Credit Where Credit is Due....Carol Here's To You!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!!!! Okay....actually.....today is the first day after Memorial Day which actually starts my summer. It starts my kids being home daily, my work schedule changing and hopefully a revised and revived attitude! Last summer sucked!!!! I tried to think of a better way to describe it....but there just isn't one. Last summer I was working for the first time in a couple of summers, David was having almost constant seizures, I was going through a long list of non-English speaking (okay very little English speaking) day care/respite care workers for David......and my pool wouldn't clear up. Almost every weekend we were either in the ER or admitted to the hospital, David was having so many seizures and his body was so weak and tired that he was barely able to crawl across the room and I stayed in a constant state of guilt and nervous exhaustion constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was literal hell for all of us and not a time that any of us wants to have to relive. I have great hopes that this summer is going to be vastly different and oh so much more happy and enjoyable. So far.....it hasn't started out too shabby. The trip was just what the dr. ordered to get this party started!

I actually slept horribly last night. I think I might have been just too tired to sleep. I kept having strange dreams that startled me awake and then along about 2ish, 3ish storms hit and the temperature changed. I had to get up and shut windows and try to drift back to sleep. By 6ish I was done trying and just got up. Suprisingly.....I don't feel too bad now. Wait til about noon though and I am sure it will hit me. Hopefully tonight will be a better night!

While I probably wasn't as well behaved on my trip as I should have been (must learn to control my mouth and my attitude) I always get inspired going to my mother in laws. She has more energy than three 20 year olds and she goes from dusk til dawn. She is one of these multi-taskers who just does everything right. Of course....there is a certain amount of perfectism that goes along with this.....but over the years.....I have come to understand that that form of OCDness (new word....you like?) may not be such a bad thing. She is a collector/coupon shopper/deal getter kind of person. Because of this you never have to take anything but yourself and a change of clothes to her house. She has enough toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, hair products, nail products and bath stuff to revival Walmart....and in vast variety and it is always better than anything I buy. She always seems to have extra clothes for the kids, extra towels for me to bring home and a pantry stocked so well that it would make any chef sob with joy. The funny thing is.....with all of this stuff....her house and yard are immaculate. I have marveled at this woman and her ability to both shop and store for years. I think it may have even dipped over into a bit of hero worship. Really it is hard to find fault as she pretty much can do it all. She will be 70 next year and you could never tell it. She mows her five acres, her neighbors yards and an older woman's yard who she oversees and takes care of. She can squeeze at least a buck fifty out of every dollar, she has an enormous green thumb and has a knack for landscaping that is amazing. She cooks like a dream and every year has a beautiful garden and either cans or freezes everything she grows. Her house is always clean (although she never thinks it is) and in her spare time....she works at the local senior center, cleans house for the older woman I spoke of, babysits her great grand kids, and shops at thrift stores. She puts more into one day than most people put in a whole week! Again there is a certain amount of OCDness that goes with all of this.....but I have learned (and need to keep remembering) that this all apart of who she is and how she makes it all work.

For all the years I have known her......when I come home from her house....I try to make her tips and tricks work at my house. Some things I actually have been able to implement....but alas, most of her abilities far exceed any talent or ability I have. Her energy alone is a wonder and after running with her for just a couple of hours.....I need a nap.....and she keeps on going. Perhaps it is my naps that hinder me?! That and the whole being me thing.....which is definitely not her! I would truly love it if she just came out to my house for a week and did a boot camp type training on my house and my life. Of course I would have to clean for a month before she came.....and she would want to kill me in the first day and half she was here.....so it probably ain't ever gonna happen! But I think I could live with a little bit of OCD if it meant organization in my life. Again....I think!

Honestly.....I was not on my best behavior and I should have done a lot more biting my tongue and letting things slide (after all...her house her rules) I was a bit of a __________ (go ahead....you fill in the blank!) Honestly....the day I became part of her world and her family I was blessed. She and I have butted heads a time or two (or six) over the years, but she has always been very good to our little family. Since Tim has been gone she has never lost touch nor has she ever emotionally moved away from us and since I lost my own mother.....she has often stepped in as a surrogate. For all of her quirks (and we all have them) her heart is always in the right place and she loves her grand kids with a fierceness only a mother lion could match. She has had a tough life losing both a husband and a son and often she is probably not given credit where credit is due.

Today.....I feel that I must give credit where credit is due. I give her credit for picking herself up after great emotional as well as physical losses and moving on. I give her credit for always giving when she can and loving the way she knows best. Kudos for her well stocked pantries and her ability to stretch a dollar. My hats off to her for her green thumb and her amazing skill in the kitchen. Most of all...I want to thank her for all she does and continues to do....even when it isn't always as appreciated as it maybe should be. I want to thank her for her kindness to me and her support when the bottom fell out of my world. I want to thank her for her humor, her laughter and for always leaving the door open at Elam East for all who wish to enter. And finally Carol....thank you for being you, because even through all the craziness and chaos....the world would be a whole lot less green, organized, landscaped, yummy or loved.....without you in it!

So today ends May and starts us on our way to summer. Please keep your fingers crossed that it is a happy and healthy one for all of us....and maybe that just a smidge of Carol rubbed off on me....so that I can get my house in order. P.S. Thanks to Thiry who came in and cleaned my house while I was gone. I am pretty sure I am going to owe her a "major" night out for that one! Here's hoping that your Tuesday is a great one and to get this summer started I leave you with Kid Rock and All Summer Long!

I'm Back and No BLOG?????

I'm BACK!!!! The trip home went much smoother than the trip there.....except for the wind. I knew the minute I hit the Kansas border. The wind almost blew me off the highway. It probably didn't help that I was going 80+ mph. The trip all in all was great and a much needed break...but as in all trips....it is also nice to be home. Since I have found a comfortable and easy route....maybe I will make the trip a little more often.

