I thought scorpions were just a astrological sign!

I had the most shocking thing happen the other day. At first it was more terrifying than funny.
This is what I want to share with you....

For those of you that know me, you should know by now that I live in a high desert area. Lots of sagebrush and tumbleweeds. So my biggest concern here is sharing the desert with rattle snakes. I not real fond of snakes, but I give them there space as long as they do the same. Same thing with spiders. I leave them alone while they are outside because that's their domain. Once they cross the threshold, the story changes and they promptly find the underside of my shoe. I think that's fair!

Well this kinda falls under the same category. Here, just let me tell the story.

The weather here lately has been very hot. Triple digit weather! HOT! When it gets hot, I cannot sleep very well at all. I am usually up until way after midnight because I know I will not be able to sleep.
It was a hot day and I wasn't the only one who could not sleep. My daughter, Elizabeth was awake also. She was in her room playing on her computer, which is in the downstairs portion of the house. I was upstairs in my room, also playing on my computer.

It was fast approaching 2AM. I figured I would shower to cool off and try to go to bed. After my shower, I thought I heard a noise. My first thought was the kids, so I checked on them . All was quiet. But I could have sworn I heard a noise. I shrugged it off,since I could not find the source of the noise.

A few minutes later I hear a tapping on my door. I knew it wasn't the kids. They just run in. It was my daughter. There she was,standing there with tears in her eyes and obviously very upset.
She was holding a small trash can from the bathroom. In it was the most horrible creature I have ever seen. Oh I have seen pictures, but that does not even compare to what I was seeing. This is the before picture....



As Elizabeth tried to tell me the story, I just couldn't take my eyes off this creature! It was not only huge, but just as ugly!
While she was on her computer, she heard a noise. Like little animal nails scratching on paper. Her first thought was a mouse. We live on a farm, so mice are pretty common. She got up from her seat and saw that thing in an attack stance, blocking the doorway. The only place of escape,and there that thing stood with its tail curled up over its back. Its little pincher hands were clicking like he was just itching for a good fight! My daughter, who has never ever seen a scorpion in real life, let alone an angry one, was terrified. Apparently, the noise I thought was nothing, was actually her. She was standing on the computer desk screaming.
Since nobody came to her aide, she decided to fight this ugly enormous creature by herself! She quickly scanned the room looking for something that was big enough to battle with. Her first thought was her gun. But thankfully she reasoned that idea away. Next object, a tennis shoe. No way! It must be able to exterminate this thing with one wack!
A tennis shoe! The thing might take it away from her. No, next thing.. a boot! Yes that will work. Oh wait! There are two boots! Better! So she took the one boot and mustered up enough courage to smash it down on top of it. But she did not stop there. She took the other boot and smashed the boot that was on top of the scorpion, just to make sure it was dead. Here is the creature after Elizabeth's attack......




Okay the picture of the scorpion is not as good as seeing it up close. You can't tell , by this picture, but it is pulverized. She smashed it good! It is flat. What the picture does show, is it was huge. I would so freak out, if that had been me. I would probably be still standing on the desk.
I am so proud of her! She did a good job. I hope we don't have any more encounters with the likes of this thing! If we do, she will have to find another boot! I will be standing atop something! Screaming. Yes, I really dislike scorpions. My daughter said she was so scared. It may as well have been a rattle snake. I think I would have been just as scared.

Joy in the simple things

Yes, it has been a while since I blogged anything. It has been a very trying time for me. The fork in the road I was looking at before, became a major interchange! Well I have almost maneuvered through it all. Still got a few humps to iron out.
But that is not what inspired me to write.
The kids are out of school. The weather has been, to say the least, a little unstable. One day it is hot and the next we have thunderstorms. To make plans for outdoor activities has been a little challenging. So my daughter got up the other morning and said she wanted to do something different with the kids. After a lot of ideas and discussion, we all decided to go fishing! My daughter loaded all the poles and gear and got the kids dressed. I packed us a lunch for all of us. Off we went. It was a nice drive. Just on the other side of town,actually. But a far removed little place. It didn't really matter. We knew the kids would probably not catch anything. It was the experience that counted.
I really was really enjoying the drive. I had no real idea where we were going. But it was exciting anyway. We traveled down one long road, tall green grass and little water ways could be seen from the road. It was like a breath of fresh air. As we passed on tall grassy area, my little three year old grand daughter shouts, "look at the big rabbits"! I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw, to my surprise, four deer in the tall grass. And yes they did look like big rabbits, to a three year old. They had long ears and white tails! How cute is that?! I wish I had my camera. That would make a great little addition to a summer scrap book.
We made it to our little fishing hole. It was a quiet little place . There were cattle wandering about and lots of water birds. It was just a little quiet place. We set up camp. My daughter started hooking the worms on the poles for the kids, while I took the kids to the shore to do a little exploring. It was a really good time.
Needless to say, our fishing excursion was cut short by a thunderstorm rolling through, but a lot of stress relief, just the same. And no fish were injured during this trip. As a matter a fact, I think the kids chased all the fish away by throwing rocks in to the water as they had their poles resting on the shore.
I really enjoyed watching them just be kids. We are definitely going to do it more often this summer. Hopefully, I will remember to bring the camera.

Finally...sleep

I finally got some sleep this weekend. What a relief. Its a combination of the heat and the stesses that I have been encountering lately. The thunderstorms rolled in this weekend and cooled off the night air a little bit, just enough, that I was able to get more than a couple hours of sleep. It was good. I enjoyed it, I think. I must have, because I didn't wake up till morning.

Insomnia

I really think my lack of sleep is starting to affect my whole thought process. Ugg, I feel so bad. Hopefully, tonight I will actually stay asleep. My theory is that since tonight is not as warm as it has been, and the fact that I am exhausted, I should be able to get some decent sleep. I hope that holds true, because the migraines are starting up and that is always a drag. So Good Night world, at least I hope so.

I can't sleep

It's 1:44 am and I can't sleep. The bad thing is I have to get the kids up for school at 6:30am. I am so not looking forward to that hour. I know how my system works...I won't get to sleep until 4:30 maybe 5:00,just to have to wake up an hour or so later. Yeah, its gonna be a long day. I really am regretting drinking that nice glass of iced coffee around noon today. I can't believe how sensitive I have become to caffeine. And it was so good too! Darn, guess I will go back to lying down in my dark room trying to get some rest. It's now 1:53...ugghh! Have a great day!

Here I am again with another fork in the road!

Haven't had much to say over the last month...but I sure do love to read other blogs! My goodness, there are a lot of good writers out there.
I am going to try to be more diligent in writing.
My life has taken another turn. You would think at 50+ years, my life would be more stable. But alas, it is still evolving daily. More forks in the road than in my silverware drawer! Ha!
So as I face all the changes that are taking place, I will use this as my outlet to find a positive angle to it all. Between reading my Bible and looking at my thoughts in writing, I may make sense of it all yet.
I did find an old friend whom I lost contact with almost 25 years ago. Now that was exciting and fun! We got to share a lot of memories from our past. It was a good thing. And we promised each other that we won't lose each others numbers again.
I am going to have a lot of free time in the near future, it should be easier to find a means of income.
Spring is in full swing, and so is little league and t-ball.
I still am working on shedding my winter weight before the summer heat arrives.
I love sitting on my front porch, watching and listening to the beauty of life. I love the sounds of the different birds, the cows mooing back and forth at each other, the tractors tilling their fields, I could go on and on. I love the absence of the sound of traffic, people , and the hustle of the city. It is so tranquil here, I can't imagine ever going back to the city life.
So now that I have revitalized my thoughts and gotten back into the writing saddle, so to speak, I will now go have some coffee and sit a bit and take mental notes for my next blog. I love it here.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter to all! It was a nice day here. The sky was so blue with wisps of clouds passing over occasionally. It was great spending time with God this morning as the sun rose above the horizon. It was beautiful to talk to Him as the meadow larks sang in the background. And watching the sun come up...while imagining how it must have been when Mary went to the tomb of Jesus.. Breathtaking.
We had a great family meal and had a good time together. I hope your family had a joyful day, also.
I haven't had a chance to blog lately. The kids seem to be taking turns getting sick. I had one with pneumonia and another with strep throat. But thanks to antibiotics, everyone is getting better.
Oh yes, and then we had the parent teacher conferences. Everyone is doing really well in school. Yeah!
This Saturday was the ever so chaotic, Opening Ceremonies for T-ball and whatever the next group up is. I can't remember what their group is called, but they are all about 7-9 years old. That was an all day ordeal. Kids had a blast and thankfully the wind didn't start until later in the afternoon. Now it is time to start hopping! Four games a week till June. But my grandmother told me, keep the kids busy so they don't have time to get in trouble. So I guess this will be a good thing for myself and the grand-kids.
I am still just so glad that spring is here. The fields around us have started to grow green alfalfa or corn and the trees are budding. It is so pretty. Life is waking up, all around us. The Robins and other lovely birds are every where. The chipmunks have come out from hibernation. The canals are full,flowing with water. I am enjoying it. Taking it all in with every breath, every glance. I know what is next. I am not looking forward to it, but it is inevitable. Yes folks, that's right. The heat. It's coming! Yes, its suppose to rain some more in the next few days. April showers bring May flowers. But the heat, it's coming. I dread it. So I will enjoy every day under the seventy degree mark. I know these days are numbered for now. And while I enjoy the days of spring, I will try to get rid of these extra winter pounds. The thought of suffering from the heat will be my inspiration.
Happy Easter and Happy Spring !

