Home, again

The sixth Master Gardening class was tonight...Turfgrass Management.

Naturally, I should be in bed but one can't just plop down on the pillow after the scintillating array of grass seed varieties, fertilizer options and grub worms.

I needed to sit at my computer and read up on current events to get me into a mellow mood.
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Also, concerning the Breast Cancer site and their attempts to register 10 million clicks in the month of September...

They only made it to 80%, but the sponsor in question agreed to fund the free 100 mammograms anyway, so Ma says, "Good job, peoples!"
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OK...now I'm officially tired.
 

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Adventures With Ma

It is shopping day, and Faithful Ma determinedly sets out on her weekly run of errands and supply procurement. Hark, what is this? Lower gas prices?
Ma wonders how the gas prices run in other states...

Letters mailed and life-giving anti-coagulants secured, Ma goes to her very favorite store, Goodwill, where she finds...
A classic double VHS for only $2.39 !

Imagine....Ma's life story on film, when she was but five years old.

Oh Joy! The season of Honey Crisp goodness is upon us!
Ma notices that HyVee has them priced a dollar more per pound than her beloved Fareway store.

Yo...HyVee....WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!?!

The red minivan makes it's inerrant way home, past fields and bucolic bovineness.
If these cows could talk, they would say, "Whoa...I hope that lady doesn't want any of our grass..."

Ah, the noble combine :-) 'Tis harvest time once more.
Few sights are as thrilling as this mighty machine-of-glean, only taking a brief pause from its September labor.

Thrifty Ma also purchased a wallet, on clearance. It very nearly contains room for the 16 individual medical insurance cards necessitated by her prodigious offspring.

Clearly, she neglected wallet capacity in the family planning department. To alleviate crowding, Resourceful Ma chucks the library cards for the oldest three children.

With any luck, she can sell them back to the hapless owners, creating vast amounts of money to be donated toward the government bailout.

Ma is nothing, if not a philanthropist.

And that's all--

about Adventures with Ma--
 

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THINK PINK
 

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Goodsome Harvest

Melinda decided the time was propitious to dig her sweet potatoes
These were started from one potato, bought after Christmas, stuck in a jar on toothpicks, sprouted, picked and rooted in water, planted in the springtime.

Really now, they look right goodly :-)


I mean, compared to Ma's size 9 feet, there are some BIG suckers


Melinda had extra sproutlings, so Derek, having planted a few, also decided to dig his today.


Aren't these taters amazing?
That one on the left was rebellious and sauntered off on his own...I'll bet he's sorry, now.

Derek's comment: "It's kind of like paleontology...digging for bones...takes so long because they're fragile."

Melinda's been working on her larger bed since this morning.

They both have to save these types of diversions until the weekend, since schoolwork takes up much of their waking hours, Monday through Friday.
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It's been a fairly productive day. No dizzies! Finished up work at the church this morning, wrote the Hoyt monthly family letter by lunch (it helps if you don't eat until almost 2) and then hit the little boys' room--with them in tow--after the noon meal.

We did a pretty fair job of cleaning up that mess and they didn't even complain. Much. Nolan kept getting distracted and playing with stuff, but we got mucho stuffo done-o. The dresser tops and nether regions under the bed will have to wait 'til another time.

I even harvested a couple of dried up banana peels off the floor....not quite what I was expecting, but at least I didn't find any live animals.
 

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"I'll.....be with you...in ap-ple pickin' time..."

It's that time of year, again :-) (click on pictures to enlarge)

Trevor gets the high honor of ladder work while Carolyn keeps the base steady.
(you can't tell, but she's eating an apple to pass the time)

This year we got real professional...Ma bought a fruit picker!
Ethan discovers....

...it's telescopic potentiality :-D


"I GOT it!!" was Nolan's excited cry.


More traditional means were also utilized.


I think Nolan has found a new friend.


We just went for the Red Delicious apples today, and Ma didn't do too much because she remembers oh so well the dizzy spell that followed last year's apple picking labor. Too much straining and neck craning is not good for this ol' lady.

I'm already feeling a little tentative in the balance department après la pickage de jour, so we fervently hope tomorrow's awakening brings no dizzy tidings.
 

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You know you need a new wallet....

...when the lady in the post office has to run out to the road to catch you 'cause the plastic inserts that hold your driver's license have broken and your ID falls out to the floor when you paid for the postage.

Fortunately for you, your purse is such a mess that it takes a while to find your keys and get organized and that takes up enough time so that you have not completely pulled away from the post office before the nice lady can run out and inadvertently demonstrate how inattentive you are.
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With only 5 days left, the breast cancer site still needs a good 3 million clicks to win the 100 free mammograms.

I wonder how many clicks could be counted in a ten-minute stint?
 

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The Derek Report

Most 17-year-olds do not crave great gobs of attention. At least not any of mine.

However, I did promise to update on the MRI, so here goes...

