How to Care for Your Hairless Rat: 2014

2014-12-10

Little Bits 10 on 10

10 little bits from my day and the beauty in the normal things life brings.

29 years ago this morning, I was able to get a message to my husband, who was cruising along at 35000 feet, that I was in labor. I just thought he'd like to know. But he actually made it home in time for the arrival of this little cutie!

It's a hysterical story!

So, of course the day starts with a happy birthday text!

Filling the soul a bit before heading out.

This is my 10 on 10 friend Jen. Isn't she cute??

Ok, so here's the story on the trash. I had a coupon for a free drink from Speedway, so I left a few minutes early to pick up a drink on the way to leaders council at CBS. Well, they only had this sized cup which is roughly equivalent to what a built in pool will hold. So I filled it up and went to give the cashier my "free drink" coupon, only to be told that it had expired. I went ahead and paid for it and left.

While sitting in CBS leaders council, I picked the swimming pool sized cup up to take a drink only to have the lid break and pop off, the drink drop to the floor, and the contents to shoot up in the air, wash down my friend Lori's leg, and then splatter all over the carpet.

So,the good part about my "free drink"? At least it was diet, so no one was sticky. I'm sure it would have tasted good.

I had actually packed my lunch. But being distracted by leaving early so that I could pick up the above mentioned "free drink" I forgot it sitting on the kitchen counter. Mickey D's was a pitiful substitute.

Snap crackle poppin' always feels so good!

I love getting mail around the holidays. This is a gift I bought for myself!

And since Christmas is right around the corner, I need to get these gifts finished!!

Merry Christmas, my friends!

And Mary said:

"My soul exalts the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

For He has had regard for the humble state

of His bondslave;

For behold, from this time on

all generations will count me blessed.

For the Mighty One has done great things for me;

And holy is His name.

And His mercy is upon generation after generation

toward those who fear Him.

He has done mighty deeds with His arm;

He has scattered those who were proud

in the thoughts of their heart.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

And has exalted those who were humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things;

And sent away the rich empty-handed.

He has given help to Israel His servant,

In remembrance of His mercy,

As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and his descendants forever."

Luke 1:46-55

Linking up to: A Bit of Sunshine

2014-11-10

Here Comes the Sun!! 10 on 10

It's November already!!

Where has the time gone since October 10th?!

Today I decided to capture some quiet points in the day
while I followed the sun.

10 peaceful moments from my day on the 10th of the month.

Brought to you by the creator of all things.

Good Morning!!

Little #4

My favorite people!

"Day is done, gone the sun........"

Then God said,
"Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens
to separate the day from the night,
and let then be for signs and for seasons
and for days and years;
and let them be for lights in the
expanse of the heavens
to give light on the earth";
and it was so.
God made the two great lights,
the greater light to govern the day,
and the lesser light to govern the night;
.......and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:14-16, 18b

Linking up to: A Bit of Sunshine

2014-10-10

Blue 10 on 10

The 10th of every month brings with it the creative challenge of sharing 10 photos of beautiful things from the day. Today, it's 10 on 10 in the 10th month of the year and the possibilities are endless!! It's quiet around my house right now, so I have the chance to use a little imagination, and I'm struck with the richness of the color all around us.

Today's 10 on 10 is brought to you by the color BLUE!!

Bits and pieces of this beautiful hue from around the house.

Happy Friday!

There's a mistake here. Do you see it? But it's family history made in the Philippines, so we keep it around.

It took me half the day, but I finally decided what my 10 on 10 would be!

These make me wish I could develop a taste for tea!

A gift from a special friend.

California in a bowl, right there!! Little bits of beach from Catalina Island.

This came a long way across the ocean before it came to rest in our house.

I love storing things in old jars.

The very best colors are the ones God put in nature.

This holds special memories of my dad.

The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak to the sons of Israel,

And tell them that they shall make for themselves

Tassels on the corners of their garments

Throughout their generations,

And that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.

It shall be a tassel for you to look at

And remember all the

commandments of the Lord...

Numbers 15:37-39

Linking up to: A Bit of Sunshine

2014-10-07

Around the Corner

I was a year old when my folks built and moved into the home I would grow up in. We still lived there when I walked down the aisle, and then went on to bring my children there to visit. I'm sure my folks had no idea what kind of history would be tied up in that place when they signed the papers on it. They were young parents of 2 children, striking out into an area that was relatively undeveloped, and to say that their families were against it would be putting it mildly! But the area grew exponentially and they ended up doing ok on their small $16,000.00 investment before retiring. And we had a good place to spend our childhood.

Around the corner from our house, a shopping center went in with a grocery store and various and sundry other places of business. I remember a donut place and a five and dime called TGY. I loved that place because my 25 cent allowance went a long way there. It was at TGY that I accumulated a huge assortment of Tootsietoy cars. I got the tootsietoy's because they could be had on a budget. My friend Mona got the Matchbox cars, but they were too pricey for me. Looking back now, those little cars that I loved so much were probably steeped in lead and the most unhealthy toy I ever had. Makes me glad I never chewed on them. Though, they might be to blame for............. well, you know..........

Neil's bikeshop was there, The Card Castle, and the Broasted Chicken place. I don't know exactly how you "Broast" a chicken, but I really liked it. There was a bakery that made the coolest lace cookies, and a slot car place. I remember going there with my dad. The race tracks were big with lots of twists and banks and turns, and the point was to win the race while keeping the cars in the slots on the track. Dad was pretty good at it. But my goal in life was to mash that button all the way down and get those cars going as fast as I could. They made a phenomenal sight as they flew off the end of the track. I'm glad my dad didn't remember my love for speed when he decided it was time for me to drive.

