Happy Earth Day

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Truly Counting It All Joy

This has been an emotional week. From my mom's stem cell transplant to the death of a homeschooling friends' daughter... there have been many reasons to count things as joyful, and as many reasons to find it difficult to do so...

I read a blog post today that truly summed up what it means to count it all joy.. even when faced with what one would imagine would be the darkest day ever.

Audrey was born April 7th and lived little more than 2 hours. Although Audreys's Mommy and Daddy, Angie and Todd (who sings with Selah), knew that she would not live long, how could anyone prepare for this?

Angie has been keeping a blog which I can only describe as annointed. She posted today with a letter to Audrey and it is the epitome of Counting it All Joy. Her words were such a healing balm to me and I know they will be to you too. Word of warning; don't read without a kleenex handy, or better yet, a whole roll of toilet paper. There will be tears, but there is strength and peace in those tears. I can't explain it any other way. Read it here and be blessed...

A New Birthday for My Mom

I know many have been praying for my Mom and it has been felt! Yesterday she had her stem cell transplant. The put the stem cells back in that they harvested last month. The stem cell transplant will make such a difference in her recovery that the transplant coordinator told me this is her second birthday. Mom told me it was her third

• December 31st - The Day She Was Born


• September 14th - The Day She Was Born Again


• April 9th - The Day She Won Her Battle Against Cancer

She will probably be in the hospital for at least two more weeks, but she is doing very well. I’m so looking forward to getting to go running around with my mom again!

To get a glimpse of what a stem cell transplant looks like, check out the video I put together on my mom’s blog…

Hail! Hail! And Marbles

Last night about 3:00 we woke up to the sound of marble sized chunks of ice beating on the roof. After I discerned that the train horn was not a tornado siren I went to check on the boys, who apparently could sleep through an atomic bomb. Jessie began to dance at the front door, eager to go potty. As soon as I opened the door, she started out and stopped cold. I actually heard her paws screech as she skidded to a stop. It was clear to me that her bladder would burst before she would go out in that weather. I couldn't blame her.

I went back to bed to be lulled back to sleep by the sound of the roof being beaten to shreds and soon I was back at my highschool graduation. Let me explain.

My graduating class numbered 77. We had a Senior Advisor who doubles as our Humanities teacher, Mr. Pinkerton. Someone in the class, I don't know who, had divised a plan to "get" Mr. Pinkerton at graduation. The plan was simple. We would all carry marbles. As we walked across the stage and shook hands with Mr. Pinkerton we would hand him the marbles. Soon he would have 77 marbles he wouldn't know what to do with. Sort of like that I Love Lucy episode at the chocolate factory. Yeah, I know.. it sounded way more funny at the time.

So, because our graduating class was so small, we were all sitting on risers on the stage. The class was called alphabetically to step forward and recieve their diplomas. The "A"s went, then the "B"s. Mr. Pinkerton looked amused at first, which turned into confusion which quickly transformed into downright anger. Looks swept through the risers that seemed to yell, "Abort! Abort!"

Well, that's just fine and dandy, but what in the world do we do with the marbles. We drop them. All of us last names from D - Z simply dropped our marbles. Right there on the stage. Well, actually, on the risers, which then bounced to the next step down, rolling to the next step and finally, after quite a bit of racket, to the stage where it bounced a few times before finally coming to a stop after what seemed like 2 hours had gone by.

The sound of all those marbles dropping began to merge with the sound of the hail and i woke up again.. Two hours later, during a second storm.

I'm pretty sure my dream really happened. The class of '85 wanted to go out with a bang and instead we went out with a clatter. But just maybe, I was the only one who dropped her marble and to cover up my extreme embarrasment, I created an avalance of marbles. Who knows?

