something to ponder...

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas A. Edison

Valentine's Day part two

...Gotta love my Cricut. I'm just sayin'...
and yes, Jake and Aubrey got theirs earlier. :)

I'm not saying what's in the bags because Jennifer and Patrick's are in the mail and Jordy and Josh haven't come by to pick theirs up yet.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sometimes I get awesome ideas...but somehow just fall short. I was "concepting" an idea...I made the chocolate dipped oreos on a stick. (easy peasy!) I spelled out "Happy V-Day!" with melted pink chocolate in a Wilton squeeze bottle. The extras were done with squiggles and hearts...But I was out of small cello bags to finish off the project. So off I went to Hobby Lobby. I got home and put the cellophane bags on but soon realized the Valentine's ribbon I bought was way too thick. GRR. Well much to my chagrin, as I was about to assemble the "bouquet" of oreo pops...I realized that someone had eaten the "V" and one of the "P"s. (Paaaaat!)

Anyways...it WAS just a concept....for a future project. If I had been doing it to actually give to someone...I would have spray painted the basket, gotten the EXACT ribbon I wanted, used the perfect color paper shred, and would have spent more attention on how these were artfully arranged. But it was just a conceptual prototype and since a few of my letters were missing...well, there was no use in wasting too much fuss time on it.

Actually, I had found the baskets at Goodwill...they are "Edible Arrangement" baskets that I thrifted for 49cents! I have amassed quite a collection of them for some future projects. (I'm visualizing a fun display at Jake's graduation party. My wheels are turnin' now...)

Needless to say...the gift bags for my kids are made up for Valentine's Day tomorrow. I will save them for tomorrow's post. (sorry Jen and Patrick...yours will be in the mail tomorrow.)

I know I've been severely negligent on my blogposts lately. Blame it on the weather...the winter doldrums, lack of sunshine, etc. Bottom line is that I've been in a funk and I'm trying to shake it. Trying to get my crafty self back in swing.

See you tomorrow!

Fox News induced Nightmares

Let me just preface this story with a brief explanation.

In the summer I NEVER watch TV. But with this blustery winter this year (and the fact that I am in HIBERNATION MODE) I have been watching too much tv. I'll admit, it's usually for background noise...I have way too much A.D.D. to just sit and watch tv. I have to be doing something else while it's on. (Like surfing the web on my laptop, flipping thru a magazine, working on some craft project, folding clothes, etc.) Otherwise my body thinks it's time to sleep. Just watching tv makes me fall asleep. ANYWAYS, I digress...

Which brings me to my story...

My own personal observation and word of warning: Do not fall asleep with the tv on...especially the news. It will make you dream absolutely ridiculous dreams. Now I've fallen asleep watching Discovery Health and dreamt medical dreams all night, or dreamt about having babies (Deliver me), adopting baby a baby from Russia (Adoption Story) I've even had a WEIRD dream involving Emeril Lagasse which I won't go into because I still cannot watch him on the Food Network to this day without blushing...

After Pat and Jake left for hockey practice at 5 am this morning, I turned on the local news to see how many schools were still closed after the STORM OF THE CENTURY. I stayed awake for a while to hear what was happening in the world...from Lindsay Lohan getting caught stealing a necklace to the latest scandal at Planned Parenthood. Somewhere along the way I slipped into dreamland.

Let's see...before I fell asleep last night Ryan was over visiting and I had been texting Jordanne about a cake she made. So obviously these two particular kids were on my mind.

I dreamt that Ryan was in trouble with the law...he and his buddy Pete (who ironically is a cop) had been having a few beers and Ryan got pulled over and was thrown in jail for a D.U.I. (this must have been in between the Lindsay Lohan troubles/ Charlie Sheen rehab part of the news. I was just sick about it...to the point where it woke me right up. While I went to the bathroom I was thankful that it was only a stupid dream...I washed my hands and crawled back into my warm cozy bed.

Of course I needed to purge my brain of this awful dream so I continued watching the news...this time I turned on Fox News...Laura Ingraham was talking about the latest Planned Parenthood debacle...once my brain was purged of my bad dream, I slipped into another dream...

This time I was a worker at Planned Parenthood. I was incognito...an underground reporter working the front desk for incoming counseling needs. My first customer was my own daughter Jordanne. Of course, I was utterly shocked that she would be in such a wretched place. I raised her better than this! I could not blow my cover, so I had to listen to her plea. She told me a horrible story about her awful parents who didn't understand the ways of the modern world...she told me she was pregnant and she thought she should get an abortion because her parents would not understand. She said she really didn't want to get an abortion because she had been raised better than that, but she had taken birth control pills when she was in high school and had taken the RU486 pill once... she decided since she had already had one abortion, why not get another one? GASP!(good Lord, where do dreams like this come from? I swear Satan is working overtime...)