It was wonderful seeing all of my family and getting to meet my grand babies (who are no longer babies) for the first time. I got to see my grown kids and my beautiful nieces and my nephew. Almost everyone was there and it was great. Yesterday was especially fun for David as he got to play outside all day and he had a ball. By bedtime last night he was toast! We all were, but we were up and on the road by 5 a.m. today. We even stopped in Columbia and saw my Aunt and Uncle for awhile and still made it home by 1:30 p.m.

I apologize for the typo's and possibly ill written blogs of the past few days. I was typing on my mother in laws computer which was running incredibly slow and was also not typing right. It did the job but barely.....and surfing the net was almost impossible. I think she is convinced though that a new computer should be in her future. She will likely have a new tv in her future too as hers was going out while we were there. Coincidence????? I sure hope so!

Speaking of blogs and internet....I had quite a scare when I got home. The first thing I saw on facebook was people telling me they couldn't access my blog. When I tried....it said my blog had been removed because of inactivity since 2007! REALLY!!!! INACTIVITY???? I immediately started emailing blogger and low and behold....it was back! Hopefully to stay! This will teach me to back up my blog!!!!

Well....I was hoping to have pictures but apparently nothing technological works for me today....so maybe tomorrow. And tomorrow also brings me back to normal (normal for me anyway) and starts my work week as well as ends the month of May. School is out and I am ready to get me summer on!

It is 4 p.m. and David is crashed on his bedroom floor. His mother is not far behind. Here is hoping that what is left of your Memorial weekend is safe and fun and that you don't lose track of what this day represents. To all of those who have served or are currently serving......thank you. And here is Tim McGraws If You're Reading This!

The Last Day

Today is our last day here. It is also the day when all the family is suppose to be here and when temps are suppose to hit the high 80's and possibly even the 90's. I guess our mild temps are thing of the past. The humidity here has been unbelievable so the hair has been worn up and still I frizz. Not a good look for me....but oh well! Temps and temperments are both going to be running high today. Should make for an interesting time!

Last night Z and I had a great time. It is funny how sometimes you have to travel 8 hours from home to appreciate something you can do right on your own front porch. Yesterday evening was a picture perfect evening here. Although the humidity was high.....there was just a touch of a breeze and Z and I sat on the porch for hours just listening to music and talking! We laughed and of course he sang and it was really a nice time. It made me realize that we don't do near enough of that sort of thing. He is growing up and it won't be anytime before he is off to college and our chances to just tak will be a thing of the past. Last night was defiitely a good one.

I feel very bad today as we did not make it to mass. I don't like missing mass.....but we did. Extra prayers are definitely in order for today! A few for the journey home tomorrow might be helpful today. I hope to avoid East Hell on the way back home. We hope to leave about 4 or 5 a.m. so that we beat a good deal of the Memorial Day traffic. I for one like having the road pretty much to myself and if that means driving before anyone else is out of bed......well then.....I am good with that!

Okay.....some news totally unrelated to my trip.......I am now OFFICIALLY a blogger. Take that Nina! As of yesterday morning.....I had 10,004 reads!!!!! I would like to thank all of you who read my blog and most especially I would like to thank all the search bots who I am sure hit my blog on a daily basis making it look as if I have a much larger reader base! Another blogger friend told me that blogger doesn't record bots....but I have my doubts about that. Regardless of bots or not though.....I am now OFFICIAL! Now I just need to do my blogs x 10 and I will REALLY be a blogger. Funny thing is.....I don't feel one bit different and I doubt my blogging street cred has changed, but there is a certain satisfaction in throwing it into someones face that I have 10,000 + reads.....of course the impact would be much greater if she actually read my blog....but oh well.

Well....the stress seems to be running high here this morning at Elam East. The thought of a houseful of people I think puts some into over load and small issues seem to become huge and over blown. So we could be in for a bumpy ride today. Oh well....I am pretty sure I can weather the storm, but again....prayers are welcome. We all know that Lisa can go from angel to b!tch in two point two seconds and without the calming feel of church behind me today......the b!tch maybe fighting to get out!

So today I leave you......hoping that your Sunday is a good one. And I think Meredith Brooks kind of sums up who I am today with the appropriately titled B****h!

Slow Internet, Family and Steak n Shake

I will never complain about my "slow" internet again.....as it is lightening fast compared to my mother in laws. I don't acutally think it is her internet and more her computer. She rarely....if ever uses her computer and has not upgraded since long before the last time I was here. I know! I know! I work at a computer store! How could I let such an atrosity occur???? Well....I work at a computer store in KS and she is no where near KS. She and I have talked about a new computer and I can at least voice an opinion about brand, size and internet which I have! Hopefully she will have a laptop and wifi by my next visit! tehehehehe And yes....just as you may have suspected....her new computer choice will be all about my visiting needs....after all....isn't everything about me?????!






Yesterday was a fun time. We went to my favorite food place on the planet Steak n Shake! If you have never been to one.....you are missing out. To put it into local perspetive....it is like Freddy's on steroids. Never has my tummy been so happy or my healthy eating been so blown....but it was worth every morsel right down to the key lime shake! Ahhhh.....heaven must be full of Steak n Shakes! Then we went to Walmart. How can the same store in two different states be so vastly different. In MO the prices are better and so is the selection. Kansas....you got some 'splainin' to do! I could have spent a fortune there....had I had a fortune to spend! We also did some thrift store shopping until Davids patience ran out and then it was back to the house. I was exhausted.

