hands at quilting. My great-grandmas, grandma, and mom have all successfully created heirloom quality quilts. Middle Child has recently discovered a talent for hand stitching in her Technical Theatre class, and this seems like a fun project for us to take on together. My Mom (a.k.a. Grandma) is sending us a care package of supplies to encourage our new

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-9058600086120316832012-01-20T10:57:00.004-06:002012-01-21T12:35:54.677-06:00

There is a tendency for a crush on some unattainable adult to be the first experiment in the development of interest in the opposite sex. Personally, I was going to marry John Taylor who played bass guitar for the band Duran Duran when I was in third grade. Way Pre-Perfect, Middle Child was all about teen heartthrob Jesse McCarthy. In a similar vein, one of Skater Girl's best friends intends to 

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-11199619127832308572012-01-19T08:51:00.023-06:002012-01-19T09:29:13.018-06:00

Despite the bad run with photos over the past week, I'm jumping on board with Green Girl to participate in Jen on the edge's photo challenge. The idea is to post unapologetic photos of oneself. My challenge is to avoid photoshopping the things I see first and like least. It's also proven surprisingly difficult to find pictures of just me. So, without further fuss, here we go:  Holiday Party

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-37762883309823636852012-01-18T21:06:00.001-06:002012-01-19T15:32:30.863-06:00

With a book in my purse to encourage patience, I gathered the required documentation and headed over to join the line that extended outside the building housing the driver's license office. Three hours and many chapters later, I was taking the worst picture ever. That unflattering photo is going to haunt me for the next twelve years, but at least online renewal is available next time. I'm on a

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-30193542843119572412012-01-17T08:57:00.004-06:002012-01-17T09:42:28.651-06:00

Rumor: Local High School #2 has no bathroom doors. Truth: LHS #2 has no bathroom doors. Rumor: LHS #2 has no restroom doors because students were practicing extracurricular activities behind the semi-privacy afforded by those doors. Truth: Isn't the rumor bad enough? Rumor: LHS #2 has fifteen pregnant freshman girls. Truth: LHS #2 has thirteen pregnant freshman girls. The above have been big

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-71242282168676173182012-01-13T22:54:00.000-06:002012-01-13T22:54:38.099-06:00

Ah. Perfect may actually be, well, perfect. He left Middle Child with a gift tonight after coming over to watch a movie. She opened the gift bag to find a glass jar tied with a ribbon. She was momentarily puzzled by the contents. Until she realized the appropriateness of that feeling.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-64229874553535399052012-01-12T15:56:00.000-06:002012-01-12T15:56:39.996-06:00

In one of those, "Are you kidding?!" moments, Perfect asked Middle Child if she would rather go to the Winter Formal or Broomball. (The youth group's annual late-night broomball session is the same night as the dance.) This was an excellent opportunity for her to exercise a bit of self-restraint and not shriek, "YES! YES! YES! I have just been waiting for you to ask!" She was not only restrained,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-47021258778236898812012-01-11T09:22:00.000-06:002012-01-11T09:22:21.934-06:00

I cleaned out the fridge. "There are starving children in Africa/China..." ran through my head as a wrinkled bell pepper, fuzzy grapes, and a bottle of French Salad Dressing (Best By AUG0811) were revealed hiding out in the nether regions of the fridge. At least there were several items discovered approaching the toss date that have been moved up on the mental priority list for use. A letter from

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-40400911445067359112012-01-10T14:27:00.001-06:002012-01-10T14:28:30.417-06:00

One of the shredded mullet dresses is hanging in the coat closet (with the tags and the receipt good for return within 30 days attached) just in case an invitation to the Winter Formal comes too late for delivery of a poufy dress (plus time for potential alterations) found online. I refuse to order a special occasion dress only to find myself standing in line at the post office to return it if

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-36735152570960910602012-01-09T09:12:00.002-06:002012-01-09T09:21:21.724-06:00

Middle Child came home from a church youth retreat this Fall gushing about a boy. She vacillated between yearning, despair, and giddy admiration in the way of teenage girls. He was *sigh* Perfect. He met her parents. She met his parents. Middle Child wandered around smiling. Except when she giggled or sighed at a text message. The families sat together at Sunday service and made small talk

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-64809920276684924692012-01-06T08:59:00.000-06:002012-01-06T08:59:14.420-06:00

The Pantry Cleanse has been crushed. (It was the dogs--- they ran out of food.) BFF relieved the sting of defeat by meeting me at the Market for coffee before careening through the aisles armed with our shopping carts, opinions, and a host of mental price points and nutritional information. Important findings from the shopping expedition include:  "New Zealand Fresh" scented Mr. Clean, "...

