Chapter 2013, page 12 of 365

"The sins of the fathers are the shackles worn by their children"

Heard on CSI NY

Very thought provoking, don't you think?

Chapter 2013, page 11 of 365

Today is a repost, sorry, but I cannot say it better, so here it is.....

Change the age and the time of the post, but the story is the same....as are the feelings.  I love my son and I miss him and I know that he is with God and I know that is good, but I still cry.  Happy Birthday Shane!!!!

 

Friday, January 11, 2008

Today is special

Today gets a second post...it is now 9:55pm EST and the date is January 11, 2008. What makes today so special? It is my son's 28th birthday. I have been thinking about him most of the day, so I figured this would be a good time to talk about that. There was this joke in the family when I was pregnant with him, about when he would be born...his daddy was a huge football fan (the Dolphins were HIS team) and our wedding anniversary was on January 10th, so it was a toss up which he would choose - the super bowl or our 4th anniversary. Well, we were sorta half right, turns out he wanted his own day, he held on for 1 hour and 38 minutes into the 11th. So, he and his daddy watched the Rams beat the Steelers in the super bowl together...that was pretty kewl. That was only the first time they sat together staring at the TV...his daddy liked cartoons almost as much as he did, so they watched them together a lot.

Blond hair, blue eyes and a smile that could make you grin just to see it...that kid was just too cute for words...not that I am at all biased - lol.

I find it hard to talk about him now...no one really wants to listen, ya know. My family pretty much all left the state and closed the door behind them, so it's kinda hard. But here goes anyway...

When he was four he was diagnosed with Hypertrophic cardiomyopothy with arterial compromise. Awfully big words for someone so small. Basically what that means is that he was very ill, his heart didn't beat correctly and when it did it would squeeze the coronary artery closed. He also had a hole in his heart, grade four heart murmur. Pretty serious stuff. His pediatrician contacted a friend of his, a pediatric heart surgeon who had recently retired and asked him to come take a look. He said no, but he sent his replacement, a really good young doctor, who was willing to do surgery to help stop that squeezing. Open heart surgery in 1985 was not really all that common, and even less common on children...it was a bit stressful not knowing what was going to happen, but when the Drs. (there were two, the young one and one on staff at Shands) came in to speak with us the night before and the young Dr. asked if he could pray with us, my stress level plummeted. The surgery went without a hitch, what a relief...we were really hoping that meant no more heart attacks...praying would be a better word. Things did look good, we went home soon after and aside from lots of meds every day, it was all good. He couldn't run and play like other kids his age, but that was okay most of the time, he sorta understood what was up. Things went well for a while, we got him enrolled in school, took a trip down south to visit his grandparents (he got to FLY!!) and he got a pony lol, what more could a kid want?

It's funny just how much we let go of memories if there is no one to share them with, I can't seem to recall, off the top of my head, all the little details from that time. I should be able to, it was really important, but I can't. I have it written down somewhere, I'll have to go look it up soon, but not right now.

Anyway, on the morning of Nov. 6th 1985, I got him up to go to school and he wasn't feeling so great, looked a little pale, not too bad. His daddy came home from work and after a few minutes said that I should probably take him in to get him checked, not good to take a chance. So I got him dressed, called my mom and asked her to go with me. On the way into town (we live 7 miles out, it was pretty much all woods at that time) he started getting worse, by the time we made it to town he was doing really bad, we went to the ER and they called the ambulance to transport him the 20 miles or so to Shands. I placed him into the arms of the EMT (who was a friend) told him I loved him, got in the car and we followed the ambulance into Gainesville. That was the last time I ever got to say those words to him - while he was still alive. It seems that heart attacks were not the only possible outcome of his condition, strokes were also. He died that day. He was only 5 years old.

It was a really long time ago, and I have come a really long way since then...and I still can't tell this story without tears. But I will continue to tell it as long as I am alive - because that is the only way I know how to make sure that he is not forgotten...he wasn't long for this world, but he touched a lot of people in a lot of ways. Not the least of who, was me.

In Loving Memory of
Shane Michael Moss
1/11/80 -- 11/6/85

Chapter 2013, page 10 of 365

Now I ask you, isn't this the perfect picture for day one of this series?  so, let me ask you this....where WAS it on day one?????  lol






canines....

I am going to have to keep my phone handy again...the dogs are 'fighting' for top dog and it's a funny funny thing, they sound so vicious and there isn't a tooth touching anywhere!  I love that alpha thing with a puppy and an adult dog, the pup thinks it's play while the adult is teaching it doggie manners!!!


