with a little grace

An Unexpected, Thoughtful Gesture

2009-09-01T15:39:00.010-05:00

Something totally unexpected showed up in the mail. It was a sympathy card from the veterinarian that cared for Levi at the animal hospital. I think he truly cares about the dogs that he treats, and realizes that they are loved as a part of the family. It was such a kind gesture, and it really touched my heart.

This beautiful poem was in the card...

By the edge of the wood, at the foot of the hill,
is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
when their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
till the Rainbow Bridge the cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
for here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
until one day they start, and sniff the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart from t and back,
then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
the time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
and then, side-by-side,
they cross over... together.

This little angel pin was in the card also. I have never seen anything like it before! What a sweet, kind gesture! I will cherish it forever.

Grace in Small Things #61

2009-08-31T21:04:00.001-05:00

1. making it to work a few minutes early. I'm usually sliding in right on time or running a few minutes late.
2. having a pretty smooth, easy day for a Monday.
3. receiving a beautiful sympathy card and dog angel pin from the vet.
4. alone time with little James. Hubby had a late meeting.
5. making it through the day without crying

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I'm Actually Hearing the Words

2009-08-31T15:08:00.002-05:00

Lately when I listen to music, I'm actually hearing the words to songs I've heard many times before, but it's like the first time I've ever heard them. I don't know, maybe I'm just paying more attention.

Here are some that have stood out to me...

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
-Chris Tomlin (I Will Rise)

Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
-Casting Crowns (Praise You in This Storm)

Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart
One life, that’s all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You’re everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart
-Tenth Avenue North (Hold My Heart)

Levi's Angel in the Clouds

2009-08-31T14:47:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, my little boy, James and I made a cross to place at Levi's grave. We went out to the pond that evening and hammered it into the ground. The sun was almost gone and the sunset was beautiful. I took a picture of the cross with the sunset in the background. The next day I looked a little closer at the picture and as plain as day, I could see an angel in the clouds. In the white part of the clouds there's a perfectly round head with eyes and an open mouth like she's singing. The right arm is raised straight up to the heavens, and the left one looks like it's holding a bundle (which would be Levi).

I showed the picture to several of my retreat friends, and they confirmed that they saw it too. That was God's blessing for me, to show me that He's taking care of Levi now. I really needed that.

One really cool thing about his picture is that when Patrick looked at it, he couldn't really see the angel. He said that he could see Levi's face in it. He showed me where to look in the picture, but I just couldn't see it. I kept looking and it finally popped out at me. I could see a dog's face too. It looks like a cartoon dog, but clearly a dog. What an amazing gift!!

Grace in Small Things #60

2009-08-30T19:40:00.000-05:00

1. that Levi is no longer in pain and suffering
2. the retreat was wonderful
3. the angel image in the picture
4. the peace that God has given me
5. I have lost 10 pounds

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Levi is in Heaven, and My Heart is Broken!!

2009-08-30T19:00:00.003-05:00

I know, it's been quite awhile since I've posted. I guess when things get really rough, I can't keep up, or can't see clearly enough to recognize any graces. The last time I posted was before my spiritual retreat last weekend. I was very excited and anxious to go because I knew it would be wonderful and was exactly what I needed.

I was a little apprehensive about going because Levi (our Chocolate Lab) was still in the vet and would probably be coming home. I wanted to be there to care for him at home because he had been through so much. My husband ended up bringing him home that Friday. Throughout the weekend I was focusing on my relationship with God, and did not have telephone contact with my husband. I knew he would take good care of Levi. The retreat was everything I could have imagined and more, but I couldn't wait to get home to my baby, Levi and see how he was doing.

I went home on Sunday afternoon and Levi didn't look very good. My husband said he wasn't eating or drinking and he couldn't get any medicine down him without it coming back up. I spent several hours on our laundry room floor that afternoon and evening trying to get medicine and water down him. Then I would just sit there with him and caress him and sing to him. There was a song from the retreat that really touched me, and I sang it over and over to Levi. I don't know if it made him feel any better, but it comforted me somewhat, even if I sang it through tears. It was so hard because I felt like we were losing him.

I sang to him... "I want to sit at your feet, Drink from the cup in your hand, Lay back against you and breathe, Feel your heart beat. This love is so deep, It's more than I can stand, I melt in your peace, It's overwhelming."

The next morning my husband came to wake me up and told me that Levi didn't make it. He had died sometime while we slept. I was beyond crushed and devastated. I loved him so much! I had to go to work, and as I was pulling out of the driveway I could see my husband in the distant pasture digging a grave by the pond. Levi loved to swim in the pond, so that was the perfect place.

Monday was one of the hardest days of my life. I cried throughout the day even though I was at work. I guess I just have a soft heart, and it breaks easily. I told my husband that I DO NOT want another dog in our back yard. I can't handle going through this again. I still have my little "Princess", shitzu dog, but if anything ever happens to her, I will probably never get another dog.

Each day is getting better, and I am doing much better. The song I sang over and over to Levi is in my head most of the time, and I can now actually sing it without crying (sometimes).

We have also had some MAJOR family issues going on this past week, which created an enormous amount of stress on our whole extended family. It was just a bad week all together, and I have decided that this week will be much better. It has to be!

R.I.P. Levi 1/1/08 - 8/24/09

2009-08-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

Grace in Small Things #59

2009-08-20T17:12:00.004-05:00

1. Levi is gradually gaining more and more strength; he's doing better each day.

2. taking the afternoon off to visit Levi at the vet clinic and to finish packing for the retreat.

3. seeing a little bit of Levi's playful personality coming back. He loves to play in water and he started playing with the water in his bowl.

4. indulging in a Sonic cheeseburger for lunch.

5. the police officer who stopped me for speeding must have had pity on me and only gave me a warning.

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Grace in Small Things #58

2009-08-19T14:00:00.005-05:00

1. the excitement of a nine-year old boy. James was so excited this morning to show me the baseball he got from the Astros game. One of the players tossed it to him while they were practicing.

2. encouraging words from the vet this morning. Levi is doing better and his liver enzymes have gone down to about 1/2 of what they were. They had been 15-20 times what they should be, so this is a huge improvement.

3. a light lunch that was satisfying; a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats.

4. getting a massage at work. Our Special Ed. department, which is in the same building as Curriculum (my department) arranged for a massage therapist to come in and give massages to everyone in the building. It was great!

5. patient appreciation day at the Chiropractor again.

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Grace in Small Things #57

2009-08-18T19:24:00.003-05:00

1. having the flexibility with my job to be able to leave work and go home to check on my dog, Levi. He wasn't doing too good this morning, vomiting and very weak and lethargic. I hated to leave him, but I was awaiting a call from the vet to see what I needed to do, so I went on to work.

2. coming home from work at 10:30 am and finding that Levi was still hanging in there. In the condition I left him in, I wasn't sure what I'd find when I got home.

3. finding a local vet that would take over Levi's care. The only emergency care we could find for him over the weekend was 45 minutes away and VERY expensive. We found one much closer and more reasonable.

4. encouraging words from the vet, that he thinks Levi will recover after a few days of IV fluids and treatment.

5. having an evening at home by myself. The boys went to an Astros game.

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Grace in Small Things #56

2009-08-17T21:02:00.003-05:00

1. sleeping a little bit later than usual.

2. the CT scan this morning wasn't too bad of an experience.

3. a friend at work brought me some homemade menudo for lunch. Yum!

4. left work a little early to go and pick up Levi from the animal hospital.

5. seeing our beautiful Levi with so much life in him, even though he is moving much slower. I'm so glad he survived, and I hope I have many more years with him.

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Grace in Small Things #55

2009-08-16T20:39:00.002-05:00

1. received a call first thing in the morning that Levi (our Chocolate Lab) has stabilized and seems to be coming out of it(after being hit by a car and having a heat stroke). It looks like he might just make it.

2. received a call that Levi is urinating and eating well. They were concerned about his bladder because he wasn't urinating.

3. picked up barbecue dinners to-go for lunch; delicious and didn't have to cook.

4. received a call that Levi is doing much better. He was following the vet tech. around and while she was warming food up for him, he was sitting pretty and then tried to lift his paw up to shake.

5. my grand-daughter maci came over and stayed the night with us.

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Grace in Small Things #54

2009-08-15T20:18:00.000-05:00

1. attending a beautiful mass for our church feast day, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

2. a pot luck dinner after mass; wonderful home-cooked food.

3. indulging in a 3 hour nap

4. finding an animal hospital that would help our beloved Levi. He had dug out of the back yard, and we found him lying under the house in distress and looking like he was dying. We had no idea what had happened to him, maybe a snake bite. None of the local vets would take emergencies, so we had to drive to Victoria, 45 minutes away.

5. Levi held on long enough to make it to the animal hospital. His breathing was labored and he could barely lift his head up. The determined he had been hit by a car and subsequently was having a heat stroke. The doctor wasn't sure if Levi would survive the next couple of hours, but they would do everything they could to save him.