Anyways...I was so devastated in my dream, I had to walk away for a moment in fear I was going to start to cry. I had been hired as this undercover reporter and I could.not.blow.it. After getting my head together, I counseled this young girl and convinced her NOT to get an abortion which is NOT what they do at Planned Parenthood. (Laura Ingraham said PP makes all their money from abortions and did you know OUR TAX DOLLARS support PP? Do we have any say in this?)

Anyways...my boss at PP heard me convince this young girl (my daughter) not to get an abortion (this was my undercover reporting assignment) ...she pulled me aside to reprimand me. (I was miked and wired with a camera...just like they showed on Fox News.) I recorded the entire confrontation...to expose Planned Parenthood. It was breaking news and instead of being happy my mission was accomplished, inside I was just dying a slow death thinking my poor daughter had been led astray and wasn't really who I thought she was. I was crushed. I seriously could cry just thinking about this dream. Needless to say, this is how I awoke this morning and I am just so unbelievably sad as though it really happened. I just want to hug her and have her tell me it wasn't true. This is one of those dreams that will bother me all day.

Moral(s) of the story: Do NOT FALL ASLEEP WATCHING THE NEWS. The world is a messed up place. Satan is a liar and the father of lies. Hang onto the morals and beliefs you were raised with. I feel I need to bless my house with holy water to protect my family from all harm and to spend the day praying for them.

Marinating makes things Tender

Wow. I know the principle works when applied to meat... As a young mother raising five kids, (living on a very tight budget), I learned early on when a cheaper cut of steak is marinated, it becomes very tender.

Today I stumbled upon a TV program that literally marinated my heart...and made it tender.

I love Joyce Meyer...she has such a way of driving.things.home. and filling my heart with overwhelming peace. God has used her to touch many lives throughout the world.

Take a moment to listen to the broadcast I watched today. I've listened to it twice already and it just makes sense. All of it.

Happy New Year!

...so the day before New Year's Eve was spent in the hospital waiting room...Nothing serious, just a "routine" scope surgery performed on Ryan's "good knee". He fell about a month or so ago and he's been having constant pain in it, thought it was a good time to get it fixed. After all the damage he did on the other knee playing rugby, this minor sugery was a piece of cake.

New Year's Eve morning was spent doing hair...then Pat and I went to the casino. This is not something we have ever done before...I have only been gambling once before when we were in Niagara Falls about six or seven years ago. I must say, we had a good time, although I do not like losing, especially losing MONEY. We played the slot machines and they confused me. I had NO idea what I was doing, but at one point I won $50 and quickly lost it all in a few more minutes.

A few hours of that and we both had our fill. The smoke was KILLING ME. I guess the new smoking ban in Michigan does not apply to casinos. ugh.

We went out to dinner and didn't even have to wait very long, considering it was a Friday night. We got back into town around 9:00, and went grocery shopping. Now we really KNOW how to ring in the new year, don't we?

Ryan and his girlfriend were here and we rang in the new year with them. I think we were all were asleep by 12:30. Woo Hoo! What a bunch of party animals.

Life is settling back into a normal routine post holidays...Jen went back to Chicago, Josh was home for a week but went back to the townhomes on campus, Ryan spent a few days here post surgery but is back home now, Pat's back to work, Jake's back to school...Jordy spent some late nights here during Christmas, helping me wrap gifts until 5 am and hanging out with family on Christmas day... It was nice to have everyone home. It really was a wonderful Christmas.

I can only hope and pray that God blesses our family with health and happiness and abounding JOY for the upcoming year. I wasn't sorry to throw last year's calendar away. It was a year with mountains and valleys and a lot of growing pains along the way. I have learned a lot about myself and the people I love, but mostly about the love of God for which I am eternally grateful for. His love has gotten me through the valleys and continues to carry me through the challenging times.

On that note, I will wrap this up so I can get some much needed sleep...something I have been deprived of during the Christmas season.

..."[11]For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [12] Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart..." Jer.29:11-13

Sending out Christmas Cards

Oh how nice it is to have talented children. (thanks, Jen for designing my Christmas card!) I know, I am shamelessly bragging about my kids, (who are all grown adults now) so bear with me for a minute. I am so proud of all of them. They are gifted and talented and thoughtful and respectful and kind. I thank God for allowing me to be their mother.

Nine years ago on Dec. 13th I had a massive heart attack. It was a day none of us will ever forget. I died. twice. and came back to be able to enjoy seeing my children grow into five fine adults. I have been given a gift beyond measure...and Christmas will always have a special meaning for me.