Thursday Thirteen

13 More Things You Don't Know About Me

(and could probably care less!)

1. I've shared my love for Donny Osmond many a time, but you don't know that I also was madly in love with Rick Springfield! I have many of his cd's and listen to them alot.

2. After I take my shower I am always very cold, like most people. But I am also very thirsty and want an icy cold drink waiting for me. Crushed ice, please!

3. I hang up on telephone soliciters. And it feel so good. I have no patience for them anymore. Don't call me, I'll call you when I'm ready to give to your fake organization.

4. Babies, and it doesn't matter whose baby it is, really bring me joy! A baby can smile at me while I'm at Wal-mart and that little sweet face will stick with me the rest of the day. God's little miracles. Truly they are.

5. I have a loud laugh. And sometimes I snort when I laugh. I think it's annoying, others say it's contagious. But it's one of my favorite things to do so I keep on laughing!

6. When I was about four I stole a package of Juicy Fruit gum from the dime store. When we got to the car I showed my mom and she marches my little hiney right back in and I had to tell the store manager what I did!

7. When I travel now I always look at people and wonder if they are bloggers and if I know them. Some day I might just run into one of you!

8. I love a new box of crayons! The bigger the box, the bigger the smile! And the smell......MMmmmmm! Pass the coloring book please.

9. I can't make good tasting rice krispie treats. I know! It's like the easiest thing in the world to make and mine always taste stale. What's up with that?

10. I saw I Am Legend and even though it was good I do not want to see it again. It left me feeling empty and sorta depressed. I don't like that feeling.

11. My husband bought me a cd boxed set of '80's music! Now we're talking good music! And why yes, it does have some Rick Springfield songs on it!

12. If bouncing one's knee a lot drives you crazy then we might have a problem. Just tell me to stop and I will try. My husband hates it too!

13. In high school I was known as a goody two shoes because I didn't smoke, drink or swear. Now I would be called a worn out pair of goody two shoes..lol!

1000 BLESSING'S FRIDAY

201. Beautiful songs like "Mary, Did You Know?" by Mark Lowery and "A Strange Way To Save The World" by 4Him that keeps the focus on what CHRISTmas is all about!

202. My beautiful daughter turned 21 years old. She moved in when she was just five. She has been a huge blessing to both of us and what a privilege it has been to raise her. Thank you Lord for this wonderful child!

She's prettier than this picture, but this is recent. We'd ben travelling since 3 in the morning, so she looks rather tired!

203. My precious Awana girls. We had our Christmas party on Wednesday and many of them had made special things just for me! I think they know how much I love them! And we were able to share with them the true meaning of Christmas. Many of them had never heard it before.

204. Everday I am blessed with relief from my painful hips. I know I can't stop talking about them, but I can't help it! I dropped my brush on the floor and I actually bent down and got it all by myself! And I did it witout even thinking. Go me!

205. Blessed with some good customers at our shop. One couple came over today and took us out to lunch to say thanks for all our hard work. I like it when someone notices how hard my husband works for them!

I'm keeping it short this week because I know you have so much to do, but I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas! I'll be with my family, but I know I will stop and think of each of you and wondering what's happening at your place! Love you all!

Thursday Thirteen

13 Things I'm Without This Christmas

1. My father, who passed away January 11th. I miss him, but knowing he is in Heaven and no longer suffering brings such peace!

2. My crutches!!! It's been almost years since I had to start using them and right now I can walk (or wobble in my case) around my house. I still need them for long distances and stairs, but no longer are they my best friends!

3. We no longer have two kitties. And it's okay! They didn't die, they just found new homes. They spent much of their time destroying ours so it was time to get rid of them. And I have to tell you...I don't even miss them. Me bad!

4. Eggnog. Darn. I don't even like the stuff anyway!

5. Tickets to the Donny & Marie concert in Las Vegas next July. I NEED to go peeps! That's all I'm asking for this year. I promise not to ask for anything else. :o)

6. No family feuds. Well, it's this way every year because everyone in our family gets along. Praise the Lord! We are blessed!!

7. Smaller jeans. Yes, I still haven't started a new way of life with better eating habits. And I won't make it a New Year's Resolution either. I just need to do it! Pray for me please!

8. Money. Not because we spent it all on gifts either. We're just kinda poorly this year. And we're fine with it too. It's gonna be a laid back Christmas with lots of laughter between family and friends!

9. Not so much pain! I still have arthritis every where else, but I can sit in any chair I want to, even if it's hard and not cry! I've seen pics of myself during the time I hurt so bad and my eyes just show the pain even when I smiled. The latest pictures of me you can really tell a difference. I am so thankful everyday!

10. I can't find my address book so I could send out cards. I have no idea where I put it. Well, duh. If I did know where I put it, it wouldn't be lost!

11. I'm definitely without loneliness! I am surrounded by my family, church, friends in real life and on line!

12. I'm without the hustle and bustle of the season and that's okay by me!

13. But I am WITH the true meaning of Christmas! If it weren't for God sending His son there would be no Christmas.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

In "Other" Words

"Don't blame suffering in the world on the anger of God. He's not mad; he didn't mess up. Follow our troubles to their headwaters, and you won't find any angry or befuddled God. But you will find a sovereign God. Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end -- the glory of God."~Max Lucado, It's Not About Me~

My struggles and pains are no different than anyone elses. Many people say to me, "I know I'm not as bad off as you....." This may be true at times, but you can easily find someone else in a circumstance that you do not wish to be in. But you know what? Someday we might find ourselves going through the same kind of trial. God's timing is perfect folks! And if and when we are faced with such trials He gives us the strength and courage to face it head on. We also need to remember that with each trial comes learning. There is a purpose.

When I was in high school I had arthritis and stayed on crutches for four years. To me it was no big deal...most of the time. Anyway, my government teacher stopped teaching class one day and walked over to my desk and asked, "Do you blame anybody for your situation?" I was confused. My friend leaned over and said, "He's asking you if you blame God?" That was the furthest thought from my mind! I told my teacher, "If it weren't for my Lord and Savior I would not be able to handle the pain. This I am sure. And someday I will be free from it all." He just turned and walked away. To this day I don't know why he asked that, but I hope he was able to see Christ through me.

I love the following words so much. I can't remember right now where I read this, but the first time I read it I thought WOW, my trials are coming from the throne of God! I learned very quickly that when you have a disability people WILL watch you and how you react in situations. I fail many times I know. When I am not in the Word of God daily it shows! My one hope through all this is that I do glorify God and people can see Christ in me.

There is nothing--no circumstance, no trouble, no testing--that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is--that is the rest of victory!

Is that awesome or what? When you find yourself down please copy this to your computer so you can read it and know hat there is a reason and purpose for what you are facing.

Mama said there be days like this....

Ever get caught up in the middle of a mess without trying? Yep, that would me. And I have no idea how I even got there!

Maybe it wasn't so bad after all being home bound for so long.

Enough about me. Please be in prayer for my dear friend Steve. His father was out shoveling snow yesterday and came in the garage to sit a spell and suddenly died. Probably of a heart attack, but I don't know for certain.

My heart is aching for him right now. Steve is about eight years younger than I am. He's just too young to lose his father. I've been missing my dad terribly this week and when I got the news of his dad I just let loose. I know it's okay to cry, but it was one of those uncontrollable sobs where you can't catch your breath and then you end up with a terrible headache. I wish you all could have met him. Someday you will!

I know everyone is busy in Blogville, but if you happen to stop by I hope you are doing well this week. I'm praying for so many of your requests you left on your blogs. If there is something else you would like me to pray for please let me know.