There's nothing big. It was pretty normal. I'd forgotten that one of the reasons they were doing the MRI was to check out a little place on the aorta that had looked slightly enlarged in his last echo. It doesn't look bad in the MRI so there are no impending aneurysms ready to blow.

One of the reasons I thought they were doing the MRI is because once you have a pacemaker, you cannot do the cardiac MRI, the gold standard test for ARVD. Derek is destined to have a pacemaker some day (and at the end of last year we thought he'd have one by now).

But he's managed not to go into sustained atrial fibrillation for a third time, meaning we can put off the pacemaker until that happens.

As to ARVD (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia), that was the pathology report on Loren's old heart. It is a broad category into which Loren's particular heart history fits in an odd and somewhat atypical way.

Having said that, the cardiac MRI can take better pictures of the beating heart than any other test. These pictures can detect if there is the start of scar tissue or fat replacing normal heart cells. The gradual replacement of heart tissue with scarring or fat is what leads to the various arrhythmias, since those abnormalities mess up the electrical conductivity of the heart.

In reality, Derek is probably too young to exhibit any of this as yet, since most of the history of people dying suddenly in Loren's family involved those in their early 40's.

So I had thought they might find or not find something in conjunction with possible ARVD, but now I realize they probably weren't looking for that, they were just checking the aorta.

In case this all bores you to tears, it's enough to know that the MRI was normal :-)
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Derek has been involved in another endeavor however, preparing for the upcoming SAT test on October 4th in Waterloo

I don't believe in paying lots of money for tutoring or going to extremes, but he's been practicing writing essays and going through a prep book and taking practice tests.

He took one test last week, one today, and will take a 3rd practice test early next week. After the REAL test he'll probably need some kind of extensive brain therapy to recover lost cells. I remember Kendra and Jason exclaiming over brain fatigue. Or maybe that was hunger...

After the test is over, it's a simple matter of getting his wisdom teeth extracted by the (hopefully) amazing senior resident oral surgeon down at University of Iowa on October 20.

Then we can stop driving all over the state for awhile.

Well, maybe after the Master Gardening classes are finished.
 

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Life in the Yard

The Flickers are back!
They came around for a few days, last year about this time. I'd look up the exact date but I'm too lazy.

Ooooo, a snake!
Derek found him out in the yard last week. I'm guessin' Hog Nosed, but not totally sure. Again, don't wanna take up valuable time with research when I should could be fixing supper.

The hummingbirds are still sippin' the sugar water. The only thing more important than actually drinking your-self...


...is making sure the guy on the zinnias doesn't get a chance.
Funny little critters, those hummers.

Remind me of kids.

And politicians.
 

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While Kids Do Their Computer Work....

(spelling practice, typing tutor, math drill...)

Had a great class on shrubs, trees and pruning last night. Great in the sense that I learned things from the reading material and lecture that I didn't know. Not so great in that I discovered I've been performing pruning faux pas.

Oh well.

Say, did you know that hedges can become 'dysfunctional' if they are sheared incorrectly?

Suddenly, I see a whole world of plant psychology, opening up.

But basically, when it comes to shrubs and pruning, it's all about one's personal choice. Do you want the manicured look? Then be ready for constant maintenance. Do you wish for a more natural look? Select branches to cut back at the source.

The MAIN thing I learned last night about choice, was that if you want to get at the chocolate in your purse more quietly, go for the Dove's package. If you wish to have a noisier chocolate experience, go for the Hershey's Bliss.

Like I said, it's all about one's personal choice.
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On the pink side, the breast cancer site is up to 59% with 8 days left...

{later they said '8 days left and 62%'....guess their updating needs work}

Clickity-click, for the ten million mark.
 

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Think Pink

Our raspberries are coming on nicely. Crushing two cups and adding them (with a little sugar) to a large container of plain yogurt is---the---best!

Luscious stuffish.
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As Derek and I were passing back through Waterloo yesterday, I stopped to do the weekly shopping. For the sake of brevity, I bought most everything at the Wal*Mart superstore, even though I'm not keen on their grocery section.

Wouldn't you know it, Ma being out of her element, forgot something. (can't seem to cope unless I go through the same flight plan in the same store, every week) Anyway, we are dangerously low on the vital pink stuff, baloney....which is actually turkey baloney.

I'll let you know if the kids (especially Ethan) survive.
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Only 9 days left for the Breast Cancer Site to accumulate 10 million clicks and get 100 extra free mammograms. They're only up to 56% so it doesn't look hopeful....still, no sense in giving up, now!

Once at the site simply click on the pink button that says, "Click Here to Give-it's FREE!"
 

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Thirteen and a half hours later....

...we be back.

First of all, I do not like driving off in complete darkness of a morning. No hint of even a sunrise at 5:10. I saw the orange glow of Waterloo, but somehow it just wasn't the same.

Secondly, we arrived at our first appointment on time. And that was the last of three appointments which was on time.

