Oh, I'm so late with my Friday Fragments!  It's a sign that I'm either too busy or too lazy.  Just take your pick.  

It's Good Friday and I am so thankful today and every day for the sacrifice Christ made to save me......truly because He lives I can face another day.  There are so many things that point to the Savior.  It baffles me when people don't believe.....I always think of the scripture that says if we keep quiet, even the stones will cry out....that's in Luke.  All nature is evidence of God.....my favorite is the pine tree.  When they put out their new growth.....always around Easter time.... the new growth is in the shape of crosses.  You can read about that here. 

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Speaking of nature, I love an oak tree as much as the next person, but the stuff that drops off.......not so much!  

Remind you of anything?  Like seaweed on the beach?  I had vacuumed this stuff up several times before I took these pictures.  

It covered the surface of the pool and I couldn't skim fast enough to even keep up with it falling.  

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Tomorrow I will be driving out of town to a wedding.  This sweet girl is getting married!  
They are long time friends of my sister's and if you get involved with our clan, you become part of us pretty quickly!

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With that I'll say goodnight and 

He is Risen!

My extra hairital affair and other bits of unimportant info.....

On our walk yesterday, I reminded the superhero that this was the day I was going to have an extra hairital affair.  Of course, he shook his head and inferred that I might be a little crazy.  But I felt so guilty.  SO GUILTY.  

You see, I've been with the same hairdresser for 15 years.   I think of him as a friend.  It's not personal......it's really not.....maybe you're not as unstable as I am, but I can't even change hairdressers without this huge guilt thing hanging over my head.  After all, that is where my hair resides!  

This probably ruined my hairiage because I like the cut......liked the girl.....didn't feel pressured to buy anything.......she didn't encourage me to color my hair, just cut it like I asked. 

Anybody else get weirded out changing hairdressers or anything else for that matter, say grocery stores?  Please, if you wouldn't leave your hairdresser after a long term relationship just don't tell me, this guilt is already heavy!  If you have ever cheated on your stylist, did you tell them?  Did they, horrors, call to ask where you'd been?

Whew!  Thanks for letting me get that out!  

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It's not Friday, but because some things just won't stay in my head all week, here is our latest 
heard around here....


Me......we need to get you another dresser because you're about to fill the top of yours up with junk you need to sort.

Superhero......what I really need is another butt so you can chew on it some more, he said with a huge grin and that sweet dimple.

Me.....you had best be glad you're so cute or I might have to kill you!

AND we're half way through another week and drawing to the conclusion of another long tax season.  Nerves.....mine.....are getting a little thin.

It's Friday.....

And with Friday, we get Friday Fragments!  Sponsored by Mrs. 4444, it's a place to spill all the leftovers from your week.  Join in and give us little glimpses of your life from the week.

Spring came and left in a rush this week!  That one day saw me busting out my capris and t shirts and actually doing a little yard work......pulling five weeds two buckets of weeds and sitting out in the sun for a bit.  It did leave me with a good

Heard around here....

Superhero bringing in my morning cup of coffee to wake me up to walk....

Time to wake up!  Insert cheery voice

Me, cheery voice not included.....

How many minutes?  (I mean until I have to actually walk)

Superhero....

Well, all I know is it's 7 minutes until Spring!

HUH???

Gotta love cheerful men!  

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I have made five recipes from Pinterest......four were bombs!  One, chocolate chip cookies, was the best recipe ever.  Have you had good or not so good results from recipes on Pinterest?

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My sister and her husband are here with us this week while they make sure his mama will be o.k. back at the assisted living facility after her weeks in rehab.  She's taken a few falls lately so they want to make sure she's going to be ok before leaving her to return home.  Prayers go out for Mary to get her strength back and start enjoying life!

Our mama lives in the same facility and every now and then gets very confused.  She has caregivers during the day, but is alone at night except for the two hour checks by the nurses.  She can't get up so she's ok at night.  Except for the times she's not and of course we never know when that will be.  This week it was Wednesday night!  Sister Debbie called me after I got home from church.......but thankfully before I put on my pj's.....to say mama was really confused and trying to get up out of her recliner.  It's a long story, but I ended up going over and she was agitated and manic.  When she's confused, she can't stop talking and wanting to get up and walk....she can't walk so that's a problem.