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-22381467262829346412012-01-05T16:50:00.001-06:002012-01-05T17:36:13.141-06:00

Skater Girl's 5th Grade class has been talking about point of view. The class, who have been steeped in Stranger Danger warnings from a very early age, found the whole idea of third person point of view disturbing. I failed to understand why they were concerned even after the teacher's example story of a family eating dinner that included the parents and children for first person and an observer

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-28762487856960036352012-01-04T14:30:00.001-06:002012-01-04T14:30:36.465-06:00

I need to go to the grocer. In the spirit of enabling myself, the decision to attempt one of those pantry cleansings where one makes meals with the items already stocked has been made. The idea is intended to maintain a coupon queen's stockpile, prevent items from exceeding expiration dates, and allow one to shop according to sales. It can also stretch groceries until pay day. Such a brilliant

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-27640414750173391102012-01-03T09:52:00.001-06:002012-01-03T09:53:14.408-06:00

My phone believes it is plugged in to a set of headphones. This belief is false. As a result, no sound can be heard out of the phone unless it's set on speaker or headphones actually are plugged into the jack. (This is bad when a doctors office calls... twice.) Powering the phone down and then turning it back on did nothing to restore sound. Online solutions suggested repeatedly plugging and

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-2673482644083241722012-01-02T05:38:00.000-06:002012-01-02T05:38:42.446-06:00

Follow-Up Note to Self: The New Year's Day that follows Christmas on a Sunday will also fall on Sunday. So much for Promiseland--- welcome to Zombieland. Kids who nap away the first afternoon of the New Year may be up well after bedtime. In fact, post-nap wakefulness can lead to parental interference with teenage technology use at 2:00 a.m. despite reiteration of the expectations that texting

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-72807619222517362162011-12-31T09:02:00.000-06:002011-12-31T09:02:07.633-06:00

A friend asked about New Year's resolutions the other day. My response was that none were being made in our household. At some point, there once were annual vows to lose weight, make healthier dietary choices, and the various other typical resolutions. These personal goals seemed to be made with the best of intentions, but they rarely lasted beyond the first quarter of any given year. At least

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-54537580808024416062011-12-21T11:59:00.007-06:002011-12-21T16:36:10.650-06:00

Time for the 2011 Holiday Home Tour coordinated by Jen on the edge. The spiffy, collectible Hallmark ornaments probably made the move, but there's no telling just where the box came to rest in the attic of New House. The important kid-made ornaments are all on the tree. This is a vast improvement over last year's sad, mostly naked branches. (At least the lights, star, and garland made it on

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-22665357981420490472011-12-19T12:27:00.004-06:002011-12-20T15:51:40.973-06:00

Ovation has been running their annual Battle of the Nutcrackers. My holiday heart goes pitter-pat for Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite". There have been three opportunities to see live performances over the years, but anytime there's a televised version I'm either glued to the screen or at least letting the music play in the background. If we skipped the tree, cookies, and all the other hoo-ha,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-2081213578390325702011-12-18T12:39:00.000-06:002011-12-18T12:39:51.018-06:00

The mister's back home after a few days away at a corporate shindig in Las Vegas. We're generally not desirous of the bright lights and supposed entertainments of that particular city, so the trip was not one for which the mister held any anticipation. It was a good opportunity for him to chat in person with the New York and San Francisco counterparts who he usually interacts with via conference

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-43541596183760637842011-12-17T14:13:00.002-06:002011-12-17T14:26:17.131-06:00

Green Girl wrote about how girls like Legos the other day. (Later, I saw a Lego Rep at Local Discount Store who was female, and there was temptation to suggest she Google GG and perhaps forward that post to the Powers That Be.) I, too, liked to build stuff as a kid, and found happy thoughts of not only my brother's Legos, but also their counterparts Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys pleasantly

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-74730333428921722962011-12-16T06:31:00.000-06:002011-12-16T06:31:56.147-06:00

That fall off of the front step last week? Yeah. Ow. The good news: The exam just confirmed bruising, but no damage to the implants or fractures. A little bad news: After the exam, the ortho doc removed a granuloma (scar tissue that formed around an internal stitch) that required a secondary incision on one of those still healing knees. Ow some more. I flunked another batch of biopsies at the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-27503797502007432492011-12-08T07:59:00.002-06:002011-12-08T14:47:09.848-06:00

There was badness. A full-blown oh.but.no moment was achieved. Yesterday, was my I.V. medication infusion. During the infusion there are copious quantities of Benadryl, Tylenol, and Phenergan administered to minimize the side effects. Despite having built something of a tolerance up to the med cocktail, there's still a loss of, ah, mental acuity. The fog is made more interesting by the sometimes

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-22069006454126750112011-12-05T10:31:00.002-06:002011-12-05T13:28:54.141-06:00

Our church's Christmas decorations include a stage with a wall decorated in layers of paper chains. Using lights, the chains are made to look somewhat metallic, and the effect is pretty nifty. The finished result looks something like a textured painting filling the back wall. Here's a photo of the unfinished project from November: Our family pitched in along with other volunteers the weekend

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-26034987165105567372011-11-27T12:32:00.001-06:002011-11-27T12:33:19.424-06:00

