Anatomy of a Storm on the Hill

Okay I am sitting on MY porch talking to Kimmie, the air was so heavy and thick...... i can just tell for the 3rd time in 4 nights we were going to enjoy an evening storm. like I've said, I can't get enough of the sky and clouds....... so I can Hear the storm over the phone while i was talking to Kim.... 30 minutes later:

The black clouds literally swirl across the sky

and then before I know it :

above me thick dark clouds...thunder ....wind ....lightning!!!

with in an hour all is calm, and a beautiful sunset appeared:

and a rare sight, at dusk just before darkness falls, One of God's beautiful gifts.. can you see it in the picture.....

A beautiful rainbow! Need I say more about the beauty, power and promises of God!

Patti's Louie!!!!

Well last week my brother Johnny took H.I.S. dog back to his apartment for a few days. I guess Louie immediately became sad, and John said He wasn't the same dog. .... and Our old girl dog Sadie stopped eating, and literally just laid around all day..... (Sadie is forever wanting to play) So it is decided that Louie will live with Us, and my brother will borrow him a day or two a week.... esp when he goes hiking and camping . There is something very special about this dog, his eyes speak to you....... Patti was immediately drawn to him, and actually this is one dog that Kimmie said she could take home with her! Louie doesn't bother anyone, He just enjoys being in the presence of someone who loves him...... He doesn't bark, or jump, or claw at people, he doesn't lick or bother people. He is lying here beside me right now...... When I am home, he is with me, ........ no matter where I am. Sadie loves that we give Louie attention, she never "butts" in. Now let Juneau get some attention and Sadie is right there, putting her nose between Us and Juneau It's almost like she understands Louie's past life....... and even being the Alpha dog....... she steps back for Lou to get attention...... it is so neat to watch animal behavior....

Speaking of which, Juneau is the type of breed (malamute/husky) that although very intelligent, lets just say if she had a middle finger she would use it. So Lou and Sadie behave like little soldiers, they have and understand the free reign they have in our yard..... they stay. Juneau needs to be tied out when she is out........ well yesterday she broke loose, and ran directly to the car and sat at the door, Sadie and Louie followed. So Bill and I decided NOT to go on a walk yesterday we were both tired...... but looking out at the dogs....... how could we Not go on a walk............ we went for the walk , came home with 3 happy dogs, and two happy dog owners....

Bill said we would NEVER have 3 dogs!!! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!! huh......... like I said, there is something about this Louie boy...... I can't believe it............. i have 3 dogs !!!!

Shorter Days

Yes, after June 21st the days become a little shorter...... minute by minute we loose. My X mother in law and I have this long standing thing..... she hates fall and winter, and i love those seasons. She hates dark evenings.. i find them "cozy". So on December 21st i usually get the call that the day's begin to get a little longer..... day by day! so of course i must call her on June 21st to tell her that the day will be 1 minute shorter tomorrow :0) she hates when I do that. I usually H.A.T.E. Summer, i don't like the humidity. i must admit though, since Larry put on the Porch... I don't seem to mind summer anymore! Oh also since we put in central air too. This year hasn't been as hot yet....... Only when Patti brought the Heat from Arizona, mixed with our humidity, did the weather seem unbearable to me. Lately it has been low humidity, cool nights, stormy evenings..... :0). ........ sometimes I am so in love with this beautiful Earth of Ours!!!
I've been thinking a lot about Melody lately, I certainly have not forgotten the Spirit she WAS/IS. I wonder as time goes on, is the pain more tolerable for her family and friends? She won't let me forget my Quest either, no matter how I want to give up on it, I remember her life and her fight.........
Bill and I will prob do our 'hike' with the dogs today... right now I go every other day, and I walk 2 miles. i always rest my knee the day after a walk....... just trying to be safe, I must say that my knee has been doing okay, so I don't want to screw it up again! I live in an Ideal place if I like to hike in the great outdoors..... I have at least 7 hiking trails within 5 miles of my home, 2 of them within 1 mile of my home...... So there is no excuse not to go, also I have a husband that actually wants to go with me. He likes to walk ahead, which i don't mind either...... i will need to get music to walk with though....... love to walk and listen to music!
Well as I look at my calender, it seems to be filling up quite fast, and I start work again in the middle of July.. not too many days, but a day or two maybe occ 3 days a week. Andrew has a lot of appointments and surgeries scheduled.....
I haven't been down as much to see Christina, and I miss her....... :0(, and I miss Megan too! Chris is sooooooooooo busy and even when she is NOT down at the golf course, she has a lot of work to do in the office, not counting everything else she does..... it is hard to catch up with her......
well i got to go pick the boys up from football practice, yes they practice from 6am until 730 am... Bill always takes them in for me, and then i pick them up. Bill does everything he can to make my life easier, and i so love him for that.

