Baby on Board

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thCACMDBNZThere is nothing like having a baby in the house. It is the weirdest thing ever. To have gone your entire life with the sounds and antics of a newborn. Then one day its thrust open and there is nothing you can do except accept it and move on. The cries, poop, the midnight feedings it is just so much…it really can be overwhelming.

The first time, really the first six months if I am being honest, I was alone with my baby in my house after delivering was by far the greatest and scariest moment in my life. He cried and cried. In addition, me without a clue as to what to do. How I wished he would just tell me what he wanted then we all could go to sleep happy and peacefully. More importantly, the crying and screaming would have ceased. Oh well. Babies are not born with that ability.

What if they could speak? Would if as soon as a child burst through its mother birth canal it spoke?   I think there are many parents that would be greatly relief by that; I know I would have been.

Like with most things it gets better with age. As the baby grew, we did as well. We learn to differentiate between each cry; we were able to put him on a bath schedule. Which was the best thing ever. It is, as he knew as soon as he was finished in his little tub that it was bedtime. In addition, the feeding time was eventually panned all the way out. It was wonderful. Almost easy.

Too bad it took almost seven months for us to get to that point. Up until then it, my house was a mad house. One hundred percent chaos. I was not sleeping, the baby was not sleeping, nothing was done, and for the first time in my life, my house was dirty. A real mess. Bless my husband heart he was so patient through the entire thing. When he did not have to work, he was at home helping me. When he was at work, he would periodically call and check on us. Oh and he would talk to the baby over the phone. For whatever reason our son loved his voice.

It did not matter if he had been hollering for an hour as soon as he heard my husband voice he immediately became hushed. I was so exhausted most of the time that I did not even think to be jealous our wonder what exactly what it was he prefer about my husband then me. Whatever worked, that what I was about.

Then about a year and a half later without even trying here comes the next one. This time it is a girl. My beautiful baby girl. She was so precious. With her long curly hair, dimple on her right cheek, and beautiful grayish brown eyes. Until she was hungry, or sleepy or just whatever. Then she was a loud screaming unlosable bundle. It seem she was a little more work than her older brother was.   The only thing I can say is that did not last as long as it did with her brother.

After the first few weeks, it was smooth sailing.

As I said there is nothing like having a baby in the house. I still am amazed at how such a small thing can demand so much from the people around it.

The Great Storm

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thIB2H04KIWind, rain, hail, and sleet oh my! This week was the week from hell. The storms we experience was something to go down in the history books. By far one of the worst storms I have ever experience that is for sure.

It started the howling and hurling winds. It was crazy and scary. Especially during this time of year when we are so use to having to worry about snow, not summer like storms. Some parts of the Midwest even experienced tornadoes along with hail, rain, and sleet. I guess you can say my area was lucky, no tornadoes, YAY!

However, with winds exceeding fifty miles per hour winds, some people felt as though a tornado actually touched down. In fact, my neighbor and I were talking and he swears that he saw a funnel. I don’t think he did, but who am I to argue? I am no meteorologist.

Then there was the all the things falling from the sky. Golf ball size hail, freezing rains, and slushy sleet. Just disgusting weather. All I could think about is my car windshield shattering into a million pieces due to the hail or something flying across the yard, like a branch or something. For two days, we experience the rain, hail, and sleet. Off and on for two whole days.

My cousin that lives in the next town over did have some damage done to her house. The wind snapped one of the frozen branches from the tree in her front yard and blew it into her front picture window. She woke up to shattering of glass and howling winds. She was terrified to say the least.

To make matters worse the almost the entire county was without power. The high winds knocked out power lines and transformer boxes all over the county. It is so crucial that the business that normally services our area had to bring in utility workers from all over the country. In a desperate effort to quickly and efficiently restore everyone power.

To top it all off during all of this I lost my lucky nickel and my lucky sweater. Yes, this was not the best week in my life.

After the winds died out and all the crazy weather pass on through, I made my way over to my cousin’s house to look in on her. She and a few of her helpful neighbors were able to remove the branches from her living room. Now she was waiting on the tree service Huntsville team to come and take the tree’s trunk out of the living room. As well, as remove the rest of the tree that was still stuck into the ground.

While she is waiting, her home insurance is relocating her to a nice hotel where she will stay until the tree is removed and her house is repaired. She ask me to stay with her (-she has issues with being alone in strange places). Never one to turn down access to a Jacuzzi tub and indoor swimming pool I agree to stay with her.

That was my week, even as I am typing this I am sitting in the hotel’s restaurant. Having lunch and sipping on a delicious iced mint tea. What can I say all well that ends well? I suppose it could always be worst, right. Now I am patiently waiting on my cousin to be able to return to her house and the tree service business to take care of a few limbs that fell around my home.

