Thursday Thoughts

Thursday is almost over. I got the "crud" yesterday and spent a miserable day in bed (well, when I wasn't in the little room next door to the bedroom!) It was as if I lived in a protective bubble when everyone else was getting sick. I really thought I had escaped. But on the first day that I could actually crash, I crashed big time. It's unbelievable how good I feel today compared to yesterday.

Thanks for your prayers once again for Kristen. The meds are doing what they're supposed to be doing and she's feeling good once again. I want so badly for her to feel good for more than a week or two at a time!



While we had the girls this time, it was "spirit week" at their school. One day was Crazy Hair Day - Care Bear did her own and I helped Feisty. Care Bear also did Katie's for her.























That was a beautiful pre-spring warm day, and the girls had a great time after school. They decided to do a show for me - Taylor Swift song complete with all sorts of choreography - with a pile of old crunchy snow as the stage.








I had to take a few pictures as I was out and about that day. This is a view on the way to the kids' school - so beautiful.

I just have to ask you -- would you do this ----

if the shoreline looked like this???

I was so excited to get this in the mail this week - right on schedule. It looks white in the picture, but it is a lovely beige (called khaki) and goes well with the little bear I posed with the set. Now I just have to figure out a place to put it in my cupboards - I figure maybe some of my old stuff can pass for vintage at the Habitat store. Thanks again, Becky (Butler's Wife)!







The most exciting thing of the week - last week I took my "lost and found" diamond to our favorite jewelers - the young woman who waited on me was fabulous. She doesn't look anywhere near old enough, but she says she's been there for 17 years. She must have worked there in high school. She had an immediate idea how to salvage my original, sentimental bands, and make the stone secure for the rest of my life. It doesn't stand up high off the band any more, but I love the new look. What do you think??

And last but not least - WOO-HOO!!

Miracles Still Happen!

Thank you all for your prayers about my missing diamond. Yesterday while the littles and I were out running errands, I gave them little baggies with snackies - including a few Valentine M&M's. Today, when I went to put Katie in her car seat, I saw a few spare candies that had gathered in the back of her seat. I saw this little grayish/silvery looking thing there in the middle - momentarily I thought it was a little stone. Well, it was. But a very valuable little stone! My little stone! Katie has been sitting on a diamond for 5 days!!

Thank you, Lord, and thank you, friends! (See previous post if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about)!

Monday Musings

February is half over - how can it be? We woke up to a cold, crisp sunny day in northern Colorado - 8 degrees.

Valentine's week-end was fun, except for some who find it difficult to watch those who have someone special in their lives, when they don't. It's another one of those fun little holidays that's been taken over by the media and those who benefit financially from such days. I have to say, though, that DC really outdid himself. He took Kristen, Sema, and me out for a lovely dinner at Mimi's. He had made cards for each of us with his computer, creating a poem for each of us, plus all 4 of the girlies. I was impressed!

Last night we took a trip to Denver to the "big church" for a wonderful concert. The occasion was the final concert for Jerry, who was celebrating his last service as a staff member, after almost 37 years. Jerry is one of the most talented musicians I know or know of - a pianist beyond comparison, an arranger, and a producer. He is responsible for the CD the men's quartet made (which, by the way, should be completely ready soon - long after anticipated date). It was a great way to round off the week-end.



I chose my new look in honor of the PRISM program, which is the program I am on to change my health and appearance. I love the analogy in one of the lessons in Week Three (we're on Week 6 and will be able to weigh next week-end). The title of the lesson was "The Change That Transforms . . . "

"Have you ever watched a caterpillar eat? It goes from meal to meal, clinging constantly to its source of food. It always eats, rarely stopping for a break. On the other hand, the butterfly appears to stop for a meal only on occasion. It seems the butterfly enjoys other activities more than eating. Flying around the beauty of flowers is its favorite thing to do. It eats of the nectar of the plant, the lightest and most energizing part. The caterpillar eats the most bulky part of the plant. The butterfly cannot be weighed down by its meal, but the caterpillar must always feel stuffed. What do you think would happen if the butterfly began eating bulky food all the time? More than likely, after a short time it would not be able to fly. What would a 'grounded' butterfly be? Food for a predator?"

Reminds me of the children's book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Also makes me want to be more like a butterfly than a fuzzy, slow, rather homely caterpillar!

Guess who joined Girl Scouts??

Guess who had to support the program??

I have to say I am very excited to have this opportunity to test my endurance and perseverance - and resolve!




There's nothing more fun than watching a baby develop into a real little person - unless it's watching two! The littles are singing and talking (though still more their own language than ours - getting better every day), and just generally making life more interesting. For some reason, Katie likes to wear her bib all.day.long. Even during diaper changing time.




The other day Katie went for a walk with Grandpa - a neighbor had a pile of concrete beside the driveway, which Katie apparently decided to explore- i.e., climbing. The header was not in the plans, but she's tough and hardly cried. The nose, cheek, and chin looked pretty bad.




The more it improved, the worse it looked. Add in an encounter with a door, tooth going through lower lip - poor kid looked like she'd been in a boxing match! Still very few tears.



Emma was having a tough time on the way to church - finally settled down in the nursery.







Changing the subject drastically - many years ago, when DC and I were talking about marriage, we visited a small jewelry store to "look at" engagement rings. We decided to choose a loose stone to have put into a design of our choice. We chose a beautiful stone with a slight flaw - purposely to remind us that nobody's perfect.

I never thought I'd have my hand photographed for my wedding album, but I was convinced to do so --




Several years ago, when I was having the stone checked to be sure it was secure, the jeweler advised me to change from a four prong "basket" to six prongs. I loved the new look - it set off the stone even better.

Friday I was sitting here in this same chair when suddenly I realized my ring didn't feel right - I looked down and in horror, saw this:








The entire "basket" came out of the hole where it was fastened - not just the stone is gone, but the entire device. Ironic, isn't it? I changed to that device to keep the stone safe and now the entire thing is gone. I can't help but feel the jeweler should hold some responsibility. I will take the ring up there tomorrow so they can see what it looks like. It doesn't look like it just broke off at the surface, but there is a definite hole there.

I know it is only a possession and not something that will be with me in eternity, but it is a very sentimental possession. DC was looking up the paper work on the ring - I had totally forgotten the old-fashioned typed letter I received from the diamond mining company in South Africa, congratulating me on the excellent choice of stone.

I have heard from so many people who have lost their stones and found them miraculously. This will take a miracle to find. But I do believe in miracles.




I'll close with another book recommendation - or series of books. Last fall I won a drawing at Tammy's place, Lattes and Lollipops. Tammy doesn't blog any more, sadly. But this is the book she sent me - an author I not heard of before.




I really enjoyed it, so read the next one in the series. Then I got sidetracked and just now decided to pick up on the rest of them - only to discover that there was a prequel. I am almost finished with it --




If you like Mary Higgins Clark, you will like these - clean romance and suspense, with the added bonus of the redemption story very prominent in the story lines. I have 4 more to read in this series and am looking forward to every one.




Well, I guess that's enough rambling for today - have a great week!