Meme, all of the doctors that I've seen lately (and the therapists) all talk about stress. It's amazing. I know that I have more in my life now than just 3 years ago. I'm not eating like I should either, but I know that I'm eating healthier than I used to.

Mima, the changes in the attitudes of children and parents have changed so much since I started teaching. The majority of the children expect something if they do well on a paper, etc. They're lucky if I give them a smiley face or a sticker. lol This week I really rewarded them!!!! On Friday I emptied out a bunch of posters and put them on the floor to get rid of them. Am I ready to retire next year or what?

Joanne, I'm so glad that your hubby is ok. Glad that your daughter is there right now.

Anne, I can never gargle with salt water! I always start to gag. Glad that it works for you. Hope you are feeling better!!!

Started a new class at the Y today. It was supposed to be water aerobics every other week. Well, we found out today that we may go to the pool once or twice during the session. I wasn't thrilled because I can't do the regular stuff. There is a Physical Therapist in the class. She comes to our school and works with some kids every week. Amy told me to stick with the class, and if we're doing something that I shouldn't, she'll tell me and I can do the stretching exercises that I've learned at therapy. She thought that just getting in there and moving is better than not taking the class at all for me. We also do some things with the big balls, and she said that most of those exercises will be fine for me. So, I'm sticking with the class.

The jazz band played for our alumni banquet tonight. There were great! Tim loves playing drums, and he's really quite good. I hope he'll be able to stick with music through college and afterwards.

Open House at the house tomorrow. We won't be there, but I hope lots of people will be!!! We're going shopping for some cement blocks to put outside of our porch doors and a new grill.

Kids have run me ragged today and tonight. Ross wanted me to make him a new webpage. Now they will all probably want me to make them one. Joy.

Want to see his? Go To: http://www.design-max.net/Ross.html

Going to bed ... have to be at the new church a little early in the morning. Someone told them I sing so the pastor's wife asked me to sing before the message and they want me to 'try out' the mic & speakers. I think they are a little 'leary' of me ... having never heard me before. (They probably think I can't sing ... may be right!) Hope you all have a good Sunday. One more day ... my kids go home tomorrow night ... bless their hearts ... that's good enough for me! (But I do love them!)

Boy are they fortunate, Meme. !! Happy Easter Joanne-I am glad your husband is ok-have lived through those stressful times.
It is cold and I am hurting!!! Haven't got used to that part yet. I guess I wasn't used to having a DIL-we left right after the wedding and I didn't hear from her much. I did pick out 4 adorable outfits at KMart for Debbie's bd. There is a party next Sunday. Joy if Brad's exwife is there. She never misses to zing him but he is going to tell her it's time to let go=20 years.
That class sounds good, Tammy. Hope you feel better Anne. I stopped wheezing when I stopped cleaning.
Daughter is so happy with new boyfriend. He pays so much attention to her. Her father totally rejected her so this is what she needs/ I am so happy for her. I think she reads my posts so I will say hi to her.
Bye for now Mima

Good morning.

Meme - We all love our GK but it is soooo nice when they do go back home We just are not as young as we used to be. I think there is a reason why God intended us to have kids while we were young and had energy!! Good luck with your singing. I know you will blow them away.

Mima - Cleaning has that affect all right! Dust. I think that is why my sinuses are so bad right now. So windy and dusty out, and I have my windows open, so it gets rather dusty inside as well.

Joanne - don't knock yourself out today. Have a nice Easter Dinner. I hope your hubby is feeling better and that you were able to rest some. It's hard when you have company - even if it is your daughter.

Tammy - The program sounds good. It's good to have your PT there as well, as she will be able to advise you. It only takes one wrong move, however, so be really careful. I can't do "land" movements very easily anymore. Water exercises are much better, but with the FM, I can't take the cold anymore. It seems to be a no win situation. So, I run around instead. I like listening to jazz as well. Hope your son continues.

