The good news is...

Polly the Parrot didn't look well and the vet confirmed it. "I'm sorry." he told the owner, "I'm afraid your bird doesn't have long to live."

"Oh no," wailed the owner. "Are you sure?"

The vet left the room and returned with a big black Labrador who sniffed the bird from top to bottom, then shook his head. Next the vet brought in a cat. He too sniffed the parrot and sadly shook his head.

"Your bird is definitely terminal," said the vet, handing the owner a bill.

"Wait!...$500.00?! Just to tell me my bird is dying?"

The vet shrugged. "If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been about $40.00, but, with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan....."


I've had an extreme amount of pain in my right arm for about a month, so I went in for an x-ray of my shoulder a week ago last Thursday. The Dr's office called me first thing Friday morning and informed me that the Dr would like another x-ray that would give her a better view and requested that I go to the hospital that afternoon to have it taken. Well, I forgot as I was anxious to head up to my daughter's house for the week-end. So she called me Monday about 7:30 AM and asked that I go to the hospital that morning to have the requested x-rays taken. I complied.

Just over two hours and 14 x-rays later, I was told that the radiologist wanted to take a cat scan and was calling for clearance from my physician. Okay. Clearance given. We took it, twice.

That evening, Dr. Jackson called to tell me the good news was that there was no malignant tumor on the bone. Wha?? She thought I may have a bone spur that she could possibly treat with a cortisone shot, and if that wasn't successful, we could schedule surgery with an orthopedic surgeon, and there is a chance that if they scrape the bone, the pain might stop.

Now, I'm thinking 2 x-rays in the office, 14 x-rays in the hospital, two cat scans...and she THINKS that she MAY see a bone spur that she can POSSIBLY treat?

Which of the two stories is the biggest joke?

I can only laugh. I just have no other reaction.

I HAVE THE COOLEST CYBER PALS!!!!!

That's it! That's all I have to say...except,
Thanks everyone!

Just for a minute

Okay... Can I be sad, just for a minute?

It's a long story.

I feel like my entire being is flooded with tears. They just keep spilling out and I can't seem to stop the flow. I'm not altogether sure why. Oh, that's ridiculous. Of course I know why.

I'm feeling neglected by some of the people I most trusted with my heart. Namely, my sisters.

I have four living sisters on my side of the family. Two who my mother and father gave birth too. (Wanda and Marlene) And my aunt, who is younger than my oldest sister and who I've always considered my favorite. (Shirley) And Shirley's oldest daughter. (Diane)

I've lived in our home at the Hollow for 2 and a half years. Before moving here, we lived in a town called New Harmony for four years. In this six and a half year period of time, each of my sisters has been to visit me once. Never overnight, and never in this home. Now understand that three of the four lived a great enough distance that they needed to spend a night near New Harmony when we were there. And the fourth lived less than 20 minutes away. We lived less than five minutes from the freeway off ramp in New Harmony and each of them took the short side trip to say, "Hi" and visit with us for a while only once. I invited them...many times. When family would stay with my sister in Cedar City for a few days, Wayne and I were never asked to come for Sunday dinner with everyone, or to meet them at Applebee's for lunch and a chat. I invited myself regularly, however, and was well received when I went.

Here, in Fairview, each of them has driven past our home several times. Now, granted...they would have to take a detour to get here. It may take them an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes out of their way. But, not one member of my side of the family has ever alloted the time to see us. There again, we've invited them...many times. We've asked them to spend the night in our guest room, to come for one of my famous breakfasts, for a dutch oven cookout on the patio, for a drive up the canyon (in the car...on the fourwheelers), just for a short stay to catch up on one another's families. But, no one has come.

A couple of them have made arrangements to stay less than two hours away from here in a hotel. I've mentioned that I'd drive up to spend some time with them. I was not, ever invited to drive up and meet them, though. Wanye and I were not asked if we'd also like to get a room. We would have.

These women constantly tell me that they love me. But, today, I'm not seeing it. Today, I'm not feeling it. Today, I would like one of them to take a little time and come to see me. Today, it hurts. So today, I'm sad. Silly, huh?

Okay. Minute's up.

Think I'll go outside and play with the dog, gather produce from the garden, and make a big pot of hearty vegetable soup.

Gotta love the Amish!

My heart sank as I read the spam that began, "By opening this e-mail, you have activated the Amish computer virus." Oh no! What had I lost? Would else could I lose? What could I do to try and stop any further damage? I read on...

"Since the Amish don't have computers, this works on the honor system. Please delete all of your files immediately. Thank you."

This was sent to me in the name, and under the guise, of friendship?? Oh well, it was a brief ha ha ha moment...

Important and Imperative

I love Shel Silverstein!! He speaks volumes to me with his nonsensical poetry. Shel and Calvin and Hobbes both start my mind racing. (Yes, folks! She IS one of the worlds great intellectuals)
At any rate, I was browsing through 'A Light in the Attic' and stumbled across this:

Bob bought a hundred-dollar suit
But couldn't afford any underwear.
Says he, "If your outside looks real good
No one will know what's under there."

Jack bought some hundred-dollar shorts
But wore a suit with rips and tears.
Says he, "It won't matter what people see
As long as I know what's under there."

Tom bought a flute and a box of crayons
Some bread and cheese and a golden pear.
And as for his suit and his underwear
He doesn't seem to very much care.

So... what's important in life, and what's not? There is a moral in here somewhere. But, the question is...can I find it?

Lin wrote a post and asked for her cyberpals to let her know what was important to them.
The number one answer was FAMILY... Each respondant said that was what they would be willing to put their life on the line for. Family. I said the same thing, in part. I would die for my family. But, I most likely won't be called on to die for them. I have, however, been called on to live for them. I said I would. I think I have. But, so often we let these people who are so dear to us tumble into second or third place.