What a storm I do not think I will ever forget this. It was one to go down in the history books. I know my cousin will remember this for the rest of her life.

Take it easy

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th8ZJBS9PJAfter the rough week I had last week I cannot wait for a little break this weekend. Every moment I had last week was occupied with stuff that I had to do, no free time or easy breezy time. I remember when all I have is time, now it seems that I am scraping the bottom of the barrel and still coming up short. I do not think I slept more three hours at any given time. What can I say; I could not afford to sleep, not with everything going on. Nevertheless, the weekend is just a few days away. That means going out of town, so what if it is just Ohio, it is still a break from my everyday life. Whatever. I will take it and relish in it

The only downfall is that when I come back I will be right where I left. Back to square one, until God knows when I will have another break. I do not know how long I can continue living my life like this. Its time for a change. It is time to better management for my time. There has to be a way to optimize each day, each hour, each minute and if I can each millisecond.

If you are like me and time management is your dragon here are a few tools that I found useful in slaying that dragon.

What I have learned after this exhausting that I feel has benefited my life immensely, that I feel will benefit yours as well? Well here it is, enjoy it. You read right, enjoy it. Relax and go with the flow, there are so many people in the world that are unable to a portion of your day. Feel lucky that you can and you do it so well. I know I do.

So many people are living a harder life, with little to no advantage to speak of, and I want to complain because people need me? People want to see me. I am learning and growing, with ease. What I do takes time but it is not hard. I do not have callous on my hands or am I constantly worried that someone will harm me. All in all my life is easy.

I take it a day at a time, count my blessings, and pray the next day will be better, that I will do better. I have realize that I am more often than not. What more can a person ask for than that.   If there is anything else than I do not know about it, I am not sure I need to know about it either. I am content and I am happy, that is enough for me. When I’m learning new skills like learning how to setup your own blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEfzxIYrvEk

I know you were probably some mumble jumble on how to micro manage your life, in my experience all that causes is more stress. What do you do if life throws you a curveball and completely overturn your schedule? Have a breakdown, at least that I used to do, become frustrated and shut down. Now I subscribe to the do not sweat the small stuff doctrine. I have to say that it has improved and completely transform my life. I enjoy my breaks but I also enjoy the time I spend engaged and challenged. The balanced of the two is what keeps me afloat.

Don’t fight it. Accept the bumps along the road of life. If you never experience hardship can you truly appreciate the ease? I don’t think so.

Almost the Best Summer Ever

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thRN9XZMK6Savannah Tree Service saved my life! If you are ever in the need for some great quality, tree service make them your first call. You will not regret it!

For years, I have been telling myself to have a particular oak tree that is in front of my house removed. It is so closed to my house and my neighbor house that if something were to happen to it, the damage that can come from that would be devastating. Like so many others things around the house I kept saying tomorrow, tomorrow. With family, work, and everything thing else I just could never seem to find the time. Which is crazy because it is not as if I was going to go out there and cut this massive tree down. I may be a lot things but I know my limits. As I said, it was just one of those things that I kept putting off. Well, let me tell you, I sure did pay for it in a big way.

In the summer, we always have these crazy storms. With the works. High winds, heavy rain, lightening, thunder, and every so often there is a tornado spotting. It seems these tornado spotting are happening more and more frequently as time moves along.

This particular summer it seems like we may have exceeded our limits of storms. Since summer began my town, and those neighboring towns, had not experience one day of bad weather. Heck, even the heat was not too bad this summer. The temperature never climbed higher than eighty-seven degrees. Every day was beautiful sunshine, clear blue skies, and gentle breezes. It was unheard of, something that has not happen in more than a hundred years. The weathermen was even joking that they may lose their jobs because there was never anything to report. Just the same, weather every day.

As we near the end of summer and back to school time, we were hit. This storm was on a mission to make up for every great and gentle day we had this summer.

The day started out like any other day. Beautiful sunshine with a slight easterly wind. To look outside it was as if nothing in the world could go wrong. Except, maybe, you put a little too much sugar in your ice tea!

As I pulled into my driveway, I saw that tree and automatically thought of calling a tree service company and schedule a time to have it removed. Then I heard the ice scream truck’s music and spotted him a couple of houses down. I immediately had a taste for a banana split. Forgetting all about that tree I stood near the curb waiting for the ice cream man to make it down to my house.

As I sat in my house, reading my newspaper, I heard what sounded like sirens.   In fact, it sounded just like the siren that is used for bad weather. As I turn on the television, I hear a large crack. I turn to look out to where I heard the noise.