After a pretty good while, I told Debbie to go home because they are staying with her MIL and she needed the rest and I would stay until mama was calm and ready to sleep.  I gave her enough drugs to kill a horse a small dose of sedative and her pain medication hoping she would calm down and go to sleep.  Since that's a whole nother long story, I'll just leave you with two things she said.....
kind of a mama version of heard around here....

When I first got to mama's she was so happy to see me that she went on a bit about how sweet and beautiful (go figure) I was, so 
I said...

Mama can't help it that she loves me best.

Mama.....  (having obviously heard me wrong)
So, you're lousy in bed???

ME.....You'd have to ask the Superhero about that!

We got a good laugh to mix in with the stress!

Every time I thought she was asleep enough that I would try to sneak out, she would immediately open her eyes, so
I said....

Mama, I'm going outside for a minute.

Mama said....Are you smoking again?

After a moment of wondering what she meant by that AND how she could possibly still be awake after all the meds, mama said....

That's what my caregivers say when they're going out to smoke.  

I probably could have used a cigarette by that time, but since I don't smoke I just assured her that  no, I wasn't going to smoke and quietly went out the door.  
The nurse assured me she would check on mama often during the night, so I came home and went to bed with a prayer that God would keep His arms around her for the night.

The next day she was much better!

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And just for laughs, I found this fortune that I got in a fortune cookie years ago.....



Because you probably can't read it, it says....
 Your life will be happy and peaceful.....
I'm very happy, but peaceful???  Well, that's what I get for keeping those dumb fortunes!  Glad I didn't use the lottery numbers they print on the other side!

*****

Have a great weekend all!  

Opportunity

I have been fortunate to have many children in my life, not all my own.  Some who came into my life  to stay forever and some who were in my daily life for a short time, but are in my heart forever.  

This is the story of two boys who came into my life.  I have never met either of these boys in person.  They live far away in Uganda.  Frank and James.  Some of you may know that the Superhero and I serve on the board for Mercy Uganda, a mission organization ministering to the women and children of Uganda.  

In Uganda, opportunities are not readily available like they are in the United States.  Most every child in America that truly wants to get somewhere in life has that opportunity.  Education is afforded to all children.  Not so in Uganda.  The children there have to pay to go to school.  Many, many children in Uganda are orphans and some are taken in my relatives, but many are in what we call child headed homes.....meaning the oldest child in the family becomes the parent.  

First, let me explain some things about Mercy Uganda that are different from some organizations.  Mercy Uganda forms relationships with people and now has Ugandans who are part of our team and one goal is for the people to learn to provide for themselves.  Some organizations go in, do something, leave and the people are actually no better off than they were before because they don't know how to care for or provide for themselves.  It is important that people learn skills to take care of themselves.  I won't give you a list of what has been accomplished in giving the people the skills they so desperately need, but instead direct you to the Mercy Uganda website where you can actually see for yourself what is going on there.

But one thing I do want to talk about is child sponsorships.  We had a sponsored young man.......by sponsor I mean we paid his tuition to attend school and sent gifts and provided for his supplies.  Frank.....he was doing well for a while, but when our team went recently it seems that Frank had decided he had had enough of school, didn't pass the test to move on to the next level and stopped going altogether.  I didn't learn of this until the team returned home.  

It broke my heart.  You see, in America you will probably get more opportunities to turn your life around, but in Uganda that was very well Frank's only shot out of  a life of poverty.  I am aware that God is more than able, but right now Frank is drifting.  

If he crosses you mind, say a prayer for Frank.

Laura, the head of Mercy Uganda prayed that God would send someone who needed a spot in school since there was now one available....and soon met James....

As you can see if you look closely, James has on a pair of sweat pants that has only one whole pants leg and his shirt is tattered.  James talked to her a long time about many things.  James wanted to go to school and he wanted to go to church.

James is taking over our sponsorship and will now be enrolled in boarding school where he will be educated and have meals and decent clothing.

This is James after he got new clothes and he's holding the things I sent for Frank, which are now his. 



