To old friends and shamrock shakes

I am so very ready for spring to arrive! Every now and then we get up to almost 50 and we start to believe in Spring. Then we get more ice and sleet and snow and subzero wind chills and we realize we are still in an Iowa winter. This morning the roads and drive and yard were all solid ice with a dusting of snow on top. Wed. we started school 2 hours late and it was barely icy. Thursday we got out of school 4 hours early because it was supposed to get icy. Today it was ICY and so cold you literally got a "brain freeze" walking into the wind! And we were right on time and put in a full day. Go figure! But each day surely means we are one day closer to Spring, doesn't it? This week I stopped at McDonald's and they now have their wonderful GREEN shamrock shakes in for St. Patrick's Day. Now I LOVE St. Patrick's Day and the chance to show my Irish side. And I LOVE shamrock shakes with their mintyness. But I really love seeing GREEN and knowing someday we will see green grass and green leaves and green stems popping up and the days will get warmer and longer and YEAH FOR SPRING!

Okay, you've all heard of "old dogs and watermelon wine" right? My daughter hasn't. She's giving me weird looks. But see, I don't do watermelon wine and yeah we have an old dog who has seen much better days. But I wanted to tell you about old friends. I am still learning the ins and outs of Facebook with the help of my kids. But the funny thing is almost all of my "friends" on Facebook were actually classmates of my three kids and a few relatives. The problem is I either can't remember the last names of friends my age to look for them, or there are too many with that name to narrow it down to which one I knew. But this week I discovered groups. A friend of mine from childhood started a group for those of us who went to a certain summer church camp. So I joined that and then I started finding others who joined and they had friends I knew too and so my friend list is growing and my daughter is proud of me for having friends my age now even though she laughs about how old the friends my age are. Hmmmm... Today I was contacted by a lady who I was flower girl for in her wedding 45 years ago. The only thing I wonder is why she doesn't look older than I do. So now I started my own group to try to connect with old friends from my neighborhood where I grew up who all went to the same elementary school with me. It will be fun to see how many more "old friends" I find that way. Our elementary school and my childhood home have been torn down and a lot of the old neighborhood is showing its age as well.

I see nobody took my challenge to do the letter thing I did a couple of blogs ago. Amazing how nobody at all left me a comment on that one that I worked so long and hard on. Hmmm. Come on guys, you can do it too. Anyway, I have to get headed back to town for a Show Choir Dinner so I have to get off here. In the meantime, may you enjoy old friends and have a shamrock shake.

My Life is But a Breath

Today's Bible verse says that my life is just a breath to God. I can understand that because sometimes it doesn't seem much more than that even to me. Last year I turned 50 and a lot of my friends are turning 50 now as well. 50 is half a century. It is weird how people my age are getting older and grayer all the time. I really don't feel that old most of the time. I look in the mirror now and then and wonder where all those wrinkles came from. This has been a week of feeling old. On Saturday I was having muscle spasms in my back. But a hot pack and some Ibuprofen made me feel better, so my husband and I and 5 other couples from church met for a Valentine's supper. After supper though the spasms came back in full vengeance until I thought about going to the emergency room. But once again I toughed it through and seemed to get better. Then yesterday morning I woke up at 5AM with the spasms back again. So I broke down and went to the doctor yesterday afternoon. Guess what she decided? I'm having muscle spasms in my back! Go figure! So she gave me muscle relaxers and told me to take them 3 times a day but only while I'm home. So I took one yesterday afternoon when I got home and I slept 2 hours then got up for supper and then slept another 8 hours. Today I didn't take any since I had to work and can't do that at home. This morning I got up for work and my right knee was stiff and hurt and could barely bend. Thought I was going to have to find a cane to go to work with. Tonight I'm eating peanuts and lost half a tooth. Of course it was the one my partial plate anchors onto. Now I was just at the dentist and she told me I needed to get my crowns on the bottom right teeth. This was a bottom left one that is now half gone. Like I said, I'm getting old and in a hurry too. I can't be this old! I have too much to do yet! Where is the time going? I don't even have time to get my house in order, let alone my life! I guess it's time to prioritize. What do I really want and need to accomplish? If my life is just a breath, I hope it is a long, slow breath.

