It Could Only Happen To Me

When I was 18 I got a second hole in my earlobes, but for some reason, one side never healed properly and I had to re-open the piercing every time I changed my earrings, so I finally just let it close up. For Christmas my in-laws gave everyone $25 gift cards to Walmart! I wanted to do something completely frivolous that I wouldn't probably use family money to do. I decided I wanted to get my second earlobe piercings reopened with my Christmas money.

It seemed like a really good idea, so I went over to have it done tonight. The girl that was doing the piercings had a real thick accent, making her a little difficult to understand. I also decided to get my right cartilage done, so when she asked me which side needed to be re-pierced, I thought she was asking which side I wanted the cartilage pierced on, and I raised my right hand. So she found the little opening to the hole and re-pierced the right ear.

I remember getting my ears pierced when I was 18, and it hurt. A LOT. So I was pleasantly surprised when the piercing didn't hurt at all. She popped the other earring out for me to put into the other side, and she pierced my cartilage.

While she was cleaning up and getting ready to check me out, I tried to put the earring she gave me into my left ear. And it wouldn't go in. That's right. I had her re-pierce the wrong side!! I told her what happened, and she looked at me and said, "I'm running really low on the earrings you just chose. I don't know if there are any more left. So she searched for another set of the earrings I had just bought, and they were completely out. (Of course.) She looked at me and told me, she didn't know what to do, because there were no more earrings like that.

I looked back at her and I said, "Well, I'M the idiot that had you re-pierce the wrong side. Do you think you could just force the other earring in? It's my own fault."

She said she'd try. So I sat back down in the chair, and she started trying to work the earring in. It hurt. Really bad. She said that she could see it coming through the other side and that if I was okay, she'd keep pushing it through (I do feel at this point that I should clarify that even though it hurt, I was NOT fussing, wincing, whining, or being a baby in any way, but I did have my eyes closed - maybe they were closed really tightly). So I told her to finish the job. When it popped through, it really popped through! It was a very strange feeling. She told me I had to take extra care with that side to make sure it didn't get infected since we had to put it through by hand.

I laughed pretty much the whole way home. You know, people tell me that they admire my ability to laugh at myself, but honestly, if they gave themselves as much material as I give myself, they'd be laughing too! I am the biggest dork on the planet.

So, there you go. I had the wrong ear re-pierced. I am the only person in the world that would forget to check before I had something like that done. Yay me!

My Son Makes Me Laugh

We got a new (fake) Christmas tree this year. As it is its' first year with us, my son said to me, "I don't think that this Christmas tree knows how to be a Christmas tree yet. It's only its first year."

I said to him, "Are you going to teach it how to be a Christmas tree then?"

He turns to the tree and says, "Okay tree, stand still, and hold the ornaments!"

Merry Christmas!

Christmas tree with gifts underneath.

The most handsome boy on the planet! My wonderful 8-year-old Daniel!

Launa-monster! She loved the gift she got from Dan!

First white Christmas in Atlanta in 128 years!

Kids posing with their snow man!

Close-up of the snowman!

I'm Siiiiiiick. :(

I have been blessed with an extremely strong constitution. I don't get sick. Well, I get sick sometimes, but only the odd cold. If it happens to be something worse, it usually happens less than annually, and it rarely knocks me out for more than a day or two. Needless to say, I am a HUGE baby when I'm sick. Every time I get sick, I am pretty much convinced that the end is near. Conversations often go something like this:

Me: *feebly* "Jeremy.....? Is that you...? Are...are you an angel...? Is this what death feels like?"

Jeremy: "Mary, you only sneezed. I promise you will survive!"

This week I have been very sick.

It started out on Friday with a cough.

It progressed on Saturday with a cough, headache and a low-grade fever.

Sunday I had a monologue to deliver at church as part of the Christmas production. Let me tell you, the only way I got through that was through lots of prayer and divine intervention. Really. I'm pretty sure that God stood right next to me and whispered the words into my ear. My concentration and thinking abilities were next to nothing that day, but I still nailed it (and had a believable delivery)! Fortunately for me, my costume that day was a pair of sweats and my bathrobe, along with n0 makeup, and super-frizzy hair! It was the perfect part for me.

What else? Okay, so Monday, I think I slept most of Monday. Yeah. I did. Jeremy took care of the kids and was wonderful that day.

But on Tuesday, HE came home from work with it! (He works the graveyard shift at a textiles factory.) So we were BOTH pretty useless on Tuesday, and he even called off work. I was supposed to make a cake for him to take to work for their Christmas potluck (I don't think I've ever blogged about my cakes, but my mom used to be a pro, and I learned everything I know from her. I make GOOD cakes!). I had already decided that it would be the better part of wisdom to not infect his entire shift with this nastiness, so I'm kinda glad that he didn't go. I have a graceful out now. I'll make the cake next week and send it in.