Lessons Learned from 'Nilla

• Friends who get new puppies like to show them off.
• These friends should be avoided.
• Because Puppy Fever is very contagious.
• 11 year old boys are especially vulnerable.
• Once an 11 year old boy catches puppy fever, he can only say "puppy".
• ... even in his sleep.
• ... until he figures out how to say, "I'll do all the work"
• Soft hearted moms who have a touch of Puppy Fever believe this.
• Puppy fever causes these moms to forget the daily arguments over who is going to feed the older dog who's Not A Puppy Anymore.
• Puppy Fever engulfs entire families in less than 24 hours.
• Except for the one teenager who is perfectly happy with his Not A Puppy Anymore.
• No one listens to teenager when he tries to talk sense into all the Puppy Fever sufferers.
• Puppy Fever becomes critical when you are watching Labrador Puppies playing together.
• Puppy Fever becomes terminal when a Lab Puppy jumps in your lap and falls asleep.
• Lab Puppies chew on seat belts.
• Lab Puppies chew on 8 year old Labs.
• Lab Puppies can turn a perfectly calm, well behaved 8 year old Lab into a Grumpy Old Dog.
• Lab Puppies chew on shoes.
• Lab Puppies chew on toes.
• Lab Puppies chew on furniture.
• Lab Puppies can somehow make teenagers immune to Puppy Fever start to fall in love with them.
• Lab Puppies chew on Wii Game cords.
• Teenagers can fall out of love with Puppies as quickly as they fell in love with them.
• Lab Puppies pee.
• A Lot!
• Like every 30 minutes or so! Seriously!
• 11 Year Old boy keeps his end of the bargain and chases Puppy around house with Paper Towels.
• Fortunately Lab Puppy Pee doesn't really smell.
• Lab Puppy Poo, on the other hand, is toxic!
• 11 Year old boys don't have to clean up the poo!
• Lab Puppies chew on cook books.
• Lab Puppies pee on dirty clothes.
• Lab Puppies chew on dirty clothes.
• It is virtually impossible to completely puppy proof a home.
• Grumpy Old Dogs don't like to share their toys.
• Grumpy Old Dogs don't like to share their people.
• Grumpy Old Dogs don't like to share their space.
• Grumpy Old Dogs are generally grumpy.
• Lab Puppies don't sleep as much as you might think.
• Lab Puppies give 11 Year Old boys, who have claimed full responsibility, nervous breakdowns.
• 11 Year Old boys hearts break when they realize they can't handle all the responsibility that comes with a puppy.
• Moms and Dads hearts break when they see 11 year old boys with broken hearts.

'Nilla (Dillon named her because she was white, like Vanilla) is a beautiful, smart puppy. She will make someone a perfect dog. But even though she was cute as all get out, we just could not fit her into our busy family. Jim and I are kicking ourselves for not realizing this before we brought her home.. but, on the other hand, she taught Dillon exactly how much work Puppies are. And they should never be acquired on impulse. 'Nilla is now back with her littermates, awaiting another family who can handle her and give her all the time she deserves. Dillon lost a nights sleep and a little piece of his heart... But he gained a huge lesson in responsibility. He made the decision to give her up, knowing it was the best thing for her and our family.. even though his heart just wanted to snuggle with her forever. Jim and I are very proud of him. And our family will always remember the 24 hours we shared with 'Nilla. I'm still finding places she peed and things she chewed!

Cause it doesn't get any cuter than this

Nicknames and promises to blog

ComfyDenim has a great blog post about renaming things right now. And tonight, while IM'ing with another friend about the virtues of my unschooling-esque lifestyle, I have been renamed. My new moniker is "Melanie the academiclessness misspellfulling pummeller". (But only because it is so easy to misspell words like academiclessness when you make them up yourself!)

I have some blog posts rolling around my heart right now, but first I must get my family healthy! Or at least in bed. Pray for my dear Hubby who is now entering his second month of some kind of death flu/pneumonia! He is heating the house nicely, burning at a balmy 103 degrees. And I can only say he picked a fine time to develop a deep distrust of doctors. But he has many prayers being lifted up on his behalf, and he is particularly fond of the Great Physician.

I promise to blog more very soon.. maybe even vlog!

Signed~
Melanie the academiclessness misspellfulling pummeller

In Flu Enza

I remember a joke from my childhood about a fly named Enza... and the punchline was "In flu Enza". Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't so much a joke as it was a play on words.. and not a particularly humorous one at that. Actually, nothing is particularly humorous right now because 3 out of 4 family members here have INFLUENZA!

Jim, who is by far the worst case in the house AND just recovering from pneumonia, went to Urgent Care today to be told he would simply have to wait it out. It's the flu and since Jim has been sick for over 48 hours, it's too late for any of the antivirals.

So we are on our own, coughing in chorus, until we all wish we could pass out, just so things would be a little more quiet.

We are desperate for a coughing remedy and have decided that modern day medicine hasn't come up with anything that is even remotely helpful.. so we are going after old wives tales. You know, like sleeping with a bar of soap keeps you from getting leg cramps. My grandmother swears by this one.

Tonight it's Vicks. But not in the traditional sense. I am going to smear it on my feet. I don't know why this works, but my fever addled brain doesn't care. I can't think of anything I wouldn't smear on my feet if there is a chance it will stop my coughing. (I'm sure I'll regret typing that sentence later.)

I'll let you know if the Vicks worked.. but just in case it doesn't, what old coughing remedies have been handed down from generation to generation in your family? Leave me a comment, and I promise to try it.. unless it involves eating or drinking something really nasty. I mean, I did say I'd smear it on my feet.. but I never promised to eat or drink anything!

Prayer Request

Hey guys,

Please say a prayer for my dear hubby! We were in the doctor's office all day today where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He has breathing treatments, steroids and antibiotics, but even better than all of that is prayer!