4 am

okay it is true, I must still be a little neurotic about some things. Katie went out tonight with a group of friends, They went midnight (cosmic) bowling, and then out to eat at Denny's. She asked if she could go, of course she was fixing her hair at the same time, it was 11pm. and I am thinking, why can't she go *midnight bowling earlier. , and I am thinking she IS almost 19. I remembered when I was young and dating and living at home. of course I was with the man i would marry and later have 3 children with. and it was a rare occasion I'd come home after midnight. yes they even had cosmic/midnight bowling then. I wasn't worried about her drinking or getting into trouble like that. its just that i know that in a lot of cases, cars coming towards you between 2-4 am, may have a person that is under the influence, or at the very least, a person very very tired!!!
.............. it has been 7 months since my nephew Alex died, he died in the middle of the night, he hit a patch of ice on a dry road, ice that should NOT have been there.... I kept thinking about him and his family, i just want to wrap my children up in bubble wrap and keep them with me. Of course i know that I can't. My mom and dad let me fly, oh I so have a new respect for them.......... and we didn't have a line of communication that we have now via cell phones. I had the pulsing life line of my phone beside my bed....... vibrating to me a message "2am mom leaving bowling, going to get a bite to eat, 3am leaving Denny's, 3:45am on my way home from Zack's,..........." i get up and unlock the door for her. i asked her to keep me posted. I slept between text messages, ahh, for this moment my family is home safe and sound in bed, the house is still and quiet......... things are changing, forever changing........and I too must change with them........... going back to bed, good night!!!!

Letting go......... so hard to do!!!!

I am finding out that toddler hood was WAY easier than teenage hood. "i am just saying !!!". You know it was so easy letting God give me these children, but it is sooooooooo HARD to give them back too Him. There is a fine line between encouragement, giving advice..... and making decisions for them. Katie has to find her own path in life, Yes i know what mistakes I made, and what things I did right......... but i Must let her make her own choices, in education, boyfriends, and all that jazz!!! the 16 year old boys........ well this is a different story. you see to this day Katie will still call me and ask, not tell me, ask if she can go here or there after work , or do this and that. My boys on the other hand have thought for sometime that i need NOT know what they are doing, who they are with, and where they are. Ha ha Ha silly silly boys...... not giving you that much rope yet! but Andrew will be 17 this summer, so if he wants to grow a little patch of hair on his chin so be it. I'll step in only if they start looking like grizzly Adams. Corey is growing "something" on his face too. it is just easier to pick my battles right now, and facial hair is low on the list. There are still some kids they cannot hang with, i still want to know who they are with, where they are and what they are doing at ALL times. and at Random times, Bill, Albert or I stop by to make sure they are where they say they are. They can't just jump in the car with anyone...... and they hate that i 'know' what is going on , and where the parties are, and who drinks, and who speeds and who does drugs......... Someday boys, i'll loosen that rope just long enough to hang yourself, but still holding it to pull you back...... soon enough I'll be letting the rope go so you can fly..... that's when i gotta trust God with watching over you. Sammy you have a few years to go yet young man.

