Grandpa's Birthday

Dear Kids

Today is my daddy's birthday. Your grandpa! He was born in 1942. You do the math if you want :)

He is a great father. We lost my mom when I was just 17 yrs old, and we are very close. We both even got married the same year (1993). I married your father the year Grandpa married Nana Judy! You do the math if you want :)

Your grandpa is a 'tell it like it is' kinda guy. He won't butt into your business, but if you ask his opinion, you better be ready to hear it! He doesn't sugar coat much. He was a plumber for all of his working adult life, commercial plumbing. He is recently retired. He still has a Chevrolet truck he bought when I was 12. I am now 41. You do the math if you want :)

He likes to fish - he likes Suduko puzzles. He likes to work in the garden. He likes to read the paper every day - the real newspaper. He reads books too, novels. I think he still likes Louis Lamor. Not sure how to spell that. He's just recently discovered the internet and email and Facebook, although he rarely uses such. Or maybe he does and he's the stealth stalker type who reads but never comments!

Your grandpa is truly a great guy and has always been a great father to me. He always encouraged me to follow my heart and follow my dreams. When I took off to California at the age of 20 for a new job- - he didn't throw a fuss, he drove with me and flew back home to VA. Yep, me and my daddy drove cross country together from VA to CA!! It was a blast and we did NOT take the short route! When I told him I was getting married to your father - he quickly started talking about plans.

He taught me good work ethic. He hardly ever missed work -and if he did - something was horribly wrong. He was always there for me, and still is - even though we live in TX and he is still in my hometown back in VA. He is truly a family man. He hasn't got a lazy bone in his body. He's the kind of guy who is always eager with a helping hand.

As you know, my maiden name was Oliver and so my dad's name is William Oliver. William, you were named (as our first born son) after grandpa! You know Grandpa must be a cool guy if we named our first born son after him right? Grandpa was there in the hospital, all day long, the day I gave birth to you William.

Anyway, in honor of great dads and grandpas everywhere, here is a picture of my sweet daddy holding sweet William when he was just a baby. The two William Olivers!

Happy 14th Birthday Victoria

Dear Victoria!

Happy Happy Birthday ... this is the 10th birthday of yours that we have celebrated together as a family.   We are so blessed to have you as a daughter - - so very thankful that God chose us to be your parents.

You are very gifted with art and music (and cooking) - - and we have started to discover lately that you are also very gifted with photography.   In honor of this new found talent and passion - you received a digital camera and book about photography for your birthday (among other goodies).

You've never been much of a cake and icing person - so we celebrated with your all-time favorite dessert - cookies-n-cream pie!  So glad you liked it.

And finally - we enjoyed a birthday celebration at the country club.   Always love going there with the family.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure !

Dear Victoria!

You are my angel - and you are glowing.  YOU are an amazing daughter - and I do think that is appropriate that I tell you, as often as possible.

Just so ya know !

Love, MOM

An All 10's Kind of Day

Dear Kids:

Well today is October 10, 2010 - kind of a cool day ... would be a great day to get married or give birth, but I've already done those things, so it was just kind of a ho hum Sunday for your mama.

Allergies are kickin' my butt big time.   I even missed Church with the family - man I hate that.  I took some generic form of Sudafed called Wal Fed - - and turns out one of the side effects is tingling of the skin. Lovely.  Not sure that the medicine has done much for me.  

I feel like I'm being punished - it's gorgeous weather outside, and every time I try to go outside with you kids to enjoy it- - my eyes get all itchy and the sneezing attacks begin.   Ugh.   I managed to walk about 1 mile today after lunch with your father - but man oh man, it seemed like a long mile - a walk I normally do without blinking an eye.  Today- it just seemed like a marathon.   Yikes.

I am definitely getting sick and tired - - of feeling sick and tired.  AND I am SO totally ready to be over it by now. But alas, perhaps I am being taught patience.

At any rate- despite any physical ailments or whining that may creep into my orbit, I am declaring it an all 10's kind of day ... interpret it however you wish!

Love, MOM

Interesting Article

How to Tighten up Loose Skin After Weight Loss | eHow.com

So - kids - the moral of the story - take care of your body, inside and out ...and never neglect your skin!

Love, MOM

When Mama's Sick...

Dear Kids ...