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Grace in Small Things #53

2009-08-14T13:48:00.003-05:00

1. managed to get my office pretty well organized and ready to start the new school year.

2. had beer batter fish for lunch, then took a 40 minute nap. I guess I needed the rest, because I crashed and was sound asleep.

3. received a phone call from my mom and grandmother today. That was a nice surprise, because they don't call very often. I usually have to call them.

4. It's Friday!!! Thank goodness! It's been a LONG week.

5. having my husband massage my neck and shoulders, then a nice hot soak in the tub with 2 glasses of wine. I was quite relaxed after that.

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Grace in Small Things #52

2009-08-13T10:18:00.002-05:00

1. being able to listen to my favorite Christian radio station all day long. It really helps me get through the day.

2. receiving good news from my doctor at my follow-up appointment. The biopsy came back negative and I no longer have the infection in my stomach. No more antibiotics.

3. reassurance from my doctor that he will find out why I still have sharp pain in my upper abdomen. He scheduled a CT scan for next Wednesday.

4. creamy grilled chicken alfredo spaghetti for dinner. Yes, I cooked this time.

5. an evening cup of coffee to relax my body a little bit.

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Grace in Small Things #51

2009-08-12T20:03:00.000-05:00

1. beating the train on the way to work and not getting stuck watching it crawl by, especially since I was already running late.

2. getting a little extra exercise today. I had to deliver several heavy boxes to the High School. When I got them all unloaded into the office, I was informed that they needed to go to another office on the other side of the school.

3. getting off work an hour early to go school clothes shopping with my daughter, grand-daughter and son.

4. seeing a magnificent lightning show on the way home from shopping. It was like watching fireworks. At times, the lightning would strike in one spot, and spread out in all directions like a spider web.

5. making it home safely in the thunderstorm. We had no idea that we were supposed to get any bad weather. It seemed like it came out of nowhere. As we got closer to home, we found ourselves in the middle of a really bad storm, and driving in alot of traffic. It was pretty scary, but someone was looking out for us!

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Grace in Small Things #50

2009-08-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

1. breakfast provided for all of the school secretaries before we had our beginning of the new school year meeting.

2. the killer headache that I had most of the morning finally subsided after lunch.

3. shrimp fried rice for lunch. I love shrimp-anything, and they gave me so much food I didn't even eat half of it. Hmm... maybe the shrimp cured the headache. I'll have to remember that, any excuse to eat shrimp.

4. health insurance for my son, Patrick. My oldest son is working in El Paso, which is about 750 miles from where I live in South Texas. He called me today and said that he has tonsillitis, possibly mono, and the doc thinks his tonsils are abscessed. They gave him 3 shots in the butt yesterday and are doing a CT Scan today to confirm the abscess. He just recently got on the health insurance from his job, so I am thankful for that.

5. My 50th Grace in Small Things Post - Woo Hoo!! I am so grateful for the Gist community. It is so easy to be sucked in and pulled down by all of the problems and pure crap in the world. I probably tend to focus more on the negative events in my life, so this has really helped me to find the smallest of things that bring a little grace and blessings into my world. Thank you all for being there for me. I will try to do a better job of staying connected.

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My Child is Sick and Over 700 Miles Away

2009-08-11T15:21:00.002-05:00

My 20 year old son, Patrick is currently working in El Paso, which is about 750 miles from where we live in South Texas. He has a really good job, and I am proud of him for being responsible and working hard. It is always hard to see our children grow up and leave the nest, even though that is the ultimate goal. It's still hard, especially for us mothers to let go.

Patrick called this morning and said that he is sick with his tonsils. He went to the doctor yesterday and they said he has strep throat and possibly mono. They gave him three shots in his butt. Today he was calling me from an Imaging Lab where they were about to do a CT Scan. The doctor thinks that his tonsils are abscessed.

Whenever I don't know all of the details about something, I have to do a little research on the subject to find out. Of course, this means that I "googled" it. The typical procedure for abscessed tonsils is to insert a needle to drain the fluid, or make a small incision, followed with antibiotics. In extreme cases, a tonsillectomy would immediately be performed.

It is hard for me to have my son so far away from me in itself, but for him to be really sick just tops it all! My heart aches to be there for my son, to cook chicken noodle soup for him, to take him to the doctor, to comfort him, and to tell him I'm sorry he's feeling so bad. I just wish he wasn't so far away!

Grace in Small Things - Mon. 8/10

2009-08-10T15:52:00.004-05:00

1. no traffic on the way to work. School will start in two weeks, so I'm appreciating the lack of backed-up traffic while I can.

2. receiving a call from the hospital. They just wanted to check up on me and see how I was doing after my procedure. What a nice gesture!

3. having two different friends want to make plans with me this weekend. Friends are so wonderful and make me feel so good!

4. regaining posession of a beautiful ocean-view painting that my daughter has "borrowed" for the past 4 years. It doesn't go with the decor in her new home, so I got it back.

5. egg, ham and cheese sandwich for dinner; nice and easy and yum.

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Grace in Small Things - Sunday 8/9

2009-08-09T20:47:00.002-05:00

1. feeling like I really got something out of church this morning.

2. grilled steaks for lunch prepared by my wonderful husband.

3. being motivated enough to work on jewelry orders and complete all of them (over 35 pieces).

4. going for a drive out in the country to see where I'll be staying on my retreat next weekend.

5. RAIN! We had a couple of pretty good showers and really needed it.

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Grace in Small Things - Sat. 8/8

2009-08-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

1. sleeping late and staying my pajamas until noon. I would do it every day if I could.

2. sitting still long enough to watch a whole movie (He's Just Not That Into You). It was cute!

3. having a wonderful husband who loves me and supports me in everything.

4. listening to wonderful Christian music.

5. a dice game called Farkle that is on Facebook. It's alot of fun and it's addictive!

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Freaked Out by a Plane

2009-08-08T10:53:00.003-05:00

This morning as I was lounging around in my pajamas, I could hear the loud roar of a small plane flying back and forth over our house. I stepped out onto the front porch to see the plane fertilizing the field across the street. The plane was flying really low heading straight for our house, then would lift up just in time to clear the power lines. It looked like he would just barely make it, and with one slight error, he'd be crashing right into us. Yes, I was standing outside on my porch in my pajamas video-taping this.

Grace in Small Things - Friday 8/7

2009-08-07T20:34:00.000-05:00

1. being the first one on the surgery schedule for my endoscopy.

2. the nurse got my IV started on the first try. Usually I get stuck several times due to my teeny little veins.

3. an encouraging report from the doc after the endoscopy. He said the stomach looks like it's healed.

4. in and out of the hospital and back home by 9:00 am to rest.

5. lounging around the house in pajamas all day because I'm supposed to rest, and because I can.

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To the End with Grace and Dignity

2009-08-06T16:09:00.001-05:00

My step-mother, Ida died on August 16, 2002 from ALS. It started out with her having pain, numbness, and weakness in her arms, legs and back. She had been in a car accident several months before, so the doctors were initially thinking it was related to the accident. She endured extensive testing over a nine month period. The ultimate determining factor was a muscle biopsy of her thigh. It was an extremely painful procedure, and they did it on two different occasions. She was finally diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and given approximately six to nine months to live.

She quickly began to lose more and more function in her arms, and she couldn’t pick up her grandson anymore, even though he was still a baby. She began having trouble swallowing, and seemed to get choked a lot. The muscles used to swallow no longer worked. She had a feeding tube inserted into her stomach. She could no longer eat any food by mouth, or even take medication. Her food now came out of a can was poured into the feeding tube. Her medicine had to be crushed and mixed with water and poured into the feeding tube also. She had to be fed every two hours, almost like you would a baby.

She began to have difficulty speaking. She tried so hard, but it just didn’t come out clearly. She would write down what she wanted to say, but that was extremely difficult because she could barely hold onto a pen. It was hard to read what she wrote. I took her to see the Nutcracker in Houston that Christmas. We had always talked about going, but never did it, so I wanted to make that happen for her. As we neared downtown Houston, I didn’t know exactly where to go, but she did. She was trying so hard to tell me where to go, but I couldn’t understand her. We looped the area a couple of times. She laughed about it instead of getting upset or frustrated.

She had to have help with almost everything. She needed help to go to the bathroom because she couldn’t pull her pants down and back up. She wore pants and panties 3 sizes too big to make it easier to get them down. She had to have someone bathe her, as she could no longer do it herself.

She began to lose a lot of weight. Keeping her body nourished was obviously a challenge, but her muscles were shriveling up. She was such a beautiful person inside and out. She was still beautiful on the inside, but her body was failing her. She was withering away before our eyes.

We had Hospice care set up for her at home. They brought in a hospital bed and all of the supplies she would need. They came several times a week to check on her and monitor her condition. Their main goal was to keep her comfortable.

