What do you REALLY think??

I look forward to the end of the year reports. The news shows will recap important events, deaths, and stories from the past year. Even though I look forward to their information every year......every year I am disappointed. I would like to know REAL important people who died, REAL special events, REAL news stories....

Here are some of my picks:

*July 11, 2009....my dad had a massive heart attack and survived.

*January 2009.....the first non-white man took office of President. (regardless of your political opinion it is still a moment in history)

*April 4, 2009....Jeff's younger brother married a great lady! (and before the rapture!)

*October 2009....Max had his 6th surgery (we are about to hit a record at Lebonheur).

*August 2009.....we got a dog and I like her!

*September 2009.....I left my job at Su Casa. My time with Su Casa was life changing. I met and worked with REAL people who are changing the world!!

*October-December 2009.....I faced some health issues that forced me to evaluate the way I think and act about EVERYTHING.

I would like to hear from my readers for a change! What are some events of this past year that affected you or the rest of the world??

Depp, Wahlberg, Wahlberg

(movies are rated on a 0 to 5 scale)

Sunday night we watched Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp. Before I give my review, I must tell you about my best friend Johnny.

I had a dream a while back about Johnny Depp. My family was sitting in a stadium next to Depp's family. Jeff and Johnny's wife went to get drinks for the two families. Johnny and I started talking. We had many things in common. He was really nice, funny and normal. He did not act at all like he was a movie actor. The two of us decided that our families would get together to grill out one night. I woke up from my dream. Ever since then, Johnny has been a dear, personal friend of mine.

However, that being said, I did not like the movie Public Enemies (Single-Disc Edition)

. I think Johnny did a fine job but there was not much of a story. Yes, I know, we all know the story. It is a great story, but for some reason, this movie could not tell it!! There were snapshots of a great story. It just did not deliver!!

I give this movie: 3 "walks right by the police".

Monday night we watched Shooter (Widescreen Edition)

starring Mark Wahlberg. This will become one of my favorite "shoot em up" movies. It had great action, great one liners, fun acting, and a pretty good story!! Mark Wahlberg has the "tough/cool" accent, he is a bad a-- with any weapon, he has done well with his physique, and he has redefined "slow motion" scenes....creating my new favorite "slow mo, cool entrance, Wahlberg scene". Half way through the movie I decided I would get a gun and learn to shoot. In my second life, I will be either an assassin or a sharp shooter!

I give this movie: 5 "silent killings".

Tonight we watched Four Brothers (Special Collector's Edition)

starring Mark Wahlberg. This was actually a pretty good movie. It had a good story. It had some great "shooting" scenes and one really great broken bone scene!! It also had my favorite "slow mo, cool entrance, Wahlberg scene"

I give this movie: 4 "caps in yo a--".

Eye know eye can do better = failure

Starting the day after Christmas, all the news shows start doing segments on "organization", "fitness and weight loss", etc.................WHY??

Why do people choose to start new things or to start over each new year??

I think it is human nature. We are constantly trying to do the right thing, but we all fail. By the end of the year, most of us have given up. We choose to start over so we can fail again.

There are several things I need to do:

1. Lose 30 pounds. HOW?? by eating smaller amounts and healthier foods AND 30 minutes of walking each day.

2. Get out of the house more. WHY??? I would never leave my house if it wasn't necessary. I hate errands, I hate grocery shopping, I hate leaving the house! This is not mentally healthy.

3. Changing attitude about church. BECAUSE??? I love my preacher. He gives wonderful sermons. I do have some wonderful friends at church. BUT I go to a church with "rich" people with "rich" lifestyles. I think many of them have a different "reality" than me!!

These are the 3 main things I need to change. There is no way I can do these things. I will fail. I will eat well for a month and then cheat. I will exercise for a week and then stop. I will go to church for maybe 3 Sundays in a row and then something will knock me off that "roll".

I would like to make one resolution and I will have to make it moment by moment....each and every day.

#1. When I do "this" or "that", when I make this choice, when I wake up, when I eat........does it glorify God??.........................

2010 will either be exhausting or a deeper relationship with Jesus!..........or both!!

.......and just like 80% of the world.......my thoughts..."can't start the change until 1-1-10!!"

I see dead people

Christmas Eve.

My dad has been admitted to the ER for an illness. Late that evening, they admit him to the hospital. A male nurse is taking us to the elevators that is just for patient transfers and staff. The hall is long and dark. The hospital is like a ghost town. The nurse pushes the button to go UP. We wait about a minute. The elevator doors open.

scene: a large elevator....a dead body covered in a red blanket......no one else.

nurse: "um.....is anyone on there?" He leans over to peer into the elevator. Mom and I lean over to peer into the elevator.

me: "is that what we think it is??"

dad: in a low growl.."I am not gettin on there with that!"

