snotitis

I have a baaaaddd case of snotitis. Most people refer to this as the common cold. At our house we call it snotitis. I'd like to have someone to blame but I know a lot of people who have it right now and don't know who to blame.

I made a mistake leading music at church this morning. I could blame it on the fever, or the light-headedness or the "only play them once a year Christmas songs", but it comes down to I made a boo boo. Yes, I've made plenty of little slip-ups before but it's been a long time since I made one that kind of threw everyone off. Oops. I tried to cover but hit the wrong chord and everyone was lost. Including me. I just kind of said "sorry" and kept going. What else can you do at that point?

We have a tree up. Sometimes we think of it as "New Year's Eve fodder". It's a big, fluffy tree that's kind of sparse at the bottom. You know how in the great expanse of the outdoors you wonder if the tree will be big enough and then you bring it inside and set it up and it takes up half of the living room? That's this tree. I said it was a little tall and T didn't think it would be tall enough. Ha! We had to take 6 inches off of it to fit it in. I think we've trimmed it enough that it won't get cedar sap on the ceiling. I think.

The cats are mesmerized as always with the tree and the boxes of decorations to explore. I've been kind of wimpy with my snotitis (where does all that come from anyway?) and the kids have done most of the work. "A" pretty much decorated the house. I did manage to get lights and garland on the tree but no ornaments are on it yet. Maybe tomorrow. One of my Christmas cacti is blooming like crazy. Hit's so purty. I'll take pics when everything gets done and show you the cactus too.

Now I need to blow my nose. And find some meds.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving y'all. I thought it'd be appropriate to do a thankful list for today. I'm thankful for the sun that's out and the rain we had earlier this week. I'm thankful for family and friends. I'm thankful for good food and the ability to buy it and make it. I'm thankful for the time to spend with my family this week. What are you thankful for?

Turkey recipe

I got this turkey recipe from my SIL just in time for Thursday. Anyone could do this.

Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing -- imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out.

Give this a try !

8 - 15 lb. turkey 1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey's butt blows the oven door open and the bird flies across the room, it's done.

And, you thought I didn't know how to cook.

Horses, neighbors and good Samaritans on the side of the road

T and I were in the bathroom this morning. I was putting on some makeup and T was brushing his teeth when we heard a car horn. I said it must be the mailman and T went and checked it out. He came running back in and said the horses were out on the road. My dad had a horse get hit on the road one time and it didn't make it. You kind of go into panic mode. I prayed over and over for the Lord to protect them. I thought, I can't see, so I grabbed my glasses and put them on. He was getting his shoes on. I thought, my hair is wet, so I grabbed a hat and we both got our coats on. We ran outside and looked at the cars and at each other. He said let's take Elvis, he's already pointing out (we have a very narrow place to turn around). I asked if he had keys. No. He ran back in for keys and I said to meet me by the barn. All of this was said/done while running around in circles. I ran to the barn and got a bucket with some grain and three halters and lead ropes.

That was the fastest trip Elvis ever made down the driveway. He's kind of low to the ground and bottomed out a few times. Anyway, multiple people had stopped on the road, one of which had driven up to the house to let us know about the horses. A neighbor from either side was already there and one of them had a grain can and they had a hold of the horses manes. The people were stopped in their cars to make sure no one hit the horses. Except for one person that plowed through and took off with their loud car and spooked the horses. Weeellll. Anyway, we got the halters on the horses and led them back up the driveway and into the other pasture.

Today I'm thankful that the horses didn't get hit. I'm thankful for good neighbors. And I'm thankful for good samaritans that stopped and let us know what was going on and stopped their cars so they didn't hit the horses. I'm glad to report that the horses are fine. The humans are okay too.

"Hopelessness is a disease"

I finished reading "Where The River Ends" by Charles Martin earlier today. It's the story of a man's love for his wife and her battle with cancer and how the river is a gift to both of them, so they take one last trip down the river. Towards the end of the book the character, Doss, is fired up about the things that cancer can take from you and the things that it can't. He also talks about hopelessness. He says, "Hopelessness is a disease, more powerful than the one that stole Abbie's life. Because it affects the heart...There is no vaccine, no one is immume." I decided to not let hopelessness be my disease today.

Thankful list

I feel like I should do a thankful list. Let's see. I'm thankful that the five of us are alive and relatively healthy. I'm thankful for dark chocolate. I'm thankful for wool socks and down jackets. I'm thankful for the sun that is out today and the rain we've had over the last several days. And for sourdough bread. And the smell of it through my house.