She was in a lot of pain, but she never once complained about her situation. She never felt sorry for herself, and always had a smile on her face even though she was hurting so badly and knew her life was quickly coming to an end. She was such an inspiration to me, because she took what was dealt to her and handled it gracefully. I don’t know that I would take it as gracefully as she did.

On August 16, 2002, Ida took her last breath and died in her own bed at home. She was ready to go, and she knew exactly where she was going. She is at peace now, no longer in pain, and in a much better place.

Grace in Small Things #49

2009-08-06T15:51:00.004-05:00

1. learning that our local gourmet coffee bar delivers. If you order at least 4 drinks, they'll bring it to your work. I love the fancy coffees, but the coffee bar is on the other side of town from where I work and is not on the way. This could be dangerous... but really good too.

2. reading a quote in an email that was evidently something I needed to read. It said...

There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So don't worry about people from your past,
There's a reason why they didn't make it into your future.

I have alot of unresolved issues with people from my past that occasionally creep up on me and get under my skin. I probably could have benefited from therapy at some point in my life, but never had that benefit.

3. reading Psalm 51 and having the reassurance of God's forgiveness.

4. spending my lunch break at my daughter's new house. It is so nice to have her so close now.

5. Having a nice quiet day at work. Most of my co-workers took the day off. And enjoying the last of the 4-day work week of the summer. Next week it's back to the regular school schedule.

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Grace in Small Things #48

2009-08-05T21:58:00.002-05:00

1. having a nice cool office to work in whn it's over 100 degrees outside.

2. being asked to be a team member on a silent spiritual retreat weekend. This was a huge honor and I know I will be blessed beyond my imagination to spend a weekend of fasting, prayer and silence with twelve wonderful women.

3. another endoscopy scheduled for this Friday. My doctor is very thorough and taking very good care of me.

4. the peaceful serene feeling after going to reconciliation.

5. spending the evening with my daughter and son-in-law at their new home, and enjoying wonderful grilled steaks for dinner.

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Grace in Small Things #47

2009-08-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

1. seeing the excitement in my son's eyes eyes as he told me about all the fun things he did at VBS today, and that he's anxious to go back tomorrow.

2. remembering that today is the 2nd anniversary of my grandpa's death and thinking about all of the wonderful times I was allowed to share with him.

3. making it through a long Monday at work.

4. having the courage to confront someone who hurt my feelings very badly, and knowing that I'm not hyper-sensitive, but I do have feelings. I'm very non-confrontational, so this was a big step for me.

5. having the option of an easy dinner, hamburger helper for the boys, cereal for me.

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Grace in Small Things #46

2009-08-02T20:35:00.002-05:00

1. spending time with my mom at the hospital from Thursday thru Saturday.

2. for the doctors recognizing that mom's knee was not healing properly and putting a plate in to make it more secure.

3. for getting mom home on Saturday and having home health care already set up to handle her IV antibiotics.

4. making numerous trips through busy Houston traffic without any problems and always making it to my destination safely.

5. having one of my mom's dear old friends stop by the hospital Saturday to visit with us. We haven't seen her in over 25 years, and I found her on Facebook. It was such a sweet reunion and truly blessed us to see her.

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Grace in Small Things #45

2009-07-28T21:46:00.002-05:00

1. starting my work week today (Tuesday) instead of Monday. I am not a morning person or a Monday person. So just skipping work on Monday was great.
2. receiving my first Blog Award.
3. getting the news that my mom's surgery went well today and she may get to go home on Friday.
4. for the infectious disease specialist who is handling mom's care and treatment plan. He will analyze the infection in her knee to ensure the best antibiotics are used. She will need 6 weeks of IV antibiotics and she will continue it with home health care.
5. for reuniting with old friends on FaceBook.

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Favorite Blogs Award 2009

2009-07-28T08:28:00.007-05:00

Yippeeeeee! My first Blog Award! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This Favorite Blog Award was awarded to me by one of my blogger friends philly5113 at Live, Love, Laugh who graceously shared it with a few of us. This is a pass it on and it feels so good! This is the chain. She got the award from one of her frequent visitor and blogger friends. Check her out with me at http://philly5113.blogspot.com/