It's so nice to see all of you (and your father) come together when mama is sick and to help out.   I see Victoria getting folks fed, William filling ice trays, Thomas feeding the dogs, Daddy doing the mama taxi driver routine, putting James to bed, etc. ... I know I am blessed with an amazing family.

And God must have known that I wasn't feeling very well today because he blessed with me little surprises, beyond my helpful family.   I had a long lost friend, who is dear to my soul, find me again.  We had been out of touch for about five or so years.   Love you LISA - so glad to find you again.   I was pregnant with Thomas when we last saw each other, and now Thomas is in Kindergarten, if that explains how long it has been.  Finding old friends is such a blessing.

Also - a few weeks ago, the best t.v. we had in the house died a smoky death - remember that kids?  Well, a lady from Church has a nice flat screen t.v. she is going to sell to us at a very low and reasonable price - so that is a blessing as well.  I'm so excited.

Well - mama goes to the doctor tomorrow.  Hope it is not as painful as the invoice will be :)

When you're thinking of things to pray about - pray that our family gets health insurance soon.  That is definitely something we need.

Anyway - my lovely kids - and amazing husband - thank you for EVERYTHING you do !   Even small things like watering the plants - it makes my day.

Also deserving of honorable mention is your fabulous cousin Ashley who lives with us.  She is so very helpful all the time.  She works three jobs - and she makes time to pitch in - so make sure you thank Ashley when you see her for all that she does.

Duct Tape, Warts and Vodka - oh my

Okay kids - don't say your mama never told you anything useful.  Here ya go !


Check out the following bizarre home cures that really work:

Problem: Warts

Home Cure: Duct Tape

What to Do: Clean the area. Then cut a piece of duct tape to a size slightly bigger than the wart. Apply the duct tape to the site and rub into place. Every 3 days, remove the tape and file down dead skin with a pumice stone or nail file. Repeat until the wart disappears.

How it Works: In a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, covering warts with duct tape eliminated them better than freezing them off. In the study, the duct tape eliminated 85 percent of the warts after 2 months, compared with 60 percent with the freezing method. The reason? Chemicals in the tape suffocate and kill the wart.

Problem: Foot Odor

Home Cure: Vodka

What to Do: Wipe your feet down with a vodka-soaked washcloth to get rid of the smell.

Why it Works: Vodka contains alcohol, which is antiseptic and drying, so it destroys odor-causing fungus and bacteria and dries out the moisture that lets these organisms grow.

Problem: Cold Sores

Home Cure: Lemon balm tea

What to Do: Prepare lemon balm tea by brewing 2 to 4 tablespoons of the herb per cup of boiling water. Let it cool, then dot with a cotton ball on the cold sore several times a day.

Why It Works: Cold sores are caused by a herpes simplex virus (HSV). Lemon balm has antiviral properties that work to tame herpes outbreaks.

Problem: Eczema

Home Cure: Olive Oil

What to Do: Apply olive oil directly to the irritated area. Rub 1 teaspoon per square inch of skin, which creates a seal that prevents skin from drying out. For serious cases, cover oil-slathered skin with plastic wrap overnight to lock moisture in.

Why it Works: Olive oil is packed with antioxidants that can reduce the inflammation associated with eczema. Olive oil is actually the base used for many moisturizers. When used alone, it lacks chemical irritants that you may find in store-bought creams.

Problem: Hiccups

Home Cure: Sugar

What to Do: Swallow one teaspoon of sugar (dry) to stop hiccups.

Why it Works: The sugar is believed to modify the nerve muscles that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically and contribute to hiccups.

Problem: Nausea

Home Cure: Lemons

What to Do: At the first hint of nausea, suck on a lemon.

Why it Works: Motion sickness causes you to produce excess saliva, which can make you nauseated. Lemons help dry out your mouth and can help soothe the queasy feeling.

Problem: Stained Teeth

Home Cure: Apples

What to Do: Eat an apple a day.

Why it Works: Apples have a gentle malic acid that works on cleansing tooth enamel and helps dissolve stains.

Problem: Urinary Tract Infections

Home Cure: Baking Soda

What to Do: At the first sign of symptoms, drink a solution made with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 8 ounces of water. Continue this once a day until you can get a culture done at a doctor's office and start antibiotics.

Why it Works: Baking soda makes the bladder environment more alkaline, which reduces bacteria's ability to multiply.