Crash

Maybe this is what happened......just too much information.  

Whatever the problem.....my computer crashed.  The hard drive died....I may have lost all my pictures and stuff I had there since I got that uncrashable computer.  

Right now, I'm using my old computer.  The one I had JUST told our son to wipe clean!  Thank goodness he procrastinated or I'd be really up the creek!  

However, in the meantime I will be spending more time on something really constructive and I 'm guessing less time on the computer.  

But don't forget me......surely I'll be right back! 

Time Management or.....If I Only had a Brain!

Am I the only one who's getting very forgetful lately?  I mean VERY forgetful?

Believe it or not, I like knowing how my week is going to go and what I'll be doing.  I check my calendar every day to see what I have going on that day.  Not that it means I'll remember any of what I need to do!

But I never have to look on Mondays, because Mondays are very special.  

I have a long standing and ongoing problem with neck pain.  My daddy always said I was a pain in the neck!  So I have the greatest massage therapist and every Monday, Lord willing, I drive to her home for a massage.  A deep, knocking the knots out of my neck massage, which keeps me going for a few days.

Monday, I got up as usual and started laundry, watching the time so I would be sure to get ready in time for my massage.  I did a few loads of laundry, ate breakfast...etc. all the time thinking at 10 a.m. I need to get in the shower.  

MY APPOINTMENT IS AT 10 A.M. 

I have no clue what I was thinking, but at 10:21 a.m. my therapist called and said I know something is wrong because you are always here!  It was only then that I realized I was working towards an 11 a.m. goal.  WHY????? 

I really have no idea.  But the week before at my appointment we talked, just randomly, about time management.  She said they were talking about it in her Sunday School class and she copied the notes and gave them to me.....

When I finally walked in her door an hour late, I said with a sad little smile.....Thank you so much for those time management pointers! Now if only I would study numbers 8 and 9 carefully!

My randomness just went on from there.  I'm going to go take a walk and see if I can shake some oxygen up to the old brain and maybe, just maybe get it working!

Middle Sister

I have five brothers and sisters.  Three brothers and two sisters.  I am the middle sister.  

One of my sisters gave me this.  One the back it says this.....

Do you know that birth order is commonly believed to have a profound and lasting effect on psychological development?  And that the middle sister has a greater chance of having a special wine named just for her?  A sassy blend of our three favorite white varieties perfect for sipping before, during and after our favorite family meals.  Some people are just born lucky.  Now give me back my blouse.

It's called Wicked White!

Yes, the one in the middle is me....the skinny one.  Ha!  I wish.

Cute, huh?  I'll tell you a little secret though.....it wasn't ME saying Give me back my blouse!   But enough of that!

I love being the middle sister.  I mean, hey, it gives me an excuse for a lot of stuff! Besides I was between two great women.  I can say that now that we are no longer children.

What seems like a long, long time ago now, I worked with first time offenders.  We were based out of the Un*versity of W*st Fl*rida and went to lots and lots of seminars on everything from relaxation (that one flew right over my head) to the effects of birth order in families.  Quite frankly, having learned how people are supposed to behave according to their birth order, compared to how they actually behave, I think the research is a bunch of bunk wrong in many cases.

For instance, according to some sources, middle children come in a couple of different varieties.  They are either quiet, shy loners who are uptight and impatient......or they are outgoing, friendly, loud, laid back and patient.

AND we are prone to be peacemakers, mediators, good judges of character, etc.  Supposedly some of our weaknesses are that we are rebellious, stubborn, cynical and suspicious.

For further clarification you would have to ask one of my five siblings about my personality....although they do tend to lie shamelessly! 

I am not shy, but I may be a tad uptight and impatient!  I would say I am outgoing and friendly.  My husband would say I am loud.

No one I know would say I am laid back or patient.

I do believe I am prone to be a peacemaker and I have been told by my good friend Tammy that I am a good judge of character and have good first impressions of people.  I'm afraid I am rebellious and was especially so in my teens according to various all family members.  I can be quite stubborn, don't think I'm cynical and am on occasion could be suspicious, although not so much now that the children are all grown!  Joke children, joke!  AND you guys know you gave me plenty of reasons to be suspicious that had NOTHING to do with my birth order!


Just a side note.......I have often compared myself to my sisters over the years.

Here we are in birth order.  Left to right, youngest to oldest.


My older sister has always been......according to teachers that I had the dubious privilege of having AFTER she had them.......smart and studious.  In middle school, one teacher even said I couldn't be her sister.  It wasn't meant to be a compliment to me.  She had lots of friends and boyfriends in high school and was much more popular than I was.  She is a beautiful woman and is caring and nurturing to everyone.  She is always right there when needed and is often needed by all who know her.  She's a great wife and mother and sibling. 


