My Brother in a Skirt

I like to travel. I really haven't done that much of it, but I've done enough to know I like to be a tourist. When someone is going on a trip, I always want to go along. Unfortunately, that job/money thing complicates my travel plans. However, I've learned you can "see" a lot of places without leaving home. Sometimes I hear of a place that for one reason or another is of interest to me.  I like to look it up and see what it is like. Here, let me show you...

Have you ever wondered what it looks like in Idaho Falls, ID? Click here and you see some photos of it. It's pretty, huh?

OK, let's try Houston, TX. Click here and you will get a chance to see some of Houston.

Can you see how I can waste an evening bopping around the internet? Well, one night I was doing that and I was looking at photos of Lead, SD. I went to this site and clicked to the right to look through some of their town's photos. I stopped when I saw this one.

It caught my eye because that guy just right of the center looked a lot like my brother!

My brother did learn to play the bagpipes once upon a time, but he's lived in Florida for several years now. So, I downloaded the photo and blew it up a bit, trying to get a better look.

Hmm...that guy had a goatee. The photos is blurry but I can see that much.

I don't think I ever saw my brother with a goatee...but still.

I kind of thought I remembered he once told me he played in some parade.

Then, I noticed that my photo program made note of the year that photo was taken - 2005.

OK, maybe? He was still living in Wyoming then.

Wyoming isn't far from South Dakota.

I finally spoke with my brother on the phone and made him click to that site.

Sure enough.

It's him!

He had no idea a photo of him was on the site of Lead, SD.

Now, wasn't that a weird little surprise?

I found a picture on the internet of my brother wearing a skirt.

Impromptu Play-Doh Party

Last night, after our usual Sunday Night Family Dinner, I brought out the Play-Doh for the little girls to have some fun. Elise watched the pro go at it for a few seconds and she soon got the idea.

 She had a style all her own.

Cordelia was very focused. She knew exactly what she needed and she went to work on it.

Before we knew it, Maria was joining in on the fun.

Followed by our friend, Laura.

Next, Eric was drawn in.

He impressed Elise with his artistic talents as he quickly produced this bunny.

Maria whipped out a panda...

...and a little snail friend for the panda.

 I am not sure why Maria was so disapproving

of the work Elise and I did. Sometimes I guess those

artistic types can be kind of judgmental.

Bode lurked around under the table.

I was slow to realize he was cleaning up any that dropped.

Mike should have fun scooping the yard tomorrow!

Speaking of Mike, he never really got into it.

I think he didn't appreciate that we were all ignoring him.

He was really rather obnoxious, actually.

I think he just needed some attention.

It was pitiful, really.

 Well look at that!

Even Sam couldn't resist that soft, colorful stuff.

 Elise spent a LONG time tearing each piece of Play-Doh in her reach

into little tiny bits. She was very determined, very intent.

Laura made this cute little owl to match Elise's dress.

She gave it to Elise, who recognized it and said, "Who? Who?" as she

broke it down into little bits as well. 

Laura was brave; she held back her tears.

This is the result of Elise's hard work.

When did you enjoy the bright squishiness of Play-Doh?

By God's Grace

Sleepover

I have a visitor here for a sleepover! Last time we tried this, Cordelia had a headache and then got sick in the night. This time, things are much better!

Immediately upon arrival she wanted to show me what she brought in her suitcase, right down to her hairbrush and her toothbrush. It was an adorable little show.

 Then we played some games.

She won 2 and I won 1.

Then this happend... fake nose-picking

...and fake eating of it. 

There was also fake sleeping.

 And there was most definitely lots of giggling.

Laughter Allowed!

As I've told you, I have a new position where I work. It was the job left vacant when one of our own lost her life to suicide. Thoughts of that day leave us all with such a heavy feeling of sadness. No one else wanted to do the job I now do. There are several reasons for that. One of them was that it wasn't a happy thought to work in the little office that was her's. A few people even had almost a superstition about the room.

When I first started working in that room I didn't want to rush any changes. It seemed disrespectful to our friend. However, I didn't want that room to be a place of sadness. Sometimes, as I sit there, I wonder what she was thinking when she last sat in there. Other nurses who stop by have mentioned how the room makes them sad thinking of her.

The time has come. I have taken on a big project by trying to make that feel like a happy room, a place of peace and calm, and where laughter is as appropriate as tears. So, I started by crocheting. Yes, crocheting. Remember how I chased my styrofoam wreath around the Walmart parking lot? I never did catch it and I expect it is now somewhere in South Dakota. Anyway, I bought another and I crocheted a wreath shaped sweater for it.