Today he felt well enough to start trying to do something about the house, which looked like it had thrown up. It's reasonably clean now, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish cleaning the kitchen and dining room tomorrow. He has to go to work tonight if he wants to get paid for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. So even though he doesn't feel good, he's off to work. I hear him getting ready now. :(

I finally went to the doctor today. He told me what I was afraid I'd hear: "There's nothing I can really do for you. You've had this thing so long, you just need to let it play itself out. I'm writing you a prescription, but don't fill it unless: By NEXT Friday you still feel like this, or your symptoms get worse, and your fever spikes." He said that there was only a 50/50 chance that the antibiotics would work anyway, so I should use them only as a last resort. He did give me a scrip for a cough syrup that should knock me out for a few hours of blessed sleep! He also told me that if I start having shortness of breath that could be pneumonia, and to get back in to see him.

He also told me a lot of other stuff about sickness and antibiotics, but I can't remember any of it. He told me that he doesn't usually go into so much detail, but that I seem to be very open and willing to understand what he's saying to me. I don't know if he was just flattering me to make me obey his instructions not to fill the 'scrip until the end of next week, or if he really meant it, but I'm thinking that my glassy eyes and mouth breathing couldn't have actually instilled too much confidence in my intelligence or comprehension. But I appreciate the sentiment all the same.

So the real reason that I started blogging at all tonight is this picture of Launa. I love this outfit that she has thrown together. This is one of her favorite outfits, and I have to admit to loving it myself. The pink tights have skull & crossbones on them, but you can't see them well in the picture.

(Sorry, FB friends, I know you've already seen and heard all this stuff.)

What Happened to My Nectarines?!

Have you ever wondered what happens to a nectarine after many months? In early summer I found a great deal on nectarines, and being the savvy shopper that I am, I picked up a couple. I took them home, but didn't put them away immediately. I guess at some point, Jeremy must have decided to clean up the dining room, or at least clear it out enough that it could be used for its intended purpose. In any event, the nectarines disappeared. I looked for them in the fridge (Where they belong?! HA!), they weren't there. I looked for them on the counter (under all the junk that I keep there, of course), but they weren't there. I looked for them in the dining room on my chair where I had last seen them, but they weren't there. I looked everywhere else in the dining room. Not there. I even looked in my laundry room/storage closet (hereinafter referred to as "the utility room") which is right next to my kitchen. But I could not find it there. I started to worry a bit because I know that nectarines are highly perishable, but I figured that my nose would eventually lead me to them.

The nose never did find the nectarines, but my Christmas stuff did!

I suppose that from my pictures you have probably guessed that housekeeping is not my strong suit. And you would be right. The thing is, if the parts everyone sees are cluttered, imagine how the closets must be! Yeah. It's no wonder I couldn't find those nectarines. My Christmas boxes, when the decorations are not in use, reside in my utility room attached to the kitchen. Along with every plastic bag I have ever brought home from the grocery store, I guess it makes sense then, that I couldn't find the one plastic bag that HAD THE NECTARINES IN IT!!! It is Christmas time, folks! Those nectarines were from early summer! Would you like to know what I found in place of the nectarines?!

Actually, no, you wouldn't.

I will spare you the description, because I don't know how close you are to eating, or just how long ago you ate. Let's just say that I'm not curious enough to have peeked into the bag of liquid I found next to my Christmas stuff as I took it out to the dumpster (sometimes apartment living has its advantages).

You see, I learned very early in my adulthood never, ever to store produce in the utility room with my washing machine. It happened like this: I had a bag of potatoes that I had nowhere to put. I thought my utility room would be a great place for this. Then about a week later, there was a hideous stench coming from that room. I went to investigate, and what did I find?

Exploded potato guts in a bag!! That's what I found!

Ever since that learning experience, I have kept my produce out of my humid utility room. I guess I forgot to inform Jeremy. Hmm, maybe I should tell him now.

Walks In The Park With My Sister

A couple of months ago I decided I needed to get my tush out of the house and moving. The thing is, I HATE exercise! I am an undisciplined do-nothing that tries my very hardest never to be uncomfortable. I couldn't afford a gym membership to guilt me into going because I was paying for the thing. I knew I wouldn't go myself, (I get bored very easily). The kids can't keep the pace that I can yet. I knew I had to get someone that could make me accountable.

My sister-in-law Stacey has battled her weight most of her life, but recently lost over 40 pounds (hope it's okay with you that I posted that, Stace), and she has kept it off for quite a while now (well over a year). I decided she was my girl! I asked her if she would start walking with me a couple of times a week. She agreed, and we started going to a local park with a 2 mile walking trail. She's been taking care of herself for a while, but I have been out of shape for much longer than she's been in shape. It was nothing for her to do 2 miles and go on to 4, but it took a while for me to be able to make it as easily as she could.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks, I started looking around and realized, this park is really pretty. Then, one morning, we saw 11 deer! I decided I needed to start bringing my camera along. When I find really nice things to take pictures of, I take them now. I am not a professional photographer. I'm not even a very good amateur photographer. In fact, I have a real knack for moving while I snap a photo or of covering half the lens with my finger. (I understand it's a family trait.) I never see very many deer when I have the camera around, but I've gotten some other interesting photos. I have decided to share them with you today.

