THERE IS A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE

So I am a brave sort of a woman and I feed the birds and buy corn for the squirrels.

No big deal that raccoons like to dine in my trash cans.

I grow worms in my compost bin with lots of tender loving care.

I like fish, frogs, cats, dogs, snakes and most human beings.

I draw the line at mice and rats.

I do not do hamsters or guinea pigs either.

I think that the fact that you did so many things with mice in biology may have totally destroyed that adventure for me. I love looking in the microscope and seeing cells.

Touching mice and holding them in class for experiments.

NOT SO MUCH.

So why do I think there is a mouse in the house? On my work table was this track of what looked like oil. Now people know to leave my area alone because it is used to make WHITE DOVETAIL KITES. So I wiped it up but there was no petroleum smell but rather a very distinctive rodent smell. We had mice in our house in Wheaton, IL and I dealt with them while my husband traveled. A little DECON glued with Liquid Nails to the inside of the wall between the dry wall and the chimney - put back the piece you took out and there you are - GONE.

At my former office there was a mouse. I thought I was getting a migraine because I kept seeing this black thing out the side of my eye - like a flash - which is what signals a migraine - but nothing happened... until I saw that flash stop as it went across my line of vision. Here is this grown woman - on a chair - screaming for her boss to come and get the mouse in the office. I must have scared the mouse because it was so startled that the two bosses got a box and scooped it up and took it to freedom.

I have two cats - they will be in the house until I feel all is well.

I do a lot of things. I DO NOT DO MICE. I am brave right up until now. I am sure the Mister will come across with the solution and he will check the solution until I am satisfied they are GONE. Think I will move the bird food outside to the shed.

Sweet Dreams.

SPRING FINALLY SPRING

OK

So I thought I could upload a few pictures of spring in the backyard

Not so much

Trust me they are there - daffodils - hyacyinths - small starts of Yarrow - VERY MUCH Bee Balm is back - the Thyme is perking up - the hen in a basket is going wild

I see signs of the wild Tiger Lilies - the Bridal Bush is budding - soon we will have mint for the tea... and of course the Mud Man is digging a trench to finish the sump pump drain system that he installed inside this winter.

One would not know it was really spring unless there was mud involved.

I have been busy with work... and I still need to make kites.

I found out recently I do not do overload very well. I decide I am finished and I close up shop and stop.

This will be very interesting to see how the next few days play out. It will either be vitamins or coffee that will keep me going...

Oh Lord guard me and make haste to help me. Guide me waking and guard me sleeping.

Spring wonderful spring - soon it will be deck season and I will be happy that Mud Man is doing work with fibers that create "Party Decks" and then we can let the good times roll.

Check the clock... tempus fugit!

LIFE IS GOOD ALL THE TIME
ALL THE TIME LIFE IS GOOD

GOOD FOR LESSONS
LESSONS FOR GOOD

Countdown to 6th Annual Queen City Chess Tournament

Been a LIttle Stressed so...

Some periods in life are just full to the brim with the stuff of life - - so my blog does not get old and boring I thought I would share some of my private journal writings.

I once again have changed the names to protect the innocent.

So for the next few weeks I will open up the journal and share at at random.

Blessings to you this day and all days.

Really!

Change

Things change.

I am not sure why, but the blessing of the words from Compline resonate in my mind often - the changes and chances of life. In fact, they have been a guide and a consolation over the last two years of change.

Things change.

One day out of your kitchen window you are even with the tops of trees and the forests before you sway to the breeze. The next day, your view is of tree trunks and your windows tilt in for easy cleaning. You can see about 150 plus feet of flat backyard waiting for planting and wildflower gardens.

Things change.

One day all your children and family are fine; the next day they are all under your roof and you travel 350 miles to care for dying parents. These are the changes and chances of life that Compline tells of for sure.

Things change.

I volunteer a lot. I volunteered to be a missionary to a restart of a church in a nearby community that was struggling. New people, new hymns, new format, new pews, new stories to hear, new vicar, new just about everything. I feel I was called to volunteer. I certainly had a choice and as unsettling as all the "new" is I love this congregation. All are new to me and because who I am and how I love - I love them all as great new friends that I haven't met yet. And they make me happy and refreshed in that they love me the same.

Things change.

Occasionally I will attend the familiar grounds of my former church. I will sit in my familiar pew and gaze upon all the new faces that surround me. Surely there are familiar faces, but not always. I realize that the church that gave me strength to volunteer to be a missionary has changed also. It has grown new families and new children come forward for the children's sermon. I even find that when an early service is not possible that the 11:15 service is a good solution, which I savor and try to understand why the changes and chances of life have put me here. You see I never saw myself as an 11 O'clocker, but the Lord finds me there sitting and praying and listening.

Things change.

I have never been a fan of change. I am a rut runner. I can walk the same path daily and never bore of it. The Lord had different ideas. She wanted me to be more open to all the full blessings of life. He wanted me to spread the Gospel in areas unpathed. So here I wander in my new church surroundings. I love it here. I love the new blended congregation. I pray that they love me too. Newness and change are sometimes hard to read - - so I journey on - - praying for the full blessing that comes from the changes and chances of life.