Thanks!

In which I catch up

Now that I've remodeled the blog (noun) I feel I am obligated to blog (verb). The truth is there have been many times over the past few weeks that I've planned on blogging (gerund) but I have just been way, way too busy! (excuse)

But now, I've turned over a new leaf (cliche)... OK, I'll stop all the parentheticals and just catch everyone up with what's been going on since I last blogged.

First, I haven't been completely absent. I've been blogging about my mom and her battle with cancer and she is doing really well right now... so it's back here for a bit.

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was very different this year. My mom usually cooks Thanksgiving Dinner and my grandmother makes her famous rolls. Not this year. Mamo was in California and mom simply wasn't up to cooking or having a houseful of guests.

So I cooked. Those of you who know me well are probably rolling with laughter right now. For those that don't know me well, I need to tell you that I have a bit of a fear of cooking. And it certainly doesn't help when I have to cook a dish that actually has a 1-800 number available for tips on doing it right. But I'm always up for a challenge... and to make it even more challenging, I decided to fall down the stairs and sprain my ankle the day before Thanksgiving.. BEFORE I did my grocery shopping.

You would be proud of me. Even as I was falling, I was calm, thinking I need to be sure and not scare the boys. But that's while I was falling. When I landed I rolled on the floor for quite some time screaming, "It's broken! It's broken!" Yeah.. I'm cool. Dillon called Jim who rushed home in time to see it swell into a really strange shape. Jim carried me to bed, put ice on it, and prayed for it. The whole family went grocery shopping that evening with Dillon pushing me in a wheel chair through an unbelievably crowded grocery store. I was wishing for Dramamine.

The next day, despite a limp, I make a delicious Thankgiving Dinner and nothing was burned and nobody got sick. We did go see Mom and Dad for dessert and although my dinner was a success, I'm looking forward to Mom feeling well enough to cook next year.


THE ICE STORM OF 2007

I think I might have an inkling of what it feels like to try to sleep in a war torn country. In the middle of the night, bombs, otherwise known as ice heavy tree branches, were falling all around the house. You would hear a creak, then more creaking, then a snap, and then you held your breath waiting for the boom. Sometimes it would land on the ground, other times it would land on the roof.. and you never knew. Would the next one come through the roof? Or the window? It was a night of little sleep. And then when the sun rose and we could see the damage, we were absolutely shocked. I have never seen anything like it. We were very blessed that we only lost electricity for a day. This picture probably best shows how we faired in the ice storm...

Notice all the branches that have fallen all around our Suburban, and yet no branch hit it, scratched it, or dented it. God is so cool!

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S

We had a lovely Christmas this year, spending Christmas Eve with Mom and Dad, despite her having Chemotherapy that day. The boys had a great Christmas, each getting one of those FLIP cameras. Dillon proved he was just like his mom, by making an absolutely hysterical documentary of "the elusive big brother". He filmed Cody's desk with it's collection of empty Mountain Dew cans and remarked on the big brother's diet. He filmed Cody's unmade bed and remarked on the messy habitat of the big brother. He more or less stalked Cody all afternoon and I couldn't be more proud. When he gets it as perfect as he wants it, I will post for all to see.

There is nothing much to write about New Years, unless you want to hear how i fell asleep while watching the Last Legion with my Honey and my boys. I can't even tell you how it ended, although I'm fairly certain it had something to do with King Arthur.

And that probably brings us pretty much current.

I promise, I resolve even, to keep this blog up to date. Come back and check in often.. invite your friends.. I will make it worth it!

Melanie is still musing.. but with a little more style

A few days ago I got an e-mail from a reader of the blog "Melanie's Musings" It seems he was married to someone named Melanie, and just wanted to take the oppportunity to tell another Melanie how much he loved his Melanie. It was all very sweet. But he mentioned something in his e-mail about how one of my posts had touched him. The problem was, I had no clue what he was talking about.

So, on a hunch, I googled Melanie's Musings. And I found that I am not alone and I'm certainly not original. There were at least 6 other blogs featuring the musings of someone named Melanie.

Well, I have to stand out. I can't be like everyone else. I wore legwarmers with plaid skirts and hiking boots in jr. high school, for heavens sake! I have no desire to be just another Melanie who muses.

So, I embarked on this Extreme Blog Makeover. And I think I like it. It's me, and I've even googled the title, and no one else has it.

Let me know what you think!

Wordless Wednesday

just morphing around

So.. since I thought that last video I posted was so cool, I decided I needed to figure out how to do that myself... so, here's a little experiment. I morphed the '57 Belvedere that was rescued from Tulsa's Time Capsule this summer. This is actually part of a bigger project I'm working on now.. but I just had to show off my morphing.