I'm kind of regretting the Thankful List. Not the Thankful part, just the ongoingness of the list. (It is so a word. I feel a legalistic need to finish. the. list. Next year, I'm starting with one so that I will be done when I am done instead of this silliness compelling a list of precisely one hundred things for which I'm thankful. 25. The resolution of next year's ordering of the list. 24. A

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-60265171654456362082011-11-26T19:36:00.001-06:002011-11-26T19:39:45.790-06:00

The post-Thanksgiving listing of the good stuff goes on... 40. The "extra" teenagers who joined us to decorate the Christmas Tree this year. 39. Staying up late watching spy movies with Middle Child. 38. The possibility of our first freeze tonight. 37. Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner. 36. Prayer. 35. That Skater Girl did not refer to "butt dialing" as a "booty call" in

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-53538111298996862702011-11-25T11:37:00.001-06:002011-11-25T14:37:51.394-06:00

Thanksgiving was yesterday, but I'm continuing the list of things to be thankful for despite Black Friday: 50. I'm thankful for awareness: Christmas Conspiracy from Christ Fellowship on Vimeo. 49. For the opportunities being offered through Reach Out Honduras that will open doors to those who live in need beyond what I have ever known. 48.  My son who has the potential to graduate from high

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-80438558635651907162011-11-24T12:14:00.001-06:002011-11-24T12:14:37.066-06:00

75. Photos that capture an idea when words fail. 74. Buster and Maggie who always have a tail wagging greeting to welcome us home. 73. The machines that make multi-tasking easy. I mean you, Washer, Dryer, Dishwasher... 72. My in-laws who are spending Thanksgiving with the Boy today. 71. Inappropriate humor 70. Being surrounded by so much talent that I can make out three different songs being

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-30786373225630393352011-11-23T09:29:00.003-06:002011-11-23T09:32:08.320-06:00

This week Green Girl has been posting an ongoing list of things she's grateful for in honor of Thanksgiving. Today, I'll start my own list of the good stuff: 100. Quiet moments 99. Speakers that fill a room with bass and sound that wash over one with the mood and emotion of music 98. Perseverance... the stuff that drives one to just. keep. going. 97. The laughter around our dinner table 96.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-20831874235854339202011-11-22T20:22:00.000-06:002011-11-22T20:22:12.991-06:00

Skater Girl's home rink is surrounded by excellent shopping. That makes the 6:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. skating sessions look really attractive for the next five or six weeks. That time of day falls before even the extended hours many retailers have scheduled. I just don't think I have the patience to navigate through the masses likely converging on the shopping center who are operating on too little

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-7046330416068178792011-11-21T15:31:00.000-06:002011-11-21T15:31:46.996-06:00

The mister suggests we add a vehicle like this to our driveway: We can even put custom license plates that read, "CREEPN", on it. Our children have long referred to white vans as, "Creeper Vans" because every after school special and kiddie PSA on Stranger Danger throughout their early elementary years featured such a vehicle. The white cargo van is ultimately linked to strangers offering candy

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-81245150051112142882011-11-17T07:58:00.002-06:002011-11-21T09:22:03.847-06:00

Middle Child talked a mile a minute relating an update from the weekend's youth group retreat. As Middle Child spun out her tale, I picked up Zoey (who attempted to flee, but failed to avoid my petting) telling the cat in my usual voice (and unintentionally switching to the annoying baby talk sometimes reserved for infants, pets, and cloying couples) that she was, "... fuzzy, hairy, and super,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-46656427810284053402011-11-16T15:01:00.000-06:002011-11-16T15:01:31.274-06:00

A package arrived today, and it could have been the mister's birthday gift. Except that it was not. This reminded him that right around my birthday earlier in the year, he brought home a bass guitar amplifier. (I do not play bass guitar. He does.) I'd completely forgotten about the timing on his amplifier addition, but he remembered because, just in time for his birthday, "we" have added these to

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-75485252284951294922011-11-15T11:23:00.002-06:002011-11-15T22:07:15.271-06:00

Today is Skater Girl's actual birthday. Her daddy made the prediction that she would arrive by November 15th despite a December due date. Erin was obligingly born at a quarter to midnight. She is already tall, but her pediatrician projected that she will potentially reach somewhere between 5'9" and 6'1" before she attains her full adult height. She's witty, wry, funny, a talented writer with an

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-77169112779548665502011-11-11T15:57:00.002-06:002011-11-11T16:01:47.293-06:00

Last year, we missed celebrating Skater Girl's tenth birthday on 10-10-10 because, while we were celebrating early with the ladies in the immediate family heading to Honduras the week after the actual birthday, the party centered around the theatrical release of a movie. This year, today would have allowed the celebration of Skater Girl's eleventh birthday on the ideal day for such an event.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-28938017884402335252011-11-10T08:02:00.001-06:002011-11-11T08:11:43.578-06:00

