My Knees Are All Antiquey-Weaky

My loving husband, THGGM, accepted my plea to LOOK AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT and got me out of here today.

I have been suffering all week with some sort of evil germ.

I hadn't left the house since church Sunday morning.

So, we went to one thrift store and three Three THREE antique malls. One in Muskegon, one in Spring Lake and one in Grand Haven.

I found the old blue tin lunch pail to add to my collection. It's all properly dented up, which I love. Shows that it was used.

Although I can see that to balance this shelf, I'm going to have to find something red to put on the left side.

I also found these six books. These are for me. Baby Boy can read the board books.

This I LOVE. I have actually been looking at it for years. It is a bed cover (to me it looks like someone just embroidered on a bed sheet).

The first time I saw it is was $40.00. I've watched it slowly drop, until today when it was $16.00.

In my fantasy world, I want to trace out the pattern and embroidery the entire thing in a delft blue. In my real world, I know just which bed I'm going to throw it on.





THGGM found this in the thrift store. He handed it to me and told me I needed it.

He's right. I did.

Back home, my germ has returned and I feel icky.

BUT, my sanity was restored. Even if only briefly.

March, I cannot wait for you to go. You have not been kind to me.

Baby Boy Is Going to Have a Sister!

Just Another Random Thursday

Thanks for adding comments to the post below. I find the subject of imaginary audiences to be very intriguing. The thought that they existed first occurred to me many years ago when THGGM and I were on a committee to start a middle school at the elementary school our children attended. We were required to read a book by Gloria Someone (i've forgotten her name). In it she discussed the two main beliefs that middle school aged children hold. One was 'nothing bad will ever happen to me' and the other, 'everyone is watching me'. Since I NEVER at any age believed the first one my mind really tried to wrap itself around the second.

And with keeping this random...

My mom and dad came today. My dad can drive again! He says that his leg isn't bothering him much at all. His knees are. His arthritic knees didn't bother him at all when he couldn't walk. He also has noticed that his breathing is showing improvement. He was able to go to lunch with friends while Baby Boy entertained my mom and I at lunch. My mom was doing very well when she was here. Not so well when THGGM went over there tonight, but we will take the good times and rejoice in them, take pictures of them and spread them all over Baby Boy's blog. He ADORES his great grandparents. They have such an amazing relationship with him.

I watched "The Office" marathon tonight. I used to work in that office. It is SO painful to watch. No kidding, Michael Scott was the boss. Even looked just like him. Although my boss was named Steve Lastnamesoundslikeafruit. This was in the late 1970's. We had an employee who ran the check sorter third shift. He was going to have a sex change operation so we had to have 'meetings' on how we had to deal with him. I never sat through a more uncomfortable meeting in my life. I am SURE that whoever wrote the episodes which aired tonight worked there to. I wonder if Steve Lastnamesoundslikeafruit ever watches that show and says HEY! That's ME! Because, it IS him.

Is it okay to confess this here? I still have such a crush on Mr. Rogers. I'm not a fan of the Neighborhood of Make Believe and Lady Elaine Fairchild still scares me nearly senseless, but Mr. Rogers...Oooooo...he is GOOD people. Why is that show on at 5:30 in the morning? Are there really people who get up that early? Thankfully Youngest Son set it to record for me. Don't tell anyone, but I even watch it on Friday, even though Baby Boy isn't here.

And, I am still sick. I've managed to be able to care for Baby Boy, as he has been sweet, charming and very capable of entertaining himself, as long as I applaud at the correct times. It seems that the fever hasn't come back tonight, but the sore throat and cough are hanging on. I have not made dinner all week. A girl could get used to this.

I've finished reading "Remembering" by Wendell Berry. Nephew Chris, I am sure you would like it. I especially liked how it ended. There is nothing worse than reading a book and finding that the ending isn't plausible. This one plaused just fine for me.

A week ago Thursday I sat in the living room happily cropping all of the pictures I took at the Meijer Gardens. Unbeknownst to me at the time, as I sat here, the Sal's Pizza RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AND VISIBLE TO ME OUT THE WINDOW was robbed at gun point. A large evergreen tree blocks my seeing their door, but most nights I watch the guy behind the counter moving around. I noticed nothing. (click on picture above and you will see what i see when i am on my laptop.)

Nate, whom I mentioned earlier, has not yet died. Please pray for his family. They are waiting for him to die a natural death so that his organs can be donated. What anguish they must be going through. I keep asking Youngest Son how they are doing, which is SUCH a lame thing to ask. How would YOU be doing, watching your 25 year old slowly die?