That tree that large oak tree in front of my house it was struck by lightning. Twice! The lightening caused a branch to break off. It fell across my driveway narrowly missing my car and my neighbor’s house. In addition, just like that the sirens had turn off, as I am making my way outside to take in the total damage I hear my television set say that a major storm had just passed by. That there may be some minor activity but nothing to worry about.

Thankful that nothing else was headed our way I immediately called Savannah Tree Service. They were able to fit me in today. By that night, they had removed the branch that fell across my driveway, and they took care of the rest of the tree. Ensuring that I no longer have to worry about something like this happening again.

 

My Crafty Life

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thKA1PU4NEI fancy myself a creative genius of sorts. My middle name should be do it yourself. My favorite app? Pinterest of course. Last week when I decided, I would learn how to arm knit a blanket for my husband. After checking out all those posts on Pinterest and YouTube videos, it seem like a breeze. Definitely easier than learning how to actually knit with needles. After visiting my local arts and craft store, deciding on some super cute gray, white, and purple chunky yarn I was ready. In addition, ever so excited to present my husband with his super cozy and warm blanket. In my head, I was thinking this would be a breeze, so much so, I consider returning to the store to get more yarn. I knew this would be so easy that I would have time to make one or two more. In the end my innate lazy kept me at home.

I found the YouTube I saved to my watch list, took all of my yarn out of their packaging, got comfortable on the couch and pressed play. First, it said to use three yarn balls so that you get the right amount of chunkiness in the blanket. Otherwise, you will end up with a long scarf. Ok, that makes since, I took three of the yarn spools and twist the yarns together a little bit. That was easy enough.

After that, the video instructed to leave a long piece at one end called the tail then to cast on onto your arm. This is simply done by making a slipknot and passing it onto your arm. Making sure to allow it to hang loosely around it. Continue with these loops on your arm until you have twenty or so loops, hanging loosely of course. Bear in mind that eventually the other arm will have to pass through these loops. Now here comes the tricky part. Passing one from one arm to the next, essentially the actual knitting.

The first like seven “knits” went great. As I continued, my cat started playing with the yarn and eventually he jumped into the pile I had in between my feet. As I am trying to untangle my beloved feline, the yarn has somehow wound itself around my feet and arms. I had hog tied myself with yarn. IF you do not know what hog-tying is, just think of one of those old cowboy films. Then the cowboy is on his horse herding the cattle along and he throws a lasso around one of the young calf.   After he has the young cow securely bound in the rope, he will take the rope and wrap it around the four legs making the calf immobile.

This is what I did to myself. I try to stand up in hopes of reaching my scissors across the room, but I tumble over unable to move. Here I am laying on my living room floor, yarn all over the place, feet and hands bound, and my adorable cat has left me to chase a fly upstairs. My husband was away at work and I was not expecting him home for another three hours.

Like any independent and resourceful woman of the twenty first century, I did the only thing I could do…patiently wait for my husband to come home.

flipped my smart phone on and started learning about other ways to make money and found some interesting info about mlm company and watched a video called AdvoCare distributor.

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What Happens When a City Plants a Tree Too Close to the Sidewalk

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th (7)A fourteen-year-old girl, Sarah Pinking, was riding her bike home from school. As she was cruising along on the sidewalk on the southwest side of the city, she was injured. She broke her wrist on her right arm and her elbow on her left. She barely missed receiving a very dangerous and possibly fatal head injury, that morning she listen to her mother for once and wore her helmet that day. What happen to young Sarah as she rode her bicycle on the sidewalk that horrible day, she was flipped off her bike due to a broken sidewalk. It was uplifted from the ground due to shallow tree roots breaking through the cement.

Now the city is face with a decisions, what to do about the tree? It is a real doozy too. If they cut the tree down, they will have to deal with those folks that love the environment. The community is very much into environmentally safe and renewable resources and lifestyle. That is one viewpoint they have to consider.   Another option is to treat the roots. By trimming, them back or add some type of solution that will retard its growth. By going this route, they run the risk of decrease the trees stability. Anytime anyone touches or alters a tree’s roots, it is like cutting its leg out from under it. Most likely, the tree will fall over, creating an even bigger problem. Last option, the option am sure poor young Sarah will be greatly against considering her injuries she sustain from the roots, is to leave it alone.   However, it has already been proven how dangerous that option is to the public. How many more people will hurt themselves at the hands of this debacle tree’s roots? Anyone choice they make will be hard one, all guaranteed to have great opposition. All of which have very valid points in feeling how they feel about the situation.