The end of the day.

Today was a mellow day, overall. Nothing of any great note happened. This evening,since I was all by myself,I decided to take a little walk and watch the sun set. As I walked, I pondered all the things that have been bothering me lately. At one point, I forgot all about the sunset. I was just steam rolling along. Since I live in a desert type of setting, I don't have the relaxing green rolling hills and babbling brooks of which I have in my mind as a relaxing country setting. There is a lot of sagebrush and tumbleweeds all surrounded in sand. But the song birds and the rabbits darting all around are relaxing at some point. As I turned around to start on my way home, the sunset captured my complete attention. It was beautiful and frankly very breath taking. Suddenly, I didn't notice the wild sagebrush and sandy pathway on which I walked. I took my camera on the walk with me. You never know what might look appealing enough to snap. Well here is my sunset. And as brilliant as it may seem, it just doesn't quite capture the beauty I could actually see with my own eyes. The end of another day. Beautiful.

Give it a few minutes,and it will change again.

I thought it was a weird weather forecast. They said possible chance of snow showers. I was very skeptical. But that's why I don't do weather reports. The morning started out chilly,as usual. There were clouds in the distance, but there usually is. It wasn't windy. But two hours after I got up, the weather changed rather quickly.


But you have to really appreciate the variety of weather here in northern Nevada. In just a few short hours, it went from this...


To This....The weather is never boring here. I kinda like it.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Ok So I'm not Irish,really. The closest I can claim is Welsh. But on St.Patty's Day everyone claims to be a little Irish. I am just glad that St. Patrick had the notion to go to Ireland and bring the Word of God to a pagan land. So here's to St. Pat and the huge changes he made in Ireland. I am raising up my cup o' green tea to ya!

February is finally over!

February is finally over! For the shortest month, it sure took it's time getting to the end. There were long trips to Dr's., for Zac, in another state. Several tests to be taken. Everyone had the flu at some point in the month. The usual grind of every day things. And the threats of job losses. At one point, in the month, it was ....well it was a stressful month.
Hopefully, March will not be as chaotic. We do have the Lion,Lamb thing that always equates with March. I ,for one, am looking forward to a new month. Either Lion or Lamb, I welcome you!

Photo Tag!

My friend, Sherry , has tagged me for this game. I am to go to my 6th photo file on my computer and post the 6th photo. Then I am suppose to tell a little about the picture. Well I am pretty new to adding pictures to my computer. Although I do have a few. After filing them in folders, I realized I do have quite a few pics. I just need to categorize them. So now I have like 9 different files! So here is the 6th picture in my 6th file.