Thirdly, Derek survived the "lying interminably still in the claustrophobic tube of death" MRI. They only missed getting in the IV (for dye), once.

Fourthly, we don't have any results from that test, yet.

Fifthly, Derek was again in junctional rhythm, which he's often been in at check-ups. Occasionally though, he's presented with an actual sinus (normal) rhythm.

Sixthly, I ran out of chocolates shortly before 1:00, which was most sad.

Seventhly, we got over to the dental offices--a mere walk of a block--for his consult with the oral surgeon concerning getting out his wisdom teeth.

Eighthly, did you know that the terms 'surgeon' and 'junior resident' are synonymous?

Ninthly, the very nice resident-guy did not know what the term 'telemetry' meant. (Derek has to be 'on telemetry' when his wisdom teeth are extracted)

Tenthly, Ma asked--and got--a senior resident signed up for the extraction. Presumably he has been through the dental cardiology rotation.

Eleventhly, we really miss the oral surgeon in Waterloo who looked to be the ripe old age of 50 and played baroque music all through his offices. Alas, he did not carry part of our insurance....

Twelfthly, Derek will get his wisdom teeth outed on October 20.

Thirteenthly, Hardee's has totally abysmal fries. They do, however, have Coke instead of....*gag*....Pepsi.

Fourteenthly, you would have been terribly impressed had you seen Ma and Derek start the non-starting car by spraying starter fluid into the carburetor (at least, I think that's what it's called....and I think it was starter fluid....)

Fifteenthly, It's great to be home :-D

Sixteently, thanks very much for the prayers!
 

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If you think of it....

...pray for ol' Ma, tomorrow.

It's time for Derek's check-up with the electrophysiologist in Iowa City on Monday, and in their infinite wisdom, they've scheduled a cardiac MRI for 8:00am.

That means we check in at 7:45.

Which means leaving just before 5:15.

And THAT mean's getting up just after 4:00.

AM

*yawn*

I've had to stock up on my previously discarded Diet Coke.

Maybe if I take a Benedryl at 8:00 tonight....and go to bed at 8:30....but then, who will put the kids to bed at 9:30 ?

Ma will just have to muddle through, somehow. I can usually get by on adrenaline for a day or two.

Nolan and Trevor's check-off sheets are all written up. You know, just in case they forget to get up, eat breakfast, etc.

I've also listed very specific school instructions, so considering that and the fact that they'll be asleep for the first four or five hours of my day (and the afternoon video), that leaves about 3-4 hours to get in trouble.

It's not that there won't be someone there in case there IS trouble, but every major infringement means that much longer before certain persons mature, grow up, and leave me free to pursue my dreams of eating chocolate and reading books.

I haven't that much time left....I'm fifty, after all.
 

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The Art of Compromise....

...as administered by a benevolent despot.

It was Saturday morning and time for Ma to go clean at the church. Usually I time my work with the kids watching the Saturday morning cartoons. I know that for at least an hour, no one will get in trouble (don't think of it as babysitting...think of it as curbing potential violence and supplying me with peace of mind).

Unfortunately, NBC was airing the Ryder Cup instead of their usual selection of 321 Penguins and Veggie Tales repeats (the only Saturday morning cartoons we watch).

Clearly, something had to be done.

Ma: "Okay...they've got a golf tournament on so you guys can watch a video. Go ahead and pick out a full length movie, if you want."

1st Kid: "What? We can't watch golf?"

Ma: "I don't think the other kids want to watch golf"

2nd Kid, holding up DVD: "How about Jungle Book ?"

1st Kid: "Oh...I don't want to watch that..."

2nd Kid, holding up new DVD: "I know! The Incredibles !"

1st kid: "Oh come on...."

Ma: "I think you guys just watched that, not long ago. Go look, some more."

1st kid: "Hey...how about Toy Story?"

Ma: "You know, I really don't care, but I don't hear anyone else going for that. You're may have to compromise."

("What's 'compromise' mean?" "That's where everyone's equally unhappy.")

3rd Kid: "What about Ratatoulle ?"

1st Kid: "Ratatoulle ! That's an hour an 51 minutes! I want to watch Toy Story..."

Ma: "An hour and 51 minutes? (hmmm, just about covers the time I'll be gone...) That sounds good. You guys can watch Ratatoulle."

*cheering from half, silence from the others*

And so they viewed the very plausible account of a rat running a restaurant.

With great responsibility comes great power.
 

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Clickity-Click

Up to 52% now, at the Breast Cancer Site, though personally, I think they're behind in updating the count.

Only 11 more days to get 10 million clicks and 100 free mammograms donate by el biggo sponsor.
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On to something TOTALLY different...

You've probably heard of the piece of toast with Sarah Palin's picture (supposedly) up for bid on Ebay?


We live in weird times.
 