This is the adult:

Tug

and this is the puppy:

Annie

and this is the two of them with the Real Alpha Dog:

Annie, Tug, Trav

I gotta say, I do have a household of fun and unexpected actions!  Later friends, love you and bless you!

Chapter 2013, page 9 of 365

WOW!!!  That's the extent of my feelings at the end of the music tonight....my soul was touched my heart was happy and my ears thought they were in heaven.  Thank you to Mo Leverett, Greg Doles and Ricky Kendall....I was truly blown away by the powerful message you three shared in your songs and testimony tonight.

If you were unable to make it to church tonight, then you really missed a treat...these three gentlemen rocked the house (Gods House)!!!!  If I can figure out how to do it  I will add a couple of short video clips of the music, so that you may feel even more jealous!!!  (very short, battery was going on the phone) But do not despair, as there is sure to be another concert sometime soon in the Gainesville area that you may attend and be blessed with their song!!!!

I was so happy to see my friends again after so long, and to meet a new one.  I love listening to you guys and do miss the times you have shared your talents.

Thank you to Williston First United Methodist Church for allowing our friends to minister to us tonight.  Thank you to all of our church family that came tonight, I hope you were as touched and blessed as I was.  Thank you God for putting such wonderful people into my life...I don't know how I ever lived without them in the past, and pray I won't have to in the future!

Chapter 2013, page 8 of 365

Today was a pretty good day. Got some stuff done at work (not enough, but...) had everything I needed for a 'normal' day - for me.

My office is always so cold. Feels like a meat locker. I have to dress for winter all year round, which sucks in a way, cuz no one can see my cute little Florida blouses. I never wear them. Lol

Trav and I had a very very good discussion on the way home, was good for me and I hope at least as good for him. Thank you Sweetie for trusting me with your thoughts and fears and love, I am honored by that trust.

I am so very lucky(read blessed) - I have Jesus in my heart (read Lord and Savior) I have a roof over my head (read home) food in my tummy (read glutton) my love at my side (read Trav) my fur babies in my life (read children) a job that keeps me hopping (read going crazy) and and and and (read abundance). There are no other things that I could wish for on this earth.
(Well, maybe that my family was closer and more prone to visit, but that's a whole other post).

And with that being said, there is just this left....Thank you Lord for all the blessings that you pour over me and please help me to be more appreciative of those very things and to share more of Your love and to be more like You every day.

Night everybody!!

Chapter 2013, page 7 of 365

Today is a sentence day. I am tired. Many blessings on you, my friends, and good night.

Chapter 2013, page 6 of 365

and so today was Church and choir....I just love singing in the choir...I enjoy the music and the ministry and how good it makes me feel, thank you God for allowing me to praise you with song...had hot dogs for lunch...I LOVE hot dogs on the grill, just this side of incinerated!!!!!   then it was time for laundry....Trav put together a door to separate the kitchen from the rest of the house, on hinges, with a hook and eye closure...why? you ask?  well it seems that Annie must have been kept on a tile or linoleum floor before we got her and she learned to use that as her pottie.....and we do NOT appreciate that little trait at all....we did have a temporary blockade but it was killing us to step over it all the time, so until we get her trained....we have a door.

She also seems to have an issue with separation anxiety....she gets very upset is she knows Trav is home and he leaves the house or the room.....we will be working on that too. 

Time for another trip to the park too, we need to get some folks to come by and help us with her socialization.....we will work on that lol 

puppies are a LOT of work!!!!

Blessings on everyone, talk to you tomorrow  :^)

Chapter 2013, page 5 of 365

Ok, I am back....first I just want to say how much I enjoyed myself this afternoon with my friends....awesome folk....Gail, Rosie, Clay and V....loved the time we spent talking, laughing, joking and eat.  Thank you all!!!!

Now, I need to post some cards for a challenge over at Lindas Blog - Studio L3 - for Tim Holtz birthday, using any techniques and as many as we want out of his books The Compendium of Curiosity, vol 1 and 2, which can be found here and here....

Althea...do not read any further as it will spoil your surprise....come back on the day we see you!!!!!!