SSome SSweet and SSimple SSentiments

One of the blogs I love to follow is by my longtime friend, Susan in Washington State. On her most recent blog, she was bequeathed the letter Ff and had to come up with 10 of her favorite things starting with the letter Ff. Her challenge was if we left her a comment, she would bequeath us a letter also and we could have ffun with it also. So I did and she did and my letter is Ss. Those of you who know me or follow my blog, know I love words and alliteration. So this should be a lot of fun for me and hopefully you will enjoy what I come up with also. And, to keep the fun going, if you want to leave me a comment, I will bequeath you a letter also. So here goes, in no particular order:

Sisters
There is just nothing like a sister. It can be a sister by birth, or by adoption or by choice, or friendship. My sister Cheryl was adopted by my parents at 10 months old and therefore was there 4 years before me. She's five years older than me and half my size, but she looked more like mom and dad than I did. We talk on the phone at least once a week and get together as often as we can. I have dear friends who are sisters to me as well. Some I see on a daily basis and they are there whenever I need them. Some I've never met in person, but have pen palled or emailed for years and I know I can always count on them for an encouraging word when I need it most.

Saviour
Where would I be without a Saviour? I would be totally lost for eternity, that's where. Knowing Jesus has saved me from heartache in so many ways. He has saved me from myself so many times. When I am hurting, He is there to hold me close. When I am afraid, He walks beside me. When I am lonely, He holds my hand. When I sin, He forgives me. When I fall, He picks me up. When I cry, He catches my tears in a bottle. When I laugh, He laughs with me. Jesus is very real and very close to me. He can be your Saviour too if you'll let Him. Just ask me how, and I will be glad to tell you.

Sunrises and Sunsets
Have you ever seen anything as calming and reassuring as a sunrise or sunset? I don't think I could ever live in a city again. The best thing about living out here in the country is being able to see the horizon as the sun rises and sets on another day that God has blessed us with. The colors are just unbelievable. I wish I could paint them, or even capture them adequately on film. And here in the midwest, they last for quite awhile. When I was in Nicaragua, I was shocked by how quickly the sun sets. The colors were just getting better and I was waiting for just the right moment to take the photo, and suddenly it was dark. I suppose it had something to do with being so close to the equator. But now I appreciate the slowly changing colors here in Iowa more.

Seas
I have seen the Pacific Ocean in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Nicaragua. I have seen the Gulf of Mexico only from the air. I have seen the Atlantic Ocean at Daytona Beach, Florida. I love the seas! When I spend too long here in landlocked Iowa, I start to get almost claustrophobic. Standing on the edge of Lake Michigan is the closest I can come here in the midwest. But there is simply nothing that can rival standing or sitting on the sandy shores watching the waves roll in to break on the beach. I love to hear the seagulls as they swoop and sail by in search of a meal. I like to walk along and pick up seashells left behind by the waves. I long for the salty and fishy smell of the ocean. Psalms 93:3,4 says, "The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty." When I see the seas, I am reminded of the God who made them.