I added a  big green bow and some dangling twine thingies. It sounds weird but it looks  ok. I superglued a tiny little decorative clothespin at the bottom. Sounds even weirder, huh? I took it to work and hung it on the office door. I am using that little clothespin to clip on a cartoon for the day...cartons such as this one:

...and this one:

A little quirky, yes, but I've seen people smiling. There were maybe even a few chuckles. That is all I wanted.

Now, I am working on some little personal touches within the office. It is a very small office so there isn't room for much. Really, it would be smallish even for a walk-in closet. Anyway, I am taking this vase in, just because it adds a pop of color and it can sit on the floor in a corner. It makes ME happy.

Additionally, I am making something with twine and fake pearls. I'm not certain what, but I already like it.

So, that's what I've been up to.  You?

Silly Girl

OK, let's keep it light today. I made my Mom cry again with that last post. So, here's some happiness...


Cordelia looks good in a crown.

I asked her why they made this crown in Sunday School. I was hoping for her to tell me what their lesson was. Her answer to why they made crowns...

 "Because the teacher said to."

Silly girl!

Born in Heaven

 A while back I talked about the babies we lost through miscarriage. I spoke of the babies my mother lost. I directed you to our daughter's blog, where she spoke of the babies she and her husband lost as well.  We spoke of the pain that doesn't go away. A person doesn't get over such a loss, but rather learns how to adapt to it, how to manage it.

Recently I was talking with a friend at work. The discussion of miscarriage came up. We sometimes have patients come to our facility for a D & C.  This is a procedure that cleans out the womb when a baby dies but is not expelled. When assigned to such a patient, I try to find a way to allow them to speak of their grief if they wish. Some really don't want to talk about it, or maybe don't want to speak of it to a stranger. Maybe they already have a good supply of people who can assist them through it. Sometimes, though, the young mother is just so grateful for someone to acknowledge her loss.

Anyway, as my friend and I spoke, I found that she also believed that miscarried babies, even those that died early in pregnancy, are real souls...souls we will meet in heaven.  My friend then said something I'd not considered before. She spoke of miscarried babies as babies "born in heaven". Oh, how I loved that phrase! It brought me comfort to think of those babies as being delivered right into heaven! That has to be a lot more grand than being born into this troubled world. Just picture it...born right into heaven!

I just wanted to share that thought. It brought me comfort. Maybe someone reading this needs such comfort as well.

This photo doesn't  have much to do with this post except that it is of our daughter, 

mother of four children, two who were born in heaven.

Quiet Joy

Fun With Uncle Sam

I do not take these precious times for granted.

Akiane Kramarik Documentary

I just found this really interesting and thought you might as well.

It's a Bit Breezy!

 Yesterday, after work, I stopped by Walmart on my way home. I had a few little things to pick up but what I was most excited about was getting a couple of supplies to make a ribbon/wreath/bow thing for the door of my office. I had an idea of what I wanted to make and I wanted to do it tonight. Inspiration is like that. It needs immediate attention.

The main thing I needed for my craft was something like this...

It was styrofoam. It was lightweight.

I pushed my cart out of the doors at Walmart, a breeze (aka hurricane force winds) came up and the sack with my wreath form went whoooooshing off into the night. I don't know how strong the winds were last night but I know that today's forecast states there may be gusts over 60mph here. Anyway, I chased my foam circe down and stomped on the corner of the sack until I could pick it up. I tucked it into the cart and kept it secure as I made me way to my car. I put that sack into the trunk first and proceeded (I feel like I'm on Judge Judy. People are always "proceeding" on that show.) to set the other sacks into the trunk. 

I thought I had everything under control but the stupid wreath sack rose up out of the trunk like some kind of crazy ghost, gave a flutter wave and took off across the parking lot. I stashed everything else into the trunk, slammed it closed and darted after the wreath. I saw it stuck up under a tire of a truck in the next row. Of course, it turns out it wasn't quite that stuck and off it went again. I wandered through a couple of rows, looking under the vehicles, until I noticed a guy who seemed to be a bit afraid of me. Me! OK, I was acting a bit crazy.

So, I went to my car and drove it slowly up and down the rows, looking for my errant craft item. No luck. I finally realized that I was spending a lot of time looking for that $2 item. It was time to give up and go home. 

I spent the rest of the evening pouting because I couldn't complete my project. Maybe I will try again tonight but I may have to stuff the sack inside my coat or something. 

Is it windy where you are?

Tiny Indoor Snowmen

OK, all you grandpas out there, pay attention. The following photos will show you how a cool grandpa, who doesn't want to go outside, handles that question, "Grandpa, can we make a snowman?" He's pretty creative! Instead of a corncob pipe and a button nose, these snowmen had facial features made out of candy sprinkles. That made this event not only a fun activity but it also served as a little snack.