The doors close. The four of us look at each other wide-eyed. The nurse tells us to "stay put, he is going to get security".

My parents and I stand there in the dark, long, empty hall. Dad raises his eyebrows and rolls his eyes........................mom and I start laughing.

Another nurse comes around the corner with an empty wheel chair. She looks at us questioningly and asks, "um, are ya'll waiting on an elevator?" at the same time she pushes the UP button.

I tell the nurse what just happened. "WHAT??"

The door opens. Same elevator with the dead body.

Her eyes bug out. At that moment, the elevators across the hall open and two ladies in scrubs say "there she is!"....THEN another elevator opens and a security guard jumps off and runs over to the dead-body-elevator before the door closes again.

CHAOS....

The 2 ladies in scrubs are hooting and laughing and saying "we didn't lose her we were just sent to find her.......I'm not getting on the elevator with a dead body........I'm not getting on if you're not!!" They laugh and slap and stomp their feet.

Our original nurse looks disgusted by the lack of professionalism from the 2 ladies in scrubs. The 2nd nurse with the empty wheelchair yells "you should be more afraid of the live patients!" She is also clearly frustrated with the 2 ladies.

Me: "I am so thrilled! I have never seen a dead person!"

Mom: "yes you have! Grandee was dead at his funeral." (that quote is my favorite EVER)

Me: "I mean a body that hasn't been froofed for a funeral."

We soon find out that the undertaker..............oh wait! UNDERTAKER.....another hospital employee told us that he hates the undertakers because they look like reapers!! They come in with black hats and black long coats....

We soon find out that the undertaker was transporting the body (hence the red blanket and not a hospital sheet), put the body on the elevator, started talking, doors closed and elevator with body leaves....

Our nurse apologizes for the situation and said that he had to call the securtiy guard .....to fix the situation !

I told my dad, I am sorry you are sick but this was the best Christmas EVER!!

stockings were hung by the........

Well, our stockings are hung on coat hooks in our dining room......no chimney.......but they were made with love and care!!

I made Jeff a stocking our first Christmas we were married. I have one that my mom made when I was little.

I made Jack's when I was pregnant with him. I made Max's before his first Christmas.

We got Cotton (Jack's cat) on a New Year's weekend. I made her a stocking a couple of years after we had her. I did not have anymore felt material at the time. I did not care much for her.....she got a stocking made out of scraps. I stitched lights around her name in the hopes she would have the same outcome as the cat in the Christmas Vacation movie.

I made Vicki's stocking last month. She digs holes and buries things in the yard, so she got a bone shaped stocking and bones on the Christmas tree.

Jack immediately noticed that the dog's stocking is bigger than the cat's stocking.

Vicki has nosed her way right into all our hearts. Even my tiny Grinch heart!!

I was trying to take a picture of the boys before their concert and she insisted on being in the picture.....

Yes I know the lighting is horrible. We don't have any lights in our living room (2 lamps). Long story.....another blog post!

The cat has always "rested" under our Christmas tree. This year, Vicki has tried to join her too many times. Before we put presents under the tree, Cotton would sit in the Nativity and hiss at the dog!!

.....Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!!

To be honest......I was VERY surprised!!

(above: Jack warming up!)
(above: Max playing in the beginner band....he is one of two trumpets)

My boys picked up an instrument and read music for the first time EVER in October. They played in a concert last night and did VERY well!! Max was in the beginner band and elementary choir. He knew all his notes and all of the words to each song!! He played GREAT!!

Jack was in the beginner band, concert band, jazz band and concert choir. He was the only clarinet (now there is one more) so he was asked to play in all the bands. He learned ALL the music for ALL the bands!! He sounded FANTASTIC!!

I have to admit. I was not expecting much last night. The band just started in October. These kids worked very hard and many of them have never played before!!

This is the one and only "group" for home school in which I participate. I have found that I do not "blend" well with other home school families (ha! I don't "play" well with anybody, actually). This has not been that bad. I still have to keep my mouth shut at times.......or I go home regretting something I have said. This has been a great growing experience for me!

It has been VERY worth it!! My kids love playing their instruments!!

I have MANY more pics but I am not sure the other parents would be pleased with their kids being on the internet!! This blog IS read all over the world!! :)

School project for Christmas!!!

As teacher, principal, and school board, I make the decision to break from the normal curriculum at Christmas time!!

This year we did a gingerbread project. The boys had to create their own design to make out of gingerbread. They had to draw it out on graph paper, measure, make stencils and create a final drawing to represent their plan for the final project.

The boys had to read and follow directions, measure accurately, and work together to make the gingerbread. They used their stencils to cut out each piece needed for their project.

Next, they constructed their objects. They had to use problem solving skills to figure out how to put each piece together. They used cans of food for extra support while the icing (mortar) dried. After observing that some of the pieces did not turn out as planned, they had to decide whether it was due to baking or measuring.
We were all pleased with the final projects!! Jack made a castle tower and handmade army men with toothpicks or spaghetti noodles for swords. He created moss green icing for the decoration (mossy castle) and chose the candy for extra decor.

