Tuesday's Tidbits: May 3, 2011

I'm suffering from writer's block this week. I believe much of it has to do with all the "busy"ness of late. There are so many end of school year activities, concerts, swim meets/clinics, etc. this time of year. Then there's that little thing about a 20th wedding anniversary at month's end. Mr. Sister and I are actually considering celebrating by going (gulp!) skydiving! Also, the newly planted vegetable garden needs daily tending. Additionally, we are also gearing up for a family vacation to NYC in early June. Then later, that same month, I am planning a visit to see  my family and friends with a flight to Kansas. Oh, and as an added bonus, Munchie Boy will be undergoing an Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD for short) later this week (to determine causes and effects of his chronic reflux). So all in all, my writing has had to be put on the back burner for awhile. I will try to jump in when I can so please bear with me until I am able to get back on a regular blogging schedule.

So instead of the usual post I will share a few recent photographs with you.

This is my lovely Daisy. Daisy is plumb worn out. You see, Daisy loves to chase balls, her "Kong", birds, squirrels, cats, neighbor kids, etc. Mr. Sister decided to see if she would ever get enough of playing fetch. It took some time, patience, and perseverance.  I offer you photographic proof that Daisy, indeed, got enough! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sneak Peak:  I've ordered new glasses. Very different and very bold from my usual selection. Look closely at this 1st photograph. See the fun details? Note that the lenses that don't quite extend to the edges of the frame; the frames have a distinctive interior color; and the detail on the ear piece is really an interesting touch.

In the following photograph the temple detail is more obvious.

What do they look like on? Well, I'll let you have a small look-see:

(these are going to be so FUN!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone else do this? 

You see, I am a very "visual" person. Due in large part to some recent personal changes, my sense of style is changing as well. I am becoming more bold when it comes to putting outfits together. However, before I try anything on, I lay them out to see if I can coordinate just the look I'm going for. 

The pink top you ask? One of my best Goodwill finds EVER: a Chico top, complete with tags, for $3. I also snatched up another one in purple as well (no tag but like new!) 

Oh, and I'm having fun with jewelry choices too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can't get over the size Munchie's feet are beginning to be!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life: Better with ice cream, don't you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not much else to blog about today. 

It is now time to get back to the business of the day. 

Thank you all for dropping by.

Tuesday's Tidbits: April 5, 2011

Dear Daisy,

I know the thunderstorms were pretty bad last night and frightened you. And you know that you are not allowed upstairs. As the one who has the most sympathy for you I feel the need to warn you: sneaking into the bedroom and lying at Mr. Sister's side of the bed won't score you any points.

Your human,
Mama 5th

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Swim Coach,

Please be advised that if a child injures himself, under your care, the parents need to be informed right away. As it was, when we picked up the Munch at 8:00pm, it was too late for Urgent Care and a late night trip to the ER was necessary.  Diagnosis: Fracture. Treatment plan: ice, pain medication, a visit to the orthopedic specialist, and limited use of right hand for the next few weeks. I will give you kudos for the marvelous splint job (the ER doctor was impressed). However, making him swim after the injury takes away any bonus points you may have earned.

In closing,
Mama Bear 5th

UPDATE: Just spoke with the coach...putting her perspective and Munchie Boy's together has allowed me to see the bigger picture. Munch did not complain of hand pain initially. The coach looked at it and there was no swelling at that time.The coach did not have him do any strokes or work his hand in any way...streamlining and kicks only. The coach made Munch stop when noticible swelling developed. The injury occurred later in practice then what we had initially thought. By the time any swelling or complaints of pain happened, Mr. Sister was on his way to pick him up. We've all learned something from this, especially the coach. I was very pleased with her phone call and assured her that I know accidents will and do happen. That is life. She made her amends and was quite contrite. I'm sure this was a difficult call for her to make. By the way...Munch is doing better this morning. The swelling is down. His ortho appointment is tomorrow afternoon (the doctor looked at the X-Ray and felt it was okay to wait a day to see him) and we will go from there. Thank you for all of your sincere concern. My bloggy buddies are the BEST!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Life,

Why is it, that when I have plans in place you throw me a curve-ball? I really don't want to be batting in this ball game! Thankfully, I have the free will to choose whether to play along or not. I'll sit this inning out, thank you very much.

