resolution...

my word for the coming year is going to be PEACE...

my resolution...

to give all the peace I receive from my Father away...

to whoever needs it...

I am going to make peace...

be peace...

do peace...

and that...

I will give away...

and change a world of chaos...

into a world of peace...

one branch at a time...

have a safe New Year's eve...

and I will see you again next year...

we woke to this yesterday morning...

it snowed during the night...

plastering everything with white...

DH had to make another trip to pick up my antibiotics...

and the roads were not that great...

so glad I stayed home...

Christmas decorations are down...

and stored away for another year...

left the pencil tree in the kitchen...

totally bare...

and will work on it a little at a time...

for my valentine's day tree...

the thought for the day...

so...

have a blessed Sunday...

enjoy this snowy, lazy day...

there were 7 this morning...

7 cardinals...

waiting for the little guys to spill the seed out on the ground...

male and female...

I just sat here and watched...

they come to feed and don't stay long...

aren't they pretty?

they live in our huge shrubs that line the property along the road...

must be feeding them well...

they all look to be on the plump side...

heading out for Paris and the Walmart pharmacy in the morning...

called the doctor this morning and told him what happened and he called me in an antibiotic...

its the last thing he can do for me before he leaves...

got an appointment with the ENT on Feb 5th...

that seems so far away, doesn't it?

DH is off for the next 5 days...

need to make a list to keep him busy...

LOL

it never works...

hopefully, we can get the Christmas down and put away and the house back to normal...

thank goodness we didn't put too much out this year and it should be easy going back into storage...

well, that's all the news from here...

have a fun day tomorrow...

and a great weekend...

;)

the blizzard has been cancelled...

but we did get between 1-2 inches of s$%#...

a very wet snow now...

looking down the driveway, there are still places where you can see the green, green grass...

its a pretty white covering...

but I think we should have mowed first...

the lavender is still a nice green color...

and a hint of pink...

tacky yard fight decor...

I kind of like them now...

maybe they will stay around...

at least until spring...

really stiff and sore today...

got to be the storm going through...

and my dad is in the hospital with pneumonia...

been in almost a week now...

step mom called us yesterday and she was staying with him at the hospital...

to be snowed in there instead of at home...

the antibiotics are starting to work, but she said this would be his last Christmas...

 I sure hope so...

I think he's done more than enough here below...

many are sick around here...

but Tori did well with her last chemo and was able to go home for Christmas...

Lori's boyfriend became her fiance and then...

her husband...

the staff at the hospital helped make it possible...

and made it such a joyous time for them...

her new husband has been moved to a rehab facility now...

to begin his recovery and all that fun stuff...

so many blessings...

and a few passings, too...

keeping those families in my prayers as this year fades away...

hurricane Sandy...

Sandy Hook...

and those firemen in NY...

what a way to end a year...

but those families and friends will walk on...

into a new year, a new beginning...

plus, if we haven't lost someone, there are families close to us that have...

so many are gone from our small community in the last 12 months...

and more close to crossing over...

we should not take our time here for granted...

and we shouldn't waste it, either...

keep being His light in this world...

we need to shine so others can see the path...

hugs to you...

all of you...

you make me smile...

and you hug my heart daily...

;)

My surgery has been cancelled again!

still hoping to get it in before the end of the year...

lymph node is swollen behind the ear and they don't want to mess with it...

so back to find someone to give me antibiotics...

waiting on another phone call...

updates will happen later on tonight...

guess I am having a Charlie Brown Christmas- LOL

Doug's washing the dog...

had to vacuum a christmas ornament while ago...

someone tried to hockey it...

washer and dryer both going...

DH is still at work...

having a Christmas party...

while I hang out with the kids, the cats and the dog...

there is cookie dough in the fridge...

if anything else happens, I am grabbing the tub, heading for my room and locking myself in...

I just love this time of the year...

even with some drama...

what do you say?

when someone who has given you hope again...

who listens and hears what you have to say...

who has to leave after 15 years because of upper management?

who cannot for 2 years see any of his patients that he had there?

you wait until he can...

I had to see him this morning for my cysts...

but I wrote him a note in the card and handed it to the nurse working this morning to give to him...

I thought it would be later...

but I should have been the first one seen this morning...

and we waited, he saved me for last...

he had read the card...

and we both cried and I thanked him for changing my life...

and promised that I would never give up again...

not until I found someone like him...

and when the 2 years is up...

I will find him...

his staff is being taken care of and will be absorbed into the clinic/hospital...

they are wonderful people and I am so grateful they didn't lose their jobs...

I know one door never closes without another one opening...

I know God has major plans for this man...

that those who are about to become his new patients are ones who need him more than I do...

that what he does matters and he has so much compassion for people...

that he was truly called to be a healer of hearts, minds and bodies...

how do you thank someone enough for giving you back your hope?

dreams?

pay it forward...

its the only way...