Daughter saw our former nextdoor neighbors this week. We might have lived in a bad neighborhood before, but we were surrounded by wonderful neighbors. Sandy lived nextdoor to us for several years before she married Gary. Gary was a big guy. Daughter was SHOCKED to see Gary. He has been battling cancer and has lost 270 pounds. What I remember most about them is the cute story of how Gary surprised Sandy with an out of the country honeymoon. He should have told her. THGGM and I spent their wedding night digging through all of their personal papers looking for birth certificates so they could fly out of the country. We found them, faxed them and they had a wonderful time. The good news is he has been cancer free for four months.

Tomorrow, with cooperation, we will find out what kind of baby New Baby is! Either kind will be just fine with all the parties involved. Convenience or Variety? Stay tuned tomorrow...

Who Is In Your Imaginary Audience?

(this is a rerun from March of 2004 - the first eight comments are from when it first appeared - i'm trying to develop this into something more - feel free to add your thoughts)

This question has intrigued me for years now. I've come to the realization that in all of my life, there have been a number of people who have been in mine. As I've gotten older, the size of my imaginary audience has dwindled, but their invisible presence has increased in importance.

In my mind, they are perched precariously close to the edge of a balcony, and have notepads and pencils in their hands.

Thankfully, for most of my life the real visible people in my audience have been supportive. But those imaginary ones - they can be heartless.

This is a thought I plan to develop more. I've noticed that so many people are DRIVEN by people in their imaginary audience, who in actuality pay no attention whatsoever to them.

Let's let them go. Let's rip up their notes, snap their pencils in two and get on with what really matters.

Please add your thoughts and experiences with this in the comments, or write about it in your blog (and leave a link), as I think it is an untapped resource for all of us to come face to face with those people who we think are always watching us. Of course, this is imaginary. But so much of what is imaginary sucks the life right out of us.

Sign of Spring

That's what we've always called skinned knees in our home.

Signs of Spring.

This happened when THGGM took Baby Boy for a walk (run).

Oh, it's not bad and he didn't even cry. Baby Boy didn't, that is. Grandpa felt awful.

I've got fever/chills/sore throat/aches/pain/cough.

Another sign of spring.

Lamb or Lion, I just cannot wait for March to GO OUT.

Sad Bad News

My kids are very close in age. They all know each other's childhood friends.

Tonight it was decided that one of those friends be taken off life support.

Suicide.

He was one of Oldest Son's friends.

A classmate of Daughter's

The brother of one of Youngest Son's roommates.

Please pray for Tom and Cindy and the three brothers -

that in the horror the next few days will bring, the peace of God will cover them, and sustain them for the rest of their lives.

Preach It, Vincent!

Based on how much I love Edith Schaeffer's book "The Hidden Art of Homemaking" I ordered "Living Artfully" by Sandra Magsamen.

I am NOT disappointed!

Both books have fabulous content for anyone looking to create beauty in the world they move in.

Love this quote by Vincent van Gogh.

It successfully sums up the content of BOTH of these books.

Good News!

My dad's broken leg has healed nicely!

Much to be thankful for here today.

Well, there is actually much to be thankful for everyday, but today it does seem especially so.

Baby Boy had a wonderful time with them.

Here he is showing them the joys of Sesame Street.

Great Grandpa also read him a Bob the Builder book and Great Grandma read to him from the Sandra Boynton books.

Last I heard, THGGM was swinging with him on the porch swing singing "Jesus Loves Me".

What a life, this Baby Boy has.

And on Friday we should find out if New Baby will be a boy or a girl.

What a time to be alive!

Nine Months Until Christmas!

A Most Satisfying Morning of Thrift Shopping

Today THGGM wanted to go to a particular furniture store. I happily went along, as I knew there was a thrift store across from it that I hadn't been to in over a year.

So glad I did! I found FOUR Sandra Boynton books that I do not have! Baby Boy will be SO excited too! And if that isn't cool enough, I found a board book with Eloise Wilkins pictures, and a Bob the Builder book and one of Bible songs.

I was DELIGHTED to have stopped there. I really didn't look at anything else BUT books. I practiced my new way of shopping in which I only buy what I am planning to use NOW. As in, THIS year.

I also found a copy of Frederick Manfred's book "Green Earth". I had it in my hand, hoping that it maybe had an inscription or an autograph. While I was looking at it, a sales clerk came up to me and engaged me in conversation about this book. She told me that the author was born in Doon, Iowa just down the road from where she was born. I told her that I was always looking for his books, as he is a relative of my husband. I just love making unsolicited connections like that.