Casting all you care upon Him for He careth for you.

1000 Blessings Friday & Friday's Feast

1000 BLESSING'S FRIDAY

191. I am blessed and full of joy because I was able to go on a 3000 mile trip with my husband and daughter last week! And I did super de duper too. We went to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee to see family. Orlando, Florida to a trade show and got lots of cool free sa-wag! Goochland, Virgina to visit his sister and bil and Washington D.C. to see the Declaration of Independence and the nation's Christmas tree. See above pic.

192. After seeing the Declaration of Independence and realizing what those men really did for us as a nation I am thankful and blessed to live in a country where we have so many freedoms.

193. I have been able to go to church and hug people and NOT get sick!! Yay for me. That means my immune system is good to go. And it's always a blessing to be able to go to church and serve and be fed by the Word of God!

195. And I am blessed with happiness because I feel I have been able to let you secret Donny lovers come out in the open and stand tall and tell the world that "I heart Donny Osmond!" I knew you were out there!

196. Blessed with some answers to prayer. Being reminded that God's timing is best in all circumstances.

197. Excited that we may have found two employees for our restoration shop. And they already live in Indiana so they wouldn't have to move too far away.

198. Blessed with a small group of girls at Awana. All but two are unchurched and this gives us a great opportunity to teach the girls their verses and what they mean. And we can focus on salvation lessons and many of the good old Bible stories we loved as children!

199. Blessed with bargains. I found two t-shirts, 1 nice top and 1 pair of black comfy pants and they were only $1 each at Wally World!

200. Blessed with my dear sweet family that so generously and unselfishly take care of each other. We make a great team. When something needs done we all pitch in and do what we can. When the task is done we love just being together. I am thankful my kids are so willing to talk to us about their day. They are cool kids. I heard a quote the other day that I liked. I have three adopted kids, but I forget which three!

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer

Make up a word and give us its definition.

My husband and I have our own secret language that is too strange, even for me, to share!

Soup

What is currently your favorite song?

Nope, I'm not even gonna say any Donny songs for this question. Shocker, I know. I am loving Mary, Did You Know? sung by Mark Lowery. My husband sang it for his sister's church and it was beautiful. The words are so powerful.

Salad

What's at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

Okay. Now I can mention Donny! I usually don't ask for anything but I NEED to go to the Donny & Marie concert in Las Vegas next July. Remember how I've been stuck in my little old room for nine months without seeing daylight and only eating a cracker or two and maybe having a sip of water? *pouty lip* Hmpf..can't break ya, can I? Well, it was worth a shot!

Main Course

Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

My Aunt Pauline's home always smelled like peppermint. She was a dear too. She never married and lived with her folks and took care of them all her life. She wasn't in that good of shape herself, but she had a servants heart. What a wonderful role model she was for us nieces and nephews!

Dessert

Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn't be and why?

Having a teenage son at home I feel for him trying to live a christian life. You can't turn on the television without seeing someone practically nude such as that show with Hugh Hefner and his three girlfriends. They blur out their private places, but it can still do what they are intending for it to do. If they want that show on tv then let it be pay per view please.

I apologize for the mess up on the Friday's Feast. I keep trying to fix it and it is not letting me so I am going with what I got! Hugs to all!

Thursday Thirteen

On our trip last week we were able to make a side trip to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. My grandmother passed away about 15 years ago, but this is where she lived. I spent many summers deep in the holler, as they call it. A lot of happy times were spent here!

13 Memories of my Grandma!

1. Waking up every morning to the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy and anything else you could possibly imagine.

2. Grandma always reminded me of Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies. She was tiny and had a lot of spunk! Go, go, go. She could outrace any of us!

3. Her beautiful white hair. It wasn't gray and yucky looking like some older people get. It was as white and as clean as fresh fallen snow.

4. Her Singer sewing machine. The old kind with the manual foot peddle. I have several things like pillows and wall hangings that she made for me on that very machine. And one summer she even taught me how to sew on it! What a treat that was!

5. Grandma didn't own a set of measuring cups. Her hands were used to measure out flour and sugar. I was always amazed too how she never used a cookbook either. And everything she made was delicious and perfect.

6. She always made me a couple of fried apple pies for the road! Let's just say they never made it very far.

7. She believed a girl should dress modestly. I was not allowed to wear shorts or tank tops. But I didn't mind. I usually wore a little cotton dress and went barefoot!

8. In the pantry she kept a few cardboard fans with pictures of a church or Jesus on them. Since she had no air conditioning we were allowed to use them as much as we wanted. Simple things like that always made me happy.

9. One of my favorite times was sitting on the swing on the front porch with her and watching the cars go by. Sure there may have been only two that went by, but during that time she would tell stories from when she was a little girl. I sat in awe and hung on to every word she ever spoke.

10. As much as my mother would hate me telling this I just have to. I think this is disgusting now, but when you are five years old it looked pretty cool. My grandma dipped snuff and could spit between her two fingers farther than I had ever seen! I thought she was the coolest ever!

11. I always left her house with some kind of treasure. A small quilt for my dolls, a necklace made from pumpkin seeds, or a little wooden box she knew I would like to keep my things in.

12. She loved my dad very much. My father was always building her a set of stairs or fixing the barn, anything he could do to help her out. Now mind you grandma had her sons that lived right there with her and my dad always spent his vacation working at her house. She knew what a special man he was too and it pleased me that she acknowledged that fact!

13. She loved Christ even more. And one sweet day I will meet up with her again!

Pretty Please?

I'll be your bestest friend if you get me this for Christmas! Give it some thought and check it out at: http://www.donny.com/donnymariemgm.html

I'll even act suprised when I open my gift!!

I Feel The Love

De honored me with this award a while back. Thank you De. My prayer is and always has been that people see Christ in me. I know that I fall short of glorifying Him in all I say and do. I'm working on that. I also know that without Christ I am nothing.


This award originated with Dan King over at Management by God, who states, "Mathetes is the Greek word for disciple, and the role of the disciple (per the Great Commission) is to make more disciples. The role of a disciple of Christ is to carry His message to the ends of the earth. It is with this heart that I have created the Mathetes Award.


"Those who receive it are to pass it on to other disciples who are sharing the good news in their own bloggity ways. Here are the rules: Winners of this award are to pass this on to five other"disciples". As you pass it on, I just ask that you mention and provide links for (1) the originator of the award (Dan King of management by God), (2) the person that awarded it to you, and then (3) name the sites of those you believe are fulfilling the role of a disciple of Christ.


I would like to pass on this award to these ladies. Each of them has been an encouragement to me whether it be in their comments or their posts.

Anew and Afresh
As We Sail
Gold in the Clouds
Jesus and Dark Chocolate
Mission Kim Possible

Christine honored me with this award a long time ago. Thank you my dear, sweet friend! I say this every time, but I just absolutely adore her. She just makes me happy. Love you girl!

I give this award to anyone that stops by today! I know I tend to get all sappy sweet and you probably roll your eyes every time I say this, but I am thankful for each and every one of you. I know God directed me to Blogville just when I needed it most. In my darkest hours you were there encouraging me and keeping me focused on Him. Thank you!

Happiness & Joy

My cheeks hurt because I haven't stopped smiling since last Wednesday. I. Me. Amy, went to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, Orlando, Florida, Virginia, and Washington D.C.!!!!!!!!!!!