I even got to hug him, he held my hand, he was so thankful for the card...

and I wished him happiness and peace in his life...

may God bless them all as they walk their new paths...

Dr. Sheikh is one amazing doctor, person...

so, in the meantime, I need to see an ENT specialist again for the cysts...

and that will be after the surgery... 

it will not interfere with that, so the surgery is still on for the 26th...

white Christmas?

you never know around here...

but we did get this yesterday and last night...

along with 60 mph winds, which took down power lines...

we were in the dark around here from 9:30 pm until midnight...

bless those linemen who go out in all kinds of weather to keep us all warm...

lost some limbs in that wind, but this fell away from the house...

so while its like this outside...

we are doing this inside...

ate my two while posting this...

yeah, they were good...

got another appointment with my dr in the morning...

ear again...

crazy thing...

I have a cyst behind my ear that I think needs opened this time...

so...

back to get antibiotics to keep me cleared up for the 26th...

have  a good night...

winter storm...

ho, ho, ho...

its winter time here on the prairie...

the winds are just howling...

we are only supposed to get a half an inch of snow...

but we have white out conditions, the roads are slick...

wrecks everywhere and they are telling us to all stay home..

so, here I am...

since I couldn't go out and look at lights...

I found some awesome ones online...

so sit back and pretend we are cruising around town...

oohing and awing at all this splender...

I hope you brought your cup of hot chocolate with you...

I got the cookies...

isn't this cute?

and you could do it any time of the year...

and the thoughts for today...

;)

stay warm and cozy...

something sweet...

Elmer is growing!

but not too fast, that wouldn't be as much fun...

but he's my Christmas present this year...

yep, even my hard nosed hubby couldn't say no to that face...

so he's now officially a member of the family...

his sister found her furrever home, too...

a lady needed a small, yellow cat...

her little boy has been asking for one all year...

so, being a single mom, she had to make sure he really wanted one and that they could afford to take care of another little mouth...

after asking for so long, she finally started looking for one...

the lady we were feed for got ahold of me and we may arrangements for pick up...

she came by Sunday and took Stevie to her new home...

and the little boy was so excited!

he promised her he would love her forever and always take care of her...

Elmer had a hard time the first day...

I had to cuddle him a little bit more...

talk to him and pet him...

and told him it would be ok...

he was staying...

he still cries every now and then, but for the most part, he is doing ok...

so far...

he hasn't found the Christmas tree yet...

but it will happen...

and that's my something sweet...

Please pray for...

the children who were not called home...

the ones who are left here to remember their friends and teachers...

to never forget a day that will change the rest of their lives...

the parents who are burying their children this week...

the siblings who will never ever look at Christmas the same way again...

who will have to walk past a bedroom that no longer is needed...

who will sit and look at an empty chair at the dinner table, day in and day out...

who would give anything to take back the last fight that they had...

the families of the teachers and staff...

a major hole was left there for sure...

the first responders...

they saw things that no one should ever see...

the ones who stepped over bodies looking for survivors...

the ones who bagged those bodies for transport...

whose nights will be filled with reenactments, over and over again...

the coroner staff who had to remove all the bullets for evidence...

the funeral home staff...

the ones who will have to take care of the bodies...

the arrangements...

the families...

the ministers of the local churches who have to find mere words to say what is in all of our hearts...

the citizens of that community who will be forever reminded of that day...

who will have to drive past the school, the homes, the playgrounds and the cemeteries...

the ones who will pick up the broken pieces of their lives and their neighbors' lives and try to put things back together...

for the teachers and staff who have to walk back into that building and make things ok again...

for the students who will go on...

for the laughter to return to them...

for the sun to shine again...

for the tears to be wiped away...

for the pain to lessen...

they need so much...

and God is the only one who can give them what they need...

God knew your pain when it came time to part,

He, too, lost a child, He knows a broken heart.

But He has a bigger plan way beyond our sight,

Flesh is not forever and in Heaven all is right.

Children are His favorite, so they are surely blessed,

They are safe within His arms as He holds them to His chest.

So when you say your prayers before you go to sleep tonight,

Listen very closely and you will hear tiny wings in flight.

I wrote that many years ago, for a friend...

it seems fitting for now, too...

a day of silence...

2 days of silence...

I understand that there is a thing going around blog land for us to remain silent...

but I can't do that...

I used to ask my mom many questions growing up...

and among them was one about death...

My mom always had an answer for everything I asked her and one time I asked her about dying. She said the old must and the young do. I said why does God take babies and small children from their moms and dads? She said that even God loves babies and small children, they are the closest to his heart. From then on, I always pictured God in heaven, sitting on the ground, playing in the dirt with little kids all around Him.