Remember I said that this is a pass it on, so I will too! Read on.

~~~~Begin copy~~~~
This is the easiest and the fastest way to:
-Make your Authority Technorati explode.
- Increase your Google Page Rank.
- Get more traffic to your blog.
- Makes more new friends.

The rules is very simple as follows :
- Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.
- Put your own blog name and link.
- Tag your friends as much as you can.
My blog is "with a little grace" and my link url is:
http://molliehubenak.blogspot.com/

I would like to pass on this Award to my following favorite bloggers:

...and the Dog
Cheaper Than Therapy
I'm Just a Girl...
Lady A
nienie

SASSY SASHA THE LOVABLE SHIH TZU

Secret Life of Tova Darling

Sheye Rosemeyer

thoughts from along the broken road...

THE MEANEST MOM

I do have some people on my link lists, and if I forget to mention some of you, please also feel free to grab this Award and pass it to anyone even if they've already received it.

~~End Copy~~

Congratulations to all. And thanks for being special and for making my blog a fave!

Grace in Small Things #44

2009-07-27T19:25:00.002-05:00

It has been awhile since I've been able to get on here. When there is so much going on, it tends to get overwhelming and finding the graces can sometimes be a real challenge. I have had many graces, but I think the difficult times in my life have made it harder for me to see the graces.

1. for the beautiful wedding reception we had this weekend for my daughter and her husband. They eloped in April and we had a delayed reception for them. It was wonderful and everything went perfectly. It was also a lot of work, and I'm relieved that it's over with.

2. having my sister come down for the reception and stay the weekend with me. We were able to catch up on things. We had a falling out at the beginning of the year and have recently patched things up and are able to be like sisters again.

3. having my mom, dad and grandmother make it to the reception. It was difficult for them to make the trip, and we were so grateful that they made it. My mom was in a lot of pain and couldn't stay long, but it meant so much for her to make the effort.

4. for the doctors who are following up on my mom's injuries. She had surgery about a week ago to repair her elbow, and that is looking good. They checked her incision where they had repaired her broken knee and found that it is severely infected. She has to be admitted to the hospital in the morning where they will do surgery on the knee again and do a wash out. They will have to run a PIC line for IV antibiotics and she will stay up to 2 weeks. I am thankful that the doctors are aware of this infection so they can get it under control.

5. for the flexibility of my job (and my family) that will allow me to spend some time with my mom while she is going through these health struggles.

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Grace in Small Things #43

2009-07-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

1. making it into Houston safely with no traffic problems and arriving at my parent's house before dark.

2. the impressive hospital (Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston) where my mom had her second surgery on her arm.

3. getting to spend most of the day with my dad while we waited around the hospital while mom was having surgery. I don't get to spend much time with him, so we had some good bonding time just the two of us.

4. being able to update all family members on mom's progress with one text instead of having to make six phone calls each time there is news.

5. arriving back home safe and sound after a successful surgery for my mom. It is so good to be home. Or as Dorothy says it... There's no place like home!

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My First Invention - The Hands-Free Cell Phone Holder

2009-07-15T10:08:00.003-05:00

At times, when the need arises, I can come up with a bit of ingenuity all on my own. The other day I was talking to my son on my cell phone. He needed me to look up some random information for him on the internet. I really hate to use the speaker phone on my cell. It just doesn't work all that good. The person I'm talking to can't hear me unless it's really close to my face and it sounds a bit distorted.

My creative side kicked in and I improvised the hands-free head band cell phone holder. It actually worked (for that moment), and I'm considering having it patented with mass-marketing to make it available for the public.

I'm picturing one of those "As Seen on TV" marketing pitches, where if you call in the next 30 minutes you'll get two for the price of one. Let me know if you think this is going to be a big success (or not).

Grace in Small Things #42

2009-07-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

1. the distraction of work to temporarily take my mind off of things I seem to be dwelling on too much lately.

2. being able to locate an orthopedic surgeon who was willing to take my mom's case. Since the surgery was done out of town, some of the doctors didn't want to provide her with follow-up care since they didn't perform the surgery themselves. Liability issues, I guess, or they are just so busy that they can pick and choose which patients they want to see.

3. finding out very early on that my mom's recent surgery on her elbow was not successful. The x-rays show that the screw is coming out and the bones are not touching, so that means another surgery this Friday to put in a plate to hold the bones together.

4. having a four day work week schedule, which will allow me to be with my mom on Friday for her surgery in Houston.

5. the amusement of seeing our Chocolate Lab, Levi trying to play basketball with me. I attempt to shoot the basketball, and as the ball is coming back down, Levi jumps up about 5 feet in the air and tries to rebound the ball, then as it bounces away, he hops along with it. I'll have to catch this on video one day. He is so funny!

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Grace in Small Things #41

2009-07-11T23:15:00.004-05:00

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I've just been through a bit of an ordeal and have not had an opportunity to get to the computer in the past 11 days. In my last post, I mentioned that I was driving my mom to the Rio Grande Valley (5 hours away) for my Aunt Mary's funeral. My mom really wanted to go, and couldn't handle the trip on her own. Last Thursday, July 2nd, we made the long trip to the Valley and had a wonderful time talking and catching up along the way. It was a very pleasurable drive and I really enjoyed the time with my mom. It was long overdue.

We arrived at our hotel, got settled in, and went to the funeral home to have some private visitation time with Aunt Mary. The funeral home was beautifully decorated with many of my aunt's keepsakes and beautiful flower arrangements and plants everywhere. It was so nice to have that private time by ourselves to say goodbye.

We left the funeral home and went to have an early dinner as we were starved. We went to Olive Garden and had a wonderful dinner and really enjoyed each other's company. It had been so long since I had spent any time alone with my mom, it was just a very special time.

The plan was to go back to the funeral home at 6:00 pm for visitation with the family. My mom grew up in the Valley, and we would get to see family that I hadn't seen in about 22 years. By the time we finished our dinner, it was around 5:30. We decided to make a quick stop by the hotel to freshen up a bit and put our leftovers in the fridge before going to the funeral home.

As we were walking into the main entrance of the hotel, my mom's shoe got caught on the rug and she fell. I was carrying our food, my purse, and a drink, and it happened so fast, I couldn't do anything to break her fall. She landed on her left elbow and left knee on a stone tile floor. I got down on the floor with her and she sat herself up. She was bleeding from every spot that hit the floor. I ran and got some napkins to put over the bleeding areas and had the desk clerk get some ice for her knee which was already swelling.

At that point, we weren't sure how bad it was. She tried to put a little pressure on her leg to see if she'd be able to get up. When she did, she screamed in pain, and I yelled for the desk clerk to call an ambulance. We definitely needed some help. The ambulance came and took her to the ER where we spent most of the evening. They took x-rays, which showed that she had broken the bone away from the elbow, and broke her knee-cap into four pieces. Mom was admitted to the hospital and had surgery the next morning to repair the knee and elbow.

She was released from the hospital on Tuesday, and it was extremely difficult just to get her in and out of my jeep. She already had a previous injury to her right shoulder, which made it even more difficult for her to get around. I finally got her home on Thursday. I know I really needed to spend some quality time with my mom, but this was not quite the way I imagined it.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'm making up for lost time. I wanted to update you all as this was going on, but the computer at the hotel had a block on networking sites. I missed all of you so much.

There were some graces in all of this...

1. the wonderful people who cared for my mother at the hospital. There were some who showed such true kindness and compassion and went above and beyond for us.

2. the bond that I have with my mother that was strengthened and somewhat mended during this trying time.

3. the traveling grace that God gave us to make it home safely when I was completely exhausted.

4. the opportunity to visit with family member that I haven't seen in over 22 years. I went to the funeral as my mother was going into surgery so I could be there to represent her.

5. for my sister driving down from Dallas to stay with my mom for a few days so I can get some rest and get back to work on Monday.

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Grace in Small Things #39 & #40 Sat. & Sun.

2009-07-05T21:26:00.003-05:00

1. getting much needed rest at the hotel.

2. having really caring and compassionate nurses and PCP's take care of my mom in the hospital that seem to have a genuinely kind heart and and are taking excellent care of my mother.

3. for the Case Manager who came by to visit at mom's hospital room to get things in motion and line up some of the needs mom will have when she gets released either Mon. or Tuesday.

4. lots of family still coming by to visit mom and me at the hospital. That makes her feel so much better.

5. coming up with bright idea to just put on my swimsuit and slip into the hot tub while I wash my clothes, since I'm fresh out of clean clothes. The one time I actually didn't over-pack, I could have used some extra clothes.

6. knowing that there will be alot more staff at the hospital tomorrow to help us plan out all of mom's needs and how to address them to eventually get her home and make the 7 hour trip.

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Grace in Small Things #38

2009-07-03T20:38:00.002-05:00

1. for the kind doctor at the ER who took care of my mom and made the most delicious cup of tea for me.

2. the hospital staff getting my mom into surgery early this morning and repairing her elbow and knee.

3. still making it to Aunt Mary's funeral with everything else that was going on with my mother. We came all this way for the funeral, I at least had to make it there myself and represent my mom.

4. getting to see family that I haven't seen in 22 years. Too bad it was at a funeral. It was still nice to see them, and they were genuinely happy to see me.

5. having some of the family make it to the hospital to visit with my mom. I know that meant a lot to her and made her feel better about her situation.

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Grace in Small Things #37