Hubby got busy this morning, and is cleaning the carpets. Smells so nice and fresh. No chemicals. I have a Watermatic vacuum that does a terrific job of washing the carpets.

Enjoy your day.

ENJOY THE COFFEE

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
Visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into
Complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and
Returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain,
Plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -
Telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:
"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up,
Leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want
Only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
What all of you really wanted was coffee; not the cup, but you
Consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups.

Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are
The cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of
Life! doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating ;only on the cup,
We fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So, don't let the cups drive you... Enjoy the coffee instead.

I loved that Anne ... and it is so true! I have my favorite coffee mug ... a free TV Guide mug I got in the mail when I ordered the magazine a couple of years back. It's not fancy and just the right size. My best friend is always getting it down and using it when she comes over ... drives me nuts. But, I let her because she's my best friend. I just enjoy the coffee (and her)!

Tammy ... don't hurt yourself anymore than you are already hurting ... like I do when I start to exercise. How'd the auction go?

Joanne ... hope your hubby is going to be ok. And you don't get sick stressing out over him!!!

Mima ... the cold makes me hurt worse, too, and so does all this rain we're having. More to come this week. Sounds like your hubby needs to tell his X to grow up ... since she doesn't seem to realize she's growing 'old'! She's not in highschool anymore. Maybe that's what he needs to tell her.

My kids went home. Ross got sick on me. I'm hoping it's just sinuses or allergies. Anything else and I'll probably get it. He was running a temp of 102 this afternoon and coughing his head off. He coughed so hard right after church this morning he threw up. Well ... I'm sure I didn't 'blow them away' at church but I made them cry ... now that could be good ... or it could be bad! Depends on why they were crying! A former pastor of mine called and asked me to come to his church and sing at a singing tonight. I had to sing 6 songs. I'm really tired ... keeping kids all weekend and then doing that has zapped me. I kind-of 'talk' between songs when I do a singing like that and it takes a lot out of me. Going to bed now and I've turned off the phones so they won't wake me up in the morning. We have customers calling in starting around 7 so I'm just going to let the machine get them tomorrow. I need a morning off.

I bet it feels good to sing again-your gift! My daughter used to throw up when she was sick. Sure hope you don't get it.
We are going to buy a carpet cleaner for FL-pd 200 to get them cleaned and they were dirty again before we left. I read that dirt sticks to the residue left after they are cleaned and to use vinegar.
Is ay be careful too, Tammy.
Phone rang at 10 last night-Woke us up.
Went out for Chinese yesterday-it wasn't good. But I think we ordered the wrong thing. Doc's today-looking for an opinion about my stomache and I will have him look at the toenail. But I have been better-use colace instead of Metamusil. That seems to have cured what I thought was IBS.
I VOLUNTEERED to watch Debbie while they go to doc's on WEd. And then keep her a bit more. But not stay over. I bought some books to work with her. That is my gift.
Bye for now-back aches like crazy!! Mima And it rained all day yesterday.

Meme, I really think you should visit each one of us and sing for us. You can start with me!!! I'd love to hear some songs. The auction isn't for a couple weeks yet. The open house went well on Sunday. 9 sets of people went through the house. The realtor said they were all making positive comments, so maybe someone will make an offer. I don't know how you keep up with everything you do! You're amazing! I'm pooed and I didn't have grandkids all weekend!!!

Mima, that has to make you happy since your daughter is happy. We're putting our carpet cleaner in the auction. Want to come and bid on it? We were going to have Chinese the other night, but the place was packed. We ended up with Mexican.

Anne, send your husband my way and he can clean some carpets here too. Actually, these don't need cleaned yet. I liked the story about the coffee! I'll enjoy my diet pop since I don't drink coffee. lol

Had therapy for my back right after school today. Supposed to go to water aerobics tonight, but I ended up taking a nap instead. I think I needed it.

I said auction but I meant open house ... glad it went well. Hope you can sell soon. I know what it's like waiting for a house to sell. When we moved to TN from MI we left a house for sale up there and had to sell 'long distance'. Had to go back to close. No fun.