Respectively,
Player #5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Spring,

Please be advised that my lawyer will be contacting you shortly with a cease and desist order. Your pollen is no longer welcome at the Sister House.

Litigiously yours,
Mr., Mrs. and the Little Sisters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Ms. Jenny,

The box of sunshine arrived on our doorstep just when we needed it most! I guess when life gives us lemons, it's time to make lemonade! (and lemon curd, lemon meringue pie, lemon cake, etc...)

Your pal and biggest fan,

5th Sister

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is all for now. Happy Tuesday!

Tuesday Tidbits: June 8, 2010

You'd think I'd learn. If I want to run I need to do it by myself. But no, I thought Daisy might enjoy some exercise as well. All was well at first, but the she would suddenly stop to sniff at some odiferous scent thereby causing me to about trip over her. I ended up "walking" my run instead. At least no injuries were involved this time. Oh well, 3 miles is 3 miles no matter what form it takes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I read the most amazing book on my trip to and from Kansas. It is called The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. It is the story of a man of questionable character: a self serving pornographer, who, in the beginning pages of this book suffers horrific, disfiguring burns in an automobile accident caused by delusions due to his intoxication on booze and drugs. He is not likable at all. But this is a tale of the power of  love and redemptive suffering for along comes Marianne Engle,  a sculptress of gargoyles who claims the narrator was her lover back in medieval Germany. She weaves convincing tales spanning the centuries of true, abiding, unconditional love. To quote Text Publishing: "The Gargoyle explores the things that give life meaning: love, friendship, art, story, God. It explores the Hells that people experience: loneliness, addiction, fear, powerlessness, poverty, heartbreak and discrimination. It shows that the soul is never beyond redemption." For further reviews and information on this book, check out the book on Amazon.com  You should be able to take a peek at the initial chapter. But reader beware...this book is very graphic, especially when describing burns and the treatment of this type of injury within a Burn Unit (I did a "tour of duty" within the Burn Unit at the KU Medical Center so I had an advantage of knowing what to expect...the author's descriptions are very true to life indeed)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is day 2 of summer vacation and the kids are already bored. I have tried to convince them that cleaning their rooms is a fun activity but they are not buying it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leftover meatloaf: it's what's for breakfast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I need to finish laundry and clean up from the run that never happened. My wish for you all is that this day be one filled with love and wonderful surprises! Ciao! 

Tuesday Tidbits: Feb 2, 2010

Dear Mr. Infection,

Not funny! Not having fun here. Get thee out of my nasal passages and inner ear or I'll be popping antibiotics to eradicate your very existence. Consider yourself warned.

Unwillingly yours,

The ailing Mrs. Sister

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dear Sinister Computer Virus,

Not funny! Not having fun here. Get thee off my laptop or I'll send Mr. Sister to hunt you down and destroy your very source/code. Consider yourself warned.

In repugnant disregard,

The exasperated Mrs. Sister

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Followers,

I have not been a very good bloggy friend of late. Please accept my sincerest apologies. You see, I fell ill with a severe sinus and inner ear infection during the winter storm. Despite my sickness, I had to  work this past weekend. It was all I could do to just to get through the day. When I get to feeling better I promise I'll be back to my former blog-hopping self.

Meekly yours,

A humble and contrite 5th Sis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Dr. B.

I adore you! Anyone who gives me "doctor's orders" to take the next few days off to rest is a saint in my book. Sure, the homeschooling and housework will slide and meals may not be up to snuff but, hey...I have an excuse! I'm under "doctor's orders"!

Thankfully yours,

A sleepy Sis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Bethany,

Yes, I know you have your Learner's Permit. I will let you drive once the snow and ice clears. Promise.

Cautiously,

Mama 5th

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's all for Tuesday tidbits. I'm heading back to bed now (under strict doctor's advisement don't you know).  I'll be back tomorrow in full haiku form for Silly Haiku Wednesday. Until then...take care, my friends.