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Ma's Newsy Master Garden Nugget, and more

So...we were tossing around the exciting subject of sodic soils last night before class officially started (yes, Master Gardeners and their apprentices are a fun bunch) and the facilitator brought up how in chemistry class the teacher used to pop a bit of salt into some water and the kids would get the fun of a seeing the water react? Am I getting this right?? (can you tell I never took chemistry?)

Then one of our instructors on herbaceous ornamentals--who happens to have a degree in chemistry--mentioned that SHE heard from her brother that they don't do that anymore, after some pranksters threw a 10-pound block of salt into Lake LaVerne and the ensuing explosion blew out all the windows facing the lake.

WELL, you can bet that despite my intense interest, Ma did NOT speak up to ask for further explanation....after all, I'm only a Master Gardener Apprentice and don't want to reveal my ignorance in matters of explosives.

So if someone could just fill me in on this topic, I'd be most appreciative.

Being able to blow things up with salt sodium could come in handy, some day.
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On a more down-to-earth topic, the folks at The Breast Cancer Site are trying to get 10 million clicks by the end of September, after which their premier sponsor will fund an addition 100 free mammograms.

They're 46% of the way there, so be a good sport, go to the site and start clickin'.
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Back to the weird....

Don't know if you've had a chance to see the semi-funny Seinfeld-Gates commercials, but they've already been pulled. Some of my kids saw the main one...once, and thought it hilarious. I did too, though Bill Gates is a pretty bad actor.

However, thanks to YouTube, nothing really goes away forever :-)

Here's the long version:


Ta ta, for now. School, and then a big lunch date with a few ladies from church.

If I'd known it would get me a free meal, I would have turned 50 much sooner.
 

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The Hummer Collection

I finally got around to refilling the sugar water. The hummingbirds are still stopping by, stoking up before they head south.

"MMMmmmm...yum!"


"Wait...I thought I saw movement..."


"Yes, I definitely saw movement behind that window...."


I'll have to....*slurp*....check into that.....sometimmmmmm"

 

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Quotes by Carolyn

"What's so great about Ja-son?!"
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"We know LOTS of things about the kids that you and Daddy don't."

Daddy: "What kinds of things?"

"Oh....nothing important."
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As Jason pulled out of the drive, for his trip to college: "Great...there goes another one of our cars."
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"So, when is this economic downturn gonna go up, a little?"
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"Fall is the best time to laugh. I don't understand why people are always talking up Spring. What's so great about 'Spring?' It's 'Spring, this'...and 'Spring, that'...Spring, Spring, Spring.' I just don't get it..."
 

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Last Sunday

 
Click here for the coldest baptism of the year.
 

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This is the first day...

...of the rest of my century.

Many thanks for the kind birthday wishes of yesterday.

I also got birthday calls from Kendra and Ardith last night, so I guess all that Internet nagging paid off.

Some of you may ask, "What about the son...Jason?"

To which I reply, "What son?"

(I'm kidding, Jason :-) Don't feel bad about not calling home. I could have passed out from shock and hit my head, so you probably saved us a trip to ER. Besides, you were undoubtedly working hard on your Linear Algebra homework. Just let me know if you want any help with that, since I could definitely be more help now than if you'd called and I'd passed out and bumped my head....)
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Busy, busy week afore me.

Three-hour class on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and that doesn't count the 30-minute commute, one way.

On Friday, some ladies from church are taking Dee and me out for lunch, since we've turned the milestones of 60 and 50, respectively.

I think it's really sweet being taken out to lunch like that. How many times do you turn 50 or 60, after all?

Usually only once. Though we cannot rule out the possibility that these ladies know something I don't and are treating us, "...one more time before those pathetic old ladies kick the bucket."

But seriously, I now realize I'm not one of the younger mothers in church, anymore. I'm not exactly older, yet, but I can no longer kid myself, despite anything my children said last night:

Carolyn: "Mommy, you don't look any older than 40! And you certainly don't act 50..."

Ethan: "Yeah. I don't think you look any older than 45....er, 43."

I've entered the swirling nebulous of inbetweeness. That realm where you've left the "movers and shakers" of life but haven't quite reached the stage where you're a little old lady peering over the steering wheel while people shake their fists at you.

This would be a good time to have mid-life crisis.

Except, I have too much stuff to do. These Master Gardener classes go through most of October, at two nights per week. (that's a lot of potential trouble certain people could get into while I'm away, but I'm not gonna think about that right now...too busy)

Monday will be a real humdinger since Derek has another cardiology appointment down in Iowa City. This time he gets a cardiac MRI, which they've conveniently scheduled for 8:00 in the morning. We'll be getting up no later than 4:30. I've also managed to have them schedule a consult with the oral surgeon on the same day. Hopefully they will wait to extract his wisdom teeth until after he takes the SAT on October 4th.

Once the gardening classes finish up it will be a simple matter of writing the Christmas letter, addressing a gazillion envelopes and rounding up presents (including 4 birthdays) and decorating the house (which usually means cleaning, first).