Then there was the family. I forget how much I miss my MO family until I am around them. They are so much fun and funny and you know how much I like funny. And yesterday was doubly special because I got to see my beautiful daughter (she is actually my step daughter....but I am not fond of the term "step"). I haven't seen her for many years and she is still just as beautiful as ever. Today or tomorrow I hope to get to see my son and his family. I haven't seen his little ones yet and I am so excited.

So far the weather here has been dreary and cool. As I sit here typing this I hear thunder so I am thinkig today may not be too much fun weatherwise. That's okay though....I will make cheesecakes and see family and prepare for tomorrow when the whole gang is here. So far my trip has been fairly relaxing and very enjoyable....even though the time seems to be flying.

Well....I hope your day is relaxing and enjoyable as Saturdays should always be. And today I end with Brooks and Dunn's Red Dirt Road. It is a favorite memory of mine from years ago with Z and his cousin Taylor sitting in the back seat of my van singing to the top of their lungs as we traveled down the road!

The Trip

As suspected…..no wifi is to be had. Still though….I blog! It is a very cool morning here in Bismarck, MO. For those of you who have no idea where this is….we are just a little SW of St. Louis! I know this well as although I have been here many times over the years, I can still manage to get lost on the trip and make what should be an 8 hour trip turn into a hellacious 14 hour trip. Okay….maybe not 14 hours….but I bet if you asked my children right now…..they would say it definitely felt like 14. I blame Google Maps! It has been five years since last I made this trek and we all know I can’t remember what I ate for supper last night…..let alone remember what roads I took to get to Bismarck five years ago. So I mapped it on Google. Now I did awesome from Wichita to Columbia, MO……but after that it became a blur of back roads and strangers laughing at me when I asked for directions. Mainly because of the obscure directions Google gave me. And then there were the other drivers on the road. I thought leaving on Thursday would help me to avoid some of the traffic insanity. I was wrong!!!!! Apparently every trucker in the United States was trying to get to their destinations before the holiday weekend. This appeared to make them all just a little bit manic and a whole lot crazy. I thought the days of convoys where over…but if yesterday was any indication…..they are alive and well!  And if they weren’t bad enough…..there were all those drivers that actually knew where they were going weaving in and out of the convoys and mocking the newbie who was obviously lost. I was bordering on road rage as I found myself going 30 mph on hair pin curves on some back road  straight out of the movie Deliverance! I prayed with all my heart that we didn’t blow a tire or flip because the snakes and coyotes would find us long before another human did. And of course…..no cell service. Again….thank you Google. 

Finally we found actual inhabited road again and cell service and my mother in law was able to talk us back to the interstate and safely to her house. I am sad to say though….that my children now are fully aware that “firetruck” is not the only colorful word that starts with F and mommy used it loudly and often on the last leg of yesterday’s journey. It was not one of my finer moments and once again….I blame it on Google. 

Once here …..all was fine. I get a bit of a melancholy feeling though when I pull into the driveway….it brings back all things Tim. He seemed to be everywhere from the front porch to the bed we used to share on our visits. I feel him all around me here and it comforts and unnerves me all at the same time. I think Z may feel it a bit too. Yesterday as we were driving and listening to music…we were discussing Tim, who like Z…..could really sing! Some song came on and Z said…..”wouldn’t it have been awesome if Dad and I could have dueted this song?!” It made me think about just how much Z has missed out on not having his dad around. There are so many things he needs Tim for and so many experiences that they will never get to share. I don’t think Z will fully understand all that he has missed….until he has kids of his own. It makes me a bit sad.

It also makes me sad that David will never know the man whose faith I have no doubt…..is why he is here today. If faith alone can save someone’s life….then it was Tim’s faith that brought David through his many crisis the first few months of his life  and helped him to become the little man he is today. David was Tim’s special child and only I am left to make sure David knows how truly important he was to his daddy’s life. I hope I never fall down on that job!

Well….the day is young and I am sure it will be full. Days at Grandma Carol’s usually are. So I have lived up to my promise of not giving any of you anytime to miss me. So I hope you go forth and have a wonderful and safe start to your Memorial weekend. Happy Friday!

You know I am ever resourceful! I found wifi....at my nieces. Thank you so much Kristie!!!!! So here is today's blog and in honor of yesterdays trip here is AC/DC and Highway to Hell!

Shout Outs

For those of you perched on the edge of your seat waiting anxiously to know "did she or didn't she?" The answer is......she didn't!!! She did not pack last night. She has not packed today as of yet BUT as soon as David is at school.....she plans on getting it all done with time to spare!!! If you are gonna dream.....you gotta dream big!!!!!

Needless to say....today's blog may be rather brief. Well brief by my standards anyway. Who knows...we will just have to wait and see where my manic procrastinating mind takes us. As I said yesterday.....I may or may not have wifi where we are going, but you WILL have blogs (more like....I WILL take my mental health break and blog) no matter what. If I have to find a library or perhaps a McDonald's....I will get my daily blog out along with my daily opinions, whinings, complainings, dissings and soapbox features. In other words.....it will be like I never left. I am sure you are now breathing a sigh of......okay......we'll call it relief and be good with that!

