Stormy Weather

I was born and raised in the northeastern part of our country. It wasn't until I married my Good-Man-Charlie-Brown (we'll be married 14 years on June 4th!!!!) that I became a mid-western transplant.

For the most part, I have adjusted to this area. I have gotten used to people actually being friendly to one another. I've gotten used to having doors held open for me and having people thank me for holding the door for them. I know what "the smell of corn" smells like. I've adjusted to the lack of "real" hills in our area.

I've adjusted in so many ways ...but I don't think I'll ever adjust to the storms that so commonly come with Tornado watches and warnings. I rather miss the t-storms of the northeast. Those I could sit and watch roll in on us and marvel at the clouds... sit in awe of the awesome power of the storm.

I vividly remember sitting in the dark in front of a huge picture window with my cousins and friends watching a storm move across the Adirondack mountains. It was awesome. And while the thunder was loud, it was oddly relaxing. It was like watching a fireworks show put on by nature. I miss that kind of storm watching.

Here it is different. It's hard to marvel and sit in awe. Here, we are glued to the local t.v. station and to what our local weatherman has to say about the weather headed in our direction. Our weather radio alarm begins its cacophony that keeps us on our toes. And on evenings like tonight, rather than sitting on the front porch watching the storm move in all its awesome wonder, we cower in the basement, watching and waiting for the storm to pass over... praying we escape the tendrils of violence otherwise known as tornadoes.

We're out of the basement now but my children are "camped out" in the living room because being upstairs... at the top of the house... is just too stinkin' scary. And I DON'T BLAME THEM!

Nope. I don't think I'll ever adjust to that... that and missing conjunctions! LOL



PS... I'm working on something new that I hope to share with you next week! I'd hoped for this week but... well ...life got in the way again. Here's a small peek... hehehe

Lifted!

Ugh!

I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror and thought, "UGH"!


A change was needed! I looked dragged down, stringy and **gasp**... old! It was like a horror flick!

Ok... so that's dramatic. But the point is that I looked in the mirror and wasn't happy with what I saw.

Compounding the issues for me... GRAY hair. And I'm not just talking a few... I'm talking about a full break out of gray hairs. And those gray hairs have a mind of their own! They are rebellious! They don't stay in line and are always trying to do their own thing. It's enough to drive one batty!

I mean... I have kids, horses, dogs... rather puppy..., cats, husband, home, laundry, cooking, business, family.... blogging... to keep in line. Who has time, not to mention the energy, to keep gray hairs in line.

And while I'm being completely vulnerable here, I might as well admit that I use a hair color product regularly in an attempt to blend those gray hairs in with the rest. But... they are rebellious! They prefer to stand out... and sometimes to even stand UP! UGH!

So, I stood in front of the mirror and made a decision right then and there! It was time for a change! Time for a lift! Time to bring on something more hip!

"GIRLS!!! Get yourselves cleaned up! We're going to town!"

We won't talk about the young chic (who I imagine is my age because everyone is my age now... 'tho in reality, she's at least 10 years younger than I.... **gag**) who tried to relate by telling me she has 2... yes TWO!.. gray hairs! Give me a break chicky! Wait until it tries to take over entire patches of your head... then tell me you know how I feel! Ah... I'm giving her a hard time. She is a sweet girl who, unlike a lot of hair dressers I've encountered, knows how to smile and carried on conversation with me as if she was truly interested.

And of course... she did this
I've been lifted! I'm in much better spirits now. And look! I don't care what the number of my years are (Jodie version 3.6), I refuse to be old!!

S--l--o--o--o--w Motion

You know those moments in life that fill just a few minutes or even just mere seconds yet are processed in your brain in a manner that makes you feel like it is happening in slow motion? Sometimes it's almost as if you are standing on the sidelines watching the event unfold. Or maybe it's as if your brain is processing the experience in a series of still shots that freeze each frame as it happens. It's weird! And it leaves you with a strange sensation depending on the outcome.

When I was pregnant with Hair-tied-in-knots, we hit a patch of ice and our vehicle could no longer be convinced to travel in the direction intended (around a 90 degree bend in the road). That moment still plays in my mind in s--l--o--o--o--w motion. I remember my-good-man-Charlie-Brown making every effort to stop the event-- brakes don't work on sheer ice. I remember realizing we were going straight into the trees ahead. I remember thinking, "this is going to HURT!" I remember turning to the inside of the car to avoid the shattering glass. How we ended up perfectly squeezed between two trees can only be attributed to God's Hand on us. We all walked away unharmed. I spent the afternoon finding glass in strange places.

The actual giving birth to my second and third daughters... those moments play in my mind as if they were hours stretched before me. I recall all kinds of details in those moments. I remember that it hurt but oddly enough... the pain actually fades aways-- otherwise, who would go thru it again?? REALLY!!?? In reality, the pushing stage of labor lasted less than 10 minutes with each. I don't know how long the reality of my first child's birth was. She was born by c-section and I was drugged & numb! THAT birth took hours!!:)

When my brother used to race dirt bikes, the start of the race... from the drop of the gates to the first turn... that seemed to take an eternity. The whole time I sat with my heart in my throat. When he would come out of that corner unscathed... and better... in the front... THEN I could breathe again. Yeah... that happens quickly but my brain always slowed it down.

I once fell off a mare we used to own. I got myself into the situation by a lack of good judgment and the consequences were only just and fair. She bolted and I knew that the other end of the run was going to involve me and the ground. It was a snowy winter day and I foolishly thought that the combination of coveralls and snow would act like a nice cushy mattress. I vividly knew when the fall began. My brain even slowed the event enough that I "planned" the place I should land. Slow motion or NOT... snow & coveralls do not equal cushy mattress! Yeah! THAT hurt!