The mister and I have made a decision to leave the church plant we followed out to a neighboring community. The reasons are our own. The fall-out from the decision seems more widespread than I would have expected. After wrestling with the decision, it was shared with the leadership of the small congregation. A meeting that has gone on and on via discussions, e-mail, and phone since. The decision

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-51197077731983812132011-11-04T09:56:00.001-05:002011-11-04T09:57:06.859-05:00

Post-knee replacement surgeries, I discovered that my jeans no longer fit. There was so much swelling three weeks post-op that my fat jeans could barely be wriggled over my knees, and the results were miserably painful. I sucked it up and ordered two sizes up because there was a full size difference between my regular and fat varieties already. Three and a half months later, and I am still

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-77055666458572330152011-11-01T09:29:00.002-05:002011-11-02T11:06:35.278-05:00

Hmmm... Someone asked this morning in a poll if couples have had a casual conversation about fonts. Um. We've had several in the past couple of weeks. So I responded in the affirmative. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the questioner wasn't actually referring to the type face sort of font that immediately comes to my mind. Just for grins, I entered the term into my browser. The first three

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-28125750218739762712011-10-29T15:46:00.001-05:002011-10-29T15:52:04.327-05:00

Middle Child pulled off a tenth place Junior Varsity finish for her freshman year. Better than the place and the shiny medal is the new personal record. Her previous best time for two miles has been stuck at a smidge past 14 minutes. Her goal for the year was to finally come in under 14 minutes. The 13:50 finish that closed out the Cross Country season dropped Katie's personal best a full

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-8458896457669597302011-10-26T17:55:00.000-05:002011-10-26T17:55:14.154-05:00

Today it's eighty degrees outside. Overnight the local temperatures are projected to take a twenty-eight degree nosedive. (That sounds lovely compared to day after day of sweltering triple digit temperatures that dogged us throughout summer.) The timing on the coming chill could be better. It's especially poor timing for one group. Area high school cross country teams are set for their district

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-9368417094877915272011-10-24T20:20:00.005-05:002011-10-24T22:01:58.931-05:00

Climbing into the car, my phone was passed along as Skater Girl, Middle Child, and MC's Best Friend Forever (BFF) took turns picking songs to play from my recently synced iTunes. Unfortunately, the sync was not discriminating, and everything I never wanted was included in the resulting playlists. Our iTunes account has been shared by the whole family for years. Years that included a love of the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-22784088841820864382011-10-21T08:21:00.002-05:002011-10-21T14:28:09.916-05:00

The mister's boss embraces a vegan lifestyle. Middle Child's best friend is a vegetarian. While the Boy and Middle Child would likely opt in for an all animal-based meal plan, Skater Girl's radar has gone up in response to the possibilities of a vegetarian diet. She's requested a week-long experiment with vegetarian menus. I suspect her carnivorous sister will launch a full-scale rebellion, but

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-28786883719411340682011-10-14T06:59:00.000-05:002011-10-14T06:59:08.880-05:00

Middle Child wants to see the "Footloose" remake that hits theaters today. While PG-13 is our cut-off for ratings, and the movie does meet that criteria, it's still questionable. This was not one of those shows that had a Movie Mom or similar review posted the day before to help determine whether the trailers held the absolute worst offenders of parental cinematic sensibilities, or if the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-69060912370143476702011-10-11T14:17:00.000-05:002011-10-11T14:17:29.413-05:00

Skater Girl is home sick for the third day in a row. I suspect she could have gone to school today. Still, there exists a sort of "Murphy's Law" regarding ill children with elevated temperatures. A few of the basic tenets include: Sending a child who barely ran a 99.something temp to school will result in a raging fever that gets measured in the school nurse's office. A child who ran a 99.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-45884740216782560702011-10-10T13:07:00.002-05:002011-10-10T13:09:13.409-05:00

Once October 1st rolls around, an internal clock starts ticking. It grows progressively louder until the little details related to the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays have been organized into lists. Then the clock resets until those lists have either been satisfied or abandoned. The abandonment issues are relatively new traditions. Last year, we failed to actually decorate the tree. It sat in

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-49743499367374558172011-10-06T14:12:00.002-05:002011-10-07T21:09:35.997-05:00

Despite kids figure skating and running cross country last weekend, it was a Four Square injury that landed one of the lovies in the pediatrician's office for an x-ray. Skater Girl's best friend seized on a momentary distraction to spike the ball. Said ball caught Skater Girl's ring finger. The next day, three hours of ice time were punctuated by our girl squatting down to place her injured

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-13456727655368890962011-10-03T13:31:00.003-05:002011-10-03T13:59:13.993-05:00

In case Gentle Reader is unaware: High School Football in Texas is a BIG deal. The annual Homecoming Football Game and Dance are an even bigger deal--- even for those who aren't particularly enthralled with the score board. Middle Child rarely misses a game, but eclipsing her enthusiasm for the Friday Night Lights is the topic on many of the high schoolers' minds over the last few weeks: who has