So since I am crunched for time.....I want to end this with a few brief shout outs....so here goes:
First....I really would like to thank God for sparing us the storms and making today a gorgeous one.
Thanks to Davids teachers, therapists, para's and all at MGS who have been a part of David's life this year. You all have been amazing and taken such great care of my little guy. He has thrived with all of you and grown so much. Thank you seems not nearly enough!
I thank all at MHS who have helped Z, been there for Z, and at times who have had to endure the craziness that is zland and our crazy family.
Thanks to Lindsay for taking such good care of David and being such a good friend to both David and Z.
Thanks to Emily for seeing the awesomeness that is Z and for letting him know it.
Thanks to my mother in law for allowing all our craziness to visit her over the next few days.
I want to thank Thiry and Berty for......well just being Thiry and Berty!
Thanks to my boss Andy for without him I would not have a job. He has put up with my crazy and unpredictable life for over a year and never once made me feel as if my job was on the line. HUGE thank you there.
I want to thank my co-worker Becca who picks up my slack when I am not there and always makes me laugh when I am! I couldn't ask for a  better work environment or a better office mate and friend!
I also want to thank my neighbors who always keep an eye on things....my house sitter who will keep things under control....and the vet who is making sure my puppies are well taken care of.
I thank America for having the good sense to vote Scotty as the next American Idol and Fox for being smart enough to make a GLEE 3-D movie this summer!
Most of all.....I want to thank you guys. I have no idea whether there are 2 of you or 200 of you, but I do know that my blog gets read often and consistently on a daily basis and for that I am very grateful. Otherwise....it would just be me talking to myself.....which truth be told....is pretty much power for the course for me!

Okay.....hour 10.5 is upon me so I REALLY must get busy. I leave you with what for me made American Idol last night. Here is Steven Tyler and Dream On! Have a wonderful Thursday!

You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone

The birds are singing and the morning is calm and relatively cool. This is the first morning in days that the world has not felt unsettled to me. Perhaps last nights storms took much of the instability out of the air. While we got nothing more than a moderate storm with a little hail...folks south of us in OK took a real beating with a major outbreak of tornadoes. Last night was the first time I was ever able to see a tornado form, grow larger and then strike a path of complete and utter destruction before finally losing it's intensity and then dissolving back up into the sky.....all courtesy of live streaming video. I sat both mesmerized and terrified knowing that this insurmountable beast was growing ever closer to people I loved and could at any time be upon them. Technology can be both amazing and gut wrenching in cases like this. It was definitely heart pounding....but I believe everyone I know and love are okay! Thank you God!

Remember me talking about the eleventh hour???? Well, I think it is nearly upon me. I planned on getting a lot done last night, but between American Idol, Glee and fighting with my children......not a lot was achieved. In other words.....there was absolutely no productivity going on in my house last night and a major war ended up breaking out. Just what we needed before our trip! I was....to say the least.....not happy! Now I am left with tonight and tomorrow morning. Again I must ask......why oh why do I procrastinate so??????? The answer? Obviously.....because I can!

My twenty-five year old is once again wanting to move back home. I was considering letting him until last night. Now....I just don't see it happening. The truth is.....I dearly love all my children....just not all at the same time. Last night was not his time! He bounced on my last nerve and proved what I think I already knew.....in fact it should be chiseled on my brain by now.....he should live elsewhere. No more boomeranging. He needs to get life figured out on his own. So that in itself will be a battle when I return from my trip.....but hopefully by then I will be mentally recuperated enough to deal with it.

I was just thinking.....where we are going has internet....but not wireless. Not sure I will be able to hook up while there. Whatever will I do about my blogs?????? Nah...nah....nah!!!! You all don't get off that easy! There will still be blogs written daily....whether I can post them or not. You just may get a whole bunch in one day when I get back. I know you will all want to spend you Memorial Day curled up in a chair, or by the pool, or wherever it is you read my blog.....reading my blogs. So fear not.....I will not disappoint! Heck....if I can get my stupid camera to work (okay stupid worker of the camera to work) then there might even be pictures. Bottom line though....if I can't blog....then you're gonna miss me when I'm gone!

Well we shall see how today pans out. Will I get all my stuff done.....or won't I? Only my travel agent knows for sure!!!!! (You have to be old and have seen classic Clairol commercials to get it!)  As I said....last night I was distracted with tv.....American Idol and Glee. Regardless of what America says.....there is only one clear winner on American Idol to me. So today I leave you with "my" pick for the 2011 American Idol. Here is Scotty McCreery and Gone! Hope you have a great and productive Wednesday!

Unprepared and "Twitting"

And the countdown begins.....and still I sit unprepared! I think there must be some part of me that is rebelling. Against what? I am not sure. Probably just life in general! Tomorrow is my last day of work for the week and Thursday we leave as soon as the kids half day of school is out. In between I have work and cheesecakes to make, laundry to do and a house that looks like it could be condemned. I also have to clean out my frig, buy stuff for the trip....oh AND PACK! Now if I were Berty or Marni or even Thiry (and I am quite sure Jody and  possibly any of my other friends) I would at least be partially prepared if not completely ready to walk out the door except for a couple of last minute details. But no......not me! This means that come Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.....I am going to be a crazy woman with attitude and personality to match. I have every confidence that my children will want to do me in before we even get into the car. Ahhhhh......life in Lisaland......manic AND depressive all at once!

Well.....I did it! I am now twittering.....or is it tweeting? Yesterday I told someone I was twitting.....they almost died laughing, afterwards correcting me and telling me that I might in fact be a twit but that twitting was not a verb, nor did it have anything to do with my ability to twitter. Whew! So glad we got that cleared up. So I guess I don't twit....however there is a possibility that I am one. If there was any doubt.....this whole paragraph should clear that up! At any rate.....my blog views went up by several hundred yesterday after I started tweeting. Now was it coincidence and I just now have a bunch of search bots viewing the blog or was it legit views from all my new twitter fans? More than likely bots.....but a girl can dream can't she? Besides in Lisaland.....views is views!

