The world's most boring blog!

I've been waiting for a few days to blog because I thought by then surely I would have something worthwhile to blog...WRONG! I stay busy, but I can't say doing what. A typical day of mine consists of doing stuff all day, but nothing really gets done. Example: When I get up I make my bed. I go to take my medicine, but I see how awful my hair looks so I have to tame it before I walk outside in the real world to take the dog out. I take Buddy out for his potty. I fill up his food and water and think that I should do it for the cats as well. I decide I might as well go ahead and sift the cat box so I go to the kitchen to get the new litter. While in the kitchen, I see that the table needs to be cleaned off. I grab an armful of stuff to take to their proper places. As I reach the bathroom I notice that I need to start a load of towels. I gather them up and stuff them in the washer and see that I'm out of detergent so I head back to the kitchen to get the new bottle. While I'm in there I decide i should test my blood before I take my medicine. As I finish up that task, I can't bear to look at the remains of last night's pots and pans that have been soaking. I finish the pans, then see that my counters are a mess. How can this be? I straightened them after supper last night! As I work on that, the dog has to potty again. While outside I straighten up the deck furniture and decide to water my plants. That brings on a game of dog vs. hose. Buddy loves to be squirted! Now the dog is wet and must dry out a little before we continue our chores. I sit for a while until I feel the need to talk to my neighbors who ply me with bounty from their garden. I go inside and plop them on my counter and pick up where I left off straightening them. I spy my blood tester and quickly head over to it, but am distracted by what I need to get out of the freezer for supper. I grab my new handy-dandy LIVING HOPE COOKBOOK and peruse through it for a tasty dish for my family. After picking a recipe I find that I need a few ingredients. I go comb my hair and put on some make-up in case I see some of my students at the store. While cleaning up, I remember my medicine. I gobble all 12 pills in one gulp (yes, I said all 12) and go to the kitchen for the elusive blood tester. After doing that, I have to eat something or my pills will make me sick and then I'll be done for the day. While my bagel is toasting, I get the laundry going. I can't go to the store now now because I don't leave my washer/dryer on while I'm not in the house. (Bad experience one time) Maybe I'll vacuum the living room. I probably should sweep the kitchen first. Hey, there's the kitty litter...better do that first. Anyway, you see what I'm talking about. It got too late to go to the store for my supper ingredients so we had whatever I could fix quickly. My laundry got tumbled 3 times before I was able to unload it wrinkle free. I go from room to room never quite finishing anything. But, on the good side of things, my family is great. They would rather me go out and do something fun than me to worry that I didn't get the floor vacuumed. Hamburgers and tater tots are ok. We can always scoot the clutter over on the kitchen counter over a little more when kind friends share their garden with us. ( praise be to green tomatoes) I guess what I am trying to say is I don't always get caught up in details. Things get done eventually. Some days I don't even try...yesterday I left the house with the intention of playing at a friend's house all day. Funny, I got more done when I got home than I did the previous day when I was home all day. Go figure that one!

Funny Games are the Best!

Samantha and I have been playing a funny game for months now...and it never fails to get me tickled! We have some little plastic dinosaurs that we hide in unexpected places to scare each other. Down in the bed under the covers never gets old. When you get into bed after a long tiring day and slide your legs under the covers....aaaahhhhhhh! Then the giggles start.
Samantha changed the game slightly a while back. She has a creepy little cut-out of a leprechaun that she hid to scare me. Not to be out-done, I made leprechaun into a life size figure and put it in her bed to scare the begees out of her. To top it off, I taped Harry Potter glasses on his face. I had great success with that prank!
Now, whenever he turns up he still wears the Harry Potter glasses.
Last night he made an unexpected appearance in my medicine cabinet. First, I went and got my insulin out of the fridge. Tucked cozily in the box was a little dinosaur that was wedged in tightly, keeping the insulin from coming out of the box. As I stuck my fingers inside the box to see why it would not come out, it poked my unsuspecting finger with its spikes. Aaaaaahhhhhh! Giggle Giggle! after we had a good laugh about it, I bid Sam a good night and proceeded into my bathroom medicine cabinet to take the rest of my nightly medicine. When I opened the cabinet...Leprechaun fell out on me. Aaaaaahhhhhh! Giggle Giggle!
As I'm recovering from that I reach over to get my glass to fill with water to take my medicine and there was another dinosaur in it! Aaaaaaahhhhh! Giggle Giggle!
Sam certainly was busy yesterday. She had planned on me being a creature of habit and was successful in all 3 pranks. I will get her back. She knows it and that is what makes our game so fun. This is just one example of why I miss her so much when she goes back to college.
I will prolly send Denny (the toy dino that i sent with her on vacation. She sent pictures of him through her phone of him sight-seeing)just to keep me caught up on things as well as a little entertainment. Now...where can I hide that leprachaun?

