Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July to all of you...

A snippet of last night's Torchlight Tattoo concert - the nation's official march, performed by the 282nd Army Band of Ft. Jackson, SC. SCOTT'S BAND!!!

I got bored...

Lullaby Of Broadway

wow...

life flies by without even realizing it!

Last week, both kids were at VBS. (vacation bible school for those who have never heard of it). They went to Mt. Horeb UMC for their "Crocodile Dock". My friend Melissa goes to MHUMC, and her daughter and Hannah got to be in the same crew. Scotty was in the pre-K (5 year old) room. Melissa tried to talk me into volunteering, but no way, no how! I will volunteer for "God's Flight Plan" at my church come August.

Let me tell you...I have never, EVER, in my life heard of a church offering THREE sessions of VBS in one week! MHUMC had an evening session (started on 6/14 and ended on 6/18)...and they had an a.m. and afternoon session during the week (6/15-6/19). The kids went to the a.m. session...I was just flabbergasted! I couldn't believe
a: how many people were there...they had HUGE amounts of kids participating!
b: how many people were registering on the first day...crazy...this makes it really hard for a church to plan (crafts and snacks).
c: how many parents got t-shirts for their kids (they were $8 each, but to see the sea of green shirts was AMAZING).
d: how well-organized this event was. They had TRAFFIC directors...finding you places to park! They had "in" and "out" doors to make the flow to and from the building even better!

But the best, the VERY best part of all? Watching the kids at the closing session...the sanctuary was full...FULL with kids...and they were jumping and dancing and singing for GOD! I broke out in tears; it was incredibly moving! When I spoke to a few of the volunteers, they said they expected final numbers to be around 1500 kids....ONE THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED KIDS who heard God's message that week, EVERY DAY! And imagine, there were likely many who were hearing about God for the first time...wow, wow, WOW!

Lots of rain last week...lots of HOT last week (heat indices moved close to the 110's!!). Not as much pool time as wanted due to all this (seriously...when it's 102 degrees out, the pool is not truly refreshing...it's bathwater!).

Scott and I hit Weight Watchers with a vengeance this week. We decided we would be SERIOUS about weight loss...we both want to drop about 25 lbs. We agreed that a goal of 10 lbs in 3 weeks was reasonable (for our vacation). So...this last week, I lost 4, and Scott lost 5.5 lbs! FANTASTIC! And we did have some "slip" days...he had to travel on Thursday, so it's not quite as easy to make healthy choices (but he did pretty darned good), and we ate out for Father's Day...but still accomplished a good loss!!!

Yesterday was Father's Day, and we got Scott a Sony digital camcorder with a 60 gig hard drive. He got to play around with it a bit...and this is the result:



it was a lot of fun to see him enjoy his gift! We also got him a car washing wand. We went out to Monterrey for Mexican food for dinner last night (see reference in weight loss, above, lol). It was, by far, the best place we have found around here...and it's still not super-good...but it's likely where we'll go most often.

anyway...that's about it for now...lunch, then pool...I think!

Disrespect...

One of the things I truly dislike is disrespect. I don't like when my children are disrespectful to me or their father...or to any other "elders". I don't like sass or misbehavior for the sake of misbehaving. I don't tolerate it from my children and will be quick to call them on it. I've taught them manners (which they must often be reminded to use) and I've taught them to obey (again, must be reminded)...but they know my stance on it and they KNOW they will get in trouble if they continue with disrespectful behavior. Don't talk back to me, repeat me, mock me behind my back (I have eyes in the back of my head like all moms, you know!), don't lie to me and please do what I tell you. I think, all in all, that my children do well by me when they are with others. It's a reflection on my parenting when they behave well, and I am fully aware of that.

Why the lecture on disrespect? Well...

This morning I went to the pool to swim laps - this is my daily exercise right now, and I'm actually enjoying it much more than I do running or walking. (the kids are currently at VBS this week, so I can do this alone, which is nice). Usually, there is no one there at the pool...or there may be one or two sun-seekers...but that is it until about 10:30 or so. Then the families start coming. Well, this morning, there was a grandmother and her 2 grandsons. I've seen them there a few times recently...they're likely visiting Grandma, or else she's got daycare duty for the summer.