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-28164242187086531982011-09-28T14:56:00.004-05:002011-10-03T13:13:44.580-05:00

Erin spent the summer months at the ice rink. Not so little anymore, she's continued the metamorphosis from shy Little Bit into the more outgoing Skater Girl. Her self-confidence has grown along with her increasing skills level on the ice. She placed well in her first competition in July bringing home medals for a 2nd place finish in her compulsories and 5th place for her musical program from "

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-32267684791922302452011-09-27T09:46:00.003-05:002011-09-27T15:31:23.741-05:00

After avoiding the procedures for a couple of years, both knees were partially replaced in July. A few weeks were blocked out for the recovery period. It turns out that the recovery period is more like several months. It's literally been baby steps from waking up post-op to discover that getting out of bed was going to be a Herculean task. In the past week or so, the final "assistive device" has

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-56841296143289145652011-09-20T09:16:00.001-05:002011-09-20T09:21:03.709-05:00

Middle Child started high school this Fall. She whined and complained about taking Technical Theatre, but she will need a fine art credit for graduation, so she was stuck in the class. The first day MC came home and recounted with horror that Tech Theatre was a whole class of guys, a mute girl, our girl, and a Queen Bee mean girl. Two weeks later, our whiny girl is gushing about her favorite

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-1353118576837650042011-05-18T11:11:00.000-05:002011-05-18T11:11:42.788-05:00

The 4th Graders from Pleasant Suburban Elementary have found a golden ticket! Well, a whole host of golden tickets. To go along with Roald Dahls' Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator reading (and an obvious movie tie-in as the school year winds down...), the teachers granted all of their students a "golden ticket" much as the group of lucky winners in the story's contest received. Like Charlie

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-77613523187360664342011-05-16T08:51:00.000-05:002011-05-16T08:51:40.930-05:00

 Little Bit and Middle Child 2007 My mother-in-law saved the Mister's and his sister's robes, honor cords, and the caps worn for their high school graduations in the 90's. In 2007, my father-in-law earned his Master's degree after retiring from his lifelong career as an engineer. We loaded up the offspring and drove across Texas to attend Papa's graduation. The girls were impressed with

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-7303292336329164532011-05-15T10:26:00.000-05:002011-05-15T10:26:55.737-05:00

Busy seems to be the order of the day. Everyday. A blue plate special of heaping helpings of assorted appointments, meetings, commitments, and tasks. This is the norm for our household in the Spring, but this year the potential for lighter fare come June has been exchanged for a buffet including a year-round Cross Country schedule, a skater preparing for her first competition (despite the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-59958748044995636762011-04-28T20:13:00.000-05:002011-04-28T20:13:30.498-05:00

The simple art of responding properly to an invitation has been lost. Fortunately, Little Bit's teacher is British. (Well, she's a U.S. citizen as of last month, but she got to keep her awesome British accent.) She has invited the whole fourth grade glass to dress smartly and attend a tea party in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding tomorrow. The class's homework assignment was

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-59876320396842340902011-04-28T11:39:00.001-05:002011-04-28T11:44:10.583-05:00

Deborah's Sponsors with their gift It sounded backward. Laura messaged that the Alastero kids had gifts for their sponsors. After all, the sponsors give to the kids--- not the other way around. Still, the generosity of the kids really should come as no surprise. I have seen repeatedly how a child receiving candy, stickers, school supplies, or hair accessories in gift packs from a sponsor

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-47395947872280895372011-04-26T11:35:00.000-05:002011-04-26T11:35:07.626-05:00

Six months ago... Intro to Skating Three months ago... working one on one with Alyssa Learning her final Beginner Skills...Three-turns Mohawks More three-turns Practicing her Waltz and Half Flip Jumps Spirals Her first skating dress

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-16183350791710168812011-04-25T09:43:00.000-05:002011-04-25T09:43:14.538-05:00

 Tidbits are all there's been time for lately. Between the normal schedule, friends and family from out of town, Easter, and Middle Child's Birthday, sitting down at the computer to type or edit photos has been far down the To Do List. Little Bit's twinkie skating dress came in last week. She tried it on, and. I. squealed. like. a. little. girl. It was sparkly and floaty, and she obviously felt

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-20506985435904859742011-04-16T11:26:00.003-05:002011-04-17T03:28:20.033-05:00

The pocket book and the calendar remain key clues to the state of one's heart, mind, and perhaps soul. Asked to "wrestle with God," over opportunities to give to various projects, forward surged the urge to justify where both time and money are spent. From "mapping" potential income in relation to planned giving, the mister and I also looked at where we spend our time. If considering our family's

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-8499319529129541302011-04-12T20:08:00.001-05:002011-04-12T22:36:23.695-05:00

I have been an absentee blogger. The reason include, but are not limited to: Little Bit bumped up three full levels in her ice skating. That's the result of a whole, whole lot of time on the ice for her, in the bleachers for Mama, and in the car for us both. The twinkie skating dress has been ordered, and it is seriously girly. There will definitely be a picture post when she hits the ice in that