Mom always called babies His best creation. I think she was right about that. As far as this all that has happened, nothing happens without Him allowing it. The only power anyone has, to do good or evil, is what He gives them. That's where choice comes in. Free will. It would be so easy for Him to hold a lightening bolt to our heads and demand we obey, but then that's not what he wants. He wants us to want Him.

He doesn't want people who follow Him with just their minds. He wants us to follow with our hearts.

Hearts are broken and He heals them. He never gives us more than we can bare, ever. He will carry any burden we lay at His feet.

Can you imagine the scene in Heaven when all this happened? How many of those gone went in together? Holding hands, like in line at school. No fear, just love and joy and peace.

It was over quickly, no lingering deaths, no illness and endless hours of pain and suffering. Released from the chains of this world to claim their place beside His throne. To be spending their first Christmas in Heaven with the birthday boy himself? How awesome would that be?

Why did he allow it? For the rest of us to stand up for Him and take a stand against all of this evil and chaos. To declare that He is Christ the Lord and without knowing Him, you will burn in hell for eternity. To take back our homes, our families, our towns, our schools and our country in His name. To put Him back in the center of it all.

We need to become righteous in His name and to understand that the enemy is getting stronger because we lack ethics, morality and spirituality. That is why and how this happened.

And it will get worse. Because all these things must come to pass, for He is coming back and the trumpet could sound at any time.

My prayers are for those left behind, because God has the others covered. What they will have to do to get through the rest of their lives is rely on Him. Some will get closer than they ever have been and some will walk away out of bitterness. Pray for the bitter ones. You and I know that the only way they will ever see those smiling faces again is if they are able to walk through that gate when their walk is done.

May God have mercy on all their souls, for this is a bitter pill.


I cannot be silent...

there is too much at stake...

we must pray like we have never prayed before...

we must love like He told us to...

and we must take a stand against the enemy of the throne...

the change begins inside each one of us...

make the change....

Tori...

what a wonderful smile...

she is wearing one of her hats from a family member...

the amputation went very well...

her bone marrow was clear of cancer cells...

and she is about to start another round of chemo...

on the 19th, I believe...

her cast is off and stitches have been removed and she is wearing a shrinking sock...

anytime now, they will fit her with a prosthetic...

as of right now, she is cancer free...

no cancer at all has been found in her tiny body...

but she still has miles to go and tests after tests to endure...

but its a good sign...

the family thanks everyone for their prayers...

;)

today, in Heaven...

God, have mercy on us, the sinners of this world...

help us find our way out of all of this evil...

send your angels to protect and comfort those caught in the cross fire of the war that has invaded our land, our lives...

and lead us to be your light in this world...

help the families of those called home...

and hold those babies tight until their mommies and daddies can do it again...

amen

simplicity...

I guess I had a date with my husband tonight...

straight from work we headed for town...

had to hit the bank before it closed to make a deposit...

so, since Craig was helping a friend deliver a sofa and chair up north...

it was just my guy and me...

we did the Dollar Tree for a few things...

gift bags, which look better and are a lot cheaper than Walmart...

a few things for Doug...

and a couple more tooth brushes for me since I have thrush so I can change them often...

then we went next door to the Walmart super center for animal food so we don't have to shop this weekend at all...

and even though it didn't look like this...

it felt like this...

remember shopping door to door?

through the snow and wind?

the window fronts and the sound of Christmas carols in the air...

cars passing by...

neighbors shouting Merry Christmas?

we so miss those times...

the magical moments you remember from childhood...

well, I often wondered why there were always so many people at Walmart all the time...

I think because they miss this...

if you checked out the carts of people in there...

most of them had under 3 items in them...

I think they were there just to be there...

to get out...

to mingle...

and we ran into 6 people...

who we haven't seen in person for so long...

and we spent so much time talking and catching up...

more than we spent shopping...

and we left feeling like we had had the best evening out, ever...

the night sky was amazing coming home, so full of stars and crystal clear...

we do not have snow yet...

but the feeling is still there...

we ate supper when we got home and watched a Christmas movie all together...

it seemed like we were normal again...

and I felt apart of it...

that's something that hasn't happened in over 10 years...

and here are a few fun things I have found in the last couple of days...

this is so easy and you can use salt to fill the vases...

we all have bushes we could trim some sprigs from...

easy and elegant...

I love this wreath...

and this just made me smile...

I may be on the look out for red clothes at rummage sales this year to do me a Christmas clothes line...

and this is for you...

sending you the magic of this time of the year...

take the time to find simplicity in the days to come...

take a moment to breathe in all the wonder of the season...

take a look at those around you and be thankful...

feel the season...