Sons and Daughters
I am so blessed to have a son, a stepson, and a daughter. When I was growing up, I always knew I wanted a lot of children. In fact, when I was in high school I sat down and figured out how I could have a child every other year and adopt one on opposite years until I had 26 kids in 13 years. I would have one for each letter of the alphabet. And I was already picking out those 26 names too. I tease my son that after I had him, it took me 12 years to get up nerve enough to have another one. That isn't true. He was the best son anyone could ask for. He never cried. He was sweet and helpful and happy. He told me everything even when he was in high school. So many nights I'd lie awake listening for him to come home from work, and when he did, I'd get up and go sit in the garage and he'd tell me all the details of his day. What I wouldn't give to have him here to visit with and hug once again. But he lives in New Zealand and I haven't seen him for 7 years. I miss him so much. I have a wonderful stepson too who lives in Colorado. It's funny because I don't often think of him as my stepson. He's my son too. It's so good to have him home when he comes to visit. It's fun when he calls for a recipe or canning tip too. Oh sure, when he was little we went through that stage where he'd say, "you're not my mom and you can't make me", but thank goodness he eventually outgrew that and we developed our own relationship. And then there is my daughter. I know daughter doesn't begin with an S but she has 4 letters of s in her name so that is good enough for me. She's sweet and smart and shy and silly and studious and lots of s words so I can include her too. She's also my best friend and we have a lot of fun together. For awhile we thought I might not be able to get pregnant again, but God blessed me with a daughter. I am so thankful to Him for all three of my children.
Spouse
I have a wonderful spouse. He is sweet and caring and talented. He plays steel guitar and does it very very well. He's also silent a lot of the time. Which is nice when he's mad at you, but not so nice when you want to discuss something with him or want his opinion. He used to be somebody else's spouse, but I'm glad he's now mine. We have been married for almost 22 years now. I've come close to losing him several times with open heart surgery, strokes and etc. but God knows how much I need him and lets me keep on loving him here on earth.

Smiles
Don't you just love it when you see a smile? It can be the first gassy smile on a newborn baby's face or it can be the toothless grin of an old man in the nursing home. But a smile is contagious. You just can't help but smile back and when you do, you feel better inside. A smile just lights up your whole face and your heart as well. I try to share a smile with everyone I meet. Even if it is someone I don't particularly like, I try to give them a smile.

Singing songs
I love to sing songs. I don't particularly do it well, but it brings me so much joy. At church we mostly sing the new praise and worship choruses. I like the words to them, but sometimes I long for the old hymns. I love to sing about Victory In Jesus, It is Well With My Soul, Because He Lives I can face tomorrow, and Amazing Grace. When I see cattle grazing on the hillside along the road, I find myself singing He Owns the Cattle On a Thousand Hills. Sometimes my daughter and I will sing a round of The Lord Is My Shepherd as we drive along. When I pull into the garage some afternoons, I can't get out of the car until I'm done singing along with a song on the radio. If you pull up beside me at a stoplight, don't be surprised if I am belting out I've Got a Mansion Just Over the Hilltop. Just roll your window down and sing along with me.

Stories
I love to read! I love stories. You can travel to far away places in a story. You can meet people in a story. A story can become anything your mind makes of it. Unlike TV which shows and tells you how things are, a story can be interpreted in so many individual ways. You can picture it in your mind. Don't you just love to hear someone tell a funny story? Pretty soon they are laughing so hard they can't talk and you begin laughing just watching them laugh! When I'm reading, I can lose all track of time and place. Someone can talk to me and I won't even hear them. I used to get in trouble with mom when I was a girl, because she'd tell me to do the dishes and I simply didn't hear her, because I was far far away lost in a story. My dream is to someday write and illustrate and publish a story of my own. There is just something magical about a story.

Sweets
All you have to do is look at me and you can guess how much I like sweets. Some of my fondest memories of my mother include sweets. Mom made these wonderful Swedish tea rings when I was younger and at Christmas time she'd give them to people who had been especially kind to us that year, like the doctor and the preacher and so on. Another favorite memory is mom's blackberry dumplings. If you've never had homemade dumplings that have been simmering in a pot of syrupy blackberries and vanilla ice cream melting on them, you have not really lived. Then there was homemade ice cream on the fourth of July from the old hand cranked freezer. And I can still see and taste my mom's sweet tea in the glass pitcher with tulips painted on the side and the sweat running down the side of it in that hot humid kitchen with the sun shining through it. New Year's Eve was our only bottle of pop all year and along with it white almond bark and a game of Rook. For my birthday I always chose an angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream mixed together over the top of it. And my mom's chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting that she often took to church potlucks, was something I would love to taste again. Then there was the peach pie and the chocolate cake with cherries and hot chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream melting into a lake in the middle of it. I had one of those moms who always made treats for the classroom parties and the school bake sales and the church potlucks. I remember her giving a loaf of her wonderful banana nut bread with chocolate chips and coconut in it to a visiting preacher's wife and that lady proclaimed it to be ambrosia. I inherited my love for cooking and eating from my grandmother and my mother and now my daughter has inherited it as well.