An old nest found on the ground.

Pretty yellow fall tree.

Yellow tree behind rock bridge.

Interesting mushroom.

Persimmon! It took me a while to identify this because they are tiny. The blossom cap on some of the others finally gave it away.

Red tree overhanging the trail on a cloudy day.

Geese

More geese. Notice the lone white goose in the background. How do you think he got mixed up with such a rowdy bunch? Leave your stories in the comments section.

Line of red trees in front of some Georgia pines on an overcast day.

Half green, half red tree in front of one of the baseball diamonds.

More trees around the park.

Interesting duck we met for the first time today. He didn't like me taking his picture.

I got him to turn to the side a little anyway so I could take his picture.

Now that it's gotten cold and the leaves have fallen off the trees, this grass seems to have popped inside out like popcorn. This is a picture of a big bunch of this grass. (Sorry it's blurry. I warned you, though.)

This is a close-up of that popped grass. Turns out, that's ICE coming out of it! It must hbe really moist inside, and the moisture starts seeping out, causing the ice to slowly form swoopy ice art on the outside! Cool, eh? I thought it looked like packing peanuts and wanted to see if that's what it felt like, which is how I discovered that it was ice! Crazy!

Time For An Update!

Wow you guys! I've been terribly neglectful of my blog lately, and as you can see I'm trying to get back with it. My posts have been somewhat uninspired, but I'm hoping to get my mojo back soon. ;) I've been looking over my blog though, and all of my family pictures are really old and outdated! I think I need to go through and update them so the family looks true to life. Otherwise you may think that I'm a 26-year-old mother of 6 and 3 year olds forever! I'll be 40 with 2 college aged children (insanity!!) and everyone will think I'm a young mom of two babies. Strange how life tricks you into not realizing that you and everyone around you are getting older. Next month I will be 29. 29!!! How does this happen? I need to hurry and get myself into shape. I'd like at least one year in my 20s where I like the way I look and feel.

I have heard that people mellow when they hit their 30s and start feeling more comfortable in their own skin and more content with life in general. I hope it works out that way for me. I think if I were more relaxed it would make a huge difference for my family. I try, but I've been a crazy woman lately. Maybe that's why the blogging has come hard for me. I don't even recognize myself anymore. I've been prickly and irritable. I have a hard time thinking nice thoughts about anyone. Every little perceived slight sets me off. This is really weird for me because I really like most people, and I generally give people the benefit of the doubt. My philosophy for many years is that people are not out to get me, and their underlying intentions are not to hurt me, so I'm not easily offended. But this is not the case anymore. Don't even think about disagreeing with me or saying something that could in any way be perceived as a criticism or ^%@&MARY!!*^$# will come out and get you! And believe me, you don't want to meet ^%@&MARY!!*^$#! Anyway, I'm hoping to get Mary back soon. In the meantime, maybe ^%@&MARY!!*^$# will provide some entertaining material. We can only hope.

Launa's New Socks

I bought Launa socks in early October because I was unable to find all but maybe one pair. Even after searching the house, under beds, in closets, and under the couch *shudder* I still couldn't find any of her socks. It had been a while since I bought socks for her anyway, so I decided it was time. When I went to Walmart to pick out a new set, I was happy to see this adorable pack that had different colored socks that could color coordinate with pretty much any outfit she had! Obviously not considering the fact that I couldn't find any of my daughter's current socks, and that if that happened to any of these socks, they would have no mate, I grabbed the package. I am entirely serious when I say that some of these socks were worn ONCE before their mates disappeared! (I'm sure you could tell by looking at the pristine condition of some of these socks.) I have already had to pair the gray one with the black one, and the blue one with the purple one. I know people joke about missing socks, but really, where DO they go?

Cub Scouts

Daniel started Cub Scouts this school year. He is a bear cub. Today they worked on earning their wood-working badges, and they made bat houses. You read that right, bat houses. Because I want screechy, rabies riddled, terrifying flying rodents around my house. It's a good thing that we rent, because I can say that we aren't allowed to put it up. Here are pictures of the bat house that Daniel, Launa and I (but mostly Daniel) made at scouts:

Daniel and Launa posing with the bat house:



Close-ups of the sides and inside. That's some high quality craftsmanship!







I hope the bats don't end up with tetanus on top of their rabies.



As a reward for sticking with me this long, an added bonus - Launa playing the DS: