How to Care for Your Hairless Rat: 2013

2013-12-10

Snowy Day 10 on 10

We started the day cold...... and actually ended it that way too,

but had lots of fun inside today!

Today was my youngest daughters 28th birthday. So I started the day with a facebook celebration!

Obligatory "picture from the porch" before actually going out to shovel. And yes. I actually shoveled.

See?

Before going back inside, I made a snowman for my SC littles. He was also there to greet my local littles when they arrived.

Then we face-timed with SC.

Little #2 is doing a 25 days of Christmas with his sweet mom. She chooses a different activity for every day up until Christmas. Today was make cookies with Leelah day.

We managed to keep "most" of the ingredients above counter height...

"On the 10th day of Christmas my Leelah helped me make....... A big pile of sugar cookieeeeeeeees!!"

And little #5 liked them too!

Cleaning it all up was just as much fun as making the mess!

And the angel said unto them,

Be not afraid;

for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy

which shall be to all the people:

For there is born to you this day

in the city of David a Saviour,

Who is Christ the Lord.

Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace among men

in whom He is well pleased.

Luke 2:10-11; 14

2013-11-25

When we bought this house 9 years ago, we were rapidly approaching a time when one would think we'd be ready to begin downsizing. But it was our (ok, mostly MY) wish to maintain enough space so that when family came home, there was comfortable space for everyone. At the time we only had 2 children in college, but looked beyond to a time when our family might grow. Well............. we're there. And we're so thankful for days like this one.

Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp:

Sing praises unto Him with the psaltery of 10 strings.

Sing unto Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a loud noise.

For the Word of Jehovah is right;

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

Ps 33:2-4

2013-11-12

So.......... I missed "10 on 10" by a Couple of Days........

I even nagged my friend Jen at "Living Life One Cheerio at a Time" so that she wouldn't forget it. But then, I go and completely forget! Though, in my defense, Jen was a day late!
So, Here's 10 on.................... 12, I guess.

For most of the day, signs kept catching my eye.

Our first measurable snow

Ummmmmmm, no thank you.

......or else what?

The north facing traffic lights had enough snow packed on them that it was hard to see which light was shining.

The little bit of snow didn't last long.

But I guess it might be time to put this in a convenient place!

Then it was just a little laundry......

....and some baking. Just another day in paradise.

He that hath an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

To him that overcometh,

to him will I give to eat of the tree of life,

which is in the Paradise of God.

Rev. 2:7

Linking up to a bit of sunshine

2013-11-04

Rose Marie Hall

I had some really good friends when I was growing up. Interesting that they fell into two different groups. My neighborhood friends that I played with from morning til night, and the other friends that I saw everyday and with whom I survived the rigors of school. My neighborhood friends didn't have the privilege of wearing red plaid, pleated wool uniform skirts to school, but were able to wear whatever dress they liked everyday. I know life was hard for them, what with having to make those decisions each morning about what to wear, and I pitied them for it. But they seemed to do okay, and so did I.

My two best friends in school were Theresa Fernandez, and Rose Marie Hall. There was "something for everyone" in our class with 66 kids to choose from. And since each level had two classrooms, there were actually 132 in each grade. Lots of potential for buddies. I don't know exactly what drew the three of us together, but I DO know that there were the "in" girls, and we were most definitely "OUT"! Even though we wore uniforms, the cool girls wore them in such a way that they looked way better than the rest of us.

Interesting how some girls are just able to do that. The status symbols were the shoes. The preferred shoes were the white oxfords with red soles, and only the stylish girls wore them. Those girls usually rolled up the their skirts at the waist as well. That way they could pass length checks, which consisted of the skirts having to touch the ground when we kneeled down, but look more flattering when they were rolled up shorter. Not that this practice was accepted by the priests and nuns. A girl was given a stern "talking to" and a free trip to the principals office when the teacher noticed that she was rolling her skirt.

There were also dire consequences when a girl was caught wearing make up. Anne Marie Diersing used to wear make up to school and then let her hair fall in front of her face so no one would notice. She kept her head kind of bowed down and would peek through her overgrown bangs, like the rest of us were idiots and didn't know what she was trying to hide. One day Sister Bernardia caught on to Anne Marie's make up wearing ways and took her to the bathroom where she demanded that she wash her face with Mr. Clean. THAT couldn't have been any fun!!

But my friends Theresa and Rose Marie and I managed to navigate school without getting into too much trouble, and discussed important things like deodorant vs. antiperspirant at recess and break times. When you were wearing wool to school everyday and you lived in Southern California, those discussions were important! But I'll never forget the day when Rose Marie broke me of ever eating bologna sandwiches again.