We escaped the storms yesterday although Joplin got hit pretty good yet again. They didn't have tornadoes but they had storms which hindered all of their search and rescue missions. Last total I heard was that they had around 160 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. Some of their injured were even brought to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. My heart truly breaks for these people and the complete and total devastation they must feel right now. You know.....tornadoes are magnificent beasts with an amazing natural beauty which is only matched by their ferocious and deadly capabilities. To let your guard down during tornado season could have very dangerous and even fatal results and sometimes.....even being prepared for these beasts is simply not enough! Today once again they predict that we could be the storm target. Emergency Services as well as our local news channels and the national Weather Channel have all issued warnings about what today could hold in the form of storm threats.....and it could turn out to be kind of ugly! Hopefully today the weatherman keeps up his streak of being wrong.......and the storms just dissipate! I have my fingers crossed!

So it is time for me to get the kids out the door and for me to get my workout on. I hope you all have a spectacular Tuesday and that everyone stays safe no matter what the weather outcome. Today feels a bit like a Goo Goo Dolls day. So today I leave you with one of my favorites....Iris!

Stormy Weather......

Well....I am braced and sort of prepared for today. We could be due for stormy weather both figuratively and realistically.  It is the last Monday of the school year and possibly there will be a showdown at our version of the OK Corral (the high school). I really don't think it will be all that dramatic.....I think the fight has gone out of just about everybody....including the school administration. I think everyone is just biding their time until that last bell rings and summer vacation begins. Although in some ways this school year has flown by........ in some instances it has dragged on mercilessly. These last few weeks where school has been concerned have felt like an eternity. I think we are all pretty much ready to call this freshman year chapter in our lives closed and move on to something different and less drama filled.  I know I definitely am!

Speaking of school......now that my student loan is history.....I am thinking of finishing my degree. I plan on going in and talking to a counselor to see what I need to do.....and then doing it. I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I know I want a degree in something before I get anymore senile than I already am. It has always been a source of great regret and irritation with myself that I didn't buckle down and do what I needed to when I was young and my parents were willing to pay for my education. (Another reason my father loves me so!) Now I am footing the bill for myself and yet I still feel as lost as I did in 1982. To bad they don't give you college credit for life experience. I would have had a doctorate several times over! Sigh!

My heart, love, thoughts and prayers go out to all who where affected by yesterdays storms and especially for those in Reading, KS and Joplin, MO where the greatest devastation occurred. When a national weatherman breaks down on national tv while reporting the damage.....you know it is bad. My heart breaks for everyone involved. I have no family in Joplin although I do have friends, who are all safe and accounted for. My family are in Columbia where the storms skirted and then closer to St. Louis where the storms headed but lost intensity before getting there. Today they say is suppose to be another storm rich day and central KS is to be one of the targets. Since we have had nothing in the form of bad weather so far this spring....I am sure we are due. I just hope we have a lot more thunder and lightening and a lot less tornado! You gotta love spring in the Midwest!

The count down to the big trip is on....and I have done not one thing to prepare! Yep....I am just good like that! I keep telling myself I need to get on it, but then some school crisis occurs or work, or working out, or graduations, or house cleaning or a nap.....and then here I set.....a trip just a couple of days away.....and I am completely unprepared. How awesome am I? Hopefully I will work better under pressure and kick it into gear in the eleventh hour. Either that or we are going to end up in MO without socks, underwear or a toothbrush. And that folks is why I rarely travel!

It is time to get this party started! I hope this Monday finds you all happy and raring to go and that you stay safe and dry in the event of storms. Thought today called for a little bit of androgyny so I leave you with John Waite and The Babys with Isn't it Time!

Closed Sundays and That's How I Roll

Isn't it funny how Sunday is both an ending and a beginning? It officially ends the weekend and officially begins yet another week. It is the day God chose to rest on after creating the world and the day that He asked us to keep holy. For many years....even up until my teens, it was a day that about the only things opened were a few restaurants. Not until the modern malls came into existence were retail stores open. Imagine a world where most all business, stores, gas stations, etc were closed on Sunday! I actually do remember that world. Hospitals, and again a few restaurants and maybe the theaters were the only things opened on a Sunday. If you drove through town (or even Wichita) the streets were fairly deserted. People celebrated Sundays by going to church and spending time with family and friends. It was a day of worship, good food and family celebration. In the summertime the smell of backyard grills wafted through every neighborhood and front porches were full. Now though....Sundays are pretty much business as usual. In the retail crazy world we live in......church and family seem to come second to making money. Few things close on Sunday and malls, grocery stores,and  gas station/convenience stores remain open 7 days a week. No wonder many of us never feel relaxed or recharged, even after the weekend. Not only do our weeks go full tilt....but so do our weekends. Maybe....just maybe if we took a step back, reevaluated our priorities and remembered that even God took a day to rest, we might reacquaint ourselves with our families, friends and relaxation.....and possibly even start Monday feeling a little more relaxed and regenerated. Of course....this is all just a thought and it is hard to go from 150 mph Monday through Saturday and then suddenly hit the brakes and slow down to 20 mph on a Sunday, however....... I think it would totally be worth a try! Well....maybe I will try it next weekend ....'cause today.....after Mass.....I gotta clean my garage!

We are preparing for our last week of school (only 3 full days left!) The high school drama continues on and I just can't wait for it to end for the summer. I ended up having to leave work early Friday....for yet another chapter in the continuing saga of Z vs. MHS. Now I know Z is no saint and I think I have made that abundantly clear in past blogs. As a parent you don't turn a blind eye to your kids capabilities and you certainly NEVER utter the words "My child would never___________!" because that is when you always find out that not only would your child do that......but your child would also be leading others to do it too. However.....you also can't always take the world's word (in this case another kids word) at face value either. Especially after I am called and told my child was responsible for something that everyone else is telling me wasn't true. One kid was mad at Z and deliberately set out to get him in trouble and then went around laughing about his accomplishment. Grrrrr!  Even though I should be used to the school principal calling me......I am not! And when she calls I am still get caught off guard and find myself at a loss for words. After getting ALL the facts though and giving the situation a great deal of thought....I now have found the words.....so I guess we will deal with round two tomorrow. I am just not thrilled about my son spending two of the last three days of his freshman year in in school suspension when I am not completely convinced it is deserved. Monday could definitely be an interesting day in Lisaland! See...it is possible for me to rant and keep it brief at the same time. Well....at least brief by my standards!