Since Althea and Tim share the same birth date I thought I would make a pair of cards that were almost the same, so I used all the same elements on both, and just changed them up a little, like their names and the wording inside is slightly different.












just in case you cannot see the wording, it says this on both cards

do you know just how lucky you are to share a birthday with my sister?

and on her card I prefaced it with

so I asked him

and that about does it for tonight!  bye bye

Materials used:

Tim Holtz products:

Distress inks....vintage photo, black soot, antique linen, tea dye, faded jeans
Distress stains...vintage photo, tea dye, fired brick
adage tickets
numerals
Grungeboard...harlequin alphas, plain elements
tiny brads and pins

Fastenaer slots
Heidi Swapp stamp

Chapter 2013, page 4 of 365

Ok ok, I know, I missed a day...but I'll put it in here as page four anyways and write another later today.

You gotta understand tate the hardest part of writing on a blog every single day isn't the writing part, it's the remembering part, hence this late post. 

Does anybody have any good ideas on how to house break a six month old puppy that was kept in a crate most of her life?  She goes outside but doesn't seem to grasp the concept that she should go outside ALL THE TIME!!!!!  

Ok, that's it for now...be back later with page 5

Chapter 2013, page 3 of 365

Hello everybody....how's it going today?  Things around here are about normal for an animal occupied zone.  Annie is still trying to get Sage and Sage is still trying to totally frustrate Annie.  Growling and jumping and getting smacked are going to seem like an average day to that dog!

I am sitting here swimming in an absolutely heavenly aroma, wafting out of our kitchen, and am almost drooling!!!  But I have to wait, it has to cool, the directions say for TWO HOURS!!!!!


NOT

nope, no way, uh uh, not gonna happen....as soon as I judge that there is the slightest chance that I can devour it without needing burn ointment in my mouth, those pies are going to be ATTACKED!!!!  Yep, you heard me right, pies....made Trav a pumpkin pie the way He likes and made me one the way I like!  Hmm, better remind him to go take a picture for facebook....make Dave drool too!!!!!

Chapter 2013, Page 2 of 365

Wow, I'm impressed with me!  I remembered to come here today...lol  it's ok, you don't have to laugh, I know it's funny cuz I know ME.

Today was the first day back to work after being out sick, on vacation and the Holiday closure at UF...rough day....got tired really fast and couldn't concentrate on what I was doing for very long....tomorrow will be better!

I wish that I could take a video with my eye and post it here - that new puppy, Annie, is a master at clowning.  I don't think she sees it that way, but she is hilarious!!!  Take tonight for instance, she decided she didn't like Travs phone talking out loud, so she tried to bury it in the blankets....kept nosing the blankets around it then looking to see if it was still making noise, when it was, away she went again.  And then when I was trying to straighten the blankets back out she started flipping around the bed like a Tasmanian devil dog!!!  she kinda jumps in a circle but staying in place, then bounces a bit in one direction or the other and flips again - absolutely crazy!!!  short lived but very action packed!!!!  some day I'll get it on video and then YOU can laugh hard enough to p yourself too!!!!!!

Well that's it for today....thank You Lord for giving to me, Your great salvation so rich and free!!!!!

Chapter 2013, page 1 of 365

This is a new thing I thought I would try inspired by a pic on facebook that simply said "Chapter 2013, page 1 of 365", I loved the concept so....everyday I will write something, anything...a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a whole page or a story or something...and at the end of the year we can read it on NY Eve as a book of the year  lol    so.....


Let's start this off:


Happy New Year!!!! And it is! 
Crock pot running full blast with the pork and sauerkraut for our traditional New Year's day dinner....Trav and I are feeling better (good thing too, since we have to go back to work tomorrow) Annie girl is starting to get the idea about the doggie door and all seems right with our world.

Trav and I were reflecting on the year 2012 last night and although there were a few things that I wouldn't say were great, over all, the year was a happy one...we had a lot of changes at both our jobs, Trav's promotion (that he worked SO hard for) learning new things and making new friends as well as joining the church and gaining a whole new family.  The choir has been good for me, as it is a reminder of the miracle that God gave me, the ability to sing, as well as being fun. 

We are, by far, happier than we have ever been and it is an escalating condition it seems....the more we work at it the happier we are, with our lives, our faith and our relationship, Thank You God!

Finally, entering another challenge!

Well, here I am again, with another card to share. Simon says stamps is hosting a "just add a pearl" challenge and I have just the card for it.

This card was made using (shhh) walmart cardstock and an off brand die set. Nothing fancy but I think it looks pretty kewl. Hope you like it too.

Here is the website.

Simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/2012/10/challenge-just-add-pearl.HTML

One more Animal Story....

This is a story that is best told in person, but I am going to attempt to convey the humor of this potentially fatal encounter….let’s start at the beginning…

Tuesday evening, at approximately 11:30, I finally emerged from my craft room to see Rosie (black and white short haired domestic cat) attacking the rug in the kitchen.  Being the conscientious cat mom that I am, I immediately went to investigate.  I shooed her away, and flipped the rug up…and what do you think I found?  Yep, a wild critter, a two and a half foot long coral snake was stretched out on my kitchen floor…and he was NOT a happy camper.  My very first thought was, crap, did he bite the cats (two years ago on Christmas day my 18 year old Lover Boy died from a coral snake bite)?  My second thought was, crap, I have to do something! 

I am not afraid of snakes, have even kept them as pets in the past, and Trav and I have been known to relocate snakes for others as well.  Sometimes they are venomous, and sometimes we are just trying to save their lives.  But I have always had the time to think thru a plan of action and have always had Trav there to help me. 

This time, however, Trav was asleep, with his CPAP on and couldn’t hear me calling him out to help me.  And this time I had to keep both of our cats (Rosie and her sister, a fluffy grey tabby named Sage) away from the snake while trying to do something…have you ever heard the phrase “Herding cats”?  It’ NOT easy, let me assure you!!  After about 10 minutes of pushing cats away while simultaneously keeping a keen eye on the snake, they finally took the hint and plopped down on the kitchen floor to observe the rest of the circus, but ever ready to pounce should I give them the tiniest opportunity.

You know those kitchen tongs that look kinda like scissors?  You use them to bar b q…well, I grabbed a pair of those (the shorter one no less) and a small box that had a lid.  Then I stood there a second and just stared at that snake, wishing it would just disappear so I could relax.  Nope, it was not gonna co-operate on that wish.  So, what’s my plan?  I don’t want to try to pin his head the way I would with a larger snake, too much of a chance to get bit, that leaves the tail…take a deep breath and remember, once you start you CANNOT hesitate!!! You must follow thru or you Will get snake bit. 

And then I spring into action…swooping down and, in one smooth motion, snap that snake up off the floor by the tail with my tongs!!!!  I AM AWESOME!!! 

I take another deep breath to calm back down, occasionally I gently shake [shake] the snake hanging from the tongs to make him straighten back out (he is trying to curl up [shake] and get that THING off it’s tail so it can escape) as I figure out how to maneuver him [shake] into the box.  I give one final little shake [shake] and then quickly lower him into the box head first and slap the lid down on the tongs.  Taking my time now, I carefully remove the tongs and secure the box.

WOW, I DID IT!!!  Now I start to shake.  I go get my snake book to make absolutely sure that this is a coral snake and not a milk or a king snake.  No doubt, it’s a very dangerous reptile, and I have him in a little box in my kitchen sink….The freaking out is about to start!!  I go in and wake Trav (with difficulty as he is Sound asleep) so he can help me decide what to do next AND give me a hug and let me melt down in safety. 

He comes out and opens the box just a little and with a flashlight he peeks inside to make sure of my identification.  I was right (of course), so he asks if I am ok, I say I am, “are the cats ok?” as far as I can tell they are grand, full of rebellious energy and mischief (keeping in mind that it can take UP TO 18 hours for the effects of a coral snake bite to present, but pretty sure that the cats would show signs sooner due to their size). 

Now, what to do with the uninvited guest.  It’s close to midnight and we usually get up around 4:30 and get ready for work, so the thought of getting dressed and taking a long ride to a safe location to release him is just not going to make it…we agree that he is secure in the box and we can take him when we leave for work in the morning.  It takes a while to calm down (after crying on Travs shoulder and bemoaning the fact that we might lose our cats and him soothing me) so it’s close to one when I finally crawl into bed.  Yes, I checked on him before I went and the box was tightly closed and all was well.  Good night.

Yawn!!! 

Oh hey. 

Morning. 

Man I don’t do mornings well.  Gotta make my coffee and get my lunch made first thing….into the kitchen, get the stuff out for lunch…turn to the sink to rinse the coffee cup.  Pick up the box and think, “That’s pretty light”  give it a bit of a shake from side to side – nothing happens…WHAT????  Shake it again – same result!!!!!! Crap Crap Crap!!!!  The snake has escaped!!!!  In my house!!! With my fids!!!! (fur kids).  “TRAV”!!!!