Worse than my fall was the day Hair-tied-in-knots was riding a very well behaved haflinger when another horse had a moment of rebellion. I was standing beside my then 6 yo daughter who was happily riding all by herself. The other horse was young and the girl lungeing him essentially lost control of him. As he came careening around the outside of where we were, the girl didn't let go of the lunge line. I knew the second the pony left the spot. What choice did he have? He was just clothes-lined by an unexpected lunge line. Hair-tied-in-knots was on top of the saddle when she was next to me. I don't have a clue how I escaped injury... I was between the horses and don't remember ducking to avoid the now taut lunge line. I DO remember looking over and NOT seeing Hair-tied-in-knots on top of the pony. Nor was she on the ground! I knew that meant she was hanging on to the side of the saddle. Yeah! That whole scene plays in S-----L-----O-----W motion!! She did let go and she was fine... 'tho scared. So was the pony and both remember the experience all too well.

It's weird how the brain processes events sometimes.

I had a .....s--l--o--w ........m--o--t--i--o--n ........event today.

I climbed out of the car... shut the door...... saw horror on my dad's face... heard him say something like "OH! n...." (unfinished "no")... that was the second the door left my grasp... I vividly saw my mother's hand on the door jamb! .... my heart stopped!
Once again, I can only give the Lord credit causing her to move her hand JUST IN TIME! I don't know how her hand got out of there. There certainly didn't seem to be enough time but... (oh yeah! I can breathe.... I forgot!)... she has all of her fingers and none of them were crushed!

Oh! I'm so glad her hand didn't get shut in that door!!

PHEW!

I love you Mom! :)

Elsa!

Meet Elsa!

I am always telling Jason, "You're a good man Charlie Brown!". (There is a book by that title... I loved to read Snoopy Cartoons!) And he is not just a good man... he's a great man!

My Good-Man-Charlie-Brown is hard working, loving, loyal and dependable among many other great qualities. He sacrifices himself for me and his girls. And he often sacrifices his own wants for ours.

So we girls decided that it was about time for Jason to have something he's always wanted. He has often talked about how he has always wanted to own a German Shepherd. And then we discovered the White German Shepherd!

And so...
Meet Elsa (German for "princess")... also affectionately known as, Elsie!

Pure, full blooded German Shepherd in a white package.

This girl has brains and has stolen our hearts already!

Makes ya think!

For the last two weeks, we've received daily phone calls from both Democratic campaigns.

Let me just be frank... I don't take sales calls. If I'm in a particularly good mood, I'll play games with them.... like asking them to "hold on please", then putting the phone on the counter and leaving it there- A fun trick I learned from my mom & Dad! At least if they are sitting on my counter, they aren't calling YOU! ;) On the average day, I simply interject with whatever suits my fancy and hang up without allowing a reply.

Hey! I know they are just people doing their jobs... but I think they ought to find a new job!

So the political campaigns have been calling me daily. At 8:40pm... I'm expecting phone calls from family or friends... not Hillary or Barak's campaign office. Furthermore... I have the right to vote and I also have the right to not share who I'm voting for. I've exercised that right a LOT in the last two weeks.

The other night I was so disgusted with the interruption that when the caller asked me, "Can So&So count on your support?", I PROMPTLY replied, "NO!". The caller was then at a loss for words and I quickly put them at ease by ending their session with me.

Tonight, it was the opposition to So&So that invaded our home-front with an obnoxious phone call. I was REALLY NOT in the mood today! I told the caller that I was really tired of this whole thing. What could she do but apologize?

But it really makes you think... if these candidates have such disregard for people's lives, the home, family time... if they really cared about people like they represent... do you think they'd be harassing my family daily for two weeks??? Yea Right! Me thinks I smell a rat!

Who am I voting for?
--- That's none of your business!
-------And if I have questions, I'll seek YOU out.
------------I have a mouth and I know how to use it!!!!!!

::cheeky grin::

Oh Sadness!

Did anyone else watch the Kentucky Derby?

Oh my goodness! What a thrilling event! Every year we watch the hour long pre-race coverage. It's amazing... all of the hoopla... for a race that lasts a mere fraction of that time. But we're fascinated by the horses. Oh! How we admire such magnificent equine athletes!!

We also enjoy the stories behind the horses. It would have been neat for the horse that was purchased for $4500 to win. It would just go to show that a good horse, is a good horse... no matter what price you pay!

We all sat with suspense watching Big Brown come from behind. For a moment it appeared that Eight Belles was going to give him a run for his money. She hung in there for a bit and then Big Brown seemed to shift into a whole 'nother gear and took off. Both he and Eight Belles pulled away from the rest but Big Brown really left them all in the dust.

I was cheering on that beautiful filly! Don't get me wrong, I was equally happy to see Big Brown win... clearly that horse is an amazing horse. But I wanted to see that filly do well. Second place wasn't so bad either!

The victory... Big Brown seemed to know that "he was the man"! He appeared to be very full of himself. I saw his rider come off and then UGH!!!!... my heart stopped. A horse laying on the track! Our living room became very silent and filled with concern.

Then the sad news... the horse--- Eight Belles! Oh no! After running such a great race. And then worse news... she broke both front legs & was humanely euthanized. Call me a sap but I immediately began crying. That is so heart breaking.. so heart wrenching... so utterly devastating. I know it was "just an animal" and I'm so glad the jockey was ok... but still... I cried and cried (and I might add...I wasn't the only one in the room crying).

There was no other choice. A horse can get around on 3 legs if it must but not 2. I'm sure she was suffering... and watching a horse suffer is gut wrenching... awful!

Oh my heart! It brings your own grief right back to the surface.