It has been a full weekend full of activity and hopefully after today....some accomplishment. Time for our trip is drawing ever closer and I am still nowhere close to being ready. Of course....knowing me.....I never will be completely ready, but then again....that is just how I roll...always behind and never prepared! I could never have made it as a Boy Scout!

So the day is looking beautiful and my garage awaits me. Here is hoping that your Sunday is a lovely one. Here is an oldie but a goodie. I leave you with The Monkees and Pleasant Valley Sunday!

Congratulations Lindsay

While I have a rant of a blog in my head.....today is not the day. Have I not warned you all that you better read my blog cause you never know when it is going to be about you?! Well today a new player takes center stage in Lisaland.

If you have been reading....and if you know me and don't live under a rock....you know that Berty is one of my closest friends. We bonded over her brother (okay I bonded and she just rolled her eyes) years ago and we have bonded many times since over many things (remember Rick Springfield?) At any rate, a little over 18 years ago....Berty brought into this world, the cutest little sweetheart the world has ever seen.....Lindsay. 

Through the years I have watched Lindsay grow and even had the honor of being daycare for her from time to time. I have watched her go from a shy little girl into a beautiful and confident young woman. Lindsay got her mothers best qualities added to them her own uniqueness such as never being seen in matching socks. She is smart and beautiful with a kind and gentle heart.

This year Lindsay became a God send to my family. After going through a horrific summer of David having seizures and trying to get daycare into my home in which the person actually spoke English and more importantly cared about David....Lindsay stepped up. Since her first day when David immediately broke her in with a seizure and EMS having to be called.....Lindsay has been daycare heaven. David loves her and knows exactly when she is suppose to be here and if for some reason she doesn't show.....is pretty darn upset.

Lindsay is incredibly kind to David but doesn't treat him like a child with special needs. She merely treats him like a special child. Often I will come home from work to find them cuddled on the couch watching Spongebob or sitting in the floor playing. Lindsay knows all his tricks and teases and he gets by with none of it on her watch. And there is not a day that I don't feel reassured and comforted knowing that my little guy is in Lindsay's hands.

Aside from being the best daycare provider there is......she has also been great company for Z after school.....helping him with homework and putting up with his endless singing and often times having to try and ignore a house full of teenage boys after school. And she has been good for me too. She has put my mind at ease knowing that David is in excellent hands and when I am at work....I can actually think about work.

Today....Lindsay graduates.  She ends thirteen years in the Mulvane school district and says goodbye to being a young girl. In August she will start her life as a young woman going away to one of our state schools. Being the purple wildcat lover that I am....I refuse to acknowledge the red and blue chicken hawk that she is soon to become.....but I will love her anyway! And between now and August....she is still ours (okay.....Davids!)

I have no idea what we are going to do without Miss Lindsay next year. I know that she truly is irreplacable and she knows that regardless of what we figure out during the school year.....as long as she wants the job.....the summers are hers.

Lindsay......I have known you all your life and I am so proud and happy to see the woman you are becoming. I have no doubt that you are going to take this world on and change it for the better. So I will end this by wishing you many smiles, much laughter, great love and abundant joy as you step away from high school and move out into the world.

Congratulations Lindsay. We truly love you with all our hearts!
Love.....Lisa, Z and David

Lindsay....this songs for you!

The Rapture, Tweeting and Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie

Ah it is Friday.....complete with early morning thunderstorms. I would so love to jump back into bed and fall back to sleep listening to the thunder and rain. Now THAT is the perfect morning! Sadly...there will be no snoozing to storms for me. I must get this day and my children going.

Today ends the last full week of school for the kids. This time next week we will be waking up in MO, school will be out and summer will be officially upon us. I really think we all need summer. Hopefully it will give us all a new perspective and maybe even open us up to some new adventures. I could really use some new adventures.

So I was really upset yesterday! Why did no one tell me that the rapture was happening this weekend? I think had I known.....I would have planned my time a little better. Okay....so honestly we might all have known that the rapture/apocalypse/end times were coming. After all....from the moment of our existence....if we believe in the Bible at all (most any bible and most any version) it tells us to prepare for the end. We all know that life here is not eternity and at some point life on this earth will cease to be so that we can all start our eternity with God or in some cases......a few floors below! However.....God has only mapped out our journey by giving us the rules to live by while we are here(the Ten Commandments). He has not given us an estimated time of departure and the only guarantee of where our eternity will be spent is how closely we follow said rules. So really.....I am thinking that no human has an inside track to God's thoughts nor is God going to reveal His plan for eternity to only one. When the time comes I am fairly confident it will come when we least expect it and we ALL will then get a birds eye view of His plans at the same time. Of course that is merely my take on it.....and come Saturday.....I might just be surprised, but I doubt it. Just in case.....I have moved all of this weekends plans back to next weekend....after all....that makes as much sense as the world ending tomorrow on cue!