Ross is still sick ... evidentally it isn't just sinuses. They'll take him to the Dr. tomorrow but they are bringing him over at 6:45 tomorrow morning, since I've already been exposed guess it can't hurt me anymore than I've already been hurt. They'll make him an app. with his Dr. and come get him later and take him. He's still coughing his head off. They should have taken him today! I don't know what they're waiting for???

Poor Ross. Poor Meme. Hope he feels better and you don't catch it.
I sold my house after an open house. But it was someone who wanted to kook at it before. Sold the condo by someone driviong by. You just don't know.
Doc's yeasterday. The good news is that I only have a trace of blood in my urine. And he tols me how to fix my toe. But he was no help with my stomache but said I could go to gastro. So I called and she said they were booking into August. I said I couldn't eat anything. She said how much weight had I lost so I told her I was exagerrating!! She doen't know me. She called back and I have an appt in 2 weeks.PTL. I just want some advice and it may be that I have to live with it.
So I had wicked diarrhea last night-was it my stomache or a virus. I told Brad if he gets it then I will know it was a virus. Ha!! Supposed to take Debbie tomorrow while they go to doc's-I will talk to her. I volunteered. I wanted to work with her some, Mom doesn't have a clue about K readiness and they took her out of Head Start because she was getting sick all the time. Don't blame them but....She told me I could do teach her but I said she could too. So I will write some things out-poor thing, she doesn't understand. When I taught K, I only saw the results but now I see what actually happens. I am too aware!!!
Bye for now. Mima

Ummm ... Mima, a word from the wise about volunteering to keep children. BE CAREFUL! If you volunteer to keep a child more than once, their parents think, "Oh she really loves to keep my child and it's no burden on her at all so I can just leave the little darlin' there ALL THE TIME. So they call you every time they want to go somewhere, have a night on their own or just go home and take a nap. My DIL did that to me once. She didn't think I would find out. (She may have done it more than once ... dunno.) She was getting ready to start back teaching in the fall & she told me as soon as she finished up in her classroom that day she would come get the kids. Well ... she didn't come. I had to go somewhere and I had told her that. Finally, I called my son, never thinking about calling the house because she was supposed to be at the school working. He called the school and couldn't find her and then called the house and she had gone home, layed down, fell asleep and hadn't woke up. After keeping those two since early that morning I was the one in need of a nap! She used to always do stuff like that to me until I finally started being more firm with them. She got mad at me a few times over some things but it had to be to get her straightened out. I love my grandchildren and I keep them A LOT ... but if I kept them all 4 as much as their parents think I should I'd have a child here all the time. I used to stay sick with something. Now I say - if they even act like they are coming down with something I will not keep them. The only reason I have a sick child now is because Ross got sick while he was here last weekend. Now Jenna has it too so I'll probably have it for sure. Their dad is taking them both to the Dr. this afternoon. Sometimes it just can't be helped bless their hearts and I know that. That's part of family. But most of the time it can be helped and their is no sense infecting family members when you don't have to ... they can stay home with their own children when they are sick. So ... said all that to say this, be sure to not volunteer again for a while. It will get you in more trouble than you may want in the future. And be sure to tell them that when she is sick not to bring her around because, while you love them all, you don't want to be infected.