Happy Birthday to my Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 69. She has been gone for 2 years now. Sometimes it seems like it was yesterday, but other times it seems like it has been forever.
It is amazing how much we all miss her for so many different reasons. I miss her just to talk to about the everyday things in life. And of course, I could do no wrong in her eyes. Everyone needs that in their life. Ed misses her because she instinctively knew when he needed a little extra boost in self-confidence. She was so proud of him and let him know that there was no one in the world like him. My girls were her girls! She was so proud of them. In a world that was filled with pain for her, they were what made her life worth living! Meagan was her special first-born grandchild and they always had a very special relationship. Mom held her before I did! I think that she would have added Mike to her collection of loved ones.
Sam was her very special "Little Sammy". Mom loved how she was so little, but always knew what she wanted and went after it. She would be proud to see that Sam has not changed in that!
When I think of mom I don't cry for her; I cry for us. She would be the first to say she had a good life, even with all of her illness. She got to love her family, inspire others in a positive way, and now live with Jesus. Way to go Nana! I love you!

Summer Break Is Going By Fast

I am going into the panic mode...summer break is dwindling. It can be counted down in days without much trouble. Do I love my job? YES! Am I ready to go back to school yet? NO!
Once we get back, the enthusium of a new school year will take over. I love seeing our old students and meeting the new ones. I still hear "Hi Mrs. Alvey!" from students I worked with years ago when out shopping or in the park. It tickles me to see students who have left our school and are making it in their current school or situation.
I am hurriedly trying to get Harry Potter #6 reread so I am fresh for # 7. It is amazing how much I have forgotten! We are looking forward to the last book, but sad about it in a way. It has been such a favorite of ours for so long now. Samantha thinks she has the ending figured out...actually it is a very possible scenerio. She is the queen of Harry Potter trivia...Meagan is the princess!
Our summertime birthday party time is almost here. My family is pretty scattered out and we don't see each other all together very often. We make it a necessity to gather for a Christmas celebration and once in the summer. I came up with the idea years ago to celebrate everybody's birthday all at the same time because it was getting difficult to remember to get gifts mailed at the proper time for the proper person. This has worked out very well. No person gets stressed about forgetting a birthday and it keeps us on track for getting together. With Mom gone, it would be easy to just drift apart, but this way we are all taking an active part in keeping our family close even if miles seperate us. We went to Huber's Winery one year, Holiday World, our houses, etc. This year we are heading up to Tracy's house in Indy and having our birthday celebration on Saturday night at Conner's Prairie for an outdoor picnic and symphony. Everyone gets a gift form the other family members...it is so much fun! The next day, Tracy's baby, Emily, will be baptised. Ed and I are the Godparents. I hope my family always stays in touch...that was my Mom's dearest wish!

A Little Idle Chit-Chat

There's not a whole lot of things happening at the Alvey household right now. My hubby took an unexpected business trip to Puerto Rico. He really doesn't like to travel without the family, but it is a short trip and hopefully worthwhile. I told him to call me if he gets lonely...stay away from any Puerto Rican babe he might encounter!
I am going to start the reread of Harry Potter # 6 so I'll be ready for the new book when it comes out in 2 weeks...I can't wait! I get the events mixed up of what happened in what book. Sam keeps me straight. Harry Potter gets a lot of bad press because of magic, sorcery,etc. but is it really any different than Snow White, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty? Good triumphs over evil. I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

Just say "NO"

On the 4th, we had a slip and slide as part of the day's entertainment. In very small letters. the box states that it is" not for the use of adults." If you ever see this warning, be sure you pay attention! Read it twice if you have to. There is a reason for these words. SORE MUSCLES!!! Now , I understand that I am an old fat lady...my brain just didn't bother to let my body in on that fact. I really don't feel too bad about being sore because even the youngsters of the party are sore. Meagan says it hurts to even breathe. Sam forbids us to say anything remotely funny because laughing hurts. The manly men are sore too. Misery loves company you know! So, my advice to everyone is to JUST SAY NO TO SLIP AND SLIDE!