These two cool kids are Zac and Nadia, and are my grand children. Well two out of the ten. And the one child with no hair belongs to Nadia. She won't go anywhere without her. It was winter 2008 and we were out looking for wood for the wood stove. The temps were down in the teens. We live in Northern Nevada and it gets very cold! So we bundled up, and headed out to the trees down the street that were chopped for fire wood. You can see the collection gathered prior to the picture, behind them. Yeah, the wood is only twigs,but they thought they were logs. And the table top was,... just there. Oh, and the sun glasses, either they mock me or are just trying to be cool like me! I jest. The sun was really glaring on what snow was already on the ground. So we all wear them.

Happy Valentines Day

May your day be full of happiness and love.
I got a box of chocolates from See's Candy. Yummmmy! :)

Share the love...

Okay, here is a link. Now this sounds like an interesting and fun challenge. I am going to give it a try. Sherry AKA Midnightscrapper is always coming up with something fun to do. Click on the link and join in on the fun.
This is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to receive the gift you need to leave a comment on my blog and you have to post this on your blog. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it? So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones!

February 13,2009

1. It seems like the months are flying by a lot faster these days.

2. Let me know when you're done, please?

3. If I thought you would laugh I'd tell you more funny stories!

4. Friendship is what I think of most when I think of you.

5. To me, Valentine's Day means cards and candy.

6. The Lord gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to three youngsters on a sugar high from school parties, tomorrow my plans include hot cocoa and a warm fire and Sunday, I want to help my daughter get ready for her trip out of town.

This is some happy dance! Smile!

Okay,I saw this on another blog and for some reason it made me really smile. Everyone else has probably already saw it ,but I was feeling it! Just thought I'd share a happy moment with you. I really think that bird has better moves than I ever have. :)

Loving today!

Today is a beautiful day! The house is all nice and quiet. The clouds are rolling in. I'm hoping a little rain. We really need it. It is just one of those days when I can't decide if I want to curl up and read a book or go to sleep. I don't have any children to watch today, since it's mom's day off. So Grandma has the whole day to herself. Right now, the hubby is still snoring away, the kids are gone, and outside its still and quiet, except for the feed truck for the cows going by. (I live on a dairy) Yep, I am loving it! Today at 3:30, all chaos will erupt. That's when the older kids get in. Gonna go enjoy the solitude, for now.

Psalm 119:25 My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word.

Finally the cold and coughs are subsiding around here. It has been jumping from one person to the next. The only one whole seems to have not caught it, is now showing a few symptoms here. Poor guy.
Well, My word for this year is still"revive" I so want to be back in full time service for the Lord. How I miss the sweet time of fellowship. I miss my Sunday school girls. Oh how much I miss them and the joy of the Lord I got to share with them every Sunday. I miss singing. How I enjoyed that. Singing to the Lord always makes the heart feel better. I know my singing isn't all that good, but God loves a willing heart. I am still actively looking for a place that shares my same beliefs, but there seems to be a famine in this part of the land. So as my desire grows stronger, I have begun to study at home. I am still looking for a good church out here, but the churches are lacking. They don't sing hymns anymore. Just the repetitious stuff that I am not real comfortable with. They study from several different Bibles . And personally, I am having a hard time getting used to drums in the church. But I am still looking. I just cannot drive the 30 miles to the next town to start looking there. I am still looking though.
Lately I have been looking on line at several different bible studies on the internet. I have been pretty surprised at how much is really available. Yes, I know that I am forsaking the assembling.....but I am still working on it. Meanwhile I am home studying. It's not that bad. So I am getting revived, just a little differently that what I am accustomed. I am so glad that God is with me.
As I continue to search for my worship home, I will continue to be revived by God's word. I am so blessed that I have that much.

Sniffles,coughs and sore throats

The whole house is suffering from one of the above complaints. At moments,it sounds like everyone is coughing in unison. Yes,we have the winter hack. So I have the cool humidifiers hard at work, along with the usual medicines. Hopefully, this won't last the remainder of winter.Last year was the worst. Started in September and didn't stop till late April. I think the vitamins the kids have been taking faithfully are actually working. At least that is what I am hoping. We didn't actually start getting sick until last week. Not bad, compared to last year.
I know I will be up during the night with at least one of the kids.
I will be thinking of a new day tomorrow. And according to Mr. Weatherman, rain is in the forecast for the next few days. We need the rain, that is for sure. Yey!
I am off to the hot herbal tea and then to bed. I hope.