Merry Christmas!

a little of the living room...

we haven't done much this year and I am loving the simplicity of it all...

our tree is not a designer tree...

not at all...

its our history...

our story of Christmases past...

all those memories are reflected here...

each item tells a story...

of a time and place long gone from here...

but forever remembered in each shiny bobble...

for the first part of our lives together, every year we added something...

that glass ornament came in a box of all clear, tinted ornaments...

most are gone now...

and the same year, I got a box of frosted ones just like them...

we went shopping the day after Christmas in Champaign, Il...

Prairie Gardens is a gardening place...

that used to have the most amazing Christmas things around...

isle after isle of shiny, frosted, spectacular things...

they had a wonderful craft and floral department all year long, but where the plants once were...

they would turn this area into a magical winter wonderland...

where you could walk through a forest of lit and adorned Christmas trees...

and then, of course, you walked through isles of ornaments and things to duplicate the prettiest of the trees...

the day after Christmas, all of the magic was 50% off...

it was the best kind of place to be...

and something to think on...

have a great day!

Happy Birthday to Nana Diana!

just wanted to give a shout out the craziest blonde on this earth!

Nana Diana!

I love this nut!

she is just what every person needs in their life to make it brighter...

I am not sure how old she is...

but its old...

and she is the best blogger...

the best nana...

the best friend...

and the best blogging sister anyone could have!

I love following the adventures of her beautiful grandkids...

and she warps them every chance she gets!

underneath all of that cute blonde hair is a heart of the purest form...

she has the most wonderful attitude towards life and is always thinking and praying for those who most forget...

she has been a most loved blessing in my life...

and so many others...

I love you, you whacky girl!

hope you have a day full of starbucks!

well, pooh...

we got up early this morning and were ready to go...

got there...

clothes off...

gown on...

footies, too...

and then...

I show them my tongue...

I broke out this morning with thrush mouth again...

never had it before this year and now here it is...

came from the shot in the butt to clear the ear infections...

so, I talked to both pre op nurses...

and then here came the anesthesiologist...

and then he called in another, older, more experienced...

and then my surgeon made an appearance...

and he is the one I listened to...

he said...

wait...

so...

that's what we have been doing all day...

waiting on everything...

got dressed again...

went to see my doctor for meds...

he wouldn't give me a script until he saw me...

even though others had...

back in there at 2...

but did talk to the surgeon's nurse and we rescheduled for the 26th...

back home...

nap...

lunch...

get dressed for real...

(didn't wear a bra this morning and had on leggings)

back over to Paris, only to wait forever...

then to Walmart, which ended up being the best part of the day...

we looked and looked and bought very little...

then we grabbed supper on the way home...

that was another wait...

now, I need to do housework...

so there you have it...

there's a reason...

I keep telling myself that...

there is a reason...

always shine...

no matter where you are planted...

let the light shine through..

I wanted the thank you for all your kind comments and prayers...

all that I do, I do not do for my own glory...

its all His...

I have no power that does not come from Him...

no talent, no heart, no kindness...

He has blessed me with so much...

and He is seeing me through this mess...

what we are freely given, we need to freely give away...

if we only gave Him back 10% of our time...

spend 10% with Him in His presence...

it would only be about 15 minutes a day...

freely give back to Him and watch His world unfold...

let Him use you to His fullest..

not yours...

and keep things in the right perspective...

I have to be at the hospital at 7:30 in the morning...

I get to go first...

I am going to close my eyes and lean back into Him...

and feel His arms encircle me...

if all goes like planned...

I should be home by noon...

my guys are awesome...

they have taken such care of me...

and they are willing to do it some more...

hopefully, though, not for long...

I have made up some major ground this year...

and looking forward to more...

;)

they're back...

my tree in the kitchen...

just dug through the ornament bins to see what was left...

added some silk flowers...

and this is what happened...

never, ever have a plan for the trees...

I just plop things on, in and through...

the lights are the purple Halloween lights we had on the deck this fall...

well, we got a call last night and Jane brought back Max and Amanda...

who we called Zigs and Lazarus...

the adoption fell through...

so they are here for a month and then back to Petropics...

but not if I can help it...

they came home sick and thin...

not in good shape at all...

Laz has an eye infection and both are sneezing...

started them on antibiotics as soon as they came in...

and they remembered us!

they were happy to be back...

as soon as I get them healed back up and some weight on them...

I will start posting them and see if we can't find them a home...

before they have to return to that place...

I am going to have to make a trip over there and see what kind of conditions they have been in...

maybe I could help them do better with babies they have in there...

who knows if they will listen or not, but we can try...

going to rest up and take it easy today...

wait for the phone call...

to let me know when surgery is tomorrow...

got several things planned for Craig today...

would love to come home to everything clean and in its place, with nothing to do...

but that won't happen...

LOL

men...

have a good one!