That was brought home to me this morning. I needed to teach a Sunday School class this morning to a group of scriptural scholars. I was a tad nervous about it. Did I say "tad nervous"? I was a wreck. It was important that I do a good job.

I'm what you could call a fastidious housekeeper. As I walked through the kitchen this morning, I noticed dishes in the sink. I noticed the milk, cereal box and a bottle of peaches on the counter. Immediately, my sarcastic, snotty persona took hold of the situation and I began making snide comments to my husband. A pretty accurate quote would be, "Wouldn't it have been nice if SOMEONE could have cleaned up after his breakfast this morning? Oh yes! That's right...that's "woman's work". Wouldn't want my man to go out in public with pruny fingers from putting his big, strong, masculine hands in dishwater... "

Now was it important that my kitchen be clean before we left for church this morning? mmmm, probably not very. Although for some reason, it always seems to be important to me.

Was it important that I be able to concentrate on my lesson and prepare my frame of mind and my spirit as well as my words? Yes! It was. It was important to me, and to those who were going to be sitting in class waiting to be taught something of value, and to those who had entrusted me with the responsibility of uplifting and inspiring the class members a little this morning. It was important.

But... it is imperative that I have a caring relationship with this wonderful man who I'm sharing my life with. It's imperative that I let him know how important he is to me, and how much I appreciate his willingness to make himself something to eat while I walked the floors practicing and timing my lesson material.

He is one of those people that I said I would be willing to die for... But, for some reason that escapes all logic, this morning I wasn't prepared to live in such a way as to let him know that he matters more than a tidy kitchen sink, more than teaching a class.

I placed a bronze medal around his neck this morning. I let him slip into third position.

It's odd how often we do that type of thing. We're reading a book, writing a letter, working on a project of some kind when our kids or grandkids want to talk to us, have us tell them a story, or watch how far they can jump... and these sweet little packets of joy are suddenly relegated to second place as we tell them, "In a minute... I just have to finish (fill in the blank) or, "Not now. Mommie's/Grandma's busy."

What's important? What we look like we are? The suit we wear? How we see ourselves...the way we wish we were? Our new underwear?

Or a box of crayons, a slice of cheese, and a golden pear? Food to fill our creativity, our body, and our love of the luscious, sweet moments that only our family can give us?

drinking from my saucer...

Shoot! Our bathroom is completely torn apart...again! We had it remodeled last August. The shower started to leak, so the contractor came and tore it apart, patched it up, and left us happy with running water to wash our hair. Then, about two months later, the shower started to leak again. We called the contractor. Then we called the contractor again. Then we called the contractor for the for the third, 17th, 23rd, and 42nd time. Months later, he came out, ripped up the floor, ripped off the bathroom door, ripped off the shower door, ripped off the tile on the bottom half of the shower, and went hunting for a week.

I should be irritated, right? Nah! I just packed the car and drove up north to stay with my kids for ten days. I played with my daughter and her three little boys. I played with my first born son and his boy. I played with my second born son. We went shopping and to football practices and soccer games, made Chandi's witch's hat, and went to see "Mamma Mia". We canned peaches and grape juice and ate stuffed zucchini and crab soup. We tucked sweet children into bed and were rewarded with baby squeezes around our necks. We fought with the 6th grader about getting his homework done, and saw a zillion cartwheels, jumps off a curb, and races on the scooter whenever we heard, "Gigi, mommy, watch this". We listened to the political pundits rant and contort the truth on both sides of the aisle, and held brilliant armchair debates with the best minds in the country. It was a delightful time!

I came home to a husband who missed me, made me dinner from produce he'd picked from the garden (and barbecued brats), helped me carry in groceries, and decorate our yard with fall leaves and pumpkins for my office party tomorrow night. He put me on the fourwheeler when he thought we'd worked long enough, and took me over to visit with neighbors who fed us wisdom and ice cream and begged us to stay a little longer.

Who needs the bathroom to be perfect when you're surrounded with people who can share your life in so many pleasing ways? At least the shower worked when I got home. Although the floor is still particle board waiting for matching tiles to be found, the wall still needs to be repainted, and floorboards replaced. But, I just don't seem to care when I stroll through the grove, and hear Wayne whistling in the yard, or answer the phone and a voice on the other end says, "Hi mom. I just called to talk. Can you hold on for a minute, Keaton wants to tell you he loves you." When evenings are spent with good friends who invited us over for a barbecue, or who giggle with me while sitting barefoot on the lawn, sharing stories, I know that my life is delicious indeed. I really am "drinking from my saucer, because my cup is running over".

Ding Dong

Ding Dong the hat is done...the hat is done... Ding Dong, the Witch's hat is done.

I found a child's velvet witch hat at a garage sale. It looked a little like the proverbial "sow's ear. But, I placed a quarter in the sellers hand and happily made my way to North Ogden to help my daughter turn it into "silk purse". Two trips to the craft store, a little tulle, and a couple of flowers later... Voila! We're on our way to the costume we invision. Pretty cute, huh?

We have everything we need to make the rest of the outfit (except for the purple and black striped socks). I'll post the whole ensemble when it's completed. We're thinking that I may join her at Gardner's Village for Witche's Night Out. If I do... I'll be an "Autumn Witch". We really don't like the whole moley nose, snaggle tooth, stringy hair, scary bit.

Wayne and I live so far out of the way that none of the neighborhood kids come trick or treating at our house, so my husband likes to dress up and deliver candy to the kids homes. It'll be fun to put something together for us to wear that's a little higher grade than we've done. Soooo, after Chandi's costume is finished, maybe that'll be our next project.