Not sure what I am doing this weekend, My stomach was feeling queasy yesterday evening and it got worse as the evening wore on, and by the time I was talking to my kimmie...... i felt like supper wasn't going to stay down.
...... had a rough night. This morning there is some churning...... but it looks like i am going to be okay!!! I have a lot of laundry to wash, and I think Bill and I are taking the dogs for a walk, i think it is time to test my knee's just a little :0).
..... it was nice visiting with Christina a little yesterday.....Bill was annoying me though..... He wants me to come home and "help" him cook dinner, which i planned to do, since we weren't eating until 6pm, guess he was extra hungry when he got home from work.
I miss Kimmie and Patti, I've become quite attached. And i really can't wait until i can figure a way to see Kellie in Person. i am so lovin those GG's
well i got to go take the boys to football practice now...... have a great weekend

Storms........

Patti, check out this sky from "the Porch" it was awesome, so windy too. I love the wind, i went out in the middle of the yard just to touch the wind :0)

I have major Cramping today, funny i was so tired yesterday, i mean dead tired, and I didn't put two and two together, I just was thinking wow, I must have something really wrong with me....... and I woke up this morning, with "IT" I've been so busy, it caught me off guard! I think after dinner, if we still have power, and I am not in the Land of OZ, I am going to take a hot shower, use a heating pad, chill on my chaise lounge in my bedroom, read a book and sip some soothing Chamomile and Mint tea.... if that doesn't work, i'll take an Ultracet (non narcotic, anti inflammatory pain medication) I have absolutely NO appetite, that is how miserable i feel right now....

Christina, haven't talked to you in a while, Bill said we should go together to Sam's Club more often. it was nice visiting with you without a child in tow

Kim, the kids, esp Corey and Sammy keep asking when the year of Payday is going to be played? Sammy still insists you may have won with money, but he truly had the better life which makes him the winner, you know, house, modeling job, rock band, dog, car...

Patti, Bill keeps asking when you are coming back :0), seriously you are greatly missed. You are a wonderful friend with an awesome spirit... How blessed I am to call you a friend

Kellie, thanks for the update... your life is so busy. I think about you often, Yesterday on Mystery Diagnosis they had a case that ended up being Chiari (spelling?) Malformation, the little girl went years and years without being diagnosed....... after two surgeries and a lot of therapy she did fine... but i just got a glimpse of what your poor guy must go through.

Love and Blessings to all,

beautiful princess katie. (not ugly)

That is zachary. He looks like a big goober in this picture,thats okay! (:

This is Katie and Mr. Berkey. She loves him like a grandpa! He is the BEST ever. She did not like the other pictures that were posted on here, so she put this one on here. Want some more? okay.

That is me and Dave. Thats my one teachers husband. He is super duper cute, huh? (:

That is me and my Grandpa. He loves me. He cuts my meat, so i can proudly say, i can not cut a steak! I love him.

Finally. The REAL katie.

yessssss i know. cutie? (:

Sandi would not let me put a picture of her on here, sorry. she said she'd kill me. And erase all these beautiful pictures. love.

Wow, Sandi without Words.......

Here are a couple of pictures of Katie on her Graduation Day! Seems like so long ago already. Not sure what I am doing today. it seems that last weekend was filled with activities, laughter, and friendship, and well this weekend I have nothing scheduled. BUT that is not a bad thing either. and in all honesty i've been so busy for so long, that a day or two of nothing may be a good idea! Wow for the first time I am at a loss for words....... mark that on your calender. I am going to get some house work done early, the laundry is almost complete, I just need to figure out what we are going to have for dinner now. and I would love to get a small walk in with the dogs. slow and steady of course. Have a good weekend folks

