NUTS

IT'S RAINING :(

Can That Be Fall I Feel In The Air?

Yesterday was a beautiful day. A perfect summer day really, but I told Jim last night when I got home that it felt like fall in the air. Maybe it is all the talk about starting collage, and school for the little ones and Vikings and Minnesota Gopher football. But it feels like fall already. Where did summer go? For me it went to a trip to ND, a trip to a Moteberg reunion, to gardening, to some sewing and alot of working. I spent some time in physical therapy, some volunteering at the church, and what else??? I don't know,, but it went by fast.

I do love fall. It is my favorite time of year, if only, IF ONLY, what followed it wasn't such a downer. Now if I could stay home and just look out at it, it wouldn't be so bad, and I do have to admit that I like to look out at the soft snow falling, but NOT when it is blowing around like crazy. But lets not go there just now.

Tomorrow night we get Abbe and Luke for a little over a week. I am thinking up fun things to do with them. I think we might take a trip to The Oliver Kelly Farm on Thursday. Tonja tells me the little ones have never been there and Grandpa hasn't been there either. It is a neat place to go and hang out for a few hours on a beautiful summer day. We will also be taking a trip to they MOA Nickelodeon Universe with their cousins on Tuesday. So it will be a fun time.

Anyway, that's all I have to say today.

Sandi

Wondering what is wrong with me

For the last week I have not been feeling well. My tummy gets up set and I get the trots and then I feel nausiated. I was home from work last Wed cuz I was not feeling good and Thursday I felt good and then last night again before I went to bed this sick feeling started again, and it has been dogging me all day. It may be just a flu, but I have to tell you when you get to be my age, you always wonder if it might be something more then that. I know that is probably borrowing trouble, but it is what I am thinking.

I really wish I was retired. Then I wouldnt have to jam so much into the weekends. Today I worked really hard out in the sun for about 3 horus and my face feels so hot tonight. I have to think that it must be from that although when I look at my face it doesnt look especially red and it is not especially warm when I touch it. Who knows. Anyway, if I could be home every day then I could work an hour in the morning and one in the afternoon and get the outside stuff done.

Abbe and Luke are coming to spend a few days with us on Wed. I so am hoping and praying that I feel well while they are here.

Well it is raining again, so I am going to go to bed and let the rain put me to sleep.

Sandi

Update on Retirement

Well the financial planner didn't tell me that miraculously I had all this money that I could draw out thousands a month and still live to be 85 and have money left!! And that's what I want, but unfortunately that wont happen, even waiting to retire when I am 65. But I have given up the idea of retiring before next year. Its the health insurance. It is a killer. And NO I do NOT want Obamacare!!! I do not want any National Health care one payer system.

But back to retirement - - so for now I am still working. I suppose the retirement date will come soon enough.

Just have to have patience and pray for decent health.

Sandi

Could Retirement be before 2011?

I have been seriously considering retiring early. I am going to talk to my financial advisor today and see what he has to say. I truly do not have the energy to work a full 40 hour week and keep up my home as I would like and pursue my love of sewing, cooking and baking anymore. I see my friends my age, some older, some younger getting sick and and becoming unable to do those things. I want to do those things, and spend time with my grand kids. So,, maybe by tonight I might have a better idea if I can pull off an early retirement or not. Oh I will more then likely find a part time job 10 to 15 hours a week, just to earn some "mad money", but I don't want to have to get up at 5:30 or 6 every day and then not get home until 5 every weekday night. So it is what is ruminating through my brain. We will see if anything comes of it.

Sandi

Faith and Brianna

Help,,, if someone knows how to do this blog so you can get the pictures in the right order with the writing correct,, I would like to know.. Not a very expert blogger here.

Faith and Bri in ther choice of bed.

Green bean picking

Doing the booty dance... what a hoot

The "who's booty is bigger' shot

And we are princesses

Cookie time (bad photo by photagraper)

And the fun begins with cartoons and Barbies in Gramps and Grams bedroom

OK,, so Friday night we had a sleepover with 2 of our granddaughters, Faith and Brianna. It was so much fun. To start Kim brought Faith to my work and we were able to leave there by 2. Jim picked up Bri but wasn't going to get home until 3:30 or so. So Faith and I went to Costco and on the way to Costco, I was informed that Grandma's usually made cookies for her grand kids,, so when I got home, you know that I boogied to bake a batch of cookies so they could have warm cookies and milk. That was about 4. At 4:30 we headed to the movies to see Ice Age Dinasores something. They really enjoyed it. After that it was to Culvers for dinner (their choice of restaurant). When we got home it was more Barbies and then dress up. Then it was bath time of course and then bed time. They could have slept in the guest room on beds, but they chose the living room floor. That was fine with me.. less laundry and bed making. We all slept through a storm on Friday night, or so I am told. You couldn't prove it by me. 7:30 Sat morning Bri came into our bedroom wondering if it was going to be a tornado cuz the sky was green. Well it was cloudy and raining and some distant thunder but I assured here there would be no tonado. But of course the sleeping was done. I had made plans to have breakfast with a friend so at 9 I went to that and while I was gone I guess all went well. When I got home dress up was in full force. Then came the booty dance and the discussion of who had that biggest booty. I told then they were tied, so I took a picture of there booties so they could compare them. What a riot. Then it was time to go to the garden and check out the produce so they helped to pick some cucumbers and greens beans. The cucumbers were something they didn't like to well as they have those little prickles on them when they come off the plant. Then it was lunch time and about 2 it was time for Bri to go home. Faith's Mom and Dad came and the sleep over was over. But we all had a wonderful time. But whew,, the energy - and that wasn't playing with them all the time -,, just keeping up with them. These pictures are from the sleepover.

Sandi

When food shows and gunshots in the night meet

Last night I wanted to go to bed early as I had to be up early this morning to go for PT. Well I was in bed by 9:30 but sleep evaded me. I was still tossing and turning at 10:15 or so, so rather then keep Jim awake I headed to the recliner. Even that was not doing it for me.. so I went for half of a chill pill. While I was sitting there I heard what sounded like a gun shot so I got up and made sure all the doors were locked. The pill finally did its thing and helped me fall asleep. But not long after I was asleep I had this dream. Jim and I were sleeping and we heard a knock or commotion at the front door and we could see the front door from our bed (which we cannot) and I said I don't know those people, and then this man came in looking like Michael from the Next Food Network Star show with 2 women. He said with a lame foreign accent "I need money to send to my brother". And I said "How much cash do you need" and he walked over to my side of the bed and pulled a small gun and pointed at my heart and said "No more smart remarks from you". I woke with such a start and my heart was beating a mile a minute. I guess that is what you get when you cant sleep so good, all that was put into the computer that day sorta starts to make its own story!!!

This Morning's devotion

Satisfied??

It comes from "When God Whispers Your Name"

I will quote from it as I cannot paraphrase good enough. He said we are not satisfied in life and then:
"As a child we say, "if only I were a teenager." As a teen we say, "If only I were an adult,". As an adult, "If only I were married." As a spouse, "If only I had kids"... We take vacations of a lifetime.. We satiate ourselves with sun, fun, and good food. But we are not even on the way home before we dread the end of the trip and begin planning another.

We are not satisfied. Contentment is a difficult virtue. Why?

Because there is nothing on earth that can satisfy our deepest longing. We long to see God. The leaves of life are rustling with the rumor that we will - - and we wont be satisfied until we do."

This spoke to me so deeply this morning. When I feel like I am discontent, I need to go to the Bible and seek God and pray,,, and then perhaps some of my "longings" will be satiated until we see HIM!!!