Paradise Found

am writing from exotic locale tonight ... is beautiful paradise located in the North. many animals to identify here and wonderful, relatively humidity-free weather. teri and the girls accompanied me on the journey today, and we have safely arrived. of course we are home in Columbus, Mississippi, but sometimes still feels like paradise ...
wonderful night's sleep last night. NO frogs in or near pond so feel new gratitude toward creatures. feel they respect my position on the love pond issue and will heretofore be much more thoughtful when it comes to their mating behavior. after successfully negotiating with squirrel friends feel capable of discussing issues with frogs.
as far as IVF goes, just waiting for my (male readers avert your eyes) period to start ... back to world of infertility we go. certainly know what to expect this time!

Off the Wagon

am no longer mature adult. have fallen off budget wagon. went to old navy to buy groovy belt and ended up with two shirts in addition to aforementioned groovy belt. am ashamed but not in a way that would cause me to return items that absolutely aren't needed, just really cute for spring ... ok, though. tomorrow is new day, and I will get back on the saving money train (looking cute in new shirt.)
not shaping up to be fantastic night ... Anthony is in Shreveport for the night and have just heard frogs in backyard. fervently hoping their mating activities can be confined to some area besides pond so as not to be sleep-deprived due to obnoxious noise.
packing for fun road trip tomorrow ... will write from exotic destination.

Simplicity is Genius

have entered serious economic planning mode to handle upcoming IVF expenses ... have new idea about how to save money. is simple, really, just don't spend it. simplicity is the genius of new plan. will not go hungry or let bills go unpaid but will keep excess spending to a minimum. after all, do not really need new summer clothes ... gasoline for trips to Mobile is more important. will prioritize carefully ... am mature adult.
on that note must tell about wonderful Friday with now 2-year-old Canon. spent day with him and laughed constantly. against better judgment allowed him (actually assisted is more like it) to remove ALL the wipes from the baby wipe dispenser. within minutes was throwing self on floor and having baby wipe war with wonderful natured child. even was compelled to re-enact sliding into home base when played little league softball. was fun except for gigantic carpet burn and continuous discovery of baby wipes all over living room. was worth it.
intriguing "Locusts" movie coming on tonight ... mindless programming which sounds fascinating and perfect for newfound interest in natural disasters, plagues, etc.

Air for Money

have new money-making idea to raise money for upcoming medical co-pays, increased gasoline for numerous trips to Mobile, etc. as we move back to IVF mode. am doing calligraphy on (cousin) Kelly's wedding invitations. picked them up today and were packed in a box with plastic bags of air as a cushion. brilliant idea .... someone actually becoming rich off of AIR. seems simple enough idea but how to capitalize?? will think super hard ...
surprises continue today ... called favorite IVF nurse Sabrina and discovered can be re-starting IVF cycle in about two and a half weeks. very caught off guard as thought it would take longer to be worked into the schedule. however know without a doubt God has a plan ... must trust Him ...
no air raid sirens from deck-building neighbors today ... at least not during the short portion of the day I was home. wish them luck but still know we beat them to it ...

Return to IVF?

have interesting and very unexpected news today ... had follow-up appt. with neurologist this afternoon, who was very satisfied with response to migraine meds. am getting much better at distinguishing between normal sinus headache and headache that precedes horrific migraine. neurologist suggested I talk to OB/GYN about current migraine meds to see which, if any, of them are ok to take during pregnancy. lucky day as had appt. with OB/GYN immediately after neurologist appt. to GREAT surprise, dr. said all three meds currently using to control migraines are safe during pregnancy. suggested we return to IVF promptly. hmmm...
on home front have finally inched ahead in neighborhood yardcare olympics. feel HUGE competition currently circulating among friendly neighbors as spring is here and neighborhood is abuzz with lawnmowers and weedeaters. live next door to wonderful family ... dad is retired military and works at Home Depot so yard is always immaculate and perfect. neighbor beat us to mulching flowerbeds by two sad little days a couple of weeks ago. however, we beat them to planting lovely garden masterpiece by a LOT ... perhaps they are happy with their perfect shrubs as have made no attempt to plant flowers so no competition there really. however, huge yard victory tonight as anthony beat them to cutting backyard. have won gold medal for the moment ... can almost hear national anthem as flag is raised ... but wait, national anthem is interrupted by neighbors two doors down who are building a deck. HIDEOUS power tools sound like air raid sirens but have won gold medal there as already have deck. another victory ...