So you see, I can't POSSIBLY work in a midlife crisis at this time.

Perhaps next year...
 

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HALF a CENTURY

Yes, it's true....I am.

Normally I would be loathe to draw attention to myself or the fact that it is my birthday today, since my life's motto has always been, "Humility: the Epitome."

But turning 50 means FIFTY YEARS have come and gone. It sounds pretty stinkin' auspicious so hey, maybe it's okay to mention this little milestone.

Fifty years, let's see...what have I accomplished....

*drums fingers*

Well, I'm sure there was SOME-thing.

On this momentous morning I awoke with a headache and now just the slightest hint of dizziness, so yeah...looks like it'll be a great day, ha, ha!

I could crawl back into bed, but then I wouldn't be able to spend another morning dispensing the wisdom of the ages, like, "Brush your teeth...you haven't brushed your teeth? Don't you know that if you forget to brush your teeth the dental hygienist will blame me, plus you might not get a college scholarship and that'll mean no decent job and then....THEN who will take care of your poor father and me in our old age?!?"

Before I forget, Sharon called last night to talk and wish me 'Happy Birthday,' so she's still in the will. Just in case there are any offspring out there (who, must I remind you, wouldn't be where you are today but for the tender care and upbringing of your chère maman?)...there are still 15 hours left in this day, but I'll be gone shopping in the afternoon, so congratulatory emails or large amounts of cash sent via Western Union would be entirely appropriate.

Speaking of gifts, let me show you what I received from Laura S. in church last Sunday :-D
The tins were filled with fifty cookies, and a bag of Dark Dove Chocolates...WOO-HOO!.

And that card holder with the blocks refers to a Family Camp Skit that Dee S. and I performed, which closed with an original song that included the phrase, "When you're thrifty, life is nifty, even if, your age, is getting close to fifty/sixty." (Dee turned 60, this year and the song's been kicking around in my brain for several years so we HAD TO DO IT...THIS YEAR)

ANYWAYS, Laura's basket of goodies also contained these two books...


Oh yes, Ma LOVES loves reading the background of word and phrase meanings :-) so THANK---YOU---LAURA!

All in all I think it will be a good day, despite the fact that I'm still 15 pounds heavier than I'd like to be....the goal of which if I actually attained, would put me at only 14 pounds over my college weight.

But what's that compared to receiving birthday greetings from my sweet, sweet chilluns, who are living on their own (or at least, pretending to, in college) and from which I recently got the scintillating answer, "Not much," in response to my hip query of, "Yo...whazup?"

No pressure, now...
 

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Ma's Literary Corner

Today Ma will share a few quotes from, Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C.S.Lewis, Paul F. Ford, Editor, Harper One: 2008.

Though brought up in the church, Clives Staples Lewis rejected Christianity in early adulthood. Due to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, Lewis became a steadfast believer at the age of 30.

This book reprints some of the letters he wrote to various people, men, women and children, who had sought him out for spiritual advice. The first letters though, begin before his conversion, but it is not long before we are taken through his acceptance of a God governing all, and then to full-bloomed Christianity.

One of the bonuses I found in reading this book, was recommended literature by Lewis. I now have several authors to explore for my 'to read' list, as well as all of C.S. Lewis' theological works :-)

But the advice offered to friends and acquaintances, while not thematic due to the nature of the book, was nonetheless enlightening. C.S. Lewis has quite the knack of putting concepts into everyday illustrations that common folk such as myself can appreciate.

The title of the book refers to his routine reference to himself as 'Jack,' rather than his formal name.

TO MARY NEYLAN:...on the despair of overcoming chronic temptations; 20 January 1942

I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations. It is not serious provided self-offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience et cetera doesn't get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes are in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one's temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence. (p. 94)

TO GENIA GOELZ, who had just been confirmed as an Episcopalian and was in the first fervor of her conversion. 15 My 1952

Thanks for your letter of the 9th. All our prayers are being answered and I thank God for it. The only (possibly, not necessarily) unfavourable symptom is that you are just a trifle too excited. It is quite right that you should feel that 'something terrific' has happened to you (It has) and be 'all glowy'. Accept these sensations with thankfulness as birthday cards from God, but remember that they are only greetings, not the real gift. I mean, it is not the sensations that are the real thing. The real thing is the gift of the Holy Spirit which can't usually be--perhaps not ever--experienced as a sensation or emotion. The sensations are merely the response of your nervous system. Don't depend on them. Otherwise when they go and you are once more emotionally flat (as you certainly will be quite soon), you might think that the real thing had gone too. But it won't. It will be there when you can't feel it. May even be most operative when you can feel it least.