I found Misty in a patch of sunshine this morning and it made me think of the song, "I want to soak up the sun. I want to tell everyone to lighten up. I've got no one to blame. Every time I feel lame I'm looking up. I want to soak up the sun." I'm feeling pretty lame and today I want to soak up The Son.

Sanomae's laundry

I haven't posted a "Sano in the laundry" pic for a while but not because she hasn't been in it. This cat loves, loves, loves the clean, warm clothes that come out of the dryer. She roots through them like a little piggy searching out the warmest and most comfortable spot. Then she lays there and snags her claw on anything that you try to pick up and fold. Here is what I found yesterday.
Yup, that's her tail sticking out. It was the only part of her that wasn't covered.

I started pulling some things away and folding them when I found this.
Aww, I woke it up again. Isn't that too bad? But isn't she cute?

We've had a few crummy weeks in a row as far the adoption process goes, or doesn't go in this case. Apparently they can't find the "register" which is the book they need to make our new extract of archives paper. While I'm not that surprised, I am very discouraged, disillusioned and frustrated beyond belief. If you believe in God, please pray for us. I'm not holding up well under the strain right now. I can see the strain in the rest of the family too. Thanks.

Maybe I'm dead??

I climbed into bed last night and snuggled up to T and he flinched. He asked me, "How can somebody so cold still be alive?" I do have a little problem regulating my body temp. I overheat easily but freeze in the winter. The cold hurts. Believe it or not we have flannel sheets, a lightweight cotton blanket, electric blanket that we use to heat the bed up before we get into it, a microfleece type blanket, a down comforter and a quilt all on the bed. It's a wonder we can even move under all that. And we grew up in WI.

I got to talk to J today. He sang "I Am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N" and the part at the end that goes "and I will l-i-v-e e-t-e-r-n-a-l-l-y" sounded more like "and I will ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-ne-y". It was precious.

I'm planning on watching Extreme Home Makeover this evening. Some people who adopted from Haiti are going to be on. Or that's the change, subject to plan anyway.

Another week, another month, another year

Obviously, we have no good adoption process news. Apparently the person at the office from which we are awaiting the paper is on vacation. Haven't we heard that before? You know how sick I am of all of this. How crazy it makes me feel. How desperate and frustrated. So I don't really need to mention that stuff.

T has come to call these "black Fridays". You know, when you don't get any good news and know that it will be at least Monday before you even have a chance of hearing anything again. The problem is, those weeks become months and those months become years. It's been a month now that we've been waiting on the paper. We're in month 38 of the wait. Over three years. We are 2 months into the fourth year of waiting. How is that good? I don't know. I conceived, carried and gave birth to two babies, and they're two and a half years apart in age, in the time we've been paper pregnant with this child. And we decided to not have more bio children because being pregnant was not good for my body. Ha! Being paper pregnant for this long is not good for my body either.

On to other things. I know that the cats get the "lion's share" (ha ha, cats-lions, get it? See, I told you I'm crazy) of photos on the blog. But here are a few more. They're just so stinkin' cute. Here's a pic of the two that despise each other. The third one was on the other side of the screen door.

Kind of like mirror images, their tails were curled the same and everything.

And this is Sanomae looking cute in the computer chair. She fights me for control of the chair all the time.
Aww, I woke it up. Isn't that too bad?

Good verses, good song

This has been a difficult, weepy day. I was just thinking, "I just want the waiting to end. One way or another, I just want it to end. I want to give up." I don't know how many times today I whined that God just doesn't care about us and this adoption process. And then I took a look at RHFH blog and she had these verses posted under a pic of a little girl that is alive today because of their ministry in Haiti.
Galatians 6:9 (The Message)
9-10So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Isaiah 40:30-31 (The Message)
27-31Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,“God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”?Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

Hmm. Makes you think. I've also camped out on this Dave Crowder Band song too.

“ALL THAT I CAN SAY”
David Crowder Band

Lord I’m tired, so tired from walking
And Lord I’m so alone
And Lord the dark is creeping in, creeping up
To swallow me
I think I’ll stop, rest here a while

And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give- that’s my everything

Oh didn’t You see me cry’n?
Oh and didn’t You hear me call Your name?
Wasn’t it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You’d remember where You sat it down

And this is all, this all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
But this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything
And this is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give- yeah, that’s my everything

I didn’t notice You were standing here
I didn’t know that that was You holding me
I didn’t notice You were cry’n too
I didn’t know that that was You washing my feet

And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything
And this is all that I can say right now, right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give- yeah, that’s my everything
And this is all, this is all that I can say right now, I know it’s not much
And this is all that I can give-yeah that’s my everything

Yeah that’s my everything, yeah that’s my everything….everything