The really cool thing about that shopping center was the carnival they held in the parking lot every year. It was life changing because it was there that I developed a love for going fast, hanging upside down, the rides with unexpected twists and turns, feeling my stomach in my throat, and junk food. The REAL junk food that carnivals are famous for. Cotton candy, deep fried stuff............. yeah baby. The lights were bright, the music was obnoxious and off key, our flip flops got sticky, it was loud, the air smelled like exhaust from the ride motors and kids often threw up after getting off the rides; it was true Americana!!

My allowance went a long way there too, and the folks thought nothing of letting us walk around the corner at night to ride the rides. A time of innocence that I miss. I heard my parents talk about "Carnies", the people who worked the rides and traveled with the carnivals, but they didn't seem too worried about them and I never had a problem.

Along with the memories, I accumulated an assortment of cheap carnival prize toys, and a goldfish or two. Those fish lived forever and grew to Jaws proportions. I finally let them go in a pond nearby. Environmentalists now would probably have a cow, but we didn't know any better, and there were lots of other goldfish in there, so I thought they'd have some friends. It was either that, or mom was going to flush them. I chose the healthier alternative.

My son, do not forget my teaching,

But let your heart keep my commandments;

For the length of days and years of life

And peace they will add to you.

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Prov. 3:1-3

Carnival pictures

2014-09-03

A Healthy Diet

My brothers and I were probably some of the luckiest kids in the world growing up. Mom didn't like anything fresh. Even though we lived in Southern California, we never had fresh fruit or vegetables, fruit juice or much of anything else of redeeming value. In fact, even though the house I grew up in was surrounded by orange groves, I never peeled an orange and ate it until after I had married and been transferred out of California.

Mom grew up in Kansas until she was in high school, and she was kind of a product of her upbringing. Her mom like weird food and handing out some kind of wonder pills that used atomic energy to clean out ones intestines. Meal times with gramma were always interesting. So, in many ways, my mom did her best to be totally different from her own mom, and when you couple that with her extremely picky palate, and a hatred of any domestic tasks, our own diets were interesting too. Boxed and canned were the way to go.

We actually grew up eating spam and canned peas, a lot of slightly burned things, because she liked them crunchy, and a semi truck load of Hamburger Helper. We never complained. It was quick, easy and dependable, and mom didn't mind doing it. Dad drew the line at T.V. dinners, so it was all good.

The best part of our kitchen, though, is that mom could be counted on for fun food. She liked chocolate and soft drinks. So, guess what WE got!! That's right! There was always desert. Always. And I'm very thankful none of us ever struggled with weight. Breakfast was usually the best. Dad often walked to Winchell's Donuts around the corner on the weekends. They were so good and such a treat! And the rest of the week, mom could be counted on to provide sugar cereal. All the biggies: Trix, my personal favorite, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Krispies, Sugar Pops which we counted as a vegetable, and Apple Jacks. That's right. That was our fruit. Are you noticing a trend? Processed, filled with sugar and preservatives, and we all turned out fine. Perhaps we should re-think our views on food.

But the one food that could be counted on to create dissension was Lucky Charms. "Frosted Lucky Charms, they're magically delicious!" Yeah, now the tune is stuck in your head too, right? The only problem with Lucky Charms was that one of my brothers would usually get to the box, eat all the marshmallow pieces and then leave the oat-y part behind. Any time you heard "Dang-it!!" coming from the direction of the kitchen, you KNEW someone had opened the Lucky Charms, only to find they had been beaten to the box, and all that was left could be considered almost healthy. And when they started putting that rainbow shape in the mix, the insult was doubly harsh.

Our family still appreciates a good dose of morning sugar on a regular basis. But I don't buy Lucky Charms. It's just not worth that sense of loss when the oats outlast the marshmallows.

Yet He commanded the clouds above

And opened the doors of heaven;

He rained down manna upon them to eat

And gave them food from heaven.

Man did eat the bread of angels;

He sent them food in abundance.

Ps. 78:23-25

2014-08-10

The Secret Garden 10 on 10

All five of my littles are five years old and under, so when they visit, they stay pretty close to home. I like to keep things interesting, and am always looking for new things for them to do. I have a long list of activities I've yet to use, but recently introduced a new game called "Secret Garden". I wasn't sure how it would go over when I pulled it out, and was thrilled to see how they took to it! In a small photo album are 24 pictures of things around the yard that they have to find. Some are big, some are small, some are in clear sight, some aren't, some can be moved around, and some are set in cement. (literally!) And they loved it so much they do it over and over........ I count this one a success!

Here are ten of the "secrets!"

The secret things belong to the

Lord our God,

But the things revealed belong to us

and to our sons forever,

that we may observe all the words of this Law.

Deut. 29:29

Linking up to: A Bit of Sunshine

2014-07-11

Eleven on Eleven ..............oops!

Early in my blogging experience, I was introduced to the 10 on 10 project that Rebekah Gough started on "A Bit of Sunshine." I've enjoyed chronicling a day each month. Well........... yesterday, I got a message from my friend Jen at Living Life One Cheerio at a Time reminding me that BOTH of us had forgotten the 10 on 10 for this month!! She has recently moved, and I have my tribe visiting from down south, so we've both been a little distracted. We decided 11 on 11 would be just fine! Today our adventures included.....

Good Morning!!! (little #3)