My younger sister.......as a child and actually always, was the good sister.  Meaning she was quiet about what she did!  :)  She was actually very shy as a child.  She's also the one that looks most like our mama.  She has beautiful, curly, thick dark hair and works out so she looks great.  ARGGG.....   She stayed home the longest while older and middle sisters married wayyyyy too young.  In that way, she was probably much smarter.  Extremely talented, she's also a great wife, mother and sibling.

Both sisters are good friends to me, which is the trait I love most of all.


Me?  I was very average in school.......not so much due to ability as to the fact that I loved to socialize.  I often got lower grades in conduct.  If you're younger than 45 you probably don't even know what conduct is on a report card.   It basically means I talked too much.....still do.  I had lots of friends and a few boyfriends.  I was verrrrry dramatic.  My husband might say I still am a tad drama driven!  I think I am a good wife and mother, but I'll leave that observation to husbands and children.

I'll say, despite any research, that I am very grateful to be in a large family, even with all the birth order quirks!

This was fun!  There are tons of articles written and research done on the effects of birth order.  I, quite frankly, think we are who He made us to be.....



Oh, and don't worry, I'll get to the brothers another day!




 

What a waste!

See what I mean?  I wasted so much time, it's already tomorrow!  Oh, dear!

****************************************************************************

Oh, and I'm not perfect yet. 

This is exactly how I feel most days lately.  I'm just not sure if it's the heat or if I'm just lazy.  We had a flurry of activity with the graduation, new baby, vacation and then back to be with the new baby and his parents for a few days.

When I first got home from the baby trip I got real busy and got stuff done that needed doing badly.  But this week, I feel....well see above picture.

Today when I finally got out of my pajamas dressed, I did go walk our new dedicated bike/walk/run path that starts near our house.  Yes, my hips are killing me tonight!

We did go to a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, then to Sam's to get food for fellowship time at church tomorrow, then to see mama.

Wait a minute, so I exercised, shopped and visited.  Maybe I didn't waste as much of the day as I thought!  I feel better.

Mercy Uganda is having a garage sale next weekend and I mentioned to Matt that he should go through his stuff and donate anything he doesn't want......WELL, my living room is now full of stuff he wants to donate.  I'm not even sure how he could have had all that in his room.....most of it in his closet!

He came out with two globes and I asked incredulously you're giving away the world????  Two of them???  He gave me a frustrated look and asked if I wanted them for some reason.  The very reason my house contains a  lot of  little clutter......not good at getting rid of things.  

Now I have to go through all the junk treasures in the rest of the house.  We are all taking this opportunity to declutter.

I'd better go see what other stuff I can put in the garage sale for someone else to clutter their home with!!!  :) 

More Charley with Pappy and Great Mema

Pappy....sometimes known as Russell.....was eager to get down to see Charley.  So eager, he took off work early to get his mom and get down to Oc*la.  

Look at those faces....daddy, Pappy and Charley!  Charley wore his Gator outfit just for his Pappy.

Mama!

That look!  It's like Russell is telling Charley I'll always be here for you buddy.  You can tell me anything.  

The four generations. 

Nana and Pappy love you Charley!

Hey!  Who hung the animals over my head??

It was nice to be able to spend a few days spoiling the baby helping out and visiting.  All things baby have changed so much over the years that I am learning all over again with Charley. I'm actually not sure how our babies survived!

It's a joy to have a new baby.....especially knowing this...

For you formed my (Charley's) inward parts; you knitted me (Charley) together in my mother's womb.  I praise you, for I (Charley) am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139: 13 & 14

Nana comes to visit.....

I'm back in Ocala to visit with and try to be of some use to Tommy, Claudia and Charley.

Charley is two weeks old today and has just gotten cuter and sweeter.

He was napping in his swing when I got here today.....isn't he sweet???

Oh, how sweet to get my arms around him.   It's been a long, long time since I had a baby grandchild and it's nice to hold a little one.

Mama!  I need my diaper changed.

Daddy's home from work.  

Look at Charley hold his head up!  He's getting his tummy time.

The whole family including Roscoe who has taken a back seat to this new little creature in the house.  Roscoe's not used to being number two!

More about the visit later, it's getting late and it was a long drive.  Worth every mile!

July 4th......Happy Birthday America

I'm so glad July 4th is on Sunday this year.  It's so special to celebrate with praise and worship, thanking our Lord for his blessing on our country.  

May he forgive us our shortcomings and strengthen us for the days ahead!

God bless America.