2009-07-02T23:55:00.000-05:00

1. having a pretty nice drive (4 hours) to Harlingen for my Great Aunt Mary's funeral. Just mom and I went and had a really nice visit along the way.

2. arriving to find that our hotel was fairly new and we had a really nice room.

3. getting to have a private visitation at the funeral home with Aunt Mary.

4. an excellent dinner at Olive Garden. Yum!

5. that my mom wasn't hurt any worse than she was when we came back to the hotel and she fell in the doorway. She landed on her knee and elbow and couldn't get up. She had to go by ambulance to the ER and had fractured her elbow and knee. It was really bad, but could have been worse.

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Grace in Small Things #36

2009-07-01T20:25:00.003-05:00

1. that this is the last work day of the week for me. Yeah!! Driving my mom to the Rio Grande Valley for a funeral tomorrow.

2. shrimp fried rice for lunch

3. going to the chiropractor who was having a complimentary patient appreciation day. I needed it!

4. my dad celebrating his 65th birthday today.

5. being able to round up our 2 labs after they escaped from the back yard and went out galavanting in the horse pasture. I'm so afraid they'll take off and not come back.

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Grace in Small Things #35

2009-06-30T22:07:00.002-05:00

I just found out that my great-aunt passed away. I'm going to take my mom to the funeral about 5 hours away, and we'll stay a couple of days.

1. that there is no problem at work with me taking time off to go to the funeral.

2. the bond of friendship I have with our custodian at work. She is an older lady and takes the time out to visit with me.

3. knowing that I'll get to see family at the funeral that I haven't seen in 22 years.

4. laughing at myself instead of kicking myself when I forget something important... like leaving all of my medicine at work and having to drive back into town (only 7 miles thank goodness) at 7:00 pm to get them.

5. the Grace in Small Things community that is always there for me.

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Sugar's Photo Contest - 2nd Entry

2009-06-30T21:53:00.003-05:00

This is my second entry for Sugar's Photo Contest. This dog is so funny,I couldn't help but put him in there too.

Sugar at I Need a SUGAR Fix is having a photo contest. Sugar is a deaf bull terrier that likes to get into some unusal places. Please go visit Sugar's blog.

The theme is compromising locations. I am entering this photo of Backie. Any time the blinds are open, he'll hop up on the gas grill so he can look inside the house and see what's going on. No wonder I sometimes feel like someone is watching me.

Sugar's Photo Contest

2009-06-30T14:57:00.004-05:00

Sugar at I Need a SUGAR Fix is having a photo contest. Sugar is a deaf bull terrier that likes to get into some unusal places. Please go visit Sugar's blog.

The theme is compromising locations. I am entering this photo of Levi, our Chocolate Lab. He loves to get into anything that has water. He squeezes through the gate to the horse pasture and runs straight to the horse's water trough and jumps right in. He sloshes from side to side like he's swimming.

Grace in Small Things #34

2009-06-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

1. getting to "proof" the wonderful pictures from my daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter's photo session.

2. seeing how cute Maci looks in the pictures wearing the dress I made for her.

3. getting the ok from my boss to take off in September so I can go on a trip with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law to Pennsylvania.

4. talking to my sister today who I haven't spoke to all year long because I was holding a grudge. Baby steps.

5. a nice quiet evening alone at home.

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Grace in Small Things #33

2009-06-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

1. a thought provoking sermon at mass this morning.

2. an invitation from my sister-in-laws to go on a trip to Pennsylvania with them to celebrate a 50th birthday for one of them. I love to travel! I'll go anywhere!

3. taking James to a beautiful stone cabin retreat area in the woods for summer camp. It was no nice, I wanted to stay with him.

4. realizing that my little boy is really growing up. He was perfectly content at the camp and ready for us to leave. We were the clingy parents hanging around until the last minute hesitant to leave our son.

5. stopping on the way home and having dinner at Nancy's Steak House in Columbus. Pretty good food! I had friend eggplant stuffed with seafood and cheese sauce. Yum!

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Grace in Small Things #32

2009-06-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

1. feeling much better than I have in the past couple of days.

2. spending time at home catching up on things around the house.

3. managed to get James all packed up for summer camp.

4. seeing how much fun the dogs are having with the new water trough I got them. They both try to get into it at the same time.

5. finding an old friend on facebook that I haven't seen in about 5 years and getting to talk to him a little.

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Binky the Energizer Dog

2009-06-25T10:48:00.006-05:00

Binky is my mom and dad's dog, who came from the first litter of puppies from a little Rat Terrier I used to have, named Casey. Binky's face looks so much like his mom, Casey, and it makes me think of her every time I see him. We had Casey for about three years, and after she had her second litter of puppies she just disappeared. We had just sold the last of her puppies, then she was nowhere to be found. I searched and searched for her, but she never turned up. At least we have Binky to remind us of our beloved Casey.

Every time I go to visit my mom, dad and Nanny, Binky has to put on a floor show. He loves to be the center of attention, as you'll see in the short video below: a glimpse of his favorite trick that we call "Round and Round". He'll start spinning with his favorite stuffed animal and just go on and on until he wears himself out. I guess it doesn't take much to keep us entertained, and he works really hard at it. Good job, Binky!

Grace in Small Things #31

2009-06-24T21:40:00.001-05:00

1. pulling myself together to go to work and actually arriving on time, even though I was feeling horrible.

2. having a compassionate boss who let me go home for the day because I was feeling so sick.

3. sleeping half the day away since being sick totally wiped me out.

4. watching "Bride Wars". Cute movie!

5. Blue Bell Moo-lennium Cruch ice cream. Nice treat before bed.

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Grace in Small Things #30

2009-06-23T21:22:00.004-05:00

1. a pretty quiet day at work with most of the others out on vacation.

2. running into an old friend and spontaneously going out for lunch.

3. getting some things done that I've been procrastinating about.

4. finishing the little dress for my grand-daughter, Maci. She will look so cute in it.

5. having some time alone in the evening since the "boys" went to the Astros game. Oh, and hearing the excitement in my son's voice when he called me from the game to tell me that they caught a ball.

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Totally Awkward Tuesday - Potty Mouth at Only Nine Months Old

2009-06-23T15:13:00.003-05:00

My daughter was only nine months old and just beginning to say a few words. She would say "Mama" and "Baba" to my delight and amusement.

It was a typical Sunday morning and we went to Mass at the Catholic Church we attended. I had my baby girl dressed so cute with a frilly pink dress, white lace socks, shiny white shoes and a pretty bow in her hair. Everyone was admiring my pretty baby.

Right about the time when there was complete silence in the church, my sweet baby revealed a new word she had learned. Out of the mouth of that beautiful baby, to my utter shock and disbelief, came the word "BULLSHIT". I'm sure most everyone in the church heard her very clearly. If they didn't catch it the first time, well, they most certainly would have heard it the second or third time.

This church had alot of older "stuffy" people in it. Those who weren't laughing hysterically at what she said were giving me such an evil glare that I wanted to sink under the pew.

I most certainly did not use that kind of language in front of my baby, so I assumed it had to be the new teenage babysitter. Needless to say, that babysitter didn't last long.

Extremely awkward and extremely embarassing!

If you want to check out more awkward stories or if you have some of your own awkward moments to share head over to Tova Darling for her Totally Awkward Tuesdays.

Grace in Small Things #29

2009-06-22T20:42:00.004-05:00

1. getting to see my daughter and grand-daughter on my lunch break today. Jessica brought Maci over so I could measure her for the dress I'm making.

2. for my job. It may not be ideal, but at least I have one.

3. seeing how much fun our Chocolate Lab, Levi has "swimming" in the horse's water trough. Any time he sees water, he jumps right in.

4. getting more jewelry orders.

5. talking on the phone to one of my best friends that I haven't heard from in awhile.

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A Poem - God's Plan

2009-06-22T16:09:00.002-05:00

God had His hand upon me
When I was born a little baby.
He’s guided me through this life
Because He had a plan to save me.
His primary interest was for my soul
But He wanted to wait until I was whole.

When I was just a little girl
God held me by the hand.
He led me toward him
And showed me where to stand.

My parents were divorced
When I was just a little girl;
And even though I tried to keep a smile
I thought it was the end of the world.
If I had only known
That God had a master plan;
After 20 years of teaching my father how to love
He once again allowed my parents to be hand in hand.

God made me a mother
When I was still a child.
It’s no surprise that it happened
Because I was just a little wild.
He blessed me with a sweet baby girl
Who soon became the center of my world.
I was now a mommy
She was the joy of my life
The only thing missing …
I was nobody’s wife.

There were so many hard years
I spent as a single mother.
And I wanted to curse God
When I saw the happy couples together.
I was living a life full of sin
And didn’t care what anyone thought.
But God sat back without a worry
Because my soul, He had already bought.

Then one day God led me to a man
Who made me weak at the knees.
He loved me and cared for me like no other
And even took an interest in my kids.
I no longer had the emptiness
That I had for so long in my life.
He filled the void that was in my heart
And a few months later made me his wife.

God’s plan is always bigger
Than you and me.
And we won’t understand it
Until He allows us to see;
That through all of the trials
That we call life;
We may endure pain,
Suffering, sorrow and strife.
But He’ll always be there to pull us through
And the only thing blocking Him
May be you.

My soul had a battle
Between good and evil;
But God had some leverage
Over the devil.
He worried not,
Because the battle was already won;
And the victory was due
To the blood sacrifice of His Son.

Grace in Small Things #28

2009-06-21T22:01:00.003-05:00

1. having a great Father's Day staying at home with family.

2. wonderful grilled ribeyes and baked potatoes for lunch.

3. taking a 3 hour nap in the afternoon.

4. getting 3 phone calls from my oldest son because he's bored. I think he just misses his Mommy.

5. a nice visit with my sister-in-law

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Grace in Small Things #27

2009-06-21T21:48:00.002-05:00

1. sleeping late. Yeah for Saturday!

2. spending the whole day out with my daughter; Girls Day Out!