She was sitting in a chair, underneath an umbrella. One boy obviously could not swim (about 2 1/2 years old, I'm guessing), and the other was between 6 and 9 years old. The older one was obnoxious to his little brother, scaring him, teasing him, taking things from him, threatening to push him in. Grandma kept hollering at him to knock it off, but didn't do much else. I ignored most of this, since I was swimming laps, but the constant sound of the little boy screaming, the grandma rebuking and the obnoxious boy teasing broke through as I would be on my breathing stroke. It irked me.

Grandma threatened to call mom to come and get them...but again she didn't do much else. I'm going to chalk that one up to being older and tired...she just didn't have what it took to really discipline him. That, or she didn't want to paddle his bottom when there were others present. (I was the only other person there). I had to tell the boy once to get off the rope that divides the pool. In a conversation I had earlier this week with Gene, an elderly man who worships the sun, he'd mentioned that if that rope gets broken, they (the HOA) will close the pool down until they can replace it, due to insurance regulations. And they (the HOA) are not very quick to do things...so it could be several days of closure. Gene mentioned that he didn't like telling the kids to stay off the rope but he didn't want to lose one of his amenities (we pay a good fortune for that HOA fee), and I can't blame him. Besides, There's a HUGE pool and I'm swimming along the rope...go find somewhere else to play (he kept trying to get into my line of sight under water).

I stopped to fix the buoys on the rope (I use them for guides when I'm doing backstroke), and the older boy was trying to take a quarter from the younger one. He'd already taken it once and claimed that it was lost in the pool. Since I was wearing my goggles, I was so kind as to point it out for the older boy (who knew full well where it was, and he got angry at me for that!). Grandma went to get the quarter so the older one didn't get it, and he started splashing her. She told him to stop and was walking away when he did it again, this time drenching her backside.

My jaw dropped. Good thing I wasn't in deeper water, I'd have drowned with all the water going it. Of course, I couldn't help myself.

I said to that boy:

"You're awfully rude and disrespectful to your grandma. That is NOT very nice. Don't you realize that she won't be here forever? You'll regret treating her so ugly. You don't know how lucky you are to have a grandma here with you. My kids grandmas' are NOT close by and they don't get to spend a lot of time with them. My grandparents are gone, and I miss them a lot. You should learn to respect your elders, young man."

I then apologized to the grandmother for butting in. She was relieved, I think. (I can understand, it's hard sometimes to discipline children when others are present, you don't want judgement on your disiplinary style). She told her older grandson, "See, someone else can see how you're behaving." I do believe the boy was taken aback. He looked as though he wanted to cry.

I finished my laps and left shortly after. I went up to the fitness center to do some shoulder exercises, and when I came back, they were gone. I hope this is a lesson that sinks in for this young man. Never take for granted that someone will be there forever. It's a tough concept to grasp, but I think that when we look at people as precious gifts that may soon be gone, we will cherish and appreciate them much, much more.

this breaks my heart...

and makes me angry at the same time:

Blog Scam

I follow Jennifer McKinney's blog, as well as another blog, Bring the Rain...and both of these women supported Beccah and her fictitious April Rose. Angie, of Bring the Rain DID lose her baby shortly after birth...and her blog started as a tribute to Audrey Caroline. Jennifer's blog, My Charming Kids, tells the story of her son Stellan, who was diagnosed with life-threatening SVT in the womb, almost didn't survive...was born and lives still, but has had some life-threatening moments with his SVT recently.

For a woman to come out and try to get attention using these women and their losses and pain...it just saddens me.

general happenings...