A DAY AT SPA LOCUST

A day at Spa Locust

Sleep until the cats decide they have been patient long enough

Coffee is ready after you feed the cats and is served in fine china mugs with Chocolate Soy milk

A very nice drive along the Ohio River delivers you at Jazzercise Class where you stretch and bend every joint and muscle you own and you visit with people you have not seen since January - great for the soul and the body

Another lovely drive along the river and you are in the area of Fiberge' the Local Yarn Store

Some knitting needles and sock yarn and a latte' for good measure and you are filling up the car because you never want the embarassment of calling the spouse and saying "er' ah' uhm I ran out of gas..." AAA will come and help you but you just do not want the embarassment, no matter who helps you!

Great lunch of champions - ala Peanut Butter and Bleuberry Jelly sandwich and cold Lactose free milk

Then the crown of the afternoon - a lovely 20 minute soak in the hot tub while you watch all the birds and squirrels scamper about the yard...

So the rest of the day will be spent on hobbies and cooking and just sheer relaxation

Happiness in your own back yard - don't get much better than that!

SATURDAY

It is Saturday, finally. Some weeks are just longer than others.

I have a plan in place. Travel downtown to see some old friends and do an hour of Jazzercise. Come home and do some kites because the order is due on Tueday.

DH installed a router so I can run my laptop from work without closing down the personal computer! I will forward what I need printed to the personal PC and voila - it will be like real work...

I chatted with my sister yesterday. That was fun. We got caught up on a variety of stuff that women just chat about and that felt good. We both admitted that the fog was lifting and maybe next week we would be conscious of our surroundings every day. My question is: While I have been in this fog - who was driving my car? I do not see any big dents so I guess I missed all the permanent obstacles! Whew!

Happy Birthday to my priest friend in Columbus Ohio. Enjoy the day! You are a blessing to the world.

We bought a bird feeder for finches two weeks ago and the results have been overwhelming. At any one time there are about 20 finches at the feeder. Awesome. DH was the person that thought about getting them and put them in the cart - BRILLIANT thanks.

I ripped out three inches of the sock I have been knitting all week. There were ladders and the pattern wobbled all over the place. Today smaller needles and more of them. The pattern called for 5 needles and I had 4. I know that one more would have made the pattern easier to follow because there would have been an even split of stitches to make each needle even and the pattern would not have had to be divided - - ergo it would avoid the tendency to ladder the stitches. I bought this book of sock patterns a while ago - the book is in the shape of a sock... DH just noticed this... silly man!

OK off to do breakfast and change into some Jazzercise friendly clothes - have to be able to do those kicks you know....

Chat later...

One Disjointed Day

I think I let the dog out about 3 am. I left the dog in at 5:45 am. I am sure he had a good walkabout.

I exercised - 10 minutes of cardio - 10 minutes of weight bearing exercises.

I got to work and my laptop was locked up in a different office and traffic made that person late - so I cleaned up some personal mail and updated my Franklin pages

Work was work and had its fair share of chaos that made me disjointed. They drink the worlds worst coffee - some offices drink Sam's Club which is OK - we have IGA house blend - - feed it to the acid loving roses is what I say - surely not to my stomach. I wrote a note to Caribou to think about putting a coffee shop in the newly developed strip mall down the street. Wouldn't that be convenient!

I ran a ton of registrations for the BIG EVENT at the end of the month, which is craziness all by itself. Calling parents and asking rudimentary questions should not be as hard as it is...

I had a tour of our facility for the BIG EVENT and that instills panic in me because I get so turned around

I came home and we went to dinner and ran into some dear friends which made the dinner all that much nicer

Bookstore where I found a new 10 minute segmented Pilates DVD - woo hoo

I filled the hot tub and it registered a whole 45 degrees - going to take a while until it is a nice and toasty 104!

Here I am - still a little frazzled from the day

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Speaking of BIG EVENTS - WE went to the circus Friday night - not only did we go - we had front row seats and we were invited to be Celebrities in the Greatest Show on Earth... I truly believe it was the most fun we have ever at a circus... we rode the circus trains... the 14 year old had a blast and thought it was going to be a little childish - but alas the circus is for children of all ages... proved that ... DD bought the hat and we all can say that a memory was made...

tee tee hhheeee hee

I am a Circus Star and I have the badge to prove it!

I highly recommend the circus to anyone and go ahead spring for the good seats... you are always a child at the circus!

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Some of my garden seeds arrived yesterday and I went to the mailbox tonight to check if any other treasures arrived today - perhaps the soil plugs that I will use to start them!

Not so much!

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I went to Radio Shack to buy a LAN Line for my work laptop and the process was too difficult without specifics so I crossed the mall and went to Victoria Secret's - - we all have our bad habits and that place among others - has become mine... just stocking up so that during the BIG EVENT I have plenty of clean things... besides the garden store only had bird seed for sale and DGD and I did that Sunday and the birds have been very thankful for our adventures.

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So you say sounds like a normal day in the life eh? OK that is fine with me.

Oh! If you get a chance to notice there are about 1 million stars in the sky and it is very clear tonight for viewing - check them out! Thanks Mom and Dad the stars are a great message that all is well in the heavens...

Tomorrow is Friday. I will start my day with

A Morning Resolve.

I will try to live a simple, sincere and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity and self-seeking; cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence; exercising economy in expenditure, generosity in giving, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God.

In particular I will try to be faithful in those habits of prayer, work, study physical exercise, eating, and sleep which I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me to be right.

As I cannot in my own strength do this, nor even with a hope of success attempt it, I look to thee, O Lord God my Father and Mother, in Jesus my Savior, and ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.