I've Always Got Paris

would like to take a moment for a Mr. (Mrs??) Rambo update ... still believe tiny bird is becoming a woman but okay with this as he/she is delightful little creature with much personality. roxy and rambo spend their days singing to each other and are such fun to watch :)
have gotten attached to sunday night natural disaster-type movies ... just saw preview for "Locusts" coming on this Sunday. enjoyed super-volcano movie recently as well as some gigantic, never-could-actually-happen earthquake movie. no idea why attracted to disasters of the earth but is a fact. perhaps because made an A in college geology, though no longer speak about college experience with geography as is sad and very self-esteem lowering. barely know where australia is but could discuss continental drift theory for hours. do now know that Paris is a city not a country. victory.

Home Sweet Home

(Update: have made excellent progress with squirrels today ... simply needed to serve new variety of food in open-air cafeteria that is our backyard.)
continue to see disturbing commercial on tv about Dyson vacuum. seems mr. dyson has spent 14 years developing this vacuum which produces 100,000 times the force of gravity. is very proud of himself on commercial ... I, however, am fearful that vacuum could be cause of hideous household accident. would be afraid might suck carpet right up or worse, my foot...
gigantic mosquito (think unnaturally huge) flew into our home earlier. (why does home continue to attract such creatures??) was afraid might carry small Hope away so chased it around living room with more enthusiasm than can say with any dignity. finally threw self on floor and smashed it with paper towel ... ashamed to kill such innocent creature but not really as it posed serious threat to household members. have right to protect home from intruders ...

Birthday Boy

has been fun day for Anthony's 32nd birthday ... gave him XM Radio, which is basically satellite radio for his car. as is operated by satellite programming XM is mostly commercial-free, and continuous seeking of clear stations is not needed. perfect for him and his day travels across south Mississippi and Louisiana ... a little envious as did not realize all the really cool things XM does. has been installed in his car and he's ready to go. used his birthday money/giftcards to get cool new lawnmower -- solid black and very sleek.
am fighting semi-losing battle with the overwhelming amount of pollen down here. sneezing a LOT and very fearful of blowing out new septum alignment with repeated foghorn-like blowing of the nose. actually my precious husband compares the sound to the downshifting of an 18-wheeler ... is really a matter of opinion. still big improvement over normal occurrences around this time of year: perpetual sickness resulting in remaining in bed for at least a week with kleenex stuck up my nose and wishing someone would mercifully remove my sinuses. much better this year so far ...

Errand Basket

have been forgetting to mention lately but have invented ingenius little item ... is called the errand basket. have noticed blur of never-ending errands necessary to keep life going. after day of running errands always used to have unorganized pile of "stuff" -- deposit slips, DVD's, books, stamps, etc. if lucky, items would remain in pile (though disorganized) on front seat but usually ended up in floorboard, on side of passenger seat, etc. decided to find a not-too-small but not-too-huge basket to contain errand "stuff" in front seat and have been doing much better lately. simply bring lovely basket into home and unpack contents. no more laying in the floorboard like a moron digging around for whatever fell under the seat. is also good for preparing for a day of errands as simply put things into basket for errands that need to be done that day. very organized ...
continue work with squirrels. will update progress here ...

This Is My Life

Update: met with leader of squirrel union today and currently looking for way to reach compromise ...
(**aside: grateful to be only child with very active imagination :)
Mr. Rambo Update: concerned that beautiful white Mr. Rambo is not only turning aqua blue but is also working very hard at turning into Mrs. Rambo.
read in news today that britney spears is pregnant, which of course has been a rumor running rampant for the last several weeks. happy for her and hope all goes well. wish her husband would stop with the baggy, so-long-they-might-as-well-be-jeans shorts but must not judge him based on appearance. also must not project self in that situation and be bitter about current delay in IVF treatment ... working on patience and acceptance. certain that my pregnancy someday will be HUGE news and on all the major networks just as britney's is. know jennifer aniston will play me in inspiring movie about my life ...