Friday Fill-ins

1. Enough with the drama.

2. No income causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving _a night out on the town__.

4.Jon Stewart makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to the island(Balboa or Catalina) next week.

6. The need for money has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _same old routine____, tomorrow my plans include an open mind and Sunday, I want to _go to church____!

Be Glad and Rejoice in it

Today was just one of those days where nothing of any great significance occurred here.
It was a nice day outside. Great for walking or taking my active little three year old out for a little bike ride. That would be her bike she rode on. I just walked around. The sun was shining so brightly and it actually got kinda warm. It seems so weird to say warm when it is reaching a whopping 56 degrees! But that is one of the things I really enjoy up here in the northern desert.
My husband seems to be getting stronger every day. He is trying to have a more positive attitude about things. That's a definite plus.
So today moved along rather smoothly. So I am just going to be content and rejoice in another great day that the Lord has given me to enjoy. I even baked a loaf of bread, from scratch. I won't talk about how it turned out, but it tasted good! I know the world was busy having one crisis after another. Yes, I care. But I am not going to let it rob me of a nice peaceful day here at home.
There is so much sorrow all around us on a daily basis. I am so glad God has given us hope in so many ways. And so many verses to grab on to. Yes, today was a good day.
I can feel my creative bones starting to twitch. Not sure what or where it will take me, but I am hoping for a little fun later on in the month.
So, Here I am enjoying the things the Lord has given me today. Peace and comfort in the day.

Another beautiful day with a sad twist

The day started out great. I have accomplished a lot in the last few days. Still waiting for the job, but things are looking better. The sun gave us a beautiful sunrise! It was still cold for me, but a beautiful beginning to a good day.
My son, who lives in another state,called to let me know that his bosses son had just been diagnosed with bone cancer. He is only seven years old. Wow, I thought, that was a blow for me. I could not even begin to imagine that man's grief. This man is in the same business I used to have. So of course I know him, but as a fellow businessman. What a horrible bit of news for any parent. The little guy has barely begun to live and now it seems he will not be around for another birthday.
So with this horrible news dwelling within my thoughts, I look around at all I have. Yeah, I started counting my blessings. You never know when things can change for you. It can happen in a heart beat. I can attest to that.
As hard as it is, I know God's hand is in there somewhere. Maybe one day we will all be able to understand what God was doing. But for now, we just have to trust. I have added to my prayers today , Rodney and his son. I pray the Lord take care and keep the family strong through this horrible ordeal that they must face.

New Day- Revive me O Lord!

I have a new focus on things today. I have been so busy, and yet I feel like I am getting nothing accomplished.
My husband changed all that this weekend. Back in November, he suffered a mild heart attack. I have been so thankful that he is okay, and still am! This weekend he had a serious moment. I don't know what other words to use. He got up in the middle of the night, and before he could make it to the bathroom,he passed out. On his way down, he crashed into the closet doors with his head,full force. There was no gracefulness about it. He came down hard. Then I was right there with him, he was still unconscious. Then he slowly came to. I helped get to a sitting position, which I realize now was the wrong thing to do. He passed out again, only this time he stopped breathing. I freaked! I ran out and got my daughter and her friend. They are both C.P.R. certified. She called 911, while I and my daughters friend, tried to get him breathing. I have never been so terrified in all my life. The lack of life in his eyes scared me to death. He finally started to breath again. Paramedics arrived and talked him into going to the hospital. If he had his way, he would not have gone. Turns out he was very dehydrated, lacking potassium in his body, and anemic. I still am so skeptic. That caused all of that?! What a night!
So now I feel I must take control and start looking for options. I need to get a job out side of taking full care of my grand kids. Love them to death, but I need to find a way to get some kind of health insurance. This is just to much to take and not take some kind of action. I keep thinking my husband is going to spring up and make everything better. That's what he always has done. Reality is, he needs help and time to heal. It won't be quick. I need to step up to the plate. So I need to revive my life and his, by taking the reins from him for a while. However long it takes. I love him so much, I can't stand the thought of living a day without him, even if he is different. He has been through so much in the last few years, he is having a difficult time working through them. So as of tomorrow, after I visit all the state aids for help in paying all these bills, I will actively find employment. Even if it's a fast food place. I have no real work experience, except dispatching. There isn't much need for that up here in this small town. But. if single mothers have been doing it for decades, so can I. I can still help my daughter and help my husband. I am praying for strength that only the Lord can give me. So my life verse for the days ahead :
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strengh; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint Isaiah 40:31
I will be hanging on to this verse ever so closely.