Don't imagine it is all 'going to be an exciting adventure from now on'. It won't. Excitement, of whatever sort, never lasts. This is the push to start you off on your first bicycle: you'll be left to [do] lots of dogged peddling later on. And no need to be depressed about it either. It will be good for your spiritual leg muscles. So enjoy the push while it lasts, but enjoy it as a treat, not as something normal. (pp. 179, 180)

TO RUTH BROADY: Lewis's last letter to a child about Narnia. 26 October 1963

Manny thanks for your kind letter, and it was very good of you to write and tell me that you like my books; and what a very good letter you write for your age!

If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I'm so thankful that you realized the 'hidden story' in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown ups hardly ever.

I'm afraid the Narnian series has come to an end, and am sorry to tell you that you can expect no more.

God bless you. (p. 373)

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My Existing World

First off, a little update on Marlys:

Marlys’ current bleeding is from a different source than last time.

The procedure to stop the bleeding carries more risk than the last location.

Because Marlys is doing so well, and because the bleeding seems to be less frequent, the Dr. wants to wait and see if it will heal without intervention. Please pray that it does so.

If the bleeding stops in the next day or two they may just send her home. Right now Marlys is doing well and is very comfortable. There has been no filling of her lung with blood like last time. They continue to monitor the situation.

That's fresh off last night's email trail.
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It's bad enough when you can't sleep and have to sneak out of the bedroom around 11:00. But when you go back at 1:10 and wake up again at 5:30, things are not good.

And when you realize that your left eye and left nostril are seeping a very thin liquid (wow...I hope no one's eating), it suddenly dawns on you that, "oh NO...a migraine..."

The big question is, can you tip-toe out of the bedroom once again, while grabbing some tissues and your Zicam AND not bump into some large piece of furniture in the dark?

You can.

More importantly, I found the bottles of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

And then, I got all of my botany section read for the next Master Gardener class. You know....dicots and monocots, dioecious plants and monecieous plants. SO GLAD I know a tad about Latin and Greek roots. Whatever the last part of the word is, the first part has something to do with 'two' and 'one.'

Now I just have to read the 20-page section on soils and soil fertility. Fun stuff, like acidity, alkalinity and backyard composting.

Oh hey, that reminds me...besides the Master Gardener program ISU also has a Master Tree Steward and Master Composter program.

Though I would have to say, that last title sorta sounds like an existential threat...
 

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Quiz Time

From Live Science,

Bizarre U.S. Presidential Elections

I tried it and only got 7 out of 10 right.

:-(

Now go ahead, take it...see if you can't do better.
 

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Life in the Yard

As the kids wait anxiously for lunch (whaaaatt?) we'll take a quick glimpse of what's been going on at the Hoyt acreage...

Here are the two pigeons (Rock Doves) I mentioned earlier. They've been loitering about ever since I returned from Indiana.
That's "Cote Noire" on the right, and "Bandicote" on the left.

Did you know sweet potatoes bloom?
I didn't.

This is from Derek's auxiliary patch, but Melinda has half her bed covered with sweet potato vines.

These flowers usually bloom at night, but I found the one above during an early morning walk-about.
 

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The Marlys Update

 
I'm going on second-hand information, but it's my understanding that the hospital is waiting for Marlys to have another episode of coughing up blood, whereupon they will take her into the procedure room/surgery and cauterize the leakage.

Thanks for your prayers!
 

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Prayer Request Time

Marlys Weikert has been taken back to the University of Iowa Hospitals, due to coughing up blood.

She is the expectant mother (due in Nov) who had this same problem earlier. It relates to her having a 50% increase in blood volume--as all pregnant women do--and some pesky blood vessels in the lung that get irritated and burst, with heavy coughing. Last time, it was a matter of cauterizing some leaking vessels that actually were "dead ends," and not connected to anything vital. (hope I got that right)

Don't know if that's the same thing this time around.

So please pray for Marlys and husband, Caleb.

Thank you.
 

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What Not to Say

...when you're introducing yourself at the Master Gardener orientation session.

"I'm Rebecca Hoyt, and I like to (blah, blah, blah blah blah)...and I plan to parlay this experience into a run for the White House."

*silence*

"That's a JOKE."

(down, girl...DOWN)

After that I backed off.

By the way, you should be spraying your lawns for broadleaf weeds....RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE!

Three applications, 10 days apart.

I'm sure it won't cost much more than a couple weeks' groceries.

Next Tuesday is the first real class, done through Adobe Connect, from Iowa State University.

Botany and Soils.

We're talkin' 'taxonomy,' 'particle sizes,' the works. And let's not forget 'green manure.'

Come on...admit it. You're jealous.
 

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Has anyone else noticed...

...that there have been several major earthquakes, today ?

Southern Iran -- 6.1

Indonesia -- 6.6

Japan, off the coast -- 6.9

Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge (Atlantic Ocean, off northern South America) -- 6.4

....and just under 'major,'

Northern Chili -- 5.8

Sorta makes ya wonder.
 

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The Exact Words

*while walking down stairway*

Ma: "Well, I'm going outside to mow."