Squirrels on Strike

with hesitant optimism I report that frogs have NOT been heard from since last entry ... must not say too much in case of jinxing situation. expect rain late this afternoon, which seems to encourage their reproductive behavior ...
weekend was great fun with wedding shower ... gifts that were wrestled with to get in car were entirely worth it as Kelly and Michael were happy. also had family birthday breakfast Sunday morning to celebrate April 14 birthday of both Matt and Anthony. must be obnoxious family as hostesses seemed determined to keep door CLOSED to our party room at all times.
see on internet today that martha stewart is now complaining about house arrest portion of her sentence. feel she should count her blessings and be happy to be home at all. perhaps she has inhaled one too many cans of cooking spray during her marathon baking sessions and is no longer thinking clearly. despite current feelings toward martha cannot wait to be among viewers of her new reality "Apprentice" type show in fall. will be big hit ...
speaking of martha have just discovered squirrels are digging in new gardening masterpiece in front yard. very appalled as feed squirrels constantly and enjoy friendly relationship with them. have nicknames for several of them and now feel betrayed that "Scar" and "Humpback" are digging up beautiful flowers. perhaps they act out of anger and this is their version of a union on strike. hmmm -- must consider improving living conditions for fun little squirrels.

Return of the Love Pond

Has been most interesting day ... did morning errands in preparation for Saturday's outdoor gardening/tool shower for Michael and Kel. Can't post many details but will say volunteered to do shopping for out-of-town family so found self in Home Depot parking lot in wrestling match with large gifts that would not fit into car. after numerous tries finally crammed one especially huge gift in back seat ... feel Kel may have same packing problem after shower as she and I have the same kind of car. oh, well.
Has been storming all day here. rain is pouring; the weather people continue their "weather alert" barrage, and I resumed work on my ark. most disturbing occurrence of day was return of frogs to our love pond. frogs becoming very bold as are now emitting OBNOXIOUS mating call in broad daylight. cannot describe aforementioned call ... is beyond words. must report that actually caught frogs "in the act" out bedroom window. image has scarred me for life.

Road Trip

returned from excellent road trip last night ... Kelly (older cousin by 36 hours) and I went to Louisiana to a jeweler to look at wedding rings. interesting happenings for most of the trip, as is often the case with long road trips. passed a man riding a bike against the flow of traffic carrying one oar?? no boat in sight so was very curious as to what he was doing. met a not at all well-disciplined child in the the line at Wendy's who continuously bumped against my purse and rattled the wooden hand rails obnoxiously. (in his defense purse these days is large so all migraine medicines will fit ... is really size of small suitcase.) did not get best cooks at Wendy's as the cheese on my "cheeseburger" was not even remotely melted. had two men on highway in a white car laugh hysterically at us as they passed. and of course, the obligatory truck driver honking at us.
to top it off, Kelly and I were both having minor sinus malfunctions ... my still-healing nose now sounds like a very LOUD foghorn when I blow it. most mortifying so no longer blow nose in public. was on couch last night at home and frightened mr. roxie and mr. rambo when I blew my nose. they actually huddled together on the perch as though a predator was on the loose. low point of day for sure.

Death of a Pope

I'm taking a momentary break from my "normal" life to reflect on the death of Pope John Paul II. Although I'm a relatively "new" Catholic ( I spent around 25 years being Methodist), I am very aware of the impact Pope John Paul had not only on Catholics, but on Christians all over the globe. I'm also very, very aware of his physical ailments and how he has silently suffered these last few years as he carried out his duties. Perhaps the quote which has most struck me during all the tv coverage of his last days was when Pope John Paul said he abandoned himself to Christ, which to me was a humbling indicator of his unfailing faith.
The death of a pope is certainly not one which occurs frequently, and in the coming days and months all the unfoldings at the Vatican should be very interesting. In the meantime, we are left to pray for the soul of Pope John Paul II, which is very clearly a privilege ...

Building the Ark

had eight inches of rain here since last night so am currently downloading plans from Lowes.com on how to construct an ark. will soon run down and buy necessary lumber, etc. so can commence to building. seems practical idea, although after rain stops, storing huge ark may pose a problem. perhaps will utilize boat storage facility. am excited about prospect of building ark with own two hands and know neighbors will be jealous as we float around the neighborhood. will be beautiful vessel but must think of a name. on other hand, as rain has presently stopped wonder how ark will float?? perhaps was not good idea. will read paper instead to keep on top of worldly happenings.