God is SO GOOOOOOD to me! All I could do the entire trip was take in all of God's creation and smile from ear to ear. I'm sure I looked goofy, which was okay while I was in Florida ;o) Get it? Who woulda thunk that I would be travelling so far after such a long year! Not me!!!

And you know what's weird? The pain I was in was the absolute worst I have ever been in and you'd think I would never forget it. But now I feel like it is so far behind me and way in the past! That's a good thing, right? I'm moving forward. I won't, however, forget how God helped me through each and every moment. If it weren't for Him I would not be here today. I give ALL the glory to Him and I praise Him each and every time I step foot outside my house.

I can't wait to visit each and everyone of you. I missed you very much! When I was in Georgia I wondered how far away I was from Amy. And when I was in Florida I wondered if I would see DeeDee anywhere! Yeah, I know they are both big states, but you never know. It's a small world after all! And I'm not talking about the ride. :o)

Fresh Girl posted this meme and I have politely borrowed it for today!


Four jobs I have had in my life:

At the age of ten I was the neighborhood babysitter until I got married. Can you imagine letting a ten year old take care of a newborn today? Plus I was on crutches some of the time during those ten years. I guess the parents knew I was serious about taking care of their youngins! And I made good money too :o)

Cute little sales clerk at Hickory Farms – but only for the Christmas season. Side note: this is where I met my future husband! Yay!

Accountant for my FIL’s robotics company. It was a family business and practically every son, daughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law worked there. We even had two of our cousins working there. We should have called ourselves Nepotism, Inc!

Now I am President, accountant, secretary, gopher girl, and janitor of our own automotive restoration business. We mainly restore Mustangs!

Four movies I would watch over and over:

Any home movie of my husband, my kids, and my nieces and nephews!

Jesus of Nazareth

While You Were Sleeping

Anne of Green Gables

Four places I have lived :

Indianapolis, Indiana

Lafayette. Indiana

Crawfordsville, Indiana

The Bugle Hotel on the Isle of Wight – technically we didn’t have a permanent residence, but my husband and I spent the entire summer of 1985 living there while he worked on some robot thingy. We even had the honeymoon suite the whole time we were there. And good thing too because we had only been married eight months! I was working for my father-in-law at the time, but he knew his son would not be happy spending that many months away from his new bride, so they sent me!

Four TV shows that I watch:

I love the oldies like Andy Griffith, The Brady Bunch and Little House on the Prairie!

Project Runway – I am so not into fashion, but I find the creative side of the show very interesting.

American Idol - I am the worst singer ever!

My new show for the year is Pushing Daisies – very quirky. Reminds me of, well, me!

Four places I have been:

Switzerland - I so want to go again for our 25th anniversary!

Tower Hotel in London – I have a beautiful picture of the Tower Bridge taken from our room. It's like you could almost reach out and touch it.

Disneyland – went there for our honeymoon! It’s like the funnest place ever!!!

Lichtenstein – best hot chocolate in the whole entire world! MMMmmmm!

Four people who e-mail me regularly:

My dear friend, Teresa, who lives in Pennsylvania now. I miss her.

My husband sends me lots of little lovey dovey notes during the day!

I’ve just started chatting with another woman who got arthritis about five years ago. She’s in need of some encouragement and I hope I can do that for her!

And I have to tell you all that I do get e-mails from Donny Osmond! Sure they go out to all that have signed up for his newsletter, but I’m pretty certain he put me at the top of his list!

Four of my favorite foods:

Absolutely anything my husband cooks up! He’s a genius in the kitchen. And the funny thing is…..he is extremely picky! A meat and potatoes man. He makes THE best French onion soup, tortilla soup and beef tenderloin I have ever had!

Penne Rustica from Romano’s Macaroni Grill

My grandma’s biscuits and gravy

Cheeseburger from In ‘N Out! I’m slobbering right now, thank you very much!

Four places I'd rather be:

I would love to be sitting with any of you right now!

And if I can’t have you, then I would like to be sitting with Donny!

I would love to go Krueger National Park on a safari with my husband. As long as I don’t see any dead animals or anything getting killed!

But my favorite place to be is sitting around the table with my family and laughing, talking and playing games!

Four things I am looking forward to next year

Leaving my house without my crutches – on purpose!

I would love to go see Donny & Marie in Las Vegas in July!! Does anyone out there want to send me? Pretty please. I’ll be your bestest friend!

Being able to work at Vacation Bible School – I’ve missed the past two years. It’s always an exciting week with the kids!

Simple things that I used to take for granted like going to lunch with my friends, shopping the clearance aisles, running to my mom’s just to be with her and taking my kids to the doctor, dentist, or even to practice driving. I’ve really missed being able to do those things.

I am going to tag some completely new ladies I have met over the past few weeks and I hope you do this!! And if any of my other friends want to do it too, then please do and let me know. I love getting to know you better!

As We Sail
Daughter of the King
Gold in the Clouds
Mama J

Friends, I am leaving for Florida Wednesday morning at 3 am. I have a lot to do tomorrow as far as packing and such so I probably won't be around for awhile. I'll be back on Monday to catch up with y'all! I love you guys! And I will be thinking of all of you while I am away. You're always in my prayers and on my heart.

1000 Blessing's Friday & Friday's Feast

I love Friday's and getting to share my blessings! And thank you for letting me share them with you too!

181. Going back to Thanksgiving since I haven't posted any blessings. My sister-in-law, Susi, had us all over and prepared everything!! And it was all SO delicious. I know it is so much work and I appreciate her willingness to take on such a task. And remember how I posted about roasting your turkey upside down? Well, as we were eating I kept commenting on how juicy it was. She laughed and said she somehow cooked it upside down! I am blessed to have such wonderful in-laws. On both sides of the family!

182. My daughter's car died completely, as in terminal, a few weeks back. We are blessed because we found a nice little car last week for not a whole lot of dough! She loves it and I do too because it is blue! And we all know by now how much that color makes me happy :o)

183. I have cut way back on my pain medicines and am blessed in so many ways because I don't need as much of it now (Yay!) and it's not good for my insides and I am not spending as much money and I am more coherent! Please pray for me as I work my way off prednisone too!

184. I can't go into details because it does not concern me, but a member of my family. But we are blessed with some answered prayers! It took awhile, but I was able to see the Lord working in their life as they waited.

185. I am so, so, so blessed because I have spent four of the past six days out and about working, doing errands, and teaching at Awana!!!!!!!!! I just adore those little girls!

186. I am excited too because as I am learning to walk again I have started to remember to bend my knees. For a while I was walking with stiff legs. It's a very weird feeling and I sometimes feel goofy, but I know I need to practice. Practice makes perfect!

187. I was happy to get the mail today because I received a postcard with one of my favorite little girls on it! You know who you are and I say Thank You!

188. I needed winter pajama bottoms and was blessed in finding some for only $5 a pair. And they came with a matching t-shirt too!

189. I feel blessed because I feel completely better as far as the cold, flu, pneumonia thingy! I can breath as deep as I want and I don't cough or hurt or nothin'!!

190. Blessed to live in a warm house with electricity and warmth and food.

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer

What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

I've never been able to enjoy too many because when I ride them they jerk me around, but I found one a few years back at King's Island that I LOVE!! It's called the Drop Zone. They lift you up like 350 feet or something and then you drop really fast! So much fun!

Soup

How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I'm really bad because I tend to get the giggles at the most inappropriate times. I think I'll start blaming it on my age.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

I have always been more of a listener, but if I was one on one with a really good friend I would say 8. Is Donny a deep, philosophical topic?

Main Course

Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

Because of the medicines I take I am not allowed to have a flu shot. Poor me!