When considering their options the community’s civil council decide to consult the expertise of Springfield Tree Service. Springfield Tree Service sent out a consultant to inspect the tree. Its health, vitality, and age. Gathering information to help the city determine the best option for both the city’s financial and negligent liability and something that will please the people. Alternatively, pacified them with reason if they do not agree with it. By taking advantage of the expertise and license arborist, the city council was able to come to make a decision and commit to it.

After the consolation with Springfield Tree Service, it was decided to have the tree removed. It was the most apt decision based on its potential growth, its projected pathway disturbances it will cause as it continues to grow, and what was financially sound. When presenting this decision to the community at first was met with a lot of negativity. However after the considered the data and information the tree service was able to provide, reason overcame emotions. Now Sarah can enjoy riding her bike without the risk of flipping over the handlebars due to some tree is being illogically planted too close to the sidewalk.

There’s Nothing like Young Love

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It’s great being a kid.  The freedoms from responsibilities, the incredible hope for the future because it holds all kinds of promise, the naiveté of a child’s innocence. Some of my fondest moments happened when I was a child. I can honestly say that I had a delightful childhood. Full of mischief and wonder, surprises and adventure. I remember spending summers on my bike riding it all over town. Sometimes with my fishing pole, adhere to it on my way to Gray Lake to catch a few blue gills. Or to Bo Bo’s Ice Cream, for a blue thunder ice cream cone. If you never had a blue thunder, you have not lived. A blue colored ice cream tastes like superman ice cream with Pop Rocks candy all through the ice cream. I can still taste and feel it.

One memorable moment that happened in my childhood, I fell in love. Head over heethXOIBXNR0ls, cannot get him out of my mind in love. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in Mr. Gauthier seventh grade social studies class. I had on a heather gray and white horizontal striped shirt, with three quarter length sleeves, and a pair of dark washed boot cut jeans, with a white leather belt. Until this day, I do not like social studies. As I am sitting there daydreaming there was a not at the door. Our assistant principal Mr. Meek enter the classroom with a boy behind him. He announced that we had a new student that he had just moved from North Carolina. His name was Tyler Grimm.

Tyler was beautiful. Even as a young girl I could recognized his beauty. He had curly dirty blonde hair, piercing cornflower blue eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek. He spoke with a slow southern accent, with great charm. Mr. Gauthier sat him at my table. The whole time he sat that there, I kept thinking about him, trying to stop myself from staring. My heart racing, my palms and underarms prickling with sweat. He said hi to me than sat down in the chair next to me. I quickly smiled then return to starting down at the blank paper in front of me.

Fast forward to our senior year in high school.   Tyler is still beautiful, if anything puberty has made him even more attracted. He never lost his southern drawl it just became deeper and more resonating with age. I still get nervous but not as much as when he first arrived to our school. Over the years, we have become great friends. His older brother is one of my older brothers’ best friend. I fell in love with him when he walked into my seventh grade class and five years later my feelings have not changed.

It’s the end of the year and everyone is preparing for senior prom. I was asked by three people to go but I told each I would think about. I realized now I was hoping Tyler would ask me. I was sure that he really liked, you know, more than just friends. Sometimes when he thought I wasn’t looking I would catch him starting at me with a dopey look on his face. We both knew that this will be the last event, then its graduation, and everyone is off to their respected colleges and universities. Who knows if we will ever see each other again?

Two days before senior prom, I causally mention to Tyler after our track practice that I know which one of the guys I’m going to go to prom with. That after I changed clothes I will let him know. He gave me a look then ask me to wait until tonight to tell them. I ask him why; he just smiled and told he would come over tonight. I think he’s going to ask me to prom!

I was right, he asked me. Tyler and I went to our last prom together and then started dating. But broke up right before I left for college on the other side of the country. We still talk occasionally thanks to Facebook. He still the same Tyler I remember, my Tyler.

 

As the leaves fall

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Autumn is a fan favorite.  Especially living in an area of the country where fall can been seen, felt, and heard.  The crisp feeling in the air, the majestic colors hurting from the changing of the leaves, the that smell of freshest is s and promise, and the crinkly of leaves and branches crunching under each step.  Fall is full of cute boots, snugly sweaters and cardigans, and tasty apple cider.  Fall, fall, fall arguably the best season.  Like all good things it must come with a price. The price for enjoying autumn and all of its glory is the leaves.  To be more specific the raking of those leaves.  Ugh!  To most, if not all, this is the worst parth3BGA0ZILt of the entire season.

Is there any way to make this part enjoyable?  Raking leaves can be a fun time right?  Obviousouly it sounds like an oxymoron-raking leaves and fun.  For those not under the age of ten it is nothing but a chore.  The only comfort that can be taken is at least its not snow.