Now just like any child of mine that is having problems or gone astray, I am grieving for Frank.  Laura pointed out this truth that is often hard for me to grasp.  Frank had a choice and he made it.......I have no control over that choice.  I will continue to pray for Frank and ask God to direct his paths.

As for James, welcome to our family!

Saturday come softly....

That post title has absolutely nothing to do with this post, I just liked the sound of it and wish Saturdays would come softly instead of with two dogs kissing me to wake me to let them outside before dawn.  Ah, but at least we didn't walk before dawn on this Saturday!  The Superhero needed to rush off to work because he took off early last night to take me out to eat because he thought I was depressed.  I have absolutely NO clue where he got that idea!

So in honor of Saturdays and because I need to be cleaning house instead of blogging......and because  I'm a natural procrastinator..... I want to talk about my Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner.......and as I've explained in past posts, I get NOTHING from any product that you ever see on my blog.  I am always amazed at the people who are actually making money with their blogs and when I mentioned that to the Superhero, his reply was.....not my baby, she hates making money, only loves spending!  What???  Then off to work with you dearest!

Back to the rainbow vac.....I clean my own house....I hate cleaning house, but I would hate even more cleaning it so someone else could come in and get paid to clean....cause we all know a housekeeper cannot come into a dirty house.....so I clean it myself and besides I would much rather have a massage than a clean house.  

Years and years ago I purchased my first Rainbow vacuum cleaner from my nephew who was selling them to make money for college I guess......or a car or something.  Anyhow, being possessed with a guilt conscience and after letting him give the demonstration, I felt obligated to buy one and paid payments forever because yes, they are that expensive.  BUT.......I will have to say they are also worth the money.  If I had the guts, I would post pictures of what I just emptied out of mine after vacuuming JUST the carpets in my house......and I have no wall to wall carpet, just area rugs. I do not however have the nerve, so you will just have to trust me, it was nasty!

This is not my actual vacuum cleaner, but a picture I pulled off the Internet.  Mine looks just like this, but of course I plug the attachment hose into mine.    If you aren't familiar with a Rainbow Vacuum, there is a water reservoir that goes just above the wheels where all the dirt, animal hair and dust is collected and when you are finished cleaning, you dump the water and whatever else is in it and you have a clean floor and vacuum.  No bags, no smell unless you leave it sitting for a few days and the water sours but that is a different post that will never be written!.....just clean floors.  I have a big strainer that I pour the water through and then dump the "stuff" in the garbage outside.....I do that so that in the event that I have vacuumed an earring or something else valuable, I'll see it and rescue it before disposing of the real "stuff".  

The very best thing about the Rainbow is that I didn't replace it for close to thirty years so I'm thinking it paid for itself....it's a worker and I always feel like things are really clean after I'm finished.  

I really should be getting paid for this don't you think?  

I want to do a really serious post next and so take this as my light post!  Now you'll have something to look forward too won't you?  

So......I think I've put it off as long as I possibly can......have a nice day while I go back to cleaning.  Sigh.....and it's a gorgeous day outside!

Friday......

I'm joining with Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments......and believe me this week, I only have a fragment of a brain left.....and if you're in the same boat or just have a few left over thoughts from your week, join in the fun!  

Fridays are a bit frustrating for me because I have a lot to do on Fridays and I seem to put most of it off until Friday a.m.  This morning was no exception, with one added chore of going to the tag office.  What. a. nightmare.  I don't care what time you go, it is crowded and there is a long wait.  I voted for our tax collector, but I'm not sure I will again next time because surely there has got to be a better and quicker way to do business.  I waited over an hour for a ten minute process.  Vent over....

*****

Even though facebook frustrates me sometimes, it's a great vehicle for keeping up with the kids and grandkids and yes, great grandchild and seeing pictures of them which makes me happy!  I'm missing the grands these days.

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I can't think of a single Heard Around Here for this week!  Rats.....it is getting to that crazy time where we really don't see each other much.....but maybe next week.

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For some unknown reason I love Pinterest.  I'm not crafty AT ALL, but I have tried out some of the recipes.  I've been disappointed with most of them to tell the truth, but one we sort of like.  I say sort of because since we're trying to eat healthier we don't get the really good stuff.  The recipe is called "Two ingredient cookies" and calls for mashed, ripe bananas mixed with a cup of oats and cooked like regular cookies.......I can't tolerate them like that so I add chopped walnuts and chocolate chips and they're pretty tasty.  