Max made a SWAT truck. He also used a cookie cutter for the men. If you look close, you can see that their was a shoot out. Some men have many bullet holes and lots of blood. One man was run over by the back of the SWAT truck and his arm was severed. Max made black icing for the truck, red sprinkles and red hots for blood and peppermints for the wheels.
As you can see, Max is very festive!!

Next week we will make our annual Christmas cookies!!

the latest MAZ creations

I had an idea to use my grandmother's handwritten recipes and printable fabric to make my mom and two older sisters.....kitchen towels.

I told my mom my idea. She showed me aprons that my grandmother made when she was younger. (My grandmother died from cancer when I was 4 months old.) She asked me to use these aprons to make NEW aprons so everyone could have "a piece" of each apron. I was very nervous to cut up my grandmother's aprons!! I make a lot of unusual things BUT 75% of them I end up tucking away somewhere because I don't like them. I did not want to waste these aprons on a stupid idea of mine!!!

Here are a few of the aprons that my grandmother made. They are laying on my grandmother's table cloth. (I believe if you click on the pics, you can see them better.)

I used this last apron to create a pattern in which I could use all the aprons to make 3 new aprons. Each apron uses a part of each apron style above. The back of the aprons are the table cloth that you see above.



This is a pic of the handwritten recipes. I scanned them, printed them on the special fabric and appliqued them to the aprons.

I really enjoyed this project. It took me around two weeks. I sewed them all by hand (I don't own a sewing machine).

I was so nervous about how these would turn out.....would I screw it up? would I ruin these vintage aprons? grandmother's memories???

I am pleased with each apron!! I actually did a great job stitching them!! There were few mistakes!!

I am hoping for a sewing machine in the future because this project gave me so many more ideas!!!

Another MAZ creation!!!

WARNING: possible TMI

I will warn you now......This is a post on medical issues. As you all know, I share everything! If you are embarrassed or grossed out by hearing about biology....then don't read my post!!!

For a month and a half, I have been having tests done. They found blood in my urine and I do not have any other symptoms. I had 5 urine tests, 2 pelvics, an ultrasound and a cysto (cameras in the bladder). One of the tests came back with 22 times the amount of blood cells than I should have had. They were looking for cancer. Today's test cleared me of cancer!!!! WOO HOO! They did not find any tumors or cancer. He said that I had swelling and redness. I have a bacteria infection and have been put on antibiotics for 90 days.

So.........of course I have a CLASSIC MAZ situation to share. Today they did a cysto on my bladder. They numb the area and then insert two cameras. I had to sit in this crazy chair. They put my legs in stirrups and raised my rear to the ceiling and dropped my head to the floor. The nurse put the numbing gel in the appropriate area, covered my legs, turned the light off and left the room (waiting for the anesthesia to work). So I am laying in this completely crazy position, in the dark, freezing as "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" is blaring through the speakers. I found it very funny! I will forever associate this song with the "image" of today!!

Jeff and I are very relieved with the diagnosis. The nurse and doctor said they WERE looking for cancer due to other tests that were done. They had called me 2 days earlier and said the doctor would like to meet with me after the tests. I was prepared for the worst. I might be a pessimist but I figure......If you are prepared for the worst, then there are no surprises. AND if it isn't the worst....then whatever it is.......is MUCH better!! I am happy for the 3 months of antibiotic and a few days of painful pee pee!!

I am not going to say that God blessed me....since I don't have cancer. I believe that even if I did have cancer...I would have received many blessings from the lessons, trials and leaning on HIM!!!

OH! and best of all......my pee pee will be blue for the next few days!!! That is cool!

drugs and snoring

When I get the really bad migraines, I take Vicodin. When I take Vicodin, I get some crazy dreams!!

My usual dream is that I am as tiny as a fly but my hands are giant like the Hulk gloves you find in the toy department. In my dream, I am laying in my bed....the size of a fly with these ENORMOUS hands. Everything in my dream is heavy and in slow motion.....the feeling you get when you try to run in the pool or ocean.

Saturday night I had ALOT of medication trying to get rid of the horrible migraine. I started "dreaming". I was a tiny person with humongous hands. All these people were around me and making this low gurgle/snort noise. The noise was slow and long and loud. I would try to see around my hands to hear what they were saying...........(I know...it doesn't make sense)....

Then warm, stale air was blasting my face. I tried to move my enormous hands to block the air.

I woke up. I was facing Jeff. He was snoring and puffing. The low gurgle/snort noise was his snoring..... I tried to open my eyes and laugh. I lost control with a giggle and immediately fell asleep.

Drugs and snoring! THAT is entertainment!!