Women in Film

Just thought this was very cool and I like to share very cool things....

Cancer Sucks!

A couple of years ago my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had metastisized to his bones. Unfortunately, it was agressive and had spread quickly. Fortunately, it responded aggresively to treatment and my dad is in good health with normal PSA numbers today.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the blood plasma that effects the bones.

I have started a new blog to update everyone on my mom's condition and document all the miracles God is doing in our lives.. because He thinks cancer sucks, too!

Please pray with me for my mom's complete healing.

Sweet Memories

This a picture of Cody and my dad reading their papers. Cody is probably three here, but had a passion for reading I nearly killed when I tried to introduce Phonics. I eventually scrapped Phonics and allowed him to learn to read what he wanted in his time. On one of my loops we are discussing the value of comics, graphic novels, and other less than"literary" works in the teaching of reading. It reminded me of this picture. Sure, the Truck Trader doesn't seem very educational when compared the The Snowy Day or Blueberries for Sal.. but it was starting point. In the 4th grade, he tested at a college reading level, and he can sit down and read a Tolkien epic in a matter of a few days. Recently he has shown great talent for picking out symbolism and deep meanings in what he reads and has even mentioned majoring in literature when he heads to college. And it all started with a truck trader magazine. Do not despise small beginnings.

15 Amazing Years

Last week, Jim and I celebrated our 15th Anniversay. That is to say, we wished each other a happy anniversary in between deadlines and clients. I had a huge video project due, and Jim had a huge shipment that needed to be readied. It's OK, though. The truth is, everyday with this man is special.

15 years ago, Jim came into the recording studio where I worked. He had originally built the studio and was coming back to build a second.. Studio B. He was trading for studio time and he had the most beautiful voice.. not to mention the most beautiful eyes.

We met in September of '91. He was a bit older and had lived a whole life before he met me. I was fresh out of college and still living at home. We couldn't have been more opposite. But there was something about him. I found myself staying late after work just to talk to him... about everything and nothing. I found myself doing silly things.. like, I may have asked him to come to my office to help me hook up a printer or some such thing that I could have easily done myself.

On January 28th of 1992 I finally tricked him, er, convinced him into asking me out. Two weeks later, on Valentine's Day, he gave me a diamond ring and sang a song he had written for me. Three months later, on May 16th, we stood up in front of all our friends and family and promised our lives to each other.

We had a whirlwind romance, and 15 years later, I'm still caught in the whirlwind.

Thank you sweetie...

Thank you for our two amazing boys.
Thank you for sharing your life with me.
Thank you for all the adventures we've had.
Thank you for all the beautiful music... the music I've heard and the music that's yet to be written.
Thank you for all the times you sacrificed everything so I would have to sacrifice nothing.
Thank you for all the trials we been through. With God help, we've proven our love is stronger than any storm and we are the better for it.
And Thank you for listening to God way back in 1992. He's taken us on some amazing journeys together..... where are we going next?

All my heart,
Bunch

Overheard at my house

Overheard last night....

Me: Do you want to go play golf sometime?
Cody: No, it's itchy.

Likely to be overheard in the future....

Me: Clear the table.
Kids: aw, mom.. that's itchy.

Me: Have a good day at work, sweetie.
Hubby: I'll try, but it's awful itchy.

Hubby: Are you ready to do the taxes?
Me: But that's so itchy!

Itchy.. it's not just for wooly sweaters anymore.

I'm off to purchase some calamine.

Drum Roll Please...

I have an announcement.

No, I'm not pregnant. But thanks for playing!

Actually I have just started a new blog! Yes, you heard me right. I now have two blogs to neglect and feel guilty about. Ok, three if you count that whole yahoo 360 thing, but it really only gets copied and pasted from here.

Why two blogs? Good question. And you can get the answer by surfing on over to melaniewalenciak.com

Don't worry. I'll still be here, keeping you updated on our adventures, playing meme games and posting photos.

And here's the thing, if I can find time to write in both blogs, I fully expect you to find time to read both blogs!

I've been thinking....

Call off the search party.. I'm here, alive and well.. and apparently in my silence I was awarded the Thinking Blogger Award.

This could not be more appropriate because even though I might not have been blogging, I was, in fact, thinking. I was thinking about all they great blogs I could write if only I had the time. Problem is I never wrote them.. and they are long gone. My brain simply isn't the steel trap it once was. (Although, the other day Dillon found an Adam Ant video on You Tube and I still knew all the words to Ant Music.. I know, it's frightening!)

As I understand it, as part of this Thinking Blogger Award, I must nominate 5 other blogs.. and I will... soon. As soon as I think on it for a while longer.

Keep checking back this week.. not only will you find out who I nominated, but you will find out all the details on my latest venture and even hear news about a new blog...

I know, you can't wait, can you?