School's almost done for the summer break (for Hannah; she ends tomorrow. Scotty finished last week). Life slows down to a less frenetic, more idyllic pace. Here's what we've done since you last got an update:

In case I never mentioned it here, I am now a part of the church orchestra at First Baptist Church of Lexington (not to be confused with Lexington Baptist Church, which is where Scotty went to preschool, lol). As the orchestra has started to grow, we decided to have a night out to bond and get to know each other better. Roy, our musical director, set up a date for dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. GOOD EATS! I dubbed this our Orchestra Night Out, or ONO for short, and this name stuck. For our most recent ONO, we went to Shealy's, a barbecue buffet.For the record, I am not fond of SC barbecue...it's a mustard-based sauce, and while I like mustard, I just don't like it on my pulled pork or chicken. I prefer "red sauce barbecue"...and it's hard to find here in Columbia. Will have to drive to Famous Dave's in Augusta for some good bbq, lol!
Shealy's is a well-known buffet, with a TON of food to offer. We took the FBC bus, loaded all the "band geeks" on the bus, and road-tripped to Batesburg-Leesville. When you arrive at Shealy's you're greeted with this:
please wash your hands, thank you!!!


No being greedy here...there's way more than enough, so small portions (to start with) are greatly encouraged!

From fried chicken, fried chicken livers (oh MY, but these were tasty!!!), pulled pork barbecue (mustard and vinegar based)...some great mashed potatoes and gravy, rice, macaroni and cheese, a ton of veggie choices, and a fantastic dessert bar. I was WAY beyond STUFFED...but it was fun.


a sample picture of the buffet...

My plate - at the noon position: homemade creamed corn, then fried chicken, chicken fried steak (under the chicken, lol), fried chicken livers, mashed potatoes with some sawmill gravy, and green beans. That was round ONE...I didn't manage to take a picture of round two. Oh...and PULLEY BONES...don't ask me what they are, but they are SOOO good. I'm guessing it's part of the white breast meat, with some bone in, fried up....

Dessert...it ended up being a great silhouette shot!!

Then my wonderful friend Ali, from Augusta, GA came to visit. Ali's been a part of my life since I moved to Augusta back in 2003. She was there for Scotty's birth, and her love of God was an immense and influential force on me during that time. You'd think that living only an hour away from Augusta, I'd see her more often, but this was the first time we got together since moving to Lexington! She had some classes to take in Irmo, so I had her and the kids come over for dinner. We christened our new dining room set with Ali! Of course, I spent so much time talking that I didn't even think to take up the camera until just before she stepped out the door!


Ali's always got a great smile on her face. If you haven't read her blog, you NEED to. She is an amazing Christian blogger, who uses her life experiences and pulls the bible in to show how God works. Her blog is A Cup of Cold Water. Go visit her sometime. Get REFRESHED.


This is E., Ali's youngest. Oh, MY but she's a fireball. I think E. will be Ali's challenge...but her greatest love as well. Yes, she's as impish as she looks!


This is J., Ali's "middle child"...a very serious child, but gentle and kind-hearted. I enjoyed sitting next to her for dinner...she was kind and quiet and ate all her food, said please and thank-you, and ma'am and sir...LOVE it!


Then there's A...adorable. I've known him since almost birth, I think! He hasn't changed, except for growing bigger. A's always been a kind boy, quiet natured, but curious and fun to play with. Hannah always had fun with him when we lived in Augusta...but now, it was Scotty's turn. And A didn't let the age bother him. He and Scotty hit the "boy room" with a vengeance and had a blast.


Scotty and his new pal!

Spring is almost done here, and in my last photo post, I showed you some of the lovely birds we've had visiting. Well, we've had other "critters" too...first, on a wet Sunday morning:


This little guy managed to wedge himself in between the screen door and the sliding glass door of our patio. Don't know HOW he got there; I'm thinking the millipedes (yeah, we seem to have an invasion of these critters around here right now) attracted him. He was wedged pretty tightly, as you can see. I ended up getting him out, and he just JUMPED back on the door...had to chase him off. I think he LIKED it there.

The next day, we had a Luna Moth visit us. It hung out on the screen of the breakfast area windows, then moved to the sliding screen.




I particularly love the antennae on this moth. It's really a large moth, perhaps 4" wingspan, 3" from head to tail.

Hanging on the screen door.

More to come in partie deux!

It's a shame...