I am almost finished with Wendell Berry's "Remembering", so I have no excuse not to start this book next. After all, the woman at the thrift store said it was GREAT.

Oh, and I thought this was interesting. This particular thrift store promotes itself as an 'up scale' thrift store. Up scale? It's still somebody's used stuff. I cannot imagine how a thrift store could be 'up scale'. Better Junk, More Expensive would be a more honest description.

Has anyone else noticed that thrift store prices are climbing? I just may have to become a weird garage sale lady. I can count on one hand how many garage sales I have gone to since the turn of the century. For some reason, I do not like them.

Standing on the Fulcrum

THGGM took some vacation time this week. He is off until Tuesday. Monday he will take my dad to have his leg x-rayed. We are praying that the bone has healed.

Today THGGM and I took Baby Boy out on an adventure to the Meijer Gardens. We had a wonderful time (see the posts below for proof).

It was such a fun day, and just the thing to do to shake off winter for good.

Then this evening I stopped at my parents house to bring my dad some prescriptions he was about to run out of.

My mom met me at the door. She told me that she was ready to go home. A pile of her clothes sat neatly folded on the couch. She told me that this was a nice place, but they could not stay any longer. Then she looked at the couch and said, 'I guess some of our stuff is already here, so we must be coming back, and it IS a nice place, but I want to go home.'

I just wanted to cry. She has lived there for eight years.

Sometimes it feels that if I am on the happy end of the teeter-totter, someone will drop something on the sad end and I will be propelled through the air.

At other times, I'm on the sad end, and something happy will fall and sail me towards the heavens.

I need to find the fulcrum, crawl my way to it if I have to, so that whatever befalls - happy or sad, I will remain secure.

Meijer Garden's

THGGM had today off.

I did not.

We had a wonderful time with Baby Boy.

We went out for breakfast with him and his mama.

She had to go to work.

We went to the Meijer Garden's.

Baby Boy did not appreciate the strange looks he got from some of the sculptures, but everything else pleased him immensely.

Especially being able to run free!

There were many groups of young school children which he attempted to join.

As they ran off, he waved bye-bye and traveled on until he found another group to follow.

They were all in a hurry.

We were not. I love not being in a hurry.

He loved listening to the wind chimes.

There was a lot for all of his senses to take in.




He enjoyed going in and out of the little tree house.

He still finds it amazing that there are doors that he can open.

Possibly he could have had as much fun staying home and pushing his empty stroller around outside.

But WE would not have had nearly as much fun!

And, I must point out that there is absolutely NO shortage of worms. There were worms all over every side walk there. HUNDREDS of worms.

Just so you know.

A Beautiful Windy Spring Day at the Meijer Gardens

It was a windy day. You can tell by the way THGGM's hair is blowing.

Notice though, that by the time we left he had a rather nice spiked mohawk 'do' going on.

DaVinci's Horse

It was windy, but not cold.

Baby Boy was not afraid of the horse.

Even though it is a rather intimidating structure.

He was able to appreciate the smaller version a bit more.

(notice the stroller, blowing away)

Butterflies

Let There Be Spring!

Look what I saw today!

Not a great picture, but that IS a Robin!

Spring has sprung!

Just Because One Cannot See It, Doesn't Mean It Isn't There

I wonder about many things.

One of the things I wonder about is what the effects of technology are on the environment.

Not in an "Al Gore" way, but in a honey bee way.

I used to be addicted to wanting to attend seminars. I say 'wanting to' because I could not afford to attend many.

But at one I managed to scrape up the money to go to, I heard the speaker say pretty much what I said above. His wondering was more along the lines of 'how does technology effect our minds'.

That stuck with me, because I am one of those people whose mind is easily effected by, well, lets call it 'stuff'.

So, yesterday on Martha Stewart some guy was talking about the mysterious deaths of honey bees. I cannot tell you much about it, because I was in another room holding a sleeping Baby Boy.

But, it was obvious that no one knows why so many honey bees are not showing up in hives they are expected to be in.

I blame technology.

Bees buzz. Bees find their way by buzzing.

It would seem that our entire atmosphere is buzzing with technology.

It confuses me. How could it not have the same effect on a creature as simple as the honey bee?

So that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.

Well, that or my other theory that diabetes is striking them dead.

A Post in Which I (almost) Do NOT Mention Baby Boy

I received interesting mail today. Interesting to me, anyway.