There you have it. 10 of my favorite things that start with the letter Ss. I could add so many more to the list; siblings, Spanish, students, spuds, sparrows, swans, sunshine, Springtime, slippers, salvation, safety, scenery, snow, starry skies, sleep, Sierra Mist, silliness, sleigh rides, Sierra, sailboats, Saturdays, Sundays, summer and so many other things. But that will have to wait for some other time. I hope you enjoyed my Ss fun. If you want a letter, leave me a comment. See you soon.

Dare I Dream of Spring?

This week we actually got up to almost 40 degrees! I got out my spring jacket and wore it to work a couple of days instead of my winter coat. Oh, how great it was, to see the huge snowbanks actually shrinking. But then the forecast was for another snowstorm last night. And it missed us! I have no idea where it went, but it didn't come here. The last I heard they were saying southern Iowa might get 8 inches of snow. But we got nothing and I am so very glad. All the melting snow did cause some flooding this week, but I didn't hear of anyone having anything too bad from it. Our back yard and side yard were underwater as the creek overflowed, but it does that every Spring. The sky is a beautiful blue and the sun is shining and it is 26 degrees above zero! YEAH! The tom cats are chasing the females so Spring is definitely in the air.


This has been a truly horrible couple of weeks at school with so many sick kids! I normally treat 40-60 sick kids in one day, but the last couple of weeks I've had many days of 80-100 kids. One day I sent 18 kids home sick and there were already 90 who had stayed home sick. Another day I started my day with 3 kids vomiting in my office before school had even started! Shall I get on my soap box? I have been so frustrated and angry this week, not with the kids being sick, but with the parents sending them to school knowing they are ill. If a child arrives at school with a temperature of 101 and immediately has their head on their desk or is vomiting before they even get their coat off, you can't tell me there was no indication at home that they were ill. On Wednesday we had a two hour late start for inservice and as soon as school started I had children in my office very ill. When I asked why they hadn't simply stayed home, they told me their parents were divorced and they change homes on Wednesdays. So they had come to school ill so I would call the parent they were transitioning to, to come pick them up so they could be sick at mom's house instead of dad's. Now WHY couldn't the parent who had them, call the parent they were going to and say OUR child is sick? If divorced parents choose to hate each other and retaliate against each other, that is their choice. But for goodness sakes, grow up and be a parent and love your children. It takes a responsible adult to step up to the plate and care more about your sick child than to hold out for your rights as to whose turn it is to have visitation. Oh, I get so upset when I see kids abused or neglected! There are so many parents out there that should have to get a license to have a cat, let alone have children.


Today is Valentine's Day. Yesterday, our school was simply inundated with flowers and balloons and candy sent to children from parents, grandparents, boyfriends and girlfriends. But the sad reality was that out of my 1200 kids, probably 120 of them got all these gifts. That means over 1000 kids got nothing at school and probably a lot of them got nothing at home either, and seeing this huge display of deliveries had to make so many of them feel even worse than usual, more unloved than usual. I have a bulletin board in my elementary/middle school office and the kids love to write things to put on it. Of course I give treats when they do so that helps the interest. For Valentine's Day, they wrote on little pink or white hearts who or what they love. It's always fun to read what they write. Most of course mention family, friends, chocolate, or pets. But then there are the more unique ones; music, jello, Pittsburgh Steelers, a certain teacher, and of course the real people pleasers who say the school nurse (me).


Wherever you are and whomever you are with, I hope you feel loved. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son to give us the gift of eternal life. Now THAT is LOVE! Happy Valentine's Day.

Sorry it's been awhile

Once again, I'm apologizing. There have been so many days since my last post that I wanted to get on here and post, but just didn't get to it. So now this will likely turn into another random rambling playing catch-up.