Trevor Boy: "I'm going to play fwisbie."

Ma: "Mmmm, that sounds like fun."

Trevor: "If you wuoh smalloh, I think you'd enjoy it."
 

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Rest Your Eyes on This....

Not wishing peoples' retinas to burn out from the multi-pictured post below, I offer these two shots of a hummingbird...

I guess we need to refill the feeder...
"So...where's the nectar?"


"Awww, never mind."

 

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Perspectives

Here's a bit o' fun I can just fit in while the kids finish breakfast.

"Borrowed" from a British rag, what would certain famous people look like if they had Sarah Palin's 'do' and glasses?







No, no....don't thank me.
 

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This Post is Brought to You by....

....an infected finger.

Not mine, Nolan's. So while he soaks his finger in salt water I'll take advantage of this brief lull in the school routine to give a quick update on stuffs.

First of all, school seems to be going alright. I have great hopes that this will be the year that Nolan and Trevor learn to get dressed and brush their teeth without being told.

Secondly, Melinda and I get our first taste of Master Gardening tonight! Well, it's just the orientation but we have got our new folders and we are stoked! I even put some paper in my folder and a new eraser head on my pencil WHICH I sharpened! I think the matching green eraser (it's a green pencil) will go over well, don't you? First impressions are so important.

Thirdly, in keeping with the whole "fall-regimen-now-we-have-to-work-hard" routine, I've given up Diet Coke and Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. That combination was becoming quite a snare. But I'm keepin' the dark chocolate, see....NOBODY'S TAKING MY DARK CHOCOLATE!!

HOWEVER, In the event of the husband needing me to drive him up to Mayo, I reserve the right to re-employ my 'stay-awake techniques', which rely heavily upon Diet Coke. No pressure, though, Loren...

Fourthly, I've increased the intensity of my treadmilling. Now I'm using the incline option (never did, before) AND I've also started a little 'plyo­metrics' during my noontime workout. Plyometrics are where you hop off and do one-minute intervals of calisthenics, then jump back onto the treadmill.

I would like to point out that this last endeavor was started and, indeed, discovered by my little ol' self, and was not the result of well-meaning people sending me links that they think are helpful but in truth, only depress me.

Not to belabor the point, but there's a difference in sharing something that has helped you, and passing along stuff that you can't identify with yourself, but which you've identified as being someone else's problem that they are only WAITING for you to help them with.

Fifthly, we've all heard of the multi-billion dollar Collider thingamajobby experiment going on somewhere deep beneath the bowels of Europe. I would just like to add my two cents: As to the possibility of their reenacting conditions immediately after the Big Bang, I say..."Show me the primordial soup, baby.

SHOW---ME---the---SOUP!"

2nd cent: I seriously doubt that there is ANY possibility of this experiment creating a black hole that would swallow the earth. I mean REALLY, how absu.....***GLLLLOOOOOP***...

Ha, ha! Just kidding :-D

I don't believe there's any chance at all of that happp....

*blip*
 

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Adventures With Ma

Today in Adventures With Ma we travel with her on the weekly shopping excursion.

In the bustling metropolis of Ackley, we see that fuel prices have once again been lowered...



Accompanied by Ethan the Irrepressible, Ma then heads over for a semi-picnic at Prairie Bridges Park. While the obtainment of groceries is undeniably admirable, LUNCH---COMES---FIRST.

Inexplicably, a lone goose spurns the offer of Ma's torn-up tenderloin bun.
Undoubtedly, he will one day be sorry.

No matter!

The intrepid duo continue on to Goodwill, where THIS gem is espied...
...Ma carefully weighs the pros and cons for all of five seconds before slipping the treasure into her cart.

The rest of shopping is accomplished without incident.

Ma heads for home with the company of NPR news. She doesn't often listen to "All Things Considered," but feels a certain amount of counterbalance must be offered to offset the heavy influence of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, which the Ethan-child hears while lingering in the garage.

They obtain the final glide path...but HARK...what approacheth on the gravelish road?

'Tis four horses!

Ma slows the vehicle when she realizes their owner has been herding them back toward their pasture with his minivan. Alas...her boisterous muffler has shied them off the road...

She stops. She backs. She turns around.

Sacrificing time and the chance to take pictures, Ma reconfigures her path, making a 3-mile 'U' around the equines of misfortune.

She hopes the hapless horsies find home and heath, but she cannot ponder their fate for long....

...since...

...ice cream waits for no man.

And that's all, of

Adventures With Ma..
 

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Found While Cleaning...

...at the church...

...whose Pastor is Jack Ritsema :-D


 

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Great Aunt Bekky

 


Allow me to show off the latest grand niece :-D

I'm not even sure if 'grand niece' is the correct terminology but nephew Bryan and wife Alexia are the proud parents of Maria Ella Hoyt, born late August.

Bryan is one of Loren's oldest brother Bruce's boys, and he and Alexia live over in New Zealand.