One was a newsletter from friends who moved from St. Louis to California last summer. Amazing people. They travel all around the world. Egypt, Romania, Mexico and soon back to Egypt. When they lived in our area, we had such fun times. Our schedules coincided with theirs, which meant we had a lot of great breakfasts together. I miss those. Their oldest daughter and our youngest son were born the same week. They will both be turning 23 next month. My, how time flies when you're having kids. I will always remember a visit years after they moved when this daughter of theirs greeted us at our car saying "Hi. We're the people you came to see."

We also received a newsletter with a column written by a friend of ours who just moved to New Guinea with her husband, one year old, and soon to be new baby. Seems like yesterday she was chasing a mouse around my living room. It wasn't. But it seems like it. Once, some friends were fixing a problem she had with her car. They fixed what they could, but told her she would need to see a mechanic, and to be sure to ask that he refill her blinker fluid. She did (too too funny!).

There was also a letter from the college my kids attended/graduated from. It told of additions made to a particular building which is named after a man I knew. I have SUCH a hard time with buildings being named after people. When I would hear my kids say "I'll meet you at _____ in a half hour." it sounded like fingernails on a chalk board to me. This man was the father of one of my childhood friends. I remember how on Saturday mornings we would watch cartoons with him in the teeniest excuse for a den I have ever seen. He told us that God gave us a belly button so that we could put ketchup in it and eat french fries in bed. He also preached at our church several times, but I don't remember what he said then. Although, I DO remember about the belly buttons.

Then, one of my book orders I was waiting for arrived. It wasn't the stuff I ordered. It's good stuff, but I had ordered a bunch of books because ONE of the books in the group looked like it might be a book I have been madly searching for. Someone, whom I am NOT mentioning in this post, was not pleased that a small picture of Dumbo the Elephant appeared on the back of everyone of the books. Golden books. But, clearly the wrong bunch.

I also received my papers reminding me that I need to have a mammogram again soon. Did I not JUST have that done? I think that I sometimes get confused because I bring my mom to all of her appointments, and we go to the same places for everything.

All the rest of the mail were bills. I don't open those. I give them to THGGM. He looks at numbers and moans, I look at words and sigh. It's a match made in Heaven.

Baby Boy, Deep in Thought

It was a different sort of day for me. Baby Boy was sweet and cuddly, and for the very first time (with me) showed fear.


Baby Boy is afraid of elephants.


Here he is looking out the window, making sure no elephants are coming. Sometimes, when trucks go by it does sort of sound like it.


How, you might wonder, does he know what an elephant is?


You can thank Sesame Street for that. A scene with an elephant that scared a letter H up a tree.


The elephant ran through Sesame Street loudly, causing much noise. Baby Boy was not amused. But that was last week, and I'd hoped he'd forgotten all about it. He does not generally forget much. Like an elephant.


How do I know this scared him? Does he say "I am scared of the elephant?" No. He has no words for that, yet.


When he sees an elephant in a book, and let me tell you, I hadn't noticed it before but elephants are extremely prevalent in children's books, he will get a look of horror on his face and do the sign for 'STOP'.


Really. Elephants ARE everywhere.

Post Number 1001

Huh? Could this actually be the 1001 post I have written on Anybody Home? Of course, some of them are drafts - and if you count my other four blogs I'm WAY over 1oo0 with those.

So, you would think that I'd have something profound to say. But, I've got nothing.

I finished reading the Gladys Taber book "Harvest of Yesterdays". Reading it helped me to understand her other books. There truly is nothing like a back story to shine light on the foggy parts of the past.

I'm waiting on two orders of books, one from Amazon and one from eBay. I get SO excited waiting for packages.

In other news, this will hopefully be my dad's last week being homebound due to his broken leg. THGGM has Monday off and will take him to the doctor. The initial plan is that if it isn't completely healed, he will get a walking cast, which would help him out tremendously. I think it is going to be hard for my mom to get back into a routine. Baby Boy has missed their Thursday visits, as have I.

It will also become a BUSY time, as all of those postponed appointments will have to be made up. I just might finish that Maria Montessori book yet. You know, that paperback I keep in my purse just for 'waiting room' occasions.

I am making appointments for myself also. For blood work. I should not be this tired, I should not be losing my hair at such an alarming rate, and I should be able to maintain my blood sugar levels - but I cannot. Stress and hormones I cannot control.