Dessert

Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

Well, if you actually mean watching it I would say about six to ten hours. Unfortunately, I have developed a bad habit of falling asleep to the noise. But if there was a Donny channel...well, it would be on 24/7/365!

Frreeeddoom!!

I can almost hear Mel shouting freedom now! You just have no idea how happy and giddy I am! And ever so thankful. I - that means me, Amy - am at our shop all by myself!! Only for a little bit while my husband is gone getting nuts and bolts and car type stuff, but still - I am alone!

I promise not to blog on this same subject everyday. Really! I can look back though and remember my darkest days and how I wondered if I would ever walk again or be free of some of the pain. It took a little while to get there, but I'm here!

And before I say one more word I know that SO many people are home bound their whole lives and live in much more difficult circumstances than I will ever know or understand. That is one thing I never lost sight of. I am blessed and truly thankful for the past year.

If my hips decided to stay all healthy like I would have never started blogging. I would have spent a ton of money in gas! I would have spent a lot of money by shopping for things we really didn't need. My family would not have been given the opportunity to see some of their spiritual gifts. My church family was able to use their talents and gifts also.

I was also given plenty of time to pray for others and send cards to those like me. And I think more importantly I was able to be there for my mother who needed me most. Now granted she had to come to me if she wanted to see me, but I could call her and we would cry together over dad.

I have learned to be more patient. I have learned not to be as stubborn and ask for help. I learned I don't need to be in control. Give it all to the Lord and let Him do what He knows best!

I'm sure I will continue to learn from this trial. At least I hope I do! If there is something He wants me to see that I have yet to learn I pray my heart is open to His will. He's not finished with me yet!

And I am still happy. Very happy!

Miss Independent

I can't let a whole week go by and not post anything! Shameful. But I do have good reason. Now don't get too excited people. The truth is.....I've hardly been home at all!!!! Do you know what that means? It means that I feel good enough (or is it well enough?) to be out in the real world. For like several days in.a.row!!!!!!! The only thing I need is help getting in the car still. I am so close to being able to do it all by myself. I'm a big girl now! Pardon my immaturity. I'm feeling a tad bit on the strange side tonight.

Anyway, I had the best time driving in my van all by my lonesome! I haven't had that in such a long time. I had several errands to do where I didn't have to get out of the car. As I was driving I realized I had the radio all to myself! That like never happens. And I sure hope you are sitting down because I need to tell you who I listened to. NO! It wasn't Donny. I warned you! I put on Chris Daughtry. And I turned on the volume as loud as it would go! TeeHee!!! And I sang and sang. My head swayed back and forth to the music. I clutched my heart when it was a sad song. I even got out a lighter and held it high in the air. Okay, that was a bit much. Went too far.

It's nice to start feeling like I have a little independence. The stronger my right leg gets the sooner I won't need any help getting in the car. But I must be patient. And I will be. Look how far I've come from the beginning of the year!

You already know one of my very favorite verses, but let's say it all together, shall we?

Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."

So true.

Gobble, Gobble, Gulp!

Has anyone stopped to think how turkeys feel around this time of year? Poor things. There they are minding their own business. Gobble, gobble here. Gobble, gobble there. Then when they're not looking.....oh, I just can't go there. You know what happens.

Of course, this doesn't stop me from enjoying a leg or two. Hey, did you all know that if you roast a turkey upside down it will practically melt in your mouth? Oh, is it ever so good! I made my first turkey about three years ago that way and even though it's not very purty I will never change they way that bad boy cooks! Poor delicious bird.

As some of you know I come from a small family. I onlyhave one brother, Jimmy. Most people call him Jim now, but to me, Jim was my dad, not my brother. I called my sweet sister in law to see what she wanted us to bring and she said nothing. She said she wanted to do it ALL! How great is that? Thank you!

This will be our first Thanksgiving without my precious little daddy. It will be hard because he was such a nig part of the holidays. He worked at Kroger and we always had to wait for him to get off work before we could eat. We would watch the clock feverishly as kids. And then when the grandchildren started coming they took over for Jimmy and I.

We would always hear his truck pull up and we'd wait at the door to greet him. And then he would walk in with his bright white dress shirt and his blue Kroger name tag still on his pocket. And he's be smiling from ear to ear as the kids all gathered round waiting for their turn to hug him. Oh, will he be missed.

As our family gathers together this year we do have so many blessings to be thankful for. We will see my father again. We have that assurance because he accepted Christ as a young man. We are thankful he is not suffering and can move about freely again. I don't know what our Heavenly bodies will look like exactly, but I bet you he has that same smile from ear to ear!

If I don't make it by your place before the holiday I want to wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! One thing I am thankful for is making friends with all of you! I can't say it enough, but I really do love you guys. This past year has been my most challenging one yet and you have been huge blessings to me with your encouragement and prayers. I hope I can do the same for you.

Friday Fun!

1000 BLESSING'S FRIDAY

171. I am finally over my walking pneumonia and feeling like my old self again! Whew, it was rough and I pray that when I go to church again on Sunday I don't catch something else. But it is a blessing that people want to hug me and love on me. And my little handy dandy sanitizer is a blessing too. I just won't let people see me using it after all the lovin'! Do not want to offend thee.

172. I was able to go away for my first official road trip in a year!!!! Just me and MustangMan. Oh yeah, and the Woo. A trip wouldn't be complete without her! We drove 970 miles in two days and I did it. I love my new hips! My hubby needs to go to Florida the first week of December and I might even attempt to go with him. Still trying to decide if I can make it that far, but am blessed because 1. He wants me to go with him even though that means taking a little longer to get there and 2. It's Florida and it's warmer there than here in Indiana!!!

173. Received a huge blessing because we were able to spend hours with my dear friend, Teresa and her family. Teresa just lost a friend to cancer the week before. I was able to make her laugh. A lot! And when we left she said, "You are what I needed." I love her so much and I am so blessed that i was able to go just when she needed me most! His timing is perfect.

174. Normally we would have stayed with our friends, but since we had to leave at the crack of dawn we got a motel room. I picked a Motel 6 because it was only $45. While it was cheap you got exactly what you paid for. I will never stay at one again because we had numerous problems. So you ask~where is your blessing? I took a shower and hopped into bed with a grouchy attitude. MustangMan said not to worry we would survive one night. By this time it was very late and we had to be up and gone in five hours. I was restless so I turned on the telly for a bit and lo and behold the Osmond's were on Larry King Live!!! Yipeee!!!!! Meesa no grouchy no more. If it hadn't been for all the motel problems we had I wouldn't have seen this show because I had no idea they were going to be on! Turned my frown upside down...teehee!

175. We went to WyoTech in PA to a job fair. We are in desperate need of some competent, hard working employees. We want to find employees that have the same passion as we do. Not ones that are just looking for a job. We interviews several young men and the two that stood out the most were actually from Indiana! This is a blessing because neither one of them would have to move to our town unless they really wanted to. Nothing is set in stone yet and we are conducting more interviews over the holiday, but it is exciting to see the possibilities. And as a mom I look at it as maybe one of them will marry one of my daughters some day! You never know.

176. Like I said earlier we took our bulldog with us to WyoTech and she was a HIT! You just don't see bulldogs on a daily basis and she draws in the crowd because she is so ugly, uh I mean cute. Nah, she's ugly! Anyway, I feel this is a blessing because I get to meet so many new people this way. Believe it or not I used to be a wall flower, but anymore I say the more the merrier! I had some wonderful conversations with people from all walks of life.