I recently left my local Freecycle™ group. I have participated in Freecycle™ for a LONG time. I started in Augusta, and was a moderator there for a year before I left to go to Germany. There were no local groups in Germany, but when we got to KS, I joined Freecycle™ right away. I emailed the owners and offered to moderate the group if they needed it. Not long after my offer, I joined the "modsquad" and enjoyed my time there.

I was quite sad to leave my Freecycle™ group. I made friends through that group, and not ONCE did I have a "bad trade". People were fantastic about coming to pick stuff up. People were amazing with the things they gave away. I even posted a few wanteds and got a breadmaker and a stand mixer! As a moderator, I, along with the other mods dealt with a lot of crazy people...and some people who just needed a little guidance.

So...of course, the first thing I did when we got here was join the local Freecycle™ group. And I posted offers almost immediately (of moving boxes and packing paper...lots and lots and lots). And waited patiently to hear from someone. Anyone. What?!? No one wants boxes? REALLY? Found that quite odd...I'd not heard anything for a few days. So...I reposted my offer. Again, nothing. Now...generally I post my messages through email, and get all the posts that way too. Much easier to manage, etc. But I went to the boards to check for my messages. The first one...the FIRST ONE...had only just been posted (I know because I changed the wording to be sure I knew which message had gone through). It took entirely too long.

Okay...I know, I KNOW...moderators are volunteers...they don't LIVE at their computers waiting for messages to come in from moderated members. And I totally understand the need for moderating the members at first...I DO. Remember...I have been a moderator. But not once in my many years of Freecycling had I ever experienced that much delay (except for when we had the tornado and everyone lost power). So...I emailed the owner and asked about it. I was gracious; I offered my assistance and knowledge as a moderator. I said I was a SAHM, so I had access to a computer all the time.

I heard nothing. NOT. A. THING. Okay, whatever, let it slip. I posted some more boxes, some kids' stuff, a lot of other miscellaneous things we'd moved and didn't need. Again, a long delay in getting messages posted. I began to get frustrated. Of course, being a moderator, I knew I could go to the main Freecycle™ page and contact a GOA (Group Outreach Assistance) volunteer. So I did. I expressed my concern at how the group was being handled. I was assured that she would be watching and making sure the owners/moderators complied with the general Freecycle™ rules.

After the past few weeks of seeing posts like "Desperately Wanted - mom going through cancer treatment needs some clothing. Just casual wear stuff. no high waisted stuff, I like my pants low...sparkly tops would be best, v-cut especially" etc, etc....and people posting that they'll PAY for stuff (HELLO??? FREE is the KEY in FREECYCLE™). People posting about yardsales, sending messages about events, just posting "hope you're having a good day" stuff...well, I got frustrated and contacted the GOA again (seeing as it would be highly unlikely that my messages to the owner would get answered).

Shortly after I received a lukewarm response from the GOA (local groups do set some of the rules, and we're keeping an eye on this group, but we have so many to deal with...blah, blah, blah...), a message appeared to the group: CONTACT THE OWNERS AND MODERATORS NOT THE S.C. GOA (never mind the fact that we do not use punctuation between the abbreviated letters of the states...). The message was "not aimed at anyone in particular". Sure...it was just a big co-inkie-dink that you sent this message after the GOA contacted...meaning she'd likely contacted you as well.

WHATEVER.

I sent a message to the owner, calling her out on this. I told her that I'd be leaving her group, but that she could have contacted me directly. Likely as not she probably remembered me from the emails I'd sent before. And for the record, I've spoken to many people on this group who'd had the same frustration with the group. Being kept on moderation for months...messages not getting posted or getting "lost", never hearing from the moderators/owners. So it's not just me.

To be honest, I'm done. There's another group (that I do moderate) and people are quite willing to drive half an hour to get stuff, so I'll be posting there...or to craigslist...or word of mouth to people as I give stuff away. It's a shame though, because in these times, there is a HUGE need...and I would love to fill one if I had something to offer. But it drove me crazy, so I am gone. Buh-bye Lexington Freecycle.