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We've had another incident for our Spring Break.  Someone fell from a balcony while swatting at a bird.  ??  I just shook my head.  Thankfully, he wasn't hurt too badly.  We usually have several balcony falls and some are fatal.  I wish the kids could have fun without putting their lives in danger.

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That's all I have folks.  My brain is pretty much gone for this week!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

This is not mid life!

Things I realized this week!

This is certainly not mid life unless I'm planning to live to be 120!  I did have one great aunt who lived to be over 100 but she was one of 7 siblings and the only one to die with her mind somewhat intact.  In other words, the odds are against me in that regard.  I may or I may (and no that isn't a typo) spend too much time with elderly people. 

This year I will have a grandchild who is 21 years old.  You see where this is going don't you???  You are very observant.......yes, as a matter of fact, I am feeling old.  OLD!  I didn't know that aging would be this hard and most days I don't feel old, but that mirror!  Not kind!

Enough of things I've discovered this week and it's only Tuesday morning.

On to brighter things!

Heard around here.......

Me......I need to get my glasses adjusted (you probably need to know I get my glasses adjusted on a sometimes weekly basis).

Superhero.....maybe you should just try getting your face adjusted that might work better!  

Actually, I had thought of that, but no one seems to have perfected that procedure.

The world is getting a new pope soon.  We're not Catholic so I'm not very familiar with that whole process, but have seen bits and pieces of it on the news.  Now since I've already said I'm not Catholic and not familiar with these things, I will go out on a limb and say I think the outgoing pope was wise to know it was time to step down.  I think we all need to learn that lesson in life.  

We did attend a Catholic funeral on Saturday.  Sadly, the Superhero's aunt died.  I will say the priest explained each step of the funeral ceremony well, so even though I don't profess to know much at all about their form of worship, I appreciated his careful explanation of each step.  

I would ask all of you who are sweet prayer warriors to pray for the Superhero's uncle as he goes through this grieving process and learns to live alone.  I've watched that process with my mama, my MIL and others and it's hard to spend your life with someone and to wake up one day and they aren't there anymore.  

I love this verse.....

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing.  Psalm 10:7a

AND since I'm already all over the place today with this post........seems to be a pattern lately.....we had a few days of NO WIFI!  I know, I know.....you can't imagine how I'm still kicking and trust me it wasn't easy!  I do have a mobile hotspot on my phone which I used only every second of the time the wifi was out when I really, really needed to get on the internet.  You know......like I had to research something like facebook.  When I mentioned this to the Superhero, he, in his usual form spent hours and I do mean hours trying to figure out what the problem was and finally bought another router, worked on that for a few hours, bought another one and finally today I'm up and running!  

I just hope i don't have to keep running when the bill comes in and those hotspot hours minutes need to be accounted for.....yikes!  

It's Tuesday, have a wonderful rest of your week!

Florida Fridays.....

OH, how I wish I had a picture of the beach to go with this title....I mean a recent picture....but it's way too cold to be at the beach and besides it Trash Spring Break and the crazies are all on our beautiful beaches acting all......well, crazy!  In fact, sadly one college student has already died from alcohol poisoning.  I just don't know how getting drunk is fun on spring break.

Sigh.....

But if you have some left over thoughts from your week or just want to read what others have floating around in their brains, visit Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments!  

*****

Even on a cold day like today, there is plenty to be thankful for.......

like this new rug that came yesterday and thankfully no child labor was used in the making of this rug, they even included this paper to make sure I knew.

Try to pretend the peanut butter and leg weights aren't on it, but I need it to lay down quickly so no one trips coming in the back door.  Even the Superhero likes this one so I must have done o.k. 

*****

Since the Superhero and I don't get a lot of time together during tax season, I grab any and every opportunity to talk to him and lately that is mostly on our EARLY morning walks.  And since I'm like this new Heard Around Here thing I've just decided to do here's one for this week.....

Me.....talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, you get the idea.