Speaking of blood work...embroidery is proving to be the perfect craft for me! I stab myself so stinking many times that I am given many chances to test my blood sugar. And don't fall for those lame advertisements. It HURTS to stab oneself ON PURPOSE with a lancet.

Well, I'm off to find a NEW book to read. I happen to know already that it will be something deep - like Mutts, Zits or Calvin and Hobbes.

Happy 1001 Posts to Me!

Baby Boy and Friends

Baby Boy and I had a delightful morning playing with The Bob's, Wendy, and Ernie.

Baby Boy, being the kind hearted sort that he is, must have sensed my headache and scratchy throat and took on the task of dusting EVERYTHING for me.

By afternoon I was too tired to catch him to wrangle him back into his clothes.

He didn't mind.

Weekend Handiwork

I bought a sunbonnet transfer pattern book five years ago.

I finally got around to trying it out.

I really like it, but this small amount of stitching represents HOURS of work.

Why did those sunbonnet girls have to go and pick so many flowers?!

Really.

This is what THGGM accomplished. He found the single curtain panel at Bed, Bath and Beyond. That store only had one. Saturday he went out looking for another, and found one!

Considering that these are the chairs we bought at a thrift store for $5 a piece, it's amazing all the different things he has tried with them.

I think this is the best thing that has happened to these chairs...so far.

(getting a good picture is impossible on a dreary rainy Monday...)

Thrifting My Way Through Saturday

For the first time in a very long time, this felt like a 'normal' Saturday. Work, Breakfast, Thrift and Antique shopping, I'm ready to stop now, but still have much to do.

I didn't find all that much today. I'm sticking to my resolve to not buy anything that I am not presently planning to use.

My best find was this adorable children's cup. I love it.

And, if you are a reader of Somerset Studio magazine, you can probably guess why I am still buying old jars. Turn with me if you will, to "Jar Scenes" on page 78.

I also found these five 'angel ornaments' for a dollar. Someone apparently wanted what they were originally holding, but I have ideas for them with NEW things to hold anyway. I have a better picture of them actually, but this one shows THGGM working in the backyard. I was wondering where he went. I had the coffee already and everything!

I squealed with delight when I found this really big Bob the Builder doll, a Toolbox book, and a Wendy the size of our old big Bob. What fun for Baby Boy, and all three cost me $2.29!

Blog, Blog Blog, Blog Blog

I spent some time last night perusing the blogsphere. I went to sites that I do not normally frequent. I just clicked on some links in sidebars and kept going.

Several bloggers mentioned not finding many blogs that are inspirational, and how so many bloggers truly don't 'saying anything'. One mentioned finding a few 'one hit wonders' but with nothing else 'of substance' to keep them coming back.

At my blog, I come right out and warn you ahead of time that I am boring. I am. It's just a fact. Rarely, if ever am I actually BORED as I can always find something interesting to read, make or play around with.

Today, I discovered that I can put two Diet Coke fridge boxes on my feet and walk around in them like they are some freakishly large boots. No. Baby Boy was not here. I did this for myself. You might want to try this at home.

Now I am going to say something here that will most likely be unpopular. Blogs that try too hard to be inspirational bore me nearly to tears.

Why? Because life is enormously full of dull, mundane things. I fear for those always looking for the 'inspirational' as it becomes like a drug. Suddenly one needs more and more 'inspiration' to satisfy that need that absolutely everything one does has some deeper hidden meaning to it.

This doesn't mean that I don't seek out inspiration, because I do. And, I know many blogs which I frequent who have writers who do this very well. Take Debra, for instance. http://www.debrasotherthoughts.blogspot.com/ She is inspirational, but will also tell you when her life is less than sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. And, she will tell you that she has mice in her backyard that come when she calls them.

Too much of a good thing clogs up the works for me. I collect devotional books. But, sometimes I have to take a break from them. The same with quotes. I collect quotation books also. Although I have found that if I read too many fabulous quotations at a time, they quickly lose their value to me.

When you think about it, most of us ARE dreadfully boring people stuck in an existence that at times is dull as tombs. Sometimes, the boring stuff is all there is. I rather LIKE hearing about that. It makes the inspirational mean more when it comes.

Now I will leave you and go back to my mundane chores. I may find inspiration in doing them, but I may not. Either way, I still have to do them, so might as well hum a happy tune as I go.

If you are looking for great blogs written by people who frequently post about happenings in their lives, I encourage you to click on the links to the funny, entertaining and delightful commenters on my blog. You will find much to ponder.

Maybe I just prefer to ponder than to be inspired.