I'm never hatefull with my kids or grandchildren and always tell them I love them. I do more for my kids than most parents do but seems it's never enough. But you have to draw the line somewhere. I've been trying to draw it a little thicker lately. I haven't been feeling so good lately and can't keep up with my own stuff let alone theirs. My oldest grandson started arguing with me about his guitar lessons a couple of weeks ago. Telling me he didn't like the music and if I'd only give him something faster ... well, bless his heart, he couldn't play what I was giving him. Been on it for 2 months and had left it at home or school the last 2 lessons and hadn't even had it out of his guitar case one week to practice. He wants to play but doesn't want to put the time in. Faster music isn't going to help him. He finally got mad at me and said, "Well, I want a teacher that will teach me the kind of music I want to play." I will not tolerate disrespect from any child so I very calmly told him to put his guitar away because lessons were over. He said, huh? I said your lesson is over put your guitar away. He asked me if I was mad at him. I told him, no, but I'm your teacher and you won't listen to me, you don't ever practice, you can't play a simple song that I've given you for 2 months now and you think you can play something faster. You are welcome to go find someone else to teach you because your lessons here are over, I won't be teaching you anymore. I'm not mad, I'm just finished being your teacher. He said, OK and hasn't had a lesson since. When my son came he told his dad he had quit guitar. He came in and asked me if he got hateful with me and I said yes but that was ok, I handled it and he could just find him another teacher because he evidently didn't want to take lessons from me anymore. Kaylyn came in and wanted to make sure she could still come for piano because she didn't want to quit. I told her I'd still come pick her up at school on Tues. and we'd do our thing. But insolence and disrespect I won't have from kids. I bought the kid a really nice 3/4 ovation guitar and paid for his music and then gave him the lessons free. Went to school every week, picked him up and brought him to my house to teach him to play and he wouldn't even practice and try ... then blamed it on the music. My son is a wonderful guitarist and guess who taught him? (Of course he plays circles around me!) I could only take him so far and he learned the rest on his own. But this kid wouldn't even take his out of the case some weeks. I think most kids today expect everything to come easy, they don't want to work for anything.

I'll get off my soap box. Need to get to work anyway ... sorry for preaching. Guess I just needed to unload.

I have been venting for 2 weeks-I figured out that people need to leave me alone while I adjust to being home from FL. And it takes 2 weeks at least. I called and told them I shouldn't take Debbie because i know it was a virus. I mostly feel better but Brad.....not yet. he's a lot tougher than I am. I had to miss my church fair meeting last night.
Joanne, how are you doing?
Funny thing-I spent 2 days looking for the title to the camper because we are going to sell it. Wrote to the registry on line and they said THEY HAD NEVER SENT IT! That was 2 and a half years ago that we bought it. It's almost worth as much as we paid for it . Brad wants to get or make something that we can pull with the car that has a bed, shower, and toilet that we can use if we both go to MS. It has to be light. But registry is going to send us the title. We can sell it after Brad fixes the hole where he put an air conditioner in when we were in FL-one didn't take care of the heat. And the dings where he hit something!!! Acyually it;s a big scrape. But today the deck is going back on. Cassidy and I say yeah!!! Mima

Sorry to be mia but things have been tight around here lately. hubby being fitted with holter monitor tomorrow. He feels ok but a little light headed. Dr said he may have some vertigo along with everything else.
Me? I have been a wreck. I guess I will get to catch up soon.I always say I have to be strong. It isn't as easy as all that.
Meme- Hope your G/son /children are well soon and you didn't catch what they have.
Mima- my daughter has a 5th wheel R.v. and just loves it.They are going camping every chance they get..
Hello Everybody...Joanne

Good morning. It is scary when your husband is sick-it's the unknown. What helped me most was all the people praying-each day just flowed. I am not saying I wasn't nervous-just that I felt like God was right there. I will pray for you.
Had another episode of diarrhea-makes me wonder if it's a virus or my lovely stomache. Can't go see Auntie today,
I was upset yesterday-Brad hired someone to help him put the deck on and he brought his brother. Brad had told him he didn't need 2 people til he started on the apt. I felt manipulated and there was not enough work for both of them, Anyhow, they are gone but we had to pay both of them.
I did save 12$ on my DSL-I asked why other people were paying 15 and I was paying 30. So I got it reduced. They wouldn't have told me if I hadn't asked, he admitted. Yikes.
We love the fifth wheel but being in FL, we don't gey much chance to use it and Brad works here. We can pay for a lot of motels.
Bye for now-Mima

Jenna's still running a high fever so I have her again today. Sure hope I don't get this stuff!

Prayers for your hubby Joanne!