Where do I start? A week or so ago, on a Saturday morning, I was watching out the window and I saw a whole flock of pheasants walking out of our windbreak of trees, single file. I watched and counted them, all 18 of them as they walked along out of the trees, across the snowy field, across the frozen creek, across the road, down the ditch, up the other side. Then instead of flying over, they all, one at a time, ducked their heads and walked under the fence and up into the neighbor's field where they spread out and began foraging for food. Now why did they walk instead of flying? It was the weirdest sight. At one point there was a gap in the line and 2 pheasants came flying in overhead and landed right in the gap and walked all the rest of the way in the same single file line. As they foraged, they scattered all over the field alone or in small clumps. When we left to go shopping, they were returning to our trees and this time they flew but not organized at all. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before.

This weekend, we went to Des Moines shopping, my daughter and I. My husband had gone to south central Iowa ice fishing with 9 other guys from our area on Thursday. On Saturday my daughter and I went to Des Moines and visited two bookstores where we'd never been before. It's good we don't live closer! Books are our main vice, and it's hard to resist a good clearance sale. Then we went to Jordan Creek Mall and walked around and looked mainly. We bought soap at Bath and Body Works and a couple little things at Claire's and ate lunch. That's funny because we have those two stores much closer to home than Des Moines. Anyway, then we went on to Osceola and checked into our motel there. My husband caught a ride over to meet us at the motel and then he and I went to the Bill Anderson concert at the casino there. I really didn't know much about Bill Anderson except he was country, but his steel player is a personal friend of ours, so we mainly went to see him and his folks. However, it was a good concert and I was impressed with Bill Anderson's attitude and showmanship and the Christian music playing before his concert started. It's nice to go to a concert for $15 and actually hear good music that's not too loud and not offensive and just have talent, not smoke and lights and drama. It was also fun to see Eddie Lange again and to visit with him and his folks. Then on Sunday we got up late, checked out of our motel, ate brunch at Cracker Barrel in Des Moines and headed on home. We got home in time to unload the car, start the laundry and then watch the Super Bowl. It was a nice weekend. The weather in Des Moines and Osceola was warm enough we left our coats in the car when we went shopping. They didn't have nearly as much snow as we do and it was melting. Made me believe Spring might actually come again some day.

The Super Bowl! Well, it was a good game. Both teams made some mistakes. Both teams made some outstanding plays. Kurt Warner our Iowa boy got the Walter Payton award and that was good. And even though his team lost the game, he was classy about it. I wish the Cardinals had won, but it was a good game. Kurt Warner is one of my heroes. It is so nice to see a regular guy make good and the way he lives out his faith in God, is inspiring as well. What did you think of the commercials? I thought some were totally stupid and a waste of money. But some were very cute. I always like the Budweiser clydesdale ones the best even though I don't drink beer.

My son called from New Zealand and talked for 2 1/2 hours during the game. I'm not sure I paid the attention I should have to the phone conversation since the game was on and I had to cheer them on as well. But it is hard for me to be attentive on the phone for 2 hours anyway. I love my son dearly and miss him horribly, but my ear and arm get tired on the phone so long. I wish we could just get together for a nice long visit in person.

Today at work was a total ZOO! First of all 78 kids stayed home from school sick. I saw another 110 kids in my nurse's office and sent 10 of them home. At one point in my day I had 15 patients in my office at once. I about totally lost my mind trying to take care of all of them. I saw everything from blistered feet to face rashes, from sprained ankles to jammed fingers, from bumped heads to sore throats, temps from 100.9 to 96.3. I had kids throwing up, having diarrhea, bleeding, runny noses, pooping, peeing their pants, and removing a metal shaving from an eyeball with a magnet. It was a very busy, very tiring, very eventful day.

Now it is once again below zero. The wind is howling outside. I'm full of good Mexican food and thinking seriously about bedtime. Women's Bible study was good. The house is warm. We got new photos of our Russian exchange daughter. I'm cold and tired, but life is still good.