3. finding a really cute dress for my daughter to take pictures in.

4. nice lunch at Chili's

5. getting plenty of exercise looking for the "perfect" dress. No kidding, we probably went to 30 different stores. My legs and feet are sore from walking, and I needed it, so it was good.

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Grandpa's Father's Day Finalist Photo

2009-06-21T20:00:00.005-05:00

My father-in-law's photo was selected as a finalist in the Awkward Family Photos Father's Day photo contest.

Way to go Grandpa!

Grace in Small Things #26

2009-06-19T17:09:00.004-05:00

1. the cheerful welcome I get from my little girl, Princess every time I come home. She loves her mommy sooo much!

2. re-connecting with a good friend I haven't spoken to in over 12 years.

3. getting to spend the day with my little boy, and no work.

4. finding the perfect fabric to make a cute little sundress for my grand-daughter.

5. the insightfullness of a nine year old boy. As we were arriving back home from shopping, I commented that almost all of our grass was brown and dead from the hot sun. His reply was, "No, there's one spot that is lush and green and perfect".

"Oh yeah, where's that?"

"Your flower bed. It's like a sanctuary... a small safe place in a troubled world".

My mouth fell open. As they say... out of the mouths of babes.

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Grace in Small Things #25

2009-06-18T12:19:00.004-05:00

1. my most recent rose petal jewelry order turning out nicely. The cross and 4 larger beads are made from real rose petals and polymer clay.

2. watching my son and husband have fun playing with the LIVE crawfish at the grocery store.

3. seeing my beautiful Chocolate Lab, Levi relaxing on the back porch. I took this through the glass, because if I would open the door, he'd be all over me, and there goes the photo op.

4. going to the doctor this morning to get test results. The biopsy of my stomach showed I still have H.pylori, which means two weeks of heavy doses of antibiotics again. They didn't have the results in yet for the colon biopsy, but he said he didn't think it looked like anything serious. My doctor is such a gentle, patient and compassionate man and really took the time to talk to me and answer all of my questions. I just love him!

5. taking half a day off from work today, and no work tomorrow. What shall I do with myself tomorrow? So many possibilities!

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Grace in Small Things #24

2009-06-17T18:43:00.004-05:00

1. finding out that the doctor's office did not change my follow-up appointment because of urgency or a major problem. He just wants to see me in the morning instead of the afternoon because he schedules procedures for the afternoon.

2. that I was able to fix the shredder at work on my own without calling for technical support. It states on the top of the machine that it can handle between 26-28 sheets. Well, I put it to the test and counted out exactly 26 sheets (I didn't want to push it with 28) and it came to a screaching halt and was MAJOR stuck. I spent about 20 minutes pulling bits of paper out. Call me the Shredding Queen!

3. resisting the urge to go and check out this little baby bird I saw under a tree at work. With my past experience with bird attacks, I knew better and stayed far away.

4. finding some really good inspirational new blogs to follow.

5. hubby bringing home fried chicken for supper. Yum!

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Grace in Small Things #23

2009-06-16T19:10:00.003-05:00

1. that it is no longer Monday.

2. having the option of working through lunch so I can go home a little earlier. We are working only 4 days a week during the summer, so the same hours have to be crammed into the 4 days, then Fridays off. Yeah!!

3. getting my first "Follower" on this blog. Yeah!!

4. the feeling of walking barefoot through my house after it has been cleaned.

5. getting a call from the doctor's office to come in the morning instead of Thursday afternoon. I don't handle it well with waiting for test results, so the sooner the better.

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Grace in Small Things #22

2009-06-15T20:13:00.003-05:00

1. making it to work on time even though I had to be there at 7:00 instead of the usual 7:45, and I'm not a morning person at all.

2. having a nice cool office to work in when it's 97 degrees outside.

3. a bowl of assorted chocolates right at my desk.

4. my Christian cd's playing in the background all day at work.

5. getting an e-mail about a cool summer camp for my son.

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Platelets with Pain

2009-06-15T14:23:00.011-05:00

A week ago my oldest son, Patrick drove over 700 miles to relocate to El Paso to start a new job. This past Saturday he sent me a text which only stated his current BP and pulse:

BP 122 over 75 Pulse 92

My reply: That's Good! What are you doing?

PAT: blood platelets

At that point, I tried to call him, but it just went to his voicemail. This is how our text conversation went over about a two hour span. I think he really needed his mom!

PAT: can't talk

MOM: OK

PAT: Holy sh*t! They suck it out then pump it back in!!

MOM: Oh, they're just taking the platelets and giving you back the rest. How much did they take out? Is Luke there?

(Luke is his roommate)

PAT: It hurts when they pump it back in. It'll take 2 hrs.. No, I'm by myself. He's hung over! Ha Ha!

MOM: You may need Luke to drive you.

PAT: I'll call him if I need him

MOM: OK

Pat sends this video as if I can't visualize it.

MOM: Fun! I love you!

PAT: I love you too! Holy sh*t, this is kicking my ass!!

MOM: Hurting?

PAT: like HELL!!

MOM: are you telling them?

PAT: just did

MOM: OK. Just tell them exactly how you feel. How much longer?

PAT: almost halfway done

MOM: OK

PAT: I'm ok now

The internet is my resource for whatever I am not familiar with, so I google "donating platelets painful". I skimmed through several sites that all said it was NOT painful, but did mention some discomfort like your arm feeling cold or tingling in your fingers and mouth. This would be caused by the anti-coagulants and could be easily adjusted on the machine.

MOM: Are you having tingling in your fingers or mouth?

PAT: Yes

MOM: All the websites I looked at say that donating platelets is NOT PAINFUL. No more than giving blood. Something must be wrong!

I called him and explained the part about the anti-coagulants.

PAT: 120 over 78 pulse 81

MOM: It quit hurting?

PAT: Yes

MOM: Good! Are you done?

PAT: Yeah! Luke is here!

MOM: Good! Let him take you home.

PAT: He did. I'm home.

MOM: Get some rest. Tell Luke thanks! And to keep an eye on you.

PAT: ok

Later that evening I sent him a text to check on him.

MOM: Are you feeling ok?

PAT: Yeah, they said my body rejected the anti-coagulant or I was allergic to it or something.

I didn't hear from him at all on Sunday. Today, I thought I'd just check on him and make sure he was feeling ok and made it to work.

MOM: Are you feeling better?

He sends me this picture...

MOM: What the heck's that? What happened?

At that point, you can imagine what's going through my head. They really messed up his arm. He's got an infection. He's been to the ER. My mom panic kicks in!

PAT: First Aid Training

MOM: You ass!

PAT: lol

Oh, yeah! Real funny Patrick!!

Grace in Small Things #21

2009-06-15T08:51:00.002-05:00

1. awaking to breakfast and coffee already made by my wonderful husband.

2. having a really nice talk with a friend from church.

3. my current jewelry project turning out nicely. This is the first time I attempted to roll beads by hand. Not too bad.

4. receiving a couple of really nice souvenirs from my sister-in-law who just returned from the Medjugorje.

5. completing 3 weeks of Grace in Small Things. I may be late some times, but I've never missed a day.

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Grace in Small Things #20

2009-06-15T07:33:00.004-05:00

1. sleeping in until 8:45. I was wiped out!

2. staying in my pj's until noon. I only got dressed because my husband came home at noon and I didn't want to look bad and have him think I was a bum.

3. catching up on several movies I've been wanting to see.

4. having my little doggie, Princess by my side all day as I chilled.

5. knowing that my son, Patrick was ok after donating platelets. He kept texting me saying he was in extreme pain when the blood was going back into his arm. It's supposed to be painless. He said he felt like cutting his arm off. It turns out that he was reacting to the anti-coagulant they mix with the blood to keep it from clotting. Never again!

6. having a son with such a giving and kind heart that he wanted to donate platelets.

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Grace in Small Things #19

2009-06-12T17:50:00.002-05:00

1. getting my endoscopy and colonoscopy over and done with first thing this morning and home by 9:30 am.

2. putting my pajamas on when we got home, and staying in them all day.

3. not having to go to work today, and even got to take a long nap.

4. having a really nice doctor to take care of me.

5. watching the movie "Seven Pounds", and crying my eyes out at the end. I love a good tear-jerker.

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Grace in Small Things #18

2009-06-11T17:11:00.003-05:00

1. a freshly groomed little Princess, my little doggie.

2. seeing the excitement in Princess when I put the car window down and let her get some fresh air. I think she was checking herself out in the mirror.

3. seeing 2 beautiful hibiscus blooms in my flowerbed that weren't there yesterday (and two different colors on the same bush).

4. getting out of the office to do some Walmart shopping for the office at work.

5. not having to worry about what to eat today- liquid diet to prepare for outpatient procedures to find out why I'm still having stomach problems after gallbladder surgery.

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Grace in Small Things #17

2009-06-10T22:04:00.005-05:00

1. getting my hair cut... again. I wasn't very happy with the way it was cut the other day. I have very curly hair and this guy took the thinning shear to it and said he was going to thin it and "texturize" it. Well, being in South Texas with extreme humidity, it just made my hair stringy and frizzy. So I got it shaped up today. I've been letting it grow out for about 5 months now. Oh well, it's just hair. Thank goodness it grows back.

2. a beautiful sunset.

3. lots of Amish bread. No, I'm not Amish. It's a recipe I got from my MIL for Amish Friendship bread where you have a "starter" and let it sit for 10 days then you bake it. Before you bake it, you take out part of the batter and make 4 more starters to give to friends. Well, nobody wants to make the commitment to mess with the batter for 10 days, so I just cooked all of it. I made some with pineapple & coconut, some with poppyseed & coconut & some with cinnimon struesel. They're really good and moist!

4. pre-admitting nurse said I can do labwork when I come in on Friday for the procedure so I don't have to make another trip to hospital.

5. my little boy, James wrapping his arms around me and hugging me and rubbing my back while I sit at the computer. My sweet boy!

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What have they done with my son?

2009-06-09T21:11:00.006-05:00

One of my little birdies has flown from the nest... again. My oldest son, Patrick just completed a 700 mile trip to El Paso to start a new job.

He had a rough trip to say the least. On the way he had a blow-out on one of his tires.

About half way through his trip, the a/c decided to crap out on him. It was very hot that day. He finally made it safe and sound to El Paso and is staying with a friend who works for the same company.