The Letter

Today I got a letter from my brother Billy's old Sarge. Billy died in 1970( I gave an incorrect date of 1969 in a recent posting.) in Vietnam. Some of his buddies have been trying to get in contact with his family for years which brings us up to date. Lee has been in torment about the events of Billy's death for nearly 40 years...he loved him like a brother. It was the most wonderful letter! Lee told some stories of his time with my brother in Vietnam and Billy's personality came shining through. I could see the mischief in his face as I read of his antics. He was a medavac and was responsible for getting the wounded soldiers out of dangerous situations. That's a lot of responsibility for a 19 year old. Billy volunteered to go on the mission just days before he was to be sent " back to the world."
Lee told me of the outpouring of grief from all who knew Billy.
I am very thankful to know that Billy was surrounded by people who cared about him. He died being a good marine, a "hero to hundreds of men who are now grandfathers", and a good friend who saved the life of his buddy! Billy's life was short, but can you imagine anyone doing anything more worthwhile?
Lee says that he feels like he has finally completed a long journey by telling us Billy's story. Lee has my utmost respect and gratitude for reopening old wounds that have never entirely healed just to honor the memory of his fallen friend. He called me his "little sister" and I am proud to accept that title. Please pray for Lee and other soldiers who have had to endure the torture of remembering and accepting the death of comrades.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th to all! We celebrated this holiday with family and friends at our house. We built boats to be raced in our pool, had a patriotic costume judging, and ate festive food. Our food was required to have patriotic names or themes or the person contributing that dish would be taunted and then shunned by everyone. ( It was touch and go with Perri for a while, but she eventually caved in under the pressure and named her food with names befitting the occasion.) We had Constitution corn on the cobb, Taxation without representation trifle, Star spangled spuds, American Revolution cannonball meatballs, Sons of Liberty slaw, Patriotic fortune cookies complete with patriotic trivia, flag jello, Boston baked beans, ect. ect. ect. It was a fun day!
We swam, watched near-death slip and slide examples ( I tried it 2 times...I hit the ground so hard on my stomach that my breasts now are pushed through to my back!) raced our homely boats, and played hillbilly golf. Just being together with our loved ones made it a delightful day. We all had to work at this fun day though. Samantha and Andi were sick with already established sinus infections, Perri woke up puny, I am in the midst of passing a kidney stone that must be the size of a boulder, Autis was not his usual full of poo self, Meagan hurt her leg on the above mentioned slip and slide. Anyone not having an ailment were free ( and encouraged) to be eaten up by assorted flying insects!
We had planned on going to watch fireworks, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Instead, I had a nap in the evening .
I dedicate this blog to my deceased brother, Billy, who lost his life in 1969 in Vietnam. It was on July 3rd( the 4th in our country) that he gave the ultimate sacrifice. His dedication, and others who have given their all for our country to enjoy freedom are what this holiday is all about. God bless all soldiers, past and present, as well as their families.

Awake in the wee hours

It is 8:00a.m. and here I am blogging. That's plenty early for a morning during the summer( I am not a morning person.) Actually I have been awake since about 3:30 due to a miserable backache. Did that sound pitiful enough or shall I work on it a little more? Anyway, it is amazing the random thoughts that come and go in the wee hours.
One of the topics I found myself pondering at 3:45 or so was how fortunate we are that God blessed us with tomatoes! I thought about all of the foods that we can make from tomatoes, praised God for homegrown ripe tomatoes, and almost fell to my knees in gratitude thinking of the plate of cornmeal breaded fried green tomatoes that I fixed myself for lunch yesterday! (I think I might have been a little hungry when I went to bed last night.)
After I exhausted the tomato topic, I thought about how blessed we are to have animals in our world. I don't count all of them as being a personal blessing( snakes, worms, lizards, frogs, spiders, creepy crawlies of any sort) but in my little corner of the world I sure love my pets! I thought of the pets we currently have or have had in the past and entertained myself for another few minutes. I even had thoughts of sadness for the unfortunate souls who due to health reasons or just plain old bad judgement who will never experience a dog lying across your feet while a cat is wrapped around your neck while another cat is lying on your pillow and kneading your scalp with loving paws. It doesn't get any better than that! Did God give us animals to take care of or did He give us to the animals to take care of?
From that topic my mind went to a more conventional one at this time of year ... patriotic things. I think of my brother at this time of year. He was killed in action from enemy fire in 1969 in Vietnam on July 3rd. ( Sarge says it was actually the 4th in our country.) I have recently been in touch with his old Sarge who was with him on that terrible day. He still carries a lot of baggage from that time and I would like to request that you pray for him and all soldiers past and present for what they go through. My brother gave his life for our country, but the ones who were able to make it home did as well. Their life will never be the same. ( I may have to pause to sing a verse of God Bless America) Anyway, Billy told his Sarge if for some reason he did not make it back home, drink a big ice cold Coca Cola and dedicate it to him. That's exactly what I plan to do. Here's to you Billy!

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is my goal to start blogging again. I will do better this time or my daughters and friends will discipline me! My daughter Meagan is going to show me how to link with her blog ect. I am technologically ignorant, so I must beg lessons periodically. Samantha is very appreciative that Meg is helping me instead of her. Meg must have drawn the short straw!