Elegant and Earthy

Let me begin with ..... it was a fantastic four days! The comfort that a group of woman can feel, first sprawled out over the USA, coming together like a group of "best " friends that have known each other forever, still amazes me! The weekend was just as I thought it would be, a lot of talking and laughter. Christina was able to make it up a few times, and of course we went down to see her at the golf course a couple of times. We spent time on the Porch, time drinking tea, times exploring a "haunted" house, a little time at the Saltsburg Canal Days. (way too hot this weekend). Patti was excited to see lightning bugs/ fire flies. Both Christina and Gina came for our Sunday Country Brunch...... I used my fine china, and we had baked blueberry french toast (sugar free thanks to Patti), sausage and ham, mini spinach and bacon Quiche, ( minimal spinach,onions and bacon ... thanks to me ) mixed berry cheesecake muffins, chocolate covered strawberries,and sugar free cream puffs. Gina came for this too, and I must say she was a hit with the Ladies, they all thought she was just so "adorable" which..........she is :0)!!! There was such a comfort here, Patti took time to organize one of my cupboards, i mean gee she alphabetized my spices for goodness sakes. I felt comfortable enough to nap on the couch for a while, Kim felt comfortable to curl up and read a book for a while... there was no pressure or no entertaining needed. Bill was a wonderful Host too, and I must say he and Patti are two peas in a pod, those two are so much alike it, and I must say that Bill really enjoyed having Kim and Patti stay. The kids, what can I say, they ALL are so comfortable with "Aunt Kim, and Aunt Patti. There is so much to say about the weekend... but i must get back to the title of my blog...............
These are the two thoughts that come to mind when i try and put words to Patti and Kim, Neither is bad/ or good Just a thought........ I've always pictured Patti as Elegant, with her pedicures and manicures, and pretty little shoes and purses..... I've always Pictured Kim as Earthy, one that loves the great out doors, and would be comfortable just about any where. I picture her comfortable in old sweats and worn tee shirts..... ( just for the record, i am VERY earthy). Well let me tell you, I think i got that ALL wrong this weekend. a few miles from my house, there is what we call a haunted house, an old house rich in history that has been empty for decades and decades. Patti wanted to check it out so we did. She fell in love with it........ and to just summarize a very long story, There is Patti, wanting to go into this dirty, dusty, broke down house, with spiders and snakes and other critters, mold on the walls, ceilings falling in. a home not occupied by humans in well over 60 years! I couldn't keep her away..... and then there was our Kimmie, she wasn't scared or anything, but she just didn't want to go into a musty, dusty, dirty broken down house full of spiders and flying bugs, and possible snakes and rodents lurking in corners. it was just all ~yucky~ to her. So i guess Kimmie is Elegant in Spirit, and Patti has more "Earth" to her spirit than i originally thought.
Well i have a long doctor appointment in Pittsburgh today... I really want to nip these lung and stomach problems before they become chronic and permanent. I really don't want a 4 year major lung infection streak this year!!!
Patti and Kim, my home is open to you guys any time.......
Kellie, you were in our thoughts and prayers this weekend.... we love ya girl. and Christina, what can I even say....... my bestest friend for years
I love you all !!!! True Friends, a small taste of Heaven on Earth

Taking a moment

I haven't blogged in a few days. Katie Graduated on Weds. it went really nice. I plan on posting a couple pictures of her when we get them down loaded. Of course the Infamous Ms. Patti will be here in a few hours. I've been slow cooking my 12 hour tomato sauce since 6 am.... it is my kids grandparents recipe on my X husbands side.... when they get here, i have a cool house, Sugar free lemonade, and whole wheat pasta, turkey meatballs, Italian salad and garlic bread..... Dessert is fresh grapes and strawberries.. i know traveling day can be so tiring...... so i am sure we will just chill and get caught up on talk. Hope Christina isn't so warn out that she can't come up and have a bite with us......and meet Patti in person. I am really relaxed, not too worried about much...... clean sheets and clean bathroom... right....... :0) What will be will be..... that is how i look at it. Patti is bring the HEAT with her..... we have had below average weather the entire spring season..... Patti decides to come, and look what happens.. and it's Arizona Heat with Pennsylvania Humidity, NOT a good combination. i have central air, and there is always a breeze blowing on the top of this hill my home stands on..... we will be fine.
I am so looking forward to the time I have with all of my friends...... I'll keep you posted on how it is going.......
Kellie, you are in our hearts, I know you can't make ANY plans, and we know in reality, things for you can change at a drop of a hat.....even if we could come your direction :0( , know that you are always in my prayers and thoughts love ya girl