And now.....I am thinking about tweeting. I have no idea how to tweet. Not even sure I know what it is exactly, but I was told I should tweet my blogs. Again....I have no idea how to do this but I.....like the proverbial child when asked if he/she would jump off a ten story building if someone told them to...... am seriously thinking maybe I should try this new (new to me....yesterday's news to everyone else) form of socializing and expressing ones self.  The person who said I should,  told me that it could double my blogger readership. Oh lawdy.....whatever would I do with four readers? It almost boggles the mind! Seriously though.....if I want to be a "real" blogger.....I have to get my readership up to 10,000 views.....so perhaps I will tweet.....twit....whatever!

Well...I am back. I once again got up too late to finish my blog...so here I sit hours later (at work) finishing it. Since last I typed....I have gotten kids to school, worked out and gotten all my early morning work at work finished. Oh and did I mention I got drenched....not once but twice this morning? This rain is much needed so I will not whine too much about it. But I don't like getting soaked trying to get David into school or trying to walk out to my car after working out. Actually the after working out drenching was quite nice....but the first one....not so much.

Since it is Friday....everyone's mood should be a little lighter. I know mine is. So go forth and make this day count. Live, laugh and love and enjoy the rain God is blessing us with. While I was working out this morning this song came on my play list and it both made me smile and made my workout go just a little bit easier. Here is Michael Peterson and Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie!

I "AM" the Universe, TechniDream, Storms and Firework

I was informed yesterday that "I" (me) was not the center of the universe and just because my child was special needs did not make me or him for that matter....special in her eyes at all. This was all over rescheduling something so that the time made more sense for David....because he indeed is special needs......and like it or not....does need some special circumstances written into his life from time to time. Besides.....we all know what a load of malarkey it is saying that I am not the center of the universe Just what the heck was she thinking? In Lisaland.....I "am" the universe.  Also...in any land, I am pretty sure a child in a wheelchair with a seizure disorder will trump a cheerleader who  doesn't want to miss her nail appointment every time. It is just a crazy world and in some circles yesterday.....I am pretty sure my new nickname is b!*ch! Ahhhh well.....I have been called worse by better!

Exciting things are happening in my place of work. This little computer business that my boss has been working at for over 14 years is starting to take wings and  fly. In my life I have had jobs that I literally hated, jobs I was completely indifferent about, jobs I liked, jobs I owned, and jobs I dearly loved. Looking back....I think the reason I hated some of my past jobs was because they were in fact......jobs! I think I would have been much happier if my last name had been Hilton or Trump and I didn't have to work (although I am pretty sure The Donald makes EVERYONE work....or they are FIRED!) The jobs I was indifferent about...I was indifferent because I had resigned myself to working but merely had a job but not a career. The business I owned while being one of the best times in my life was also one of the worst. Being a business owner ain't all its cracked up to be and certainly wasn't worth my health. The last two jobs I have had though both ended up being flukes and jobs I truly loved. Both jobs have allowed me to find out who I am both as an employee and a person. My current boss has been so kind to me with my situation with David (see....even he knows that I am the center of the universe) that I do my best to give him a 150% at all times. Since I started there a little over a year ago, the business has grown and amazingly we have moved in directions we never saw coming. It is very exciting and honestly....I can't wait to see where we are a year from now. Who would have thought that technology would be my career path? Especially since technology and I have never gotten on well together and we seem to have a love/hate relationship. (Technology loves to hate me!)

The storms they are a brewin'. You can feel it in the air. Even in the house it is so sticky and I feel really unsettled today. David must feel that way too as I notice he is really fidgety.....even watching Spongebob. They say we could have severe storms and even possible tornadoes. Wow! Tornadoes in Kansas.....who would have thunk it? Usually by this time of the year.....we have already been inundated with them, but this year I don't believe we have had any. Years without tornadoes are not good for us. Especially when we have a couple of years strung together. People start getting complacent and forget the destructive power of the twirling beast. Then when we do get hit, people have let their guard down leaving themselves open for disaster. A tornado warning or two is always good to keep us reminded of the potential for deadly damage that can come from these storms and especially this time of year to stay vigilant because the weather can be so amazingly unpredictable. I say....let it storm....but please be gentle.

So go forth today and make Thursday the best day you can make it. Remember....a smile can make a bigger difference than you think, a kind word can turn a day around and the words "I love you," can remind someone that they are not alone in the world. And I think I will end today with a song that makes me think of both my boys and also some amazing people in my life. Here is Katy Perry and Firework!

The Procrastination Blues

Oh so much to say today. I probably feel this way because I am procrastinating on every other aspect of my life. Yeah...I am just good like that. I guess I seem to have the procrastination blues! Sigh! I actually feel a lot better today than I have in literally days.....so I now know I have no excuses for not getting organized and getting my stuff done. So naturally....I blog!

Last night was kind of awesome. I got to spend some quality time with my little nephew Ayden. It doesn't happen often and usually there are others around (i.e. David, Z, Ayden's mom and dad), but last night...it was just us. I may have mentioned before that Ayden doesn't always warm up to new situations very quickly. His parents had to leave suddenly so there was no letting go and moving on time for him and I. We just had to jump into it and make the best of the situation. Thank goodness that my training with boys has been long and fairly successful. We talked, watched Nick jr., raced through the house and then when Aunt Lisa was getting tired....finally got Mr. Man corralled into his jammies. Bed really wasn't in his plans, so we went back out to watch Blue's Clues. I LOVE Blue's Clues!!!! Do not judge me.....Steve doing the Mail Song still makes me laugh! At any rate....then Mr. Man tells me he wants to go to bed and runs ahead of me to his room. As I walk in he slams me (literally) with a pillow and then jumps on his bed and slams me again. This kid is not even three.....and he played me! According to his mommy and daddy...he never does this! Eh hem.....me thinks they lie! That's okay though....by the time they got home (around 9 p.m.) he was going full tilt and bedtime was definitely not happening anytime soon. See what happens when you teach your kid to ambush his aunt?!