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-61306208761722813242011-04-05T12:25:00.000-05:002011-04-05T12:25:15.083-05:00

Last night I sat waiting in a coffee shop to be joined by a pair of ladies who were coming from a women's Bible study. I was reading my unrelated study guide when the waiter, who had already been told I was waiting for friends, asked about my booklet. He was politely curious about whether or not we were meeting at the restaurant for our Bible study. Explaining that we went to different churches,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-74450773862580528752011-04-04T11:36:00.000-05:002011-04-04T11:36:24.868-05:00

Uh-oh. I flunked my most recent skin biopsy. I flunked the one before that, too. As a result of my repeat offenses, the practitioner took three small, deep samples to send off for pathology this morning. Two weeks ago, I was really tickled to have only had one biopsy when I fully expected her to choose two sites. Now, I am praying to go in again for these results in two weeks and hear that all

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-2681217102357862622011-03-31T09:38:00.002-05:002011-03-31T09:51:33.434-05:00

The Boy may well end up completing his high school education away from us. He's progressing in his new Home Away from Home. This feels like a half-life as a mom. Not a failure, but not quite what I signed up for, either. These thoughts are swimming near the surface of my thoughts of late. Not that one's offspring are ever fully banished from a mom's mind, but there are some pools of thought which

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-25199688738758063782011-03-30T12:29:00.003-05:002011-03-30T14:13:13.921-05:00

People have four large muscles in their thigh. (This I know mostly because a doctor said so yesterday, and another one backed it up today.) Middle Child's special place in the shallow end of the gene pool involves one of those muscles being underdeveloped compared to the other three. She happens to be in the thrall of those fabulous teen years characterized by rapid growth as evidenced in an

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-83360524488539265622011-03-29T09:32:00.000-05:002011-03-29T09:32:14.501-05:00

* The mister and I marked our 17th wedding anniversary over the weekend. He offered up a dress-up dinner out followed by the chance to see "The King's Speech". We ended up with a much more casual evening of La Madeleine for dinner and a treat. Bowling a couple of games at Splitsville and wandering around a local shopping center people watching gave way to our closing out the night at a coffee

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-42991409381380581982011-03-25T17:41:00.001-05:002011-03-28T07:10:58.956-05:00

Erin is making her biome project. It involves the gruesome dismemberment of two plastic toy animals followed by super glue reattachment procedures for the creation of a Frankencritter that was supposed to be straight out of Erin's imagination. Unfortunately, Discount Store was lacking in snowy owls, polar bears, wolves, arctic foxes, or any other cool creature that could be forest or tundra

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-21743425914066632542011-03-24T11:02:00.001-05:002011-03-24T23:43:19.446-05:00

In five months of steady practice and lessons, Erin has worked to build a growing repertoire of skills. It's a joy to watch her step onto the ice because she really loves the sport, and what Mama doesn't enjoy seeing their lovey excell? So, today's picture post is a bit of maternal pride in my sweet girl's progress. Coach Alyssa teaching backward crossovers Getting the hang of the new skill

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-18719993319657227982011-03-22T10:22:00.001-05:002011-03-22T15:22:57.035-05:00

Our church is going into a capital campaign. The purpose of said campaign is to have freedom to bring word of Jesus to more people. The first week of the Bible study intended as preparation for the campaign closed out with our visit to see The Boy at school. He said that the text of the messages from the last series in Romans (copies were provided for him by our service planning staff) have

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-85998004446010338502011-03-17T11:17:00.000-05:002011-03-17T11:17:09.847-05:00

Since there is no trash pick-up as we are accustomed to in the 'burbs, the trash at House of Hope is periodically burned. This happened the last night of our most recent stay. The smoke from the fire behind the guest house sent Erin's allergies into hyper-drive. She managed to get to sleep with a Benadryl and the use of most of a packet of tissues in efforts to keep her nose clear. She woke the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-54571772662886152862011-03-17T10:41:00.001-05:002011-03-17T11:19:02.532-05:00

In 5th Grade, Susan Cooper definitely scored the Favorite Author title. Neither of my eldest children have been particularly taken with Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence despite maternal insistence on the sheer excellence of the series. Then again, the youngest is likely the only potential Anglophile among them, and she is just now of age for a potential introduction. She writes fan fiction

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-16538800950332902772011-03-16T09:51:00.001-05:002011-03-16T09:55:25.213-05:00

Mama Tara and Commando Walking with Claudia This morning an e-mail arrived from someone headed to Honduras on a mission trip. This particular someone is the contact person for our family's sponsorship of Claudia at Mama Tara's Miskito Orphanage. In describing her upcoming trip, the writer mentions that she will be visiting the young woman who her family has personally sponsored for the past

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-30962166085702574972011-02-04T11:30:00.000-06:002011-02-04T11:30:12.404-06:00

Day Four: It is still cold. The roads are still icy. The ice is now covered in 5" or so of snow. Little Bit is perfectly happy to stay home from school another day even if the rest of North Texas is getting a little stir crazy and wondering what sort of meals one can make out of whatever is left in the pantry. Please, oh, please let the coffee hold out longer than the winter weather.