177. On the way home from PA I got to eat at Cracker Barrell!! I haven't been there in over a year. It's one of my very favorite places to eat. I was bad and ordered biscuits and gravy, but it was only $2.49 for three biscuits and a big bowl of gravy! And since I didn't spend much money on my food I got to shop in the little store afterward! I ordered cheap on purpose. I'd rather spend that money on gifts. Plus they had Christmas ornaments on sale. If you bought four you got one free!! And if you have ever been there they have adorable ornaments that only start at 99 cents! This is a blessing because I was able to get a gift for my secret pal and I was able to walk around a little bit! And actually since I can't walk for too long I didn't spend as much money as I could have if say I would have been in the wheelchair. So it's really a blessing within a blessing!

178. We were blessed on this trip several times because our friends bought our dinner at Primanti Bros. on Wednesday night and on Thursday our breakfast and lunch was provided! And since I take a cooler with snacks we only spent $13 on food at Cracker Barrell. Not bad for two days, huh?

179. We were blessed with safe travel! We saw many accidents, a lot of deer, and policemen were out in full force. But my husband isn't one to speed anyway so there were no worries there. We even had a little bit of slick snow for an hour, but it soon cleared up! We arrived home at 1:30 in the morning and it was good to be home!

180. I didn't notice it when we got home, but this morning I saw that the kids had all the chores done! Cool! I know I am blessed with really great kids!! And not because they cleaned the house, but because they love us enough to want to do that for us. They are very special and very much loved. I am thankful each and everyday for them!

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer

What was your first “real” job?

Well, like most teenagers I did a ton of babysitting and made lots of money, but I won't count that. One of the ladies I babysat for offered me a seasonal job at Hickory Farms. I was a sales girl that wore the cute little apron and offered free samples of beef stick and cheese ball. I was introduced to my boss' brother on the first day and a year later we were engaged!

Soup

Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?

I have no creativity at all and no artistic ability, but for some reason when we go to the Indianapolis Art Museum I always come home thinking I can paint beautiful pictures. LOL! So then when I get out my craft stuff and realize I so cannot even paint anything I get out a coloring book and my big box of Crayola's (I love me crayons) and color a picture! And I even stay in the lines! And sometimes I even hang it on my fridge! I'm very immature if you haven't realized that by now.

Salad

Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I am embarrassed when my bulldog passes gas when a lot of people are around! I want to say, "It wasn't me!"

Main Course

What values did your parents instill in you?

J.O.Y.

Jesus first
Others next
Yourself last


Dessert

Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

Feathered hair. And boy did mine feather beautifully! I used to look in the mirror all the time at how perfect my feathered hair was on each side..haha! I coulda been the next Farrah. :o)

Monogrammed sweaters. I had a navy, red and of course, purple sweater. I always wore a matching blouse underneath and thought I looked adorable. Thinking back I probably looked like an old woman!

And no, I am not going to even mention Donny because he was not a fad. So there! But the last fad I can think of was on Friday night's we all hung out at the arcades watching out boyfriend's play Galaga, Asteroids and DigDug. What a waste of time that was! I could have been home putting my Donny scrapbook together. Oops, I slipped him in again!

Question For Ya: If you could go back to high school and do it all over again, would you?

I'm So Excited...And I Just Can't Hide It...

Hi Peeps! I am so happy because tomorrow I get to go on a road trip with my hubby!!! It will be my first "real" venture out since becoming so bionic! We are going to Pennsylvania to WyoTech to interview young men with the possibility of coming to work for us. Now that may not sound exciting to you, but what you don't know is we get to make a side trip and see my very dear friend, Teresa!!!!!!!

And this comes at a perfect time too. My friend is originally from England and has only lived in the states about six years. She used to live about two miles from me until they got transferred. Sadness! I'll have to tell you how we met sometime because it's a great story! Anyhoo, she moved to PA a few years back and met another English women, who just passed away from cancer last week.

My friend needs me. Please pray for me as I find the right words to encourager her. She is not a christian. I've shared the Gospel many times, but she does not see the need for a Saviour. She is such a good friend and one of those that will drop anything and everything to come take care of you if you call.

We are leaving tomorrow morning and won't be back until Friday. It's a quick trip and I pray that I do okay. I'm a little nervous, but thankful to have a getaway with my husband! Oh yeah, and the dog. Yep, she's going too. I have to share my husband with another woman. Good thing I'm not the jealous type!

I will "see" you when I get back! Thank you for your prayers for my friend and for me. I'm excited to see what God can do! Remember: I really do love all of you!

Oh, and by the way...I'm taking my dvd player on the road and my hubby said I could bring my Donny & Marie dvds to watch!!!!!!!!!!! Is he the best or what? I'm a little bit country.....I'm a little bit rock 'n roll........man is this gonna be F.U.N.

One Of My Favorite Days Ever!

Okay peeps! You're gonna get to see me on one of my happiest days ever!! It was cold and rainy and my hair looked awful, but one of my dreams came true that day. I got to be up close and personal with my friends and feed them for the first time!!!! So cool!!!! I stayed there for hours in the nasty weather with that same silly grin I have on my face!

I sat down last night and turned on the telly. I was home alone so I got to watch whatever I wanted. As I was flipping through the channels I saw giraffes! The show was "Growing Up Giraffe" on the Animal Planet. Yeah baby! Next best thing to Donny Osmond is watching giraffes. I should have known better. I won't go into details, but a mama giraffe named Lady has a baby, which was traumatic in itself, but 2 1/2 months later Lady dies. Why oh why did I not turn the channel? I bawled and sobbed until I couldn't take it anymore. That's when I remembered my video!

I played it over and over until my hubby came home. He looked at me with worry and asked what happened. I told him. I cried again. He smiled. He wasn't making fun of me, he just knows I can't handle nature. He reminded me to never watch Animal Planet again alone!

Anyway, I just wanted to share a happy day in my life with you all! Maybe someday I'll be able to share a video of my wedding (to Donny)! LOL!

Besides your wedding and the birth of your kids what is one of your happiest days?

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

UPDATE: Guess what I'm watching right now? My heart is going pitter patter! I feel like a teenager again. Thank you Oprah for having my guy on today!

UPDATED AGAIN: Oh my word, wasn't he still dreamy after all these years? And you know what? I really do feel better! I taped it so I could watch it over and over and over...well, you get the point! I LOVE YOU DONNY!

SATURDAY UPDATE: I am not lying, I honestly and genuinely feel better today! I only have a slight giggle in my throat because I'm still giddy after watching Oprah yesterday...hehehe!!!!

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer

Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

Our movie theatre is great because if you go on Tuesday you can bring ANY size bowl, bucket or trash can and they fill it up for a quarter!!! And since a 30 gallon trash can of popcorn is not enough we get two large drinks and a large box of Milk Duds baby!

Soup

What year did you start using the internet?

To tell you the truth I'm not exactly sure, but I think it was about 2000. How long has it been around?

Salad

What is your first name in Pig Latin?

Myaay- I need a new name for it to work!

Main Course

Name something you are picky about.

I can be annoying because I like to have my cd's and dvd's in alphabetical order. Sometimes I get crazy and even put them it categories such as: christian, classical, rock 'n roll, and family. And in case you were wondering Donny's got a category all his own!

Dessert

Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.

I was puny yesterday and I am worse today. (But I'll get better soon!)

1000 Blessing's Friday

161. I am blessed to live in a country where I can call a doctor and get a prescription the same day.

162. I am blessed because most of my medicines only cost me $5 each.

163. I am blessed with good friends. One of them stopped by yesterday and brought me a digital picture frame and filled it with Donny Osmond pics! We had a good laugh. What she doesn't realize is I am keeping those wonderful pics on there!