After some digging and creative thinking a list was compiled of five ways to make raking leaves this fall fun.  That’s right FUN!  Full of laughter and joy.  Who knows it may be the most anticipated time after trying out a few of these suggestion.  One can never know.  Here it is few creative ways to make raking leaves an extravaganza!

LET’S PARTY!

Birthday parties, holiday parties, Super Bowl parties, graduation parties… leaf raking party?   Yes!  Why not?  In this society everything is celebrated no matter how big, small, or non exisitence the achievement is, it is and will be celebrated with gusto!  Now its time to include raking of the leaves.  A few rakes, some food, warm beverages, and a crowd.  With everyone around and sharing the work, the time should fly.  Rather it takes all night or one hour who cares?   Its a party, have fun!  Make it last night and end the evening with a warm and welcoming bonfire with s’mores and fire roasted hot dogs.

MAKE IT INTO A GAME

Regardless of a person is six or sixty years old everyone loves a great game.  Create a  maze or obstacle from the leaves raked.  Another opiotn make it into a race.  Yup, that’s right a race,  who can rake the highest pile of leaves within a set time.  Or a classic who can rake the quickest.  Any of these suggestions would make a great way to spend a Saturday, turning a chore into an event.

USE SHEETS OR TARPS

This may very well be more for efficiency than anything else.  Instead of raking leaves from one side of the yard to the curb or whatever, use a large sheet or tarp and have the leaves raked onto the tarp or sheet.  Then it can be easily carried to wherever.  This is great with kids.  They can rake a large pile of leaves onto the sheet or tarp.  Then they can jump and play in ti for however long.  When their done simply have them drag the sheet to the curb.  Any stray leaves can be quickly raked back into the pile.

As the leaves begin to fall and pile up it is not acceptable to look at them and smile.  Imaging the good times and special moments those leaves will be the background to at the next LEAF RAKING FESTIVITIES!

If I could invent one thing…

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thAQFC4ITCIf you are reading this then it means that you and I are alive in a time where technology is changing at a very rapid speed. Something new is always either being invented, improved upon, upgraded, or altered. As soon as you acquire the most recent (input gadget here) there is a new version released six months later.  There really is no room to be complacent if you are in the technology world or field. It seems that we improve ourselves and our lives at a much faster pace then say, thirty or forty years ago. Of all the cool and new things that is available for the consumer there is one thing we should be anxiously waiting for its released. One thing that I am praying is created, tested and available to the public before my death.

I do not know how many have read or seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The story goes, this young boy, Charlie, is from a very poor but good family. Well there is a chocolate factory in his town, own by Willie Wonka, and he is running a contest that whoever buys a Wonka bar and finds a golden ticket can receive a full tour of his chocolate factory. For said town this is exciting news because the factory has been closed to the public for x amount of years.  Anyway Charlie finds a coin, buys a Wonka Bar (a chocolate candy by made by Willie Wonka), and therefore nubs the last golden ticket. He and few other children, along with their adult chaperone, tours the factory. Each child, except Charlie, failed in following the directions and is humorously removed from the building. Charlie ends up making it through the tour and is later gifted the factory. In one of the scenes, a young girl name Violet chews this gum that Mr. Wonka softly warns her is not ready for consumption. The gum Violet chews is amazing!  It has the taste full course meal. She claims to taste a turkey dinner, with cranberry sauce, and ends with a blueberry pie.  After she chews her way to the dessert portion of the meal, the blueberry pie, she begins to balloon with blueberry filling.  Violet then resembles a giant blueberry and has to be roll away and juiced.

What I am most interested in the different flavor gum without the side effects.  That’s what I want. A gum or flavor strip that has the taste of real food but none of the fats and calories. Would not that be amazing? I cannot even count the number of times I wanted to taste something without actually eating it. Just to have that flavor in my mouth. Without feeling full and bloated. How awesome would that be?

Enough with the daydreaming. Who knows when something like that will be available?   You know. However I have great faith in my fellow man, if a person can design a printer with the ability to print flesh, yes you read right flesh, then something like a deliciously flavor gum should be a breeze. I bet this gum actually exist but only the government has access to it.   Something they give to their agents in the field.   Meanwhile I need to get back to work. I have seven apple trees and three shrubs to prune. Not forgetting the cable and brace system, I have to install. These trees are not going to prune themselves.

That just gave me another idea for a new invention. With a little genetic slicing and ingenuity, self-pruning trees.   Well, maybe not. If trees are able to self-prune then I am out of a job and a business. Nope, that one I will keep to myself.