The happy couple was wed on Ma's birthday, and with good taste such as that, a very special place in The Will has been reserved for them, hee, hee.
 

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Here 'tis

Picasa's gotten all new and flashy. Didn't have the option of before, so here is the next best thing....a moving slide show.




 

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Meh

Ever felt swamped with lethargy?

That's how it's been, today.

The cool weather settled in with a few showery remnants of Gustav heading through, overnight.

Couldn't get warm and crawled into bed after lunch. Felt like staying there until March.

Late March.

And I recognize that last line being used earlier this year, so don't go jumping to conclusions about symptoms of Alzheimer's.
_________________

Finally downloaded my pictures from the pre-Labor Day reunion and I'll try to get to posting them.....sometime.

I'm sure Kendra is anxious to see the pics of her helping to roll huge logs.

Speaking of enormous efforts, they made the Alpha girls wake up in the middle of the night for a fire alarm, just two days after Kendra's return to Grace. Fire trucks and EVERYTHING! Haven't heard if it was burned popcorn in a microwave again or what...
__________________

Trevor is riding his bike all over the side drive and basically driving like a little bunny expert.

Oh yes, we've got more pigeon visitors and....*yawn*....that's about as exciting as it gets around here.
 

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First Day of School!

This morning was slightly less chaotic than previous starts to the school year. I even have several notebook dividers left over. You know, the ones with the pretty colored tabs? Get your dibs in quickly before I post them on Ebay and make thousands of dollars.

So, here's the rundown:

Derek: senior
Melinda: sophomore
Carolyn: 8th grade
Ethan: 6th grade
Nolan: 4th grade
Trevor: 1st grade

I've never been responsible for more than 6 students over the years, and after this one things will be slowly whittling down. I'll retire from "teaching" in a mere 11 years :-)

Interesting happenings of the morning:

--I received my first membership solicitation from AARP, so that was real special.

--Carolyn had a 33 minute long spell of sustained irregular heartbeat and like a numskull, I forgot to record it on the event monitor. Maybe I SHOULD join AARP...

--Nolan survived his first Saxon Math lesson and got them all right.
________________

In other news, Loren is still trying to stoke up on potassium to get his levels back to normal. Yesterday he was pretty wiped out and spent most of the day in bed. He's up and around a bit today, but bananas are first on the list when I go grocery shopping after lunch.

In the political arena, I feel compelled to make two comments...

1) Regardless of one's position on Sarah Palin, I do NOT appreciate the following comment from Rush Limbaugh:

“We’re the ones with a babe on the ticket”

Which brings me to my next point...

2) WHY do candidates and parties have to appeal to specific blocks of people? Are all women in lockstep to the point that they will vote for any ticket boasting a female? Do all blacks vote only for blacks? Do they think throwing out a phrase in Spanish automatically nabs the Hispanic vote?

Are we Americans really that pathetic?

PLEASE! Come back to the real world, O Grovelers of Political Power.

Just give me the candidate's views on the important issues, like the economy, national security, and above all, cheaper prices for dark chocolate.
 

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Back to Normalcy

Or at least, the last load of laundry's in the washer.

Ma pulled into the ol' homestead early this morning, with the help of two large Diet Cokes from McDonald's. Staying away from the fries is definitely a plus when traveling in the car all day. Also, I strongly advise wearing stretchy pants (à la Frank Barone).

Owing to the constant movement, no single radio station was assured for more than 30 minutes, but I did listen to Oldies, Country, Classic Country, Classical and Sacred.

Soon after I started home last night--around 4:15--I started feeling sleepy. This was directly after I'd called Loren, told him I was on the road and that I felt fine.

Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, to the rescue. I started nibbling on those babies and soon the tongue was burning and the mind alert. I exercised superb self control and waited one whole hour before getting the first Coke....you want to strike a delicate balance between that "tingly, awake sensation" and the "THERE-ARE-FLAMES-SEARING-MY-TONGUE!" feeling.

All went well, with Ma stopping at the Waterloo Super Wal*Mart around elevensies to pick up milk and grilling meat for the morrow.

That would be, today.

It'll be a low key Labor Day because we're all tuckered out: the kids, from being good, moi, from yesterday's longishness, and Loren, because besides being the only parent at home, he had lowered potassium levels that increase his fatigue. I'm not quite sure how he made it, actually, but he can kick back and rest up, now.
_______________

On the political front, McCain's VP pick has been most interesting. I'll confess to not knowing who Sarah Palin was (didn't even find out until Friday night) but I envision conservative Christians all over America hearing of her selection and then wondering, en masse, "What do I think about this?" (WDITAT)

Luckily for them/us, the self-appointed leaders of conservatism have remedied that cerebral conundrum.

I won't tell you how I feel, except to admit that I am slightly less liable to submit my name as a write-in candidate.

At least, not until after I finish the Master Gardener program.
 

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Yo....

Ah has returned :-D
 

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