164. Speaking of Donny....Hey, these are MY blessings....he and like 100 other Osmond's are going to be on Oprah today!!!!! I have a feeling I will be cured after watching it!

165. I am blessed with happiness. My previous posts probably don't sound to jovial, but 99.9% of the time I am a very happy person. It just feels good to keep a smile on your face! But I also know it's okay to have a good cry when needed.

166. I am blessed with good blogging friends that e-mail back and forth. I really enjoy building these friendships!

167. I was blessed with finding a $20 bill in my winter coat! I seem to do that every year, but I'm not complaining.

168. I am blessed with a husband that takes good care of me. I've known many women with arthritis that their husbands eventually divorce them because they get tired of being a caretaker. I'm not talking mild aches and pains, but the kind I have where you're just in constant pain.

169. I am blessed with daily essentials. Money may be tight around here, but I always have toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, etc.

170. We needed new tires on my van, our tub needs fixed, and we need a new water softener. My husband has been selling some things on e-Bay and they have brought in more money than we expected. God is good to us!

Thursday Thirteen

13 Simple Things That Bring Me JOY!!!!

1. First and foremost, Jesus Christ and knowing that I will spend eternity with Him!

2. A really good hair day!

3. A thoughtful comment that stays on your mind, especially when you're sick!

4. A baby belly laughing!

5. Anything blue! It doesn't take much to make me happy!

6. Free samples in the mail!

7. Beating my own Tetris scores!

8. Friends that stop by to check on me!

9. Being outside in the cool crisp air, seeing the leaves change colors, watching the neighborhood kids at play and looking up at the big poofy cloudes in the brilliant blue sky!

10. Donny Osmond! Hey, I tried to slide him in so you wouldn't notice as much!

11. A long phone call with a friend full of laughter where you don't talk about anything really, but it's one of the best conversations you've ever had!

12. The perfect purse!

13. Call me crazy, but making lists bring me joy! Especially when I can check off a task or two!

What brings you joy?

Whuuut? Not Again!

I promise not to carry on, but would you please keep me in your prayers. I am so happy I was able to go to church on Sunday, but I have come down again with something! My throat is killing me, my head is pounding and I have another temperature. It's not too high though, only 100.3.

My immune system is weak naturally because I have arthritis. I am assuming that having two major surgeries in two months would also contribute to it. Plus on top of that staying home for the most part for the last ten months I haven't been able to build my system up. Am I even making sense? You know what I mean, don't you?

I'll admit I did cry this morning. I was so sad because tonight is Awana and I can't go. I've only been able to go once since it started in September. And yes, I am being whiny and feeling sorry for myself. I guess it's because I just don't understand why I have to be sick today. Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow? I just really wanted to go to Awana tonight. I love those girls so much! There is a reason why I am not there. Not sure what it is though.

I promise to be good. I am blessed beyond measure and I will focus on that!

My heart goes out to Donny and his family on the loss of their father yesterday. It brings back so many memories of my dad. It's not easy.

Today is my mom's 72nd birthday. Her first one without dad. She went out to the cemetery today and took fresh flowers. I don't know how you feel about it, but I'm not one to visit cemeteries. To me, my dad is not there. He is in Heaven! But I don't know how I would be if my own husband passed away. I know it brings my mother comfort and that's what is important.

I sure don't want this post to sound so solemn. It's not doom and gloom around here! Let me think of something funny or good to tell before I sign off for the night...

I'm looking around my room right now and all I see is one stuffed giraffe after another! I know I am 43 years old, but people love to give me giraffes. My dresser looks like that of a young girl with all her stuffed animals. How can I part with them? I have a niece (born on my birthday) that is really good at the claw machines. Every Christmas I get at least three giraffes that she has won for me. And they are actually very cute! And then there's one from my dad that I will never get rid of. And then I have several from the little girls at Awana. Nope. I don't care how old I get, I'm keeping all of them!

Are you still here? Boy are you a glutton for punishment! I so need to quit rambling and get on with it. LOL!

Let me think of a question for the few that stop by. Oh! I have one.....

We all make mistakes in the kitchen at one time or another. What is one of yours?

I wanted to impress my boyfriend and make him his favorite casserole. It had a couple cans of soup and called for cornstarch to thicken it up. I had never used cornstarch before in my life. I kept adding a little bit and it never thickened up. I eventually added the entire box! It was still soupy, but I decided to bake it anyway. When it came out of the oven it looked beautiful and it was no longer soupy. Yay for me! We sat down to eat and when he put the spoon in the casserole to get a serving the spoon actually bent! It was so thick he had to get a knife and cut it. LOL!! And you know what? He married me anyway!

1000 Blessing's Friday on Sunday and an Award!

Believe it or not I'm going on two weeks of being sick with this silly bug. BUT I still receive many daily blessings and I want to continue sharing them!

Oh, and one more thing...I haven't been to visit too many of you because what blogging time I have had was spent entering all those wonderful giveaways! Crazy, isn't it? And very addictive! Over six hundred I think. I entered about half of them. Surely I'll win something. Good luck to all of you that entered!

Okay, on with my week of blessings....

151. My salvation. I asked Jesus Christ to be my Saviour when I was eight years old. I know that if I were to die today I would immediately be in the arms of God!

152. Just like every other week I am blessed with a house full of laughter. Having a bad cough has been a struggle though because when I laugh it led to hacking which then led to more laughter because I sounded so pitiful. Maybe you had to be here, but it was funny!

153. We are blessed with five cars. Now they are not new by any means, but when my daughter's broke down this week I know we don't have to panic because there is always one to borrow.

154. This probably sounds awful, but I am thankful that I only had to get up twice on Halloween. I was the only one home that night and I was worried that we would have one trick or treater after the other. Plus we have lots of leftover candy that I can use for prizes at Awana.

155. I am always blessed with little surprises each week. My husband and kids are always bringing home some little treat whether it be a flower or my favorite drink or a new puzzle book to pass the time. I am loved!

156. I am blessed with good health. I know that probably sounds crazy because all I've done is complain forever, but other than arthritis I am in really good health and I am thankful for that. A little bit on the chunky side, but healthy none the less. :o)

157. I am blessed because I was able to go to the grocery store Saturday! I haven't set foot inside of Kroger for nine months. I have to admit I didn't know the price of food had gone up so much, but I managed to find some good deals. I found a good deal with full size candy bars priced at a quarter each. I bought 36 of them for my girls at Awana.

158. I was also blessed at the store by seeing many of my church friends I haven't seen in awhile. I got lots of hugs! And I'm still receiving cards from many of them weekly letting me know how much they are praying for me.

159. Okay, today is Sunday and I got to go to church this morning!!!!!! And it was a wonderful message on 1 Peter talking about pain with a purpose. One point that really stuck out for me was we need to reflect Christ in our submission and in our suffering. I thought of how much I've complained lately about having the flu thingy. I will work on this!

160. Yay! I found out that I one at least one of the prizes from the bloggy giveaway! I won a set of candles!! Plus I found a lot more ladies that I know I will enjoy reading. So many amazing women out there that inspire me. But I want to be careful because I really enjoy my friendships with you and want to continuing bulding that relationship. I pray for you gals all the time and think about you each and everyday.