Happenings!!!!

My knees hurt so bad last night......... they throbbed like a toothache! Not sure why.... but i rarely take something for pain other than topical George or Ben, but last night i took a pain pill.... it did help. So we shall see how today goes.
Katie's graduation is tomorrow........... my first "little one" to graduate. I don't think I'll cry.......... cry much!!!! It is another chapter in her life that has begun. For me, it's like, wow I actually got one raised..... and I think i did okay :0), she won't be leaving soon, she plans on commuting to College from home, she is happy here, and has no plans on leaving too soon. fine by me.
Kimmie brought it to my attention the other day that my blog was jumping all over the place- and she was right. What happens is i start to write, and then i get up and do something, come back and start to write again... and so forth. before i know it, I've talked about 3 different things in one paragraph, sometimes my blog writing is parallel with my life... jumbled and jumping from place to place :0).
Looking forward to the weekend..... But i know it is going to be busy too. however, I am learning to let things be as they are......... i don't plan on going crazy in any aspect........ well in most aspects!!! And i am looking forward to spending time with Good Friends.,
Well it is time that I get busy....... it is supposed to storm later, so i like having the house done.....so i can enjoy the storms.

two in a row

Wow, two days off in a row, I forget what that was like. Up early this morning, working out in the yard. it is so breezy today, and up on the hill, there have been several gusts that i began to wonder if the flag was going to stay!!!

For several years now I've been raising baby box turtles, and then when they are big enough, usually 2.5 or 3 years i take them up towards Erie to release them at an animal sanctuary. this year just was a bad year for me, and the turtles became more of a burden than a joy... so although they were still little, i sent them back today. it is a relief not to worry about them right now. it is so relaxing this afternoon, everyone is just chilling, and i plan on NOT going anywhere for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe I'll watch a good "girly" movie. an older one. I no longer make french fries for the kids, they all really like my red potatoes

I cut up the potatoes with the redskin on, drizzle a little olive oil, some salt and some fresh ground pepper, sometimes rosemary, sometimes thyme..... and i bake them until they are crisp!!!! yummmmy.

I went and got another knee stabilizer (the one inch one) and i wear it all day long now...... and honestly my knees seem to be feeling much better. Bill and I will prob take the dogs for a walk this evening, I plan on only going a mile or two at the most...... slow but sure.

Well Bill is grilling, so i better go and help with the sides . Hi to my Golden Girls..... just a few days more and Patti will be hanging here..... and Patti we are making it as mellow as possible, going to the Saltsburg Canal Day's, listen to some old time bands, watch some fireworks, check out some quaint little craft shops, walk along the river bank. Maybe hot tea or coffee on the porch to watch the Sunrise, cause we all know you will be up before daybreak. And Sunday i am having an outdoor brunch on the Porch....... fine china, Amish baked blueberry french toast, lean sausages, grilled ham, chocolate covered strawberries, maybe chicken salad or crab salad stuffed tomato's and a few pastries , some sugar free of course!! hot tea, or Citrus Punch. Christina and her girls are going to come and hang, and i think Gina will be coming too..... If the weather is this beautiful, than walking some of the trails may be in order...... so bring um...... walking shoes :0). And of course evenings of movies, chatting and laughter..... nothing scheduled, nothing planned, don't have to be any where at any time.......

Okay i am so excited......