He's working for a company that makes the blades for wind turbines. I don't know what they've done with my son. I don't recognize him anymore. Where's Patrick? Has he turned into a snowman? a marshmallow? an invisible man? What has happened to him?

Evidently, this is his new work attire. They are working with fiberglass and this is his protective gear. He said he's still getting some fiberglass on him, and even has fiberglass boogers. It kind-of reminds me of Kevin Bacon's get-up in Hollow Man. What do you think?

Sound of Music Dance Video

2009-06-09T20:48:00.002-05:00

I LOVE the Sound of Music, and a good friend of mine sent me this cool video. More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp, Belgium. With just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of "The Sound of Music".

Grace in Small Things #16

2009-06-09T20:19:00.003-05:00

1. for all of the little tomatoes on my cherry tomato plant. There are about 12 that I have counted so far. My one little flower bed it hanging in there too. Since the green thumb did not get passed down to me (I usually kill all plants), this is a major accomplishment.

2. fresh kolaches from the best bakery in South Texas, Prasek's.

3. that my dr. was able to see me today, even though he just moved into his new office over the weekend.

4. for a huge surprise when pre-admitting at the hospital for a procedure. Because I'm a school district employee, I received a 50% discount on my out-of-pocket expenses. Can't beat that! If I had known they gave that sort of discount, I would have had my gallbladder surgery there back in March.

5. watching my little dog Princess run up and down the fence pestering our 2 Labs and getting them all excited. She loves to tease them when she's on the other side of the fence, and it's pretty entertaining to watch.

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Grace in Small Things #15

2009-06-08T18:43:00.009-05:00

1. making it through a very long Monday.

2. for coffee!! I could not make it through the day without my coffee, and I LOVE IT!

3. having my little grand-daughter, Maci singing the Chris Tomlin song, "I Will Rise" to the radio in the back seat on the way home from work. Such a sweet sound!

4. having enough left-overs for supper. Yeah! I didn't have to cook! They were pretty good left-overs too, if I do say so myself (roasted pork tenderloin, potatoes fried with bacon & onion, and home-made coleslaw).

5. one really, really good home-made dinner roll left-over that went unnoticed. Well, that was my dessert... with a little butter and honey, yum!

Oh, there was one little one that noticed, and after some very pathetic begging, I shared.

6. My daughter and son-in-law making it home safely from their honeymoon in Vegas. Too bad that means Maci is going home. It was nice having her for the weekend.

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Grace in Small Things #14

2009-06-07T19:59:00.002-05:00

1. the peaceful feeling from going to church this morning.

2. receiving home-made rolls from a very sweet lady at church, just because.

3. a new jewelry order from a lady at church.

4. beautiful weather for fun and playing at the park.

5. knowing that my son made the 700 mile trip to El Paso and arrived safely for his new job.

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Pedicure with an Ant Bite-ectomy

2009-06-06T20:26:00.006-05:00

Today I ventured into our local nail salon with the regular pedicure in mind, which was much overdue. As the lady was vigorously scrubbing my crusty feet, I pointed out to her that I have an ant bite on the top of my foot. My intention in directing her attention to the ant bite was so maybe she would avoid that tiny little spot, not scub the heck out of it and make it more irritated than it already was.

As soon as I pointed it out to her, she proceeded to scrape it several times with her fingernail, like she was trying to pick it off. I told her, "no, it's ok". The next thing I know, she's armed with the cuticle nippers and about to cut it off. In a more serious tone I said, "NO, NO, NO, NO, IT'S OK". I think she got the idea that time. I don't know what she was thinking, but I'll let my little puss-pocket ant bite run it's course, thank you very much!

Birthday Party Blackball Deja vu

2009-06-06T19:55:00.003-05:00

Last year I took my son, James to see Kung-Fu Panda at our local movie theater. We walked inside and saw many of his 2nd grade classmates enjoying a birthday party that he obviously wasn't invited to. He was such a big boy, and seemed like it didn't really bother him, but I know it had to. I think it bothered me more than it bothered him. The birthday boy's mom spotted us, said hello and asked if we wanted some birthday cake. Yeah right!! We're going to eat their cake when we show up at a public place having a private party we weren't invited to. Maybe it was an oversite. Maybe she could only invite a certain number of kids, and my son didn't make the cut. I wanted to just cry for my son's sake. It sucks to be left out. What an awkward moment!

So, today was off to the movies again to see "Up". We walk in and lo and behold, deja vu. The same kid having another bithday party with many of my son's now third grade classmates. Maybe the invitation got lost in the mail. Another oversight? What's the deal? I wanted to turn around and walk out, but had already paid for the movie tickets. Such an awkward moment again.

The mom spotted us as soon as we walked in the door and said hello to James, and told her son, "Did you see James? Say hi to him". I would have been more comfortable with her just acting like she didn't see us, because that is what my instinct was to do. I took a sharp left to dodge the bithday party and headed straight to the concession stand for popcorn.

If I had know the class birthday party was going on, I would have either gone to a later show, or gone to the movies in another town close by.

The funny thing is that about a week ago when the kids were having a field day at school, this mom told my son that he should come over some time to play with her son. I really don't get it. maybe I'm just a little overly sensitive, but when someone hurts my son's feelings it hurts my feelings too. I can't help it. Any insight out there on what I should have done? I think I'll add the kid's birthday to my calendar for next year, so it doesn't happen a third time. Pretty smart, huh! So, what would you have done?

Grace in Small Things #13

2009-06-06T19:47:00.006-05:00

1. sleeping til 8:00 am. I needed it!

2. watching the cutest movie, "Up" with my son and grand-daughter.

3. home-made grilled burger for supper, and my husband made them.

4. my son Patrick is on his way to El Paso for a new job. I'm worried about him, but I know the Lord will watch over him.

5. someone at church interested in some jewelry.

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Grace in Small Things #12

2009-06-05T20:27:00.003-05:00

1. more jewelry orders. I love it!

2. the weekend is here!

3. my new little grand-daughter is staying the weekend with me while my daughter is in Vegas on her honeymoon.

4. I found 3 more little tomatoes on my little tomato plant. I usually can't grow anything.

5. reading a blog that really touched my heart today.

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Culture Unplugged Video

2009-06-05T14:37:00.003-05:00

This video really touched me. How about you? What did you think about it?

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Oil Painting by a Nine Year Old

2009-06-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

I have to do my motherly duty and brag a little... This oil painting was done by my 9 year old son, James. Last summer his grandmother took him to local art classes with her. She and James both painted the same picture, but hers was on a larger canvas.

He has done other paintings before, but they looked like a kid painted them. When he was around 5, he painted the Teton mountains in which the mountains were a nice lavender shade. It was really cute, and of course it is hung with pride in our living room.

But this one... I was so impressed with his artistic talent. To me, it looks like something an adult would paint. Hopefully the art lessons will fit into his summer schedule this year. I can't wait to see his next masterpiece. I may have to find some kind of local art show to enter this into. It deserves at least a blue ribbon!

Grace in Small Things #11

2009-06-04T21:19:00.001-05:00

1. a last-minute lunch invite from my daughter.

2. a quote I read today... "People say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily" -Zig Ziglar

3. having the self-control to bite my tongue at a snide remark from someone at work.

4. a peaceful evening alone... the "boys" went to the Astros game.

5. that tomorrow is Friday. Woo hoo!

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The "branded" boy... Yes, just like cattle

2009-06-04T08:48:00.001-05:00

This was a very difficult time in my life...

My oldest son, Patrick was living with my sister in the Dallas area at the time (which is another story in itself). On Thanksgiving day we were all at my in-laws house, around 35 family members. Pat didn't have the gas money, so he stayed in Dallas with his aunt.

Right before we were about to sit down to eat our Thanksgiving dinner, my cell phone rang. It was my sister and she said that she didn't want to alarm me, but she was really worried about Pat. He had been out with some friends the night before and they "branded" his arm. Yes, like the way cattle are branded. I know, I know, it makes no sense at all!

They did this in someone's barn. Well, to be able to withstand the pain, he had to consume an extremely large amount of alcohol. The whole idea in itself is idiotic! What could have made this turn tragic is the fact that Patrick has a heart valve defect and heart murmur. He has been fortunate to never have symptoms or restrictions, but why push it and risk your life.

My sister was concerned about Patrick because he was feeling really bad. He had been throwing up alot (alcohol will do that to you), and his chest was hurting and his blood pressure was very low. She was calling me to see what I thought they should do. Well, he wasn't covered on my health insurance, so going to the ER just to get checked out was out of the question. Sad case, but we'd just have to wait and see if he'd get over it.

With this lovely news to sit and ponder and worry about ( I inherited the worry-wart gene), I struggled to have a nice time with our family holiday. Of course, all I could think about was the health and well-being of my son.

Later in the day I called Pat to check on him and see how he was feeling. He was upset that my sister had called me and worried me. He said he was feeling better and that he'd be fine. His "friends" had branded his name, PAT on his arm. He said he wanted to have them brand his last name, DANE on the other arm.

I begged him not to do it. I told him that he was very fortunate that he made it through this time, he may not be so lucky if he attempts it again. With his heart problems, I figured the chest pain and low blood pressure was his heart trying to stop. He could have a heart attack if he tried it again. He assured me that he would not drink if he did the other arm.

Every time I thought about what he had done to himself, I would just cry. I had no control over the situation, and I literally feared for his life.

Of course my motherly advise went in one ear and out the other. The following weekend he had his other arm branded. He thinks it's so cool! I was mortified that he would do that to himself again, and just plain pissed! I know that one day he'll really regret it, but it's too late now. He's scarred for life.

He's proud of what he's done, and obviously doesn't hesitate to show it off to anyone that will pay attention.

So how long do you think it will take before he wishes he had never done it?