We ate our lunches under an outdoor shelter and after running around at recess, we returned to our classroom for reading time. We would line up along the walls and take turns reading paragraphs. Rose Marie was next to me that fateful day and was in the middle of reading her paragraph when the bologna on wonder bread sandwich and milk she had for lunch "re-appeared".......... all over her reader. Time stood still as I looked at her and watched as she looked from the mess on her reader up to the nun at the front of the class. Huge tears formed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. There was absolutely nothing worse for an "un-cool" girl than to blow chunks in the class room. My heart broke for her, but my stomach turned at the sight of the artistic display in front of her. And that spelled the end of my bologna eating days forever.

I don't know what ever happened to Theresa and Rose Marie. But unlike bologna, they remain a part of the fabric of my life. Yeah. It's red plaid.

His soul shall dwell at ease;

And his seed shall inherit the land.

The friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear Him;

And He will show them His covenant.

Mine eyes are ever toward Jehovah;

Ps. 25:13-15

First day of school 60's vintage

2013-11-03

Monday's Grace 11/4/2013

A Toddler's Treasures

2 of my littles like to pick things up outside. One of them is old enough to put things in his pockets for his mother to find later. I offered the other one a bucket to carry his goodies as he has yet to discover the real potential of pockets! God's grace is seen in the beauty to which these little men are drawn. He cares for the smallest details and preserves them for us to enjoy............
if we'll just look for them!

Diamonds in the dirt patch

Little #1 found all of these in his backyard play area. He seems to have a real eye for detail!

Neat things in nature.

Little #2 was drawn to these things on a walk around the neighborhood.

My little treasure hunters

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament showeth His handiwork.

Ps. 119:1

2013-10-27

The Seating Chart

The mid century house I grew up in had a galley kitchen, and at one end there was an elevated bar that opened into another room. The second room was intended as a TV room, but my folks actually used it as a formal dining room when my mom found her dining room set. In the dining room, there was a slider that opened to the side yard, an opening that led to the garage and stairs to the second story that was added in the 60's, the opening to the living room, and then a door to the bathroom. It was a postage stamp sized pass through bath with doors to the entry hall and the dining room. A little odd, but we didn't know any different.

We hadn't lived in the house long when it was decided that we really needed to modify the elevated "bar" so that it would be more useful as a kitchen table. So dad cut a bigger hole in the wall and lowered the height of the bar, and also wrapped it around one wall of the kitchen. He even laminated the top of it with lovely genuine imitation "wood" formica. It produced a lot more usable space, and when there were just four of us in the family, made a good place for meals, homework, and dad's late night side business.

I remember many mornings sitting across from my older brother, Ming, and gagging as I watched and LISTENED to him eat. His favorite breakfast was 4 pieces of cinnamon toast with chocolate milk. He would dip the toast in the milk and take a bite. Repeat for the second bite, and so on. Each piece of toast was consumed in 4 bites. With a grand total of 16 bites each morning. Accompanied by slurping, chewing, clicking jaws.......... well, you get the picture. He never looked at me, and was always engrossed in MAD Magazine while he ate. It annoyed the fire out of me. Now that I'm older, and know better, I realize that he knew exactly what he was doing, and enjoyed it immensely. Jerk-face.

But then......... little brother came along, and it got interesting around the table. There wasn't room at the main part of the table to put a third child. So, my mom, in her infinite wisdom, placed little brother in a chair at the wrap around part, which meant he was facing away from everyone else and had only the wall phone and back door for company. Yes folks, the old black rotary phone kept Bunns company at every meal and we never seemed to find it anymore odd than an entrance to the bathroom from the dining room. As he learned to feed himself, he hated having sticky hands, so mom would sit him down in his yellow vinyl chair, and give him a wet wash cloth to wipe his hands, and we carried on with our hamburger helper or whatever other gourmet item on the menu that particular night.

Poor little kid. But perhaps that explains a lot.........

Eating cake and ice cream at the "breakfast bar." Behind me (in my lovely cat glasses) is the phone that kept little bro company at every meal.

Be not deceived:

Evil companionships corrupt good morals.

1 Cor. 15:33

2013-10-21

Monday's Grace 10/21/2013

Remembering Ralph

Early this morning, a friend passed into eternity. After a long battle with lung cancer, he now dwells with his Savior in heaven and is finally, truly whole. I'm so thankful I share his hope for eternity, and am blessed to celebrate his life with his family. You've been a blessing to many, my friend. You'll be missed.