Dianne gave me this award a couple of weeks ago. Thank you fellow Donny fan! This one is given to bloggers "who live what they preach, who try to make the changes in their own lives that they would like to see in the world." Like I said she gave this one to me before I got sick and griped the entire time. I have fallen short of my goal to glorify Christ in all I say and do. But like I said above the sermon today was just what I needed. His timing is perfect, isn't it?

Today I feel refreshed and energized again. I realize that you can do your Bible study and pray daily, but there is something about being in church and the fellowship of others that keep me going in the right direction!

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Thank you God for giving me a new life and a new hope through Jesus Christ. Give me the wisdom and courage to live a life of excellence as I choose to trust you.

Weebles Wobble

Okay peeps, bear with me just another day! I should change the name of my blog to It's All About Me! I didn't mean to go on and on all week about my illness, which by the way is now walking pneumonia. But that's beside the point. I'll be fine. Someday. :o)

Anyhoo, I had my six week check up today for my hips and I have been released to start walking without my crutches!!!!!! Yay 4 me! Since getting sick over a week ago I have been to weak to do any of my exercises. Trust me, I wasn't being a wimp even though it sounds like it. I'm actually pretty tough in real life. Don't worry, when we meet in real life I don't talk about myself and complain like I do on this blog. I'm getting sidetracked now. What I was trying to say was I took my first official steps without my friends!

My doctor took the crutches away from me and there I stood....unaided. It really was like watching a baby taking their first steps. I didn't know what to do at first. Then I started singing~Put one foot in front of the other. I wobbled left then I wobbled right then left again, but soon I took a whole seven (cause that's my favorite number) wobbly, but for real, steps! All together now-Yay 4 me!

A very exciting day to say the least. Doc told me I would probably wobble for about six months, but it would get better. He is concerned about how bad my back is and gave me lots of new strengthening exercises to help. He said it took over a year to get that way and not to expect a miracle overnight. I've got a long road ahead of me, but I'm going to take it one wobbly step at a time!

Now it's time to exercise and eat right and lose weight and stop looking like a Weeble!

Still Sniffling Sunday

Sniff. Cough. Immune system weak. Oh my! It's been over a week and I am still fighting this thing. And yes, I've been on an antibiotic since Monday. Might be time to switch to a stronger one, huh? If only Donny were here. I'm sure if he sang me a song I'd be cured! If any of you know him personally would you please send him my way? Thanks!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Our weather has cooled down big time and the leaves are a changing! Beautiful.

What sounds good to you right this very second? This is so weird, but I don't like candy corn and I am craving it right now. And I love chocolate. It sounds disgusting. What is wrong with me? So really, tell me, what are you craving right now?

It's Friday!

1000 BLESSING’S FRIDAY


141. Most of you know it’s been a rough week for me. My first blessing is how sweet you all have been with your comments and most of all prayers. I am blessed with real friends!

142. I was blessed in the fact that someone was always home with me this week. I never felt all alone.

143. With it coming out every which way, I am blessed that I always made it to where I needed to be! You know what I mean, don’t you?

144. I received a gift from my Secret Pal at church that was filled with great stuff, including a $25 gift certificate to Culvers! Me spoiled. Me am!

145. Super K decided to help out around the house and started thoroughly cleaning my office. She said she would really help clean the entire house! Being down for a year and a half you can imagine how nasty it has become. So I feel totally blessed that she is willing to really do what is needed to clean a home, not just the surface!

146. I’m blessed with a beautiful home with large rooms and to live in a really nice quiet neighborhood with wonderful families.

147. Blessed with happiness and joy that surrounds me each and every day!

148. I know I've complained a lot this week, but I truly know how blessed I am to be able to stay at home and take care of myself when so many of you have to keep going and take care of your families even when you want to curl up and die! You are all inspirations to me.

149. Blessed with all the things we take for granted. Food. Water. Shelter. Clothes.

150. I’m blessed with a precious son who turns 17 today! I love him to death and consider it a real privilege and honor to call him my son.


FRIDAY’S FEAST

Appetizer

Name a great website you would recommend to others.

www.kidsinmind.com

As a Christian I want to be careful what our family watches. I really enjoy being able to get on this website and see their ratings for language, sex and violence. Without telling which characters are involved they also provide detailed information on each of these subjects.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

13+. I dream every night and have several dreams. I even have dreams within dreams. But my favorite part about dreaming is I NEVER EVER have arthritis! I can walk, run, jump, skip, do cartwheels and ride bikes. Cool, huh?

Salad

Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

Oh boy, did I! I was always bringing home a stray cat. I had a white Persian named Angel and a gray tiger striped named Napoleon. And together they made four litters of beautiful kittens! I also went through a spell of having hamsters, turtles and fish. But they weren’t as much fun as playful kittens.

Main Course

If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?

Little Debbies! They have a huge variety, something for everyone. Each snack averages about ten cents each which every thrifty mom is happy about. And they are always fresh and delicious! What’s your favorite Little Debbie?

Dessert

What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

I love good old fashioned Life Savers. My favorite is the pineapple. I’ll share. You can have the lime ones!

My New Friend

Warning: TMI about to be revealed.

Still sick. Still grouchy. I figured I wasn't sick enough so I've added vomiting and diarrhea to my ailments. You know, just to mix it up a little! It's been a joy to sit on my friend and hold a trash can at the same time. My bedroom smells like death warmed over. And then baked twice. Don't ask me what that means. I'm delirious right now. No, not because my fever is now over 102, but because I saw Donny again on Entertainment Tonight! And I'm pretty sure Donny called out to me and told me he needs me. Or is that just the medicine talking? Darn.

Please Pardon This Momentary Interruption

I'm sick. And I'm not happy. Kinda grouchy, actually. :o) Not really, but I'm not thrilled to be honest. I finally was able to get out in the "real" world. What I'm a figurin' is that being cooped up for nine months, plus having two surgeries so close together has probably done it's toll on my immune system. With all the lovin' I received at church on Sunday night and at Awana it's no surprise really.

I have a fever of 100.4, a tight cough, sinus drainage (yummy), a pounding headache, and every joint in my body is killing me. Even the replaced ones! How's that happen? I'll have to think long and hard on this one for my 1000 Blessing's Friday. Maybe it will have to do with all the popsicles I'm eating! LOL!

I know I usually ramble on and on, but for a change I'm cutting it short. I'm gonna go snuggle with a pillow or two. Okay, twenty. That is if I can get my dog off them!

SEE YOU IN A DAY OR TWO....sniff, sniff. Cough!

Another Full Fun Filled Friday!

1000 BLESSING’S FRIDAY

131. I went on a date with Mustang Man Saturday night! We went to see the documentary In The Shadow Of The Moon. I cried when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. God is amazing, isn’t He? Can you imagine being able to walk on another planet? Way cool!

132. I was able to go to church on Sunday night! I know this is gonna sound stuck up and I certainly don’t mean it that way, but a lot of my church family lined up to give me a hug and welcome me back. I am blessed with a very loving church!

133. I was able to go to work again on Tuesday afternoon. Boy, was it crazy! The phone rang off the hook. I didn’t realize how much I missed the smell of grinding and welding! Blessed with being able to work with my man!

134. And then on Wednesday my MIL had her second knee replacement and is doing unbelievably well! I was able to go see her and all the family that flew in and drove over for the surgery. Mustang Man has a BIG family! I am blessed with many in-laws. And yes, every single one of us get along perfect! Really!