I am one with my inner lobster

2009-06-04T08:07:00.002-05:00

I was looking through some of my pictures and came across this one. Ouch! This was taken a couple of years ago. It was the first nice sunny Spring day of the year. I had been working out in the yard enjoying the beautiful day with a cool breeze, so I never got hot. Evidently I was NEVER meant to have a tan or anything close to it. This is what happens to me without the good ol' sunblock.

When I was a teenager, I'd work so hard to get a tan, which would result in just a slight shade darker than my bed sheet white skintone. I would lay out at the pool each day, only 20 minutes at a time, otherwise, I'd have the lobster thing going. It wasn't worth all of the effort it took to get that little bit of a glow. The sad part was that as soon as I would shave my legs, it seemed like the little bit of "tan" came off with the hair.

I guess the only tan I'll ever get will come from a bottle or be sprayed on. Any advise out there on how to get a decent "fake" tan?

Grace in Small Things #10

2009-06-03T20:50:00.001-05:00

1. finding two good books at the resale shop on my lunch break, and only $.75 each. What a bargain!

2. being a bad girl and splurging on fried shrimp for lunch, my fave.

3. getting lots of exercise while working. Moving approx. 54 boxes was hard work.

4. listening to my favorite radio station on the way home (and with great reception). I can't pick it up at work.

5. receiving two new Netflix movies in the mail.

6. school's out for summer! I wish work was too! Now it's Summer School.

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Cows vs. Dog = Chaos

2009-06-02T19:34:00.000-05:00

Last night my cell phone rang, and it was my son Patrick. He had gone outside to play with the dogs. All I could hear was screaming and it sounded like some kind of scuffle. I had no idea what was going on. Was he being attacked? Was he in trouble? Was he hurt? I had no clue!

I went outside to look around. Off in the pasture, it looked like Patrick and the dogs were herding the cows. The dogs were running around and so were the cows, but I couldn't tell who was chasing who. In the middle of all of the chaos with the cows and dogs, there is Patrick running around like a mad man screaming and waving his arms at the cows trying to scare them off.

I didn't actually see this part, but Patrick said that Charlie, our Lab puppy was running after the cows, then they all started to go after him. They were circling around him like to gang up on him. Charlie just layed down on the ground and two of the cows started to ram their heads into him. He was stupid and just layed there. He probably thought they were trying to play with him, but they were more than likely trying to kill him to protect their baby calves.

That was the excitement of my evening last night. Unfortunatley, I didn't capture this on camera or video, so I searched the internet for a picture that would work and came up with this one.

Grace in Small Things #9

2009-06-02T19:27:00.001-05:00

1. getting a jewelry beading catalog in the mail.

2. coming home to a clean house. I love when the cleaning lady comes.

3. getting a visit from my daughter Jessica. She needed to borrow suitcases for her upcoming trip to Vegas for her honeymoon.

4. spending a peaceful moment petting our horse, Cajun, and he actually just stood there and let me.

5. enjoying a semi-cool breeze outside this evening. At least it wasn't HOT, and I didn't sweat.

6. having fresh baked cookies delivered to us at work. Thanks Admin. Dept.

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Grace in Small Things #8

2009-06-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

1. making it to work 15 minutes early, instead of right on time. Go me!

2. seeing 3 new little tomatos pop up on my tomato plant. I DO NOT have agreen thumb, so a major accompishment for me!

3. spending a couple of hours with my daughter after work.

4. seeing the joy and excitement in my 9 yr old son as he came home from a field trip to the Houston Zoo.

5. having the doctor's office let me come in right away since I wasn't feeling well.

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Grace in Small Things #7

2009-06-01T21:47:00.001-05:00

1. time at home with family. I love Sundays!

2. celebrating the High School graduates in church service.

3. hubby picked up chicken dinners; didn't have to cook.

4. sister-in-law stopped by with lots of great pictures to look at.

5. enjoying the beauty of my flower bed.

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Grace in Small Things #6

2009-05-30T20:13:00.001-05:00

1. sleeping late

2. my son was not hurt when his tire came off his truck.

3. getting a bargain at our church garage sale; a computer desk and small couch for $25.

4. watching an excellent movie... Slumdog Millionaire.

5. not having to cook supper, Church's Chicken to the rescue!

6. my baby girl turning 22 today. Happy Birthday Jessica!!

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Grace in Small Things #5

2009-05-29T19:33:00.001-05:00

1. Thank goodness it's Friday. Yeah!

2. My boss let me slip away from work for a few minutes to go and see my son swimming next door at the Aquatic Center.

3. For the BEST enchilada dinner catered for our Birthday luncheon.

4. Going for a ride through town with my little girl dog with the windows down.

5. leftovers from lunch, so I didn't have to cook supper.

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First Vows of Sister Mary Sophia

2009-05-29T15:44:00.000-05:00

Last week, our neice, Melissa made her first vows to become nun in St. Louis, MO. She has been at the Mount Grace Convent in St. Louis with the Holy Spirit Adoration (Pink) Sister for the past 3 years. They are a cloistered order and do not leave the convent. Around 35 of our family members went, but I couldn't go due to my work schedule.

I made this St. Therese Chaplet for Melissa (Sister Rose) for her special day. It is like her wedding day. We had planted a pink rose bush at our church for her, and I made this from one of it's roses. I chose St. Therese because she's known as "The Little Flower". It has 24 beads, because she lived 24 years. Melissa will be 24 this year. I hope she likes it!!

Since I couldn't go to St. Louis with the rest of my family to see our niece make her first vows to be a nun, I wanted to do something special for my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law to show my support and to let them know how much I truly wanted to be there with them. With the same rose petals and clay that I made the St. Therese Chaplet with, I made heart shaped necklaces for each of them. My husband gave them to my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law when they got to their hotel in St. Louis.

This is a photo of my mother-in-law and Sister Rose, who had just taken her first vows, and has now taken the name of Sister Mary Sophia. We were so used to calling her Sister Rose, so now we'll just have to get used to a new name. As you can see, my mother-in-law is wearing the heart necklace I gave her. That means alot to me.

My husband, James with Melissa (Sister Mary Sophia). I love the pink (rose color) on her. It matches her cheeks.

Sister Mary Sophia opening her gift from me, the St. Therese Chaplet. She looks like she is studying is closely, and my husband looks like he's hanging by a thread waiting for her reaction.

Sister Mary Sophia and another sister who took her first vows that day also as they kneel before the altar at Mount Grace Chapel.

My Princess Went M.I.A.

2009-05-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

Last night my little girl (my dog Princess) went M.I.A. I was busy working on a jewelry order, everyone else had already gone to bed, except for Patrick (my 19 yr. old son), who was taking a shower. I didn't think much of it, since Princess likes to hop into bed with whoever will let her and have a slumber party. A couple of examples...

Then I received a text message with the following picture, which revealed where Princess had disappeared to.

That was the first time she's ever taken a "shower". By the look in her eyes, I don't think she liked it too much. She looks a bit traumatized to me. But on the bright side... she smelled so much better!

This is how she looks when she's not drenched like a wet rat. I don't know if any dogs look good wet, but it's definitely not a good look for her.

Grace in Small Things #4

2009-05-28T22:07:00.001-05:00

1. My wonderful husband made me a breakfast taco to-go this morning.

2. A surprise phone call from my oldest sister on the way to work.

3. Beautiful day for a Sonic lunch at the park.

4. My one little tomato on my tomato plant is getting bigger.

5. My work day ending at 4:15 pm. I love my schedule.

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Two Sweet Boys

2009-05-28T16:24:00.001-05:00

Aren't they sweet?! The big brown boy is Levi, and the black one is Charlie. They sleep next to each other like this all of the time. Actually, they're getting a little more distant, because Charlie is usually right on top of Levi. Levi is like a mother to Charlie, even though he's a boy. They are so cute together. I just love them!

Grace in Small Things #3

2009-05-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

1. Receiving a phone call from a friend I haven't spoke with in a very long time.

2. Fresh fruit plate for lunch - delivered too.

3. A bitg hug from my 9 yr. old son when I got home from work.

4. My boss really liked the jewelry order I made for her.

5. Two co-workers want me to make jewelry for them.

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So much for trying to help a poor little baby bird...

2009-05-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

The other day as I was arriving at work, I saw a little baby bird right in the middle of the driveway. I was afraid someone would run over it, so went inside and put my things down, and went back outside to help the poor defenseless baby bird.

I had 2 pieces of cardboard to scoop it up with. My plan was to just move it into the grass so it would be in a safe place. As I approached the bird, I could hear other birds in a near-by tree, and it sounded like they were "hawking" at me. I continued on my mission (my good deed for the day), and as soon as I bent down to scoop up the poor little baby with the cardboard, a bird swooped down from the tree and hit me upside the head. I screamed and began waving my arms and ran back into the office.

I work for a school district, and being first thing in the morning, lots of moms were driving by to drop kids off at school. That must have been quite a show for them. Too bad it wasn't caught on video... I'd be rich!

Grace in Small Things #2

2009-05-26T18:51:00.000-05:00

1. That my work week did not start on Monday! Hurray for holidays!
2. The rain cleared out and left a beautiful sun-shiny day.
3. When the Fed-Ex delivery-man brought my package to me at work, even though it was addressed to my home. He recognized my name. Nice guy!
4. Our Maintenance guys came and picked up 42 boxes that I needed delivered to different campuses. What a huge help!
5. Coming home to have my cute little fluffy dog so happy to see me.

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My Very First... Grace in Small Things

2009-05-26T18:49:00.000-05:00

This is from Monday...

1. An extra day off from work. Yeah! I love Mondays when it's a holiday.
2. A nice road trip with my little boy to my favorite store, Hobby Lobby.
3. No loss of electricity today. Yesterday we were without power for several hours from bad weather.
4. I went to visit my 21 year old daughter today. I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to, so it was very nice.
5. My sister-in-law e-mailed us some pictures of our neice who just took her first vows to become a nun.

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