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-85456628430368917562011-02-01T13:04:00.000-06:002011-02-01T13:04:59.704-06:00

In acknowledging God's power to heal in response to prayer, there must also be acknowledgement that He will decide when and if... and He will be right, or faith is fickle. With Mr. T's next EEG to test for seizures less than a week away, Green Girl says it well. It is not solely the results of prayer that express the power of prayer or of God. My chest CT was clear. My blood work was not. That

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-56353021841983090302011-01-31T07:17:00.000-06:002011-01-31T07:17:33.406-06:00

Friday afternoon, Walker and I sat in traffic on the interstate. We'd been to two hospitals to visit a friend. (She was actually in the second one.) Hurrying to make it back from Dallas in time to pick up kids from school, we found the drive slower than expected. We were stuck at 3:40 on a weekday afternoon behind two street sweepers and the a third truck flashing lights to announce that work

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-58316469610069569492011-01-28T08:19:00.002-06:002011-01-28T12:17:09.139-06:00

Last week, the words, "Absolutely! I'm always in if you want to celebrate!" were said in response to a phone call about a joint birthday celebration. Yes, please do call when there's a new baby to welcome, a wedding to attend, or simply the chance to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. These are not the only calls that come, though. Mother used to refer to what she called, "fair-weather friends,"

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-38982708404487941462011-01-26T09:19:00.001-06:002011-01-26T09:39:58.139-06:00

I am waiting. (Again.) Diagnosed with pediatric Thyroid Cancer twenty years ago, I take thyroid replacement hormone in an effort to prevent any regrowth of the cancerous thyroid tissue decimated in the 90's by surgery and subsequent radiation therapy. Sometimes, cancers recur. Having just failed a lab test, I'm going in to see the endocrinologist today to see if regrowth might be the issue 

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-69640032274313213922011-01-24T18:19:00.001-06:002011-01-24T18:34:32.254-06:00

Finally! I've missed the weekly and biweekly scheduled volunteer shifts at the children's shelter and the after school program immensely over the Christmas break and then the extended vacation from volunteerism with snow days, days off of school, and other opportunities for the  organizations to givew their volunteers a day off. Last week, it was good to be back at the shelter for children who

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-21701150121000373172011-01-22T20:01:00.001-06:002011-01-22T20:01:58.190-06:00

The plane tickets to take us from the U.S. to Central America were easily purchased on the airline's web site that was available in both English and Spanish. No problemo. Today, it was time to place the order for the flight on a smaller regional carrier online. The web site was solely in Spanish. Despite the generally universal information needed for booking a flight (names, passport numbers,

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-25951969055069967342011-01-21T12:46:00.003-06:002011-01-22T19:30:38.163-06:00

It was 18 degrees outside this morning. Walker suggested that we try a yoga dvd inside. With the heater on. There was instant agreement. Having slept in sweats last night, it was a simple enough thing to roll out of bed workout ready. Walker had a pair of bright yoga mats unrolled across the living room rug and the coffee table out of the way. She was failing to make the dvd work with the "

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-72270576870676254212011-01-19T15:11:00.000-06:002011-01-19T15:11:21.274-06:00

Today was my day at the children's emergency shelter. My new friend and I flew a Big Batman doll action figure around the room. When asked where we were flying Big Batman to exactly, Little Guy pointed to a Little Batman doll  action figure across the room explaining that Big Batman was the Dad flying to see his son Little Batman at the shelter. Upon arrival, Little Batman flung visiting Dad

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-41656626425415571012011-01-18T10:49:00.001-06:002011-01-18T10:50:46.040-06:00

It will all work out in the kitchen. The processes of gathering the odds and ends and putting the ingredients together to create something are soothing. Fortunately, there is almost always an activity waiting to busy the hands while the mind chases down rabbit trails and wrestles with the often not-so-fuzzy bunnies to be found along the way. The process of food preparation is soothing, the art of

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-38268919640006698152011-01-17T18:35:00.000-06:002011-01-17T18:35:35.598-06:00

Frequently, I feel smug reading the little blog posts that pop up in my home page's features about substituting high-fat,-sodium, -calorie, or chemically creepy foods with better-for-you choices. That smugness presages an obvious conclusion. Pride comes before a fall. Always. Into that same browser that so often says lovely things about dietary choices, the words calories+sunflower+seed+kernels

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-47993933319802537042011-01-17T11:41:00.000-06:002011-01-17T11:41:08.196-06:00

This morning was spent in the kitchen knowing that tomorrow is going to be hectic with a memorial service, kids back in school, the middle school science fair projects due, and both girls' skating lessons. A batch of bulk sausage browned for a breakfast casserole. Another batch browned with Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, and Black Pepper for a quick pasta sauce tomorrow. Finally, a pound of ground