135. Plus I was able to go to Awana Wednesday night!!!!! We had 13 girls and I only knew four of them. So I was able to meet 9 precious souls. We have two Amy’s that are leaders so I teased the girls and said they could call me Queen if they wanted…lol! And several of them did! I’ll have to work on that next week, but it sure was nice to be back and I did feel like royalty. The kids didn’t want me to walk too much so they brought me whatever I needed. I can tell it’s going to be a wonderful year. Can’t wait to go back next week!

136. Thursday came and I confess that I had way over did it and was hurting…badly! But that’s okay. I stayed home in my pajamas and was able to work from my soft comfy bed. Plus it was very rainy and windy that day so it was best to stay put. I felt blessed because I enjoyed listening to the rain and watching the trees sway back and forth. I even had an hour of peace all to myself!

137. The leaves have FINALLY started changing! And boy are the beautiful. I can’t wait for the smell of burning leaves and watching my family jump in the piles of leaves. It’s fun to do no matter how old you are!

138. Money is tight, always. Goes along with owning your own business! I feel blessed when I can find really good deals using my coupons. Kroger had some great bargains this week and with using my coupons I’m going to be able to get some fun stuff for the kids like Toaster Strudels and some bags of candy for practically nothing!

139. Sleep! With all that's gone on for the past year and a half I've missed out on a whole mess of sleep. Now having my pain cut in half (at least!) I am able to sleep for several hours at a time! Let's just say that my sleepy time makes me a happier camper the next morning!

140. And when I wake up at night my thoughts are of each one of you. They really are! Is that weird? In the still of the night it gives me a great opportunity to pray for your needs. I am blessed in knowing that I have the privilege of praying for you and knowing you and being able to share my thoughts with you!

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Appetizer

If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why?

Easy question...an English Bulldog! I'd love to come back as our dog because I know how much she is loved and spoiled. This picture was taken when we went to Michigan. We got a roll away bed for our son and she immediately claimed it! She would not budge until we bribe her with treats.

Soup

What does the color purple make you think of?

Uh, hello? And they called it puppy loooovvveeee! DONNY OSMOND of course!

Salad

Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning?

Ready for what? If I'm staying home the whole day then a quick brush of the hair and teeth and a pair of clean jammies and I'm good to go. Don't worry, I'm clean cuz I took my shower the night before. But if I am going to go anywhere then I will take another shower and put some extra time in for pampering. I'm slow right now so it takes about an hour and a half to get totally ready, but I'll get faster.

Main Course

How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them?

Okay, let me count them first......I have seventeen on my side and that does not include their spouses, which I also consider my cousins. And yes, we are close! And a pretty cool fact is that a little over half of us were born in the same hospital. Our kids are blessed with a mess of cousins, over 30!

Dessert

Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter)

ADS = Adorable Donny Sings!

Arthritis Does Stink!

Aching Dancing Stars

Amy Desires Speed :o)

Acting Dumb=Stupid!

He's Been Faithful

April 26, 2006 Seems like yesterday. Seems like forever. I pushed hard to go to Awana that evening. The pain was intense. As the kids were helping me in the van I cried and screamed out in pain. I pleaded with God to help me make it one more night. Awana would soon be over and then I could rest.

My eyes filled with tears as I looked at the little girls sitting in front of me. “This is why I am here!” I smiled to myself. One of the little girls asked why I was crying. I gave her a hug and said, “Because I love all of you so much and I don’t want Awana to end.”

I waited for everyone to leave that night. At church I’m known for smiling all the time and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the expectations. I didn’t want to let anyone down. My daughter drove the car up as close as she could to the door and they helped me walk to the van. Tears streaming I pleaded once again for God to help me get home.

Relieved to see my driveway I wondered how I would be able to make it up the three steps that taunted me. With two kids holding me under the arms and my daughter bringing up the rear (literally!) we managed to get inside. I sat down in the dining room. I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I fought for months. I was stubborn. I gave in and asked for some old friends…my crutches.

I cried walking down the hallway to my bedroom. Partly because of pain, but mostly because I knew I had a long road ahead. “Why now?” I asked myself first and then God. My father needed me. My mother needed me. My family needed me.

Lying in bed that night I prayed that God would hold off until after my father passed away. I knew seeing me on crutches again would be upsetting to him. It would also be a reminder to him of his own physical limitations. My dad always drove me to my doctor appointments and physical therapy. That was our time together. I asked mom to tell him I was okay, but I was going to be using them for a little while just until I felt better. I never wanted him to know how bad it really was. He knew though. He was my dad. He knew me better than anyone.

It was a major struggle to visit my dad. The walk from the driveway to his bedroom was long and each step more painful than the last, but I was determined that nothing would stop me. I managed to see him often until he died on January 11, 2007. Within a couple of weeks I was done. I could no longer get up without major assistance. In fact, I couldn’t do anything for myself. I was just that stiff. I relied on my family for everything. I was quite bullheaded when it came to asking for help. That was very difficult for me. To me that represented failure. I felt I had given up.

There were days, many of them that I hoped were my last. I was ready for Heaven! I knew God didn’t give us more than we could handle, but this was getting to be too much. In my family’s eyes I could see the hurt. They so desperately wanted to help. They were already doing everything over and above expectations. I couldn’t thank them enough.

Everyday, all day long I focused on Philippians 4:13. Such a small verse but with a huge message. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. I lived moment by moment. I tried to keep my sense of humor by singing this verse (and believe me, I cannot sing!) anytime and every time I moved. This made my kids laugh. And oh how good it feels to laugh!

Well, today it has been exactly seventy seven weeks since I asked for my reliable friends. It’s been rough I admit. I’ve still got a long road ahead. Because I have slouched for a year and a half my back is all messed up. I need to learn to walk again and to stand up straight. I have several more months with my faithful companions, but I can look back now with a smile and count my many blessings!

I've been blessed with pain relief! I still have a lot of pain because I have arthritis and a damaged body, but it is indescribable how much better I feel. And I have two new cool scars. Yes, I do like them. All my scars are a reminder to me of God's faithfulness. He sees me through each and every moment. Each and every hour. Each and every day!

I’ve been blessed to have Christian therapists and nurses. I’ve been blessed by so much love and support from my church family. I’ve been blessed with your prayers and making so many new friends through blogging. I’ve been blessed by my own family in more ways than I can count. And more importantly I’ve been blessed by God. He chose me and my family to be part of all of this.

Maybe I will never completely understand why He allowed the situation to enter our lives, but I have learned so much. He’s taught me to have more patience. He’s taught me a lot about my pride! He’s taught me to hold on tight and to trust in His perfect plan. I also was witness to changes in my family. Good changes. As much as it felt like it at the time this wasn’t all about me. I can honestly say that I am thankful for playing a small role in this huge blessing He has given to us!

Goofing Off Big Time!

I should be ashamed of myself. But I am not! Today is my first official day back to work. Yay for me! But boy has it been hard to get motivated. Our internet hasn't been working at home for days so when I come into work....well, let's just say I have DSL and a lot of catching up to do!

Plus, how can I work when it is so GOR-JA-MOUS outside? I mean really! I also started another bad habit. Facebook. I know it's basically for the youngsters in this world, but it is too much fun! You can get pets and send gifts and flowers. I have a pet giraffe on mine. Shocker!

I'm in a happy, silly mood today. Do you think it has something to do with being set free and no longer trapped? Me too! And it sure feels good. I haven't gained all my strength back, but praise the Lord I will probably be able to get out about three times this week! I cannot tell you how excited I am about that! Life is good!!!

Haha! I am laughing because my husband called to see how much work I'm getting done today. Yikes! Do you think he knows my secret? I guess I'll get to it before he walks back in. Hugs to each and every one of you. Yes, you too!