Superhero.....sometimes do you feel like you have diarrhea of the mouth?

Me....I would give you the silent treatment, but somehow I don't think that will work.  Talk, talk, talk, etc.  :)

*****

Mikey is our special needs dog/child.  He has seizures and is on medication.  Yesterday at 7:30 a.m. he had a bad seizure and this morning at 3:30 a.m. he had another one.  Bless his heart, it scares him and us badly and I have to hold him until it's over and he's ok.  But 3:30 a.m. is a little much so I told him he's going to have to try and schedule them a little later in the day!

AND of course, the vet hasn't called back to tell me if I need to up his dosage.

*****

I'm late with getting linked up so I'll say have a great weekend all!

Today

Tuesday.....

Yesterday, I walked in the morning for the first time since beginning to recover from the crud......it was 35degrees.......

Today when we walked it was 61 degrees.  What a difference a day makes.

Heard around our house.....

Yesterday......as the Superhero is leaving for work....maybe the laundry fairy will come today.....

Me......Oh, dear, someone forgot to tell you that, just like the tooth fairy, the laundry fairy is not real!  

Today.......the laundry fairy is here as we speak.  She lives here......haven't you always wanted a live in laundry fairy?  Well, I'm not available at the moment.

Yesterday.....the Superhero left at 7 a.m. for work and got home after 8:30 p.m.  I did take him supper even if I didn't get the laundry fairy for him.

Today......I told the Superhero how thankful I am that he works so hard for our family.  Yes, as a matter of fact I think he was a little shocked at my praise.  Of course, that was right before I told him I just bid on an item on Ebay.....something I have only ever done once and thankfully I didn't win the bid that time.  Maybe I won't this time either!  Yikes!

Speaking of the Superhero, let me give him a little plug.......but try to keep it to yourself ok?.......the man works and works hard and works long hours. Not that he's always sweet, but I do believe if I worked that many hours I might be a little cranky when I got home.  He never is.....he's smiling when he leaves and he's smiling when he walks back in the door.  Well, except when he noticed I was watching what he calls my little "taste of trash".....the B*ch*lor.  OK......it really is trashy, but I confess I'm fascinated.  

Since I'm feeling better today, I started working on getting the oak leaves out of the pool........I did this because it's windy and forecast to rain and, why did I do this again???  Sigh, tomorrow there will be many more small, aggravating leaves to retrieve.  But spring IS coming isn't it????

I just found out after visiting my friend Kathy that Florida is number 34 in the saddest states in America!  That was so hard for me to believe......I mean we have beaches, warm weather, no snow.....I'm not that sad most of the time.  That means there are only 16 states that are sadder than Florida!  I think this may have been rigged.

Thank you to another friend......she doesn't have a blog......for giving me this link where I found the marble Easter eggs I wanted to go in the little basket.  They are really pretty!

That's all I have today.......but I would like to leave you with this quote I heard recently in a prayer.....

Jesus......we cannot live without you and we DARE not die without you. 

Friday Fragments.....

Late again.....sigh.  

But!  If you are looking for a place to dump all those left over thoughts from the week that don't make up a whole post, link up with Mrs. 4444 for another edition of Friday Fragments!

I left off last weekend with my sister's MIL in the hospital from a fall.  She was in the hospital for several days and my sister and her husband stayed with us.....well, actually, they spent most of their time at the hospital, but finally got her admitted to the rehab facility in their town and she's getting settled in there and they're getting settled back in at home.  

*****

I've come down with the crud.  The Superhero had it first and now that he's over it, I have it and it takes it all out of a body!  

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I am not a crafter but like to paint when I get an opportunity to be with people who won't make fun of my lack of ability and a friend had a painting party and this is what I made...

Yes, I was actually not feeling good that night, so that is my box of kleenex peeking out from under my arm.  

The colors are truer in the picture above.

Below is where it will hang during this Easter season.  I am so thankful to say HE IS RISEN!  HE IS RISEN INDEED!

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News Flash......The President has announced that none of what is going on in the country is his fault.....but more importantly, that he isn't a dictator!  Whew....
Please don't bash me for that, I couldn't help myself!

*****

Hope you all have a great weekend and stay well!  It's no fun being sick!