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-79299598409867471462011-01-13T11:47:00.001-06:002011-01-13T19:36:32.188-06:00

The Little Black Dress that hangs quietly in the closet in reserve as a go-to for all occasions is still on its hanger. Unfortunately, it does not fit. It was the immediate answer to the silly last-minute wardrobe panic over the mister's work party, but it was too big through everywhere. So, I ended up wearing too-big pants held in place by a mismatched belt under a tank that looked bulky thanks

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-7258233807696743622011-01-12T10:57:00.000-06:002011-01-12T10:57:55.429-06:00

The Boy will miss our next trip to Honduras, but it's not really his cup of tea anyway. He will be staying behind, and likely worrying. (Never mind that we've told him again and again that there's no need to worry when he can pray.) He phoned last night to say that he will not be moving to his new digs yet. He hopes to have some idea on Friday, but the bureaucratic process could still see another

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-31855778162881408942011-01-10T09:13:00.001-06:002011-01-10T09:16:04.292-06:00

Warning: Knit gloves can become entangled in orthodontia. Should one's gloves become caught in one's brackets, seek a mother out immediately. She can probably fix it, and if you plead the photos won't be posted to Facebook or her blog. Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes eaten while still in one's pajamas snug in a nice, warm kitchen looking out the window at the night's snow accumulation may be a perfect

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-67798364593840095262011-01-09T16:00:00.000-06:002011-01-09T16:00:36.021-06:00

We drove to church this morning in a steady rain. By the time the final service let out, there were fat, white flakes of powdery goodness piled up on the ground and the cars. The drive home was a little slick, but it's been nonstop fun since!    Mom has really bad aim. Little Bit Middle Child This expression accompanies smashing a pile of snow on her sister's head.   

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-17368784043802590402011-01-08T21:42:00.000-06:002011-01-08T21:42:18.757-06:00

Whirlwind day... that started at 3:00 a.m. There were good reasons for the wee hours wake-up call. In Texas, a forecast that so much as hints of snow or rain causes a run on the grocery for milk and bread. Those two items were at the top of my grocery list, so I rolled out of bed to shower and dress at dark o'clock. Running to the 24 hour market while the mister showered knowing that I prefer not

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-42400302856969510132011-01-07T15:32:00.000-06:002011-01-07T15:32:44.314-06:00

It was going okay until she said, "This morning, Ralph said..." Because she won't be able to say that ever again. Tammy was referring to her husband. I stood on the screened porch staring at nothing while Tammy, those family members who live in town, Tammy and Ralph's pastor, several ladies (who are more sisters than friends to the newly bereaved), and two little children playing on the floor

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-3137429279373059272011-01-06T11:42:00.001-06:002011-01-06T16:08:24.754-06:00

In my mind there exists a line that cannot be crossed. The line between those with technical skills and those without such. Feet firmly planted on the "without" side, I tend to peer over into the realm of the technically adept with something between awe and frustration. Frustration because those like my mister make it look very easy to navigate through the strings of gobbledy gook referred to as

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-50023068364638248722011-01-06T10:34:00.000-06:002011-01-06T10:34:26.923-06:00

Ah, it's a funny thing how one can come to feel a camaraderie with those whose worlds are given view through the words, photos, and videos shared on blogs without ever having met. Having followed the ups and downs of Green Girl's Team Testosterone over the past couple of years, it is with hope that news of another trial to take her Mr. T off his anti-seizure meds is received. Perhaps this is the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-45061875705893427662011-01-03T19:52:00.000-06:002011-01-03T19:52:22.289-06:00

Hello, 2011! This year is off to a lovely start. The offspring are all back in school, but my mister had one more day off today. This was brilliant, and we should try to schedule this sort of thing on purpose in the future. It's a welcome change to hug the man without Middle Child informing us that we should, "Get a room! Ew." Really. We have a room. In fact, she lives in the string of rooms we

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-40182397220927428542011-01-03T01:13:00.000-06:002011-01-03T01:13:30.331-06:00

I panicked. The Little Navy Dress (LND) went back to the store in a New Year's Day flurry brought on by the news that two of the three wives from last year's party were possibly wearing pants. (I would be the third wife. And I had not really considered pants.) Except that my dress pants no longer fit quite right. The not-dressy Little Black Dress that seemed like an easy go-to solution to the

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5023916345365599483.post-64540925250298081192010-12-30T08:41:00.002-06:002010-12-30T19:04:40.196-06:00

Uh-oh. Walker texted last night with the great news that she had found a trustworthy mechanic with fair prices. She said her truck was not running well, so she took it in to discover that it needed a new coil. I have no idea what a coil might be or do. I do know that my same make and model Mom Mobile gets a nasty case of the shakes on an incline. This seemed like a good time to ask if her version

Holly (me.)http://www.blogger.com/profile/05506679179640236358noreply@blogger.com2