1. It's January; and it is frosty cold outside.

2. Hot tea is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like honey and tea.
4. Chicken soup is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to be ourselves.

6. I love my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some rest, tomorrow my plans include laundry and Sunday, I want to go to church!

Time to get busy.

Well, it's already Jan. 9th, and I need to get busy on a whole list of things to do. I think I had the flu or some kind of bug,but am a lot better now. So I plan on getting started on my projects for the month. Not gonna share all that I have waiting for me, but it entails finding a source of income. Times are getting tighter every day and I need to do my part around here to bring in something. The hubby is still out of commission, so that leaves little ol' me. I will probably wait till Monday, since Fridays generally are not a good day to look.
So for now, I will continue to be Grandma of the day and take care of my little one. She is only three and has a pretty good start on learning her address. Now today we will work on writing her name. Off I go, a new day, a new experience awaits.

One Word- Revived

I read a blog,which suggested that we should pick one word to sum up our thoughts or directions for the year to follow. I thought that it would be easy enough. Boy, was I wrong! I still haven't settled on one word. There just is way too many words, to pick just one! I admire those who could actually commit to one word. So I have thought, and thought, and thought some more. At first, all my words started with "R". Renew, Refresh , Review, Restructure...What does this mean. Do I really think I can get a "do-over"? I hardly doubt that! Then I thought since I am having such a hard time settling on one word, maybe I should pick "commit". Somehow that just doesn't seem to fit what I want for this new year. I have always been committed to everyone and everything I participate in. Then I thought, "balance". I could really use some balance in my life. Seems like I an always doing for others, and neglecting myself. No,that's just how I am. So I still haven't really thought of a word for the year ahead of me. But I know how much this whole thought process has made me, and that would be the word, "perplexed".

per·plexed (pr-plkst)
adj.
1. Filled with confusion or bewilderment; puzzled.
2. Full of complications or difficulty; involved.

This is how I spent most of last year,especially def#2, so I would prefer not to relive this state of mind. It is not enjoyable in any way.
So I tried to look up the opposite of perplexed. I want the opposite of last year. Now I am on the hunt. And I really need to quit making this all so difficult. After all its only one word!
I am going to make my word for 2009, ready?...

Main Entry: re·vive
Function: verb
Pronunciation: ri-'vīv
Inflected Form(s): re·vived ; re·viv·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French revivre, from Latin revivere to live again, from re- + vivere to live -- more at QUICK
intransitive senses
: to return to consciousness or life : become active or flourishing again
transitive senses 1 : to restore to consciousness or life
2 : to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state : bring back
3 : to renew in the mind or memory

I need to revive my relationship with God. My life in general needs revitalization.
My family needs me to come back to being happy and looking forward to the days ahead. I need that. I guess I really just need a little "re-do" and accept that.
I get so deep in the trenches of routines, that I forget about everything else.

I am glad that I found a word that I can use to help me get control back into my life. I need to get revived, in spirit, in life, in general. God has given my another day to do something for Him. Time to wake up and start living again. I need to be excited about another day to live,love and laugh!

Choosing Joy- Renewed strength

I have been so blessed to be a part of this challenge. I wasn't able to keep up every day, but I was able to look for joy in every day. What a blessing it has been to look for the good in every day instead of looking at the bad, which I might add is pretty easy. It has given me a renewed strength to keep moving in the forward direction, without dwelling on or focusing on the negativity around me every day. I am so glad for that. I hope to continue to seek all the good each day gives me. Here I am...Choosing joy.