First PUT ON SHOES!  Second start searching.  Third realize that this is an almost overwhelming task.  Then call in….clear the back room…exile the animals (not an easy task, that back room accumulates stuff faster than any place else). 

We are what some people call pack rats…we have a very hard time throwing away ANYTHING that may Someday be of use.  Not hoarders, mind, we do throw out trash.  But what this means to this story is that it could take literally weeks to get through all the ‘stuff’ in our house.  And when you contemplate that task using kitchen tongs to avoid getting bitten…it’s mind boggeling!

But we are determined and so we get started. 

Ten hours later, after a few breaks, we give up.  There is only so much a person can do without emptying out the entire house.  .  We pray.  We have to go to church tonight, I am singing a solo type thing for the Music Fest with the kids and Trav is doing the sound….we Have to go.  So we do.  We ask our fellow church members to pray too, we need those prayers right now.  They do, as they are reacting in various ways to the story we tell them.  No we are not moving out of our house.  No we are not burning it down.  Yes we are going to go home tonight and sleep there.  Yes we are going to go to work tomorrow.  Yes we are worried, mostly for the fids, but what else can we do?  Exactly.

We go home, love on the fids, watch a little TV, go to bed.  All the while keeping our eyes open and being ready for anything.   Nothing – sigh

Is it morning again?  Sigh, Ok, get up, get ready, go to work.  Worry all day about the fids….dread going home for fear of what we will find. 

What do we find when we get home?  Tug (jack Russell/spitz mix) is running around the yard and Rosie comes out to greet us.  Where is Sage?!?  Nowhere to be seen.  Ok, Put the stuff down and find her.  First walk thru the house…Wait, there she is…sitting on the kitchen floor staring at the crack under the bedroom door.  Is it the snake?  Does she see/smell/hear it? 

Quick!!!! Grab the tongs, shoo the cats away and search the bedroom again….45 minutes later – no snake.   Sigh

Change out of our work clothes, Trav into ratty jeans and a t shirt and me into my funky jammies (with shoes), go make dinner.  Sit on the couch and watch TV while we eat.  After a bit Trav pauses the show and wanders into the kitchen – for what I don’t know – but that’s ok, he’s allowed.  After a minute he calls my name.  “What”? says I.  “Lori, come here” says Trav.  “Why”? says me.  “COME HERE”!  says Trav.  Ok, ok…I’m coming.  “What’s up”? I ask.  He points to the corner of the kitchen as he continues to attempt to herd cats.  (why does this sound so familiar?) 

And there, in the corner of the cabinets, by the sink, is our little friend, the coral snake.  Doing his very best to dig an escape hole into the baseboard. 

Ok, whats the plan?  Um…. oh, don’t have any.  MAKE ONE _ QUICK!!!

Grab the tongs and with no hesitation or time to think about how dumb this might be, grab that sucker by the tail…AGAIN!!!!

YIPPEE!!! Caught him!!!  [shake] Um, Trav? [shake] What are we going to put him in?  [shake]When we were searching, we pretty much threw away all containers that we could so there were fewer places for him to hide.  [shake]  Is there a tote in the house? [shake] How bout emptying a food container? [shake]Duh!  I know!  Get a trash bag!  [shake] One of the smaller kitchen ones, open it and set it in the sink.  [shake] I put him in the bag and we hold it closed with the tongs and secure it with a twist tie.

Sigh of relief from both of us….we got him.  Now, what are we going to do with him?  Well, we are not going to kill him, that’s not our style.  So – lets hop in the car and take him out into the wilderness and let him go.  Oh man, I need to be careful holding him in that bag, he could conceivably bite me right thru it.  Riding in a car with that in front of me is not a pleasant thought.  Trav carries him out and plops the bag down in the bed of the truck.  [forehead slap] we own a TRUCK!!!  Ok, off we go…we go many miles into the wilds and find a nice looking spot and release our new friend into a life of nature. 

Now we are waiting to make sure the cats are ok…we are not sure yet, but think they are. 

{now, just image me telling story with me pantomiming that [shake] every other word….easy there, don’t die laughing!!!}

(after word…just so you don’ t worry, all the fids are fine and dandy….and the night after we released that snake back into the wild I watched a MOUSE being deviled by Rosie….when she saw me, she sat down and started bathing so the mouse ran away, straight into MY CRAFT ROOM!!!!  Sigh, life in the woods with fids is never dull)