I was exhausted when I got home last night. Not because of Ayden (although being slammed with a pillow over and over again....does take a toll), but because I still didn't feel 100%. This morning for some odd reason I ended up sleeping straight through the night (never usually happens) and my alarm didn't go off. Thankfully....I woke up at 7 a.m. and it was late start, so we were all good. Had it been any other morning....this blog would be all about me cussing and complaining that my day started late. Today however....the only thing that suffered was my early morning blogging and that I am making up for now (instead of the other stuff I should be doing!)

Just throwing this out there....does anyone else have the love/hate relationship with Craigslist that I do? I love the idea of buying, selling, trading and even giving away stuff....but it's the whole dealing with complete strangers and scammers that I am not in love with. My boss was selling an item and an out of state scammer tried to scam him. Luckily my boss caught it immediately and avoided the scam AND turned him in. However many get scammed and even hurt everyday because Craigslist is just too loosely woven to have any safety. Still though....there are hundreds of people everyday that have a need (new rugs, pool liner, size 8 shoes) who if they got to broadcast that need out there.....someone in their own inner circle might just be looking to get rid of those things. Perhaps someone wants $1 for a pair of shoes they can't wear anymore which cost them $60 when they bought them, or maybe someone just got rid of their pool and wants to just give the liner away, or maybe......someone has a rug they would like to trade for size 8 shoes and a pool liner?! You see where I am going with this? I actually am going somewhere!!!! I am thinking of starting a fb group for just such a thing. Granted even this would not be perfect (there could still be scammers) but the safety of transactions might increase if it is someone you know. I am not sure about all the logistics.....but then frankly....when has an issue like that ever stopped me before. Perhaps I will just start the group and see if anyone is interested. Hmmmm.....the hi-jinks I will try to put into motion to avoid what I really need to be doing. Sweet isn't it!!!!

Well...I can avoid the unavoidable no longer. I must get busy and get my stuff done. Of course...the office toilet could probably use a good cleaning and I really haven't touched my other two blogs in awhile! BAD LISA!!!!! I must procrastinate no more! On that note I wish you a very Happy and Productive Wednesday and leave you with a lost love of mine. Here is Triumph and Magic Power. Youtube just has everything!!!!

Spring Fever and Friends

While I like to think that I have out grown my immature ways and my childish behavior....today though, I am wondering. It seems that I may have a touch of the spring fever or perhaps a mild case of.....it is the end of the school year and I am done's! No longer am I springing from my bed at 5ish and I wake up feeling like someone has dropped a boulder on my head. There could be several reasons for this.....allergies, windows open at night.....oh and uh....errrrrrrr....diet soda. Nothing has been confirmed or denied yet....so I will go with allergies. Whatever the culprit though....it is making mornings anything but fun and me....anything but fun to be around.

Speaking of mornings though.....the last two have been spectacular. Although maybe a touch cool...they have been early spring at its finest. (Forget that we are  mid to late spring right now.) Yesterday was gorgeous and if you can believe a word out of the weatherman's mouth (I seldom do) today is suppose to be a repeat and then the rest of the week is rain and storms. We shall see.

Yesterday ended quite nicely. I got to have dinner and spend time with four ladies that I dearly love. I have always known a lot of people, but only been friends with a select few. Until 2008....I could have counted my close friendships on one had with a finger or two left over. Then I went to work for a little non-profit and all of that changed. Had it not been for administrative corruptness (no other way to describe it) I think I would have stayed in that job forever. I loved it.....but because I wouldn't play the game....I was forced out until I finally quit. Suffice it to say though....that I did not go quietly. Apparently that job was just not meant to be in the long term. What was meant to be was the four friends I made there. We were all different ages, different backgrounds and different skill sets and yet together......we just meshed. We were a team at work and out of work and our cohesiveness and ability to get jobs done was both distressing and unsettling to those around us. We all became targets for both our teamwork and our friendship. It was like high school all over again complete with mean girls, gossip and lies. The only difference???? I was no longer in high school and I wasn't going to rollover for anyone. Needless to say.....a couple of us quit.....one of us was laid off and a couple have stayed around to ride the storm until their time was right to leave. That is why we all got together last night....because for one, the time was right.

It was so much fun just hanging out, catching up and laughing. No matter how bad things ever were....we could always laugh and that has not changed. Two of us have gone on to better jobs where our job skills are actually respected, one had a baby and is enjoying a whole new kind of life, one is getting ready to move on to a job where she can actually use her skills and make a difference and one is still biding her time. When she leaves....I have no doubt the whole organization is going to implode upon itself and I can't say that I am going to be sorry to see it happen. Sour grapes? Maybe.....and maybe not! At any rate....for a couple of hours last night....we laughed, we talked and we just had a good time. It has been almost a year since last we were altogether and I am sincerely hoping that we don't wait that long to get together again. To Jody, Cate, Angie and Jen....thanks for a great evening.

So it is only Tuesday and I am so wishing that it was Friday. I can almost hear my mother saying "LisaMarie! (she always called me LisaMarie when she was irritated!) Don't wish your life away!" This holds especially true when I have a great deal to cram into this week. We are getting down to the wire of graduations, cheesecakes (lots of cheesecakes), school being out and then our trip! I am trying to sit back, relax and just go with it....but the older I get....the less able I am to just "go with" anything. Lord help me...I am so turning into my mother!

Well in keeping with the tone of today's blog (friends) and yes....I have exponentially increased my close ones in recent years, I thought I would end this with a little diddy about friends. So go and enjoy this beautiful spring Tuesday (at least here in KS) as I leave you with Tracy Lawrence and Find Out Who Your Friends Are!