My grandparents house

My grandparents house was torn down over a two day period last week. When I passed by their house last Saturday, part of the sides were gone and a lot of the insides where gutted out. It felt like my grandparents had just passed away again. It was so heartbreaking I just cried. I just wanted to fix it. The next day, I passed by again and it was just gone. I know that a house is not the "home" or the memories that you had. And really since my grandparents were gone, seeing the house, was not the same as when they were alive. It was still a big part of my past and was hard to see torn down. I think I would have been better off to have just passed by and it be completely gone than to have seen it partially gone. It makes me wish they were still here. I miss them.

Soldiers

I am watching a show on television where they are talking to men and women who have been injured in Iraq. I feel like so many people come back from war and get lost in the world. I don't know that I feel they get the proper treatment mentally to be able to cope the best possible way they can. It bothers me. It makes me wish there was something I could do to help. These soldiers go through so much for me and my family. They deserve the best possible to make it through. It's the least that can be done for putting their life on the line.

Weather

It has been so nice outside yesterday and today. I love it. I think it would be really great to live in a place where the weather was like that all the time. Of course, you would need the rain but at least as far as the temperature goes it would be great. Truly though, we are very fortunate to live in an area that gives us the blessing of such diverse weather and not any of it lasts extremely long. Its nice. I do like it even if I am a hot weather gal at heart.

Slowing Time

Most days, time seems to move so fast. I get up in the morning and before I know it twelve o'clock has arrived. I wish some days time could really just slow down. I don't know deep down if it would really make a difference but it sure feels like it would.

Soda

I am trying to stop drinking soda or at least not so much of it. I have never really had a problem of drinking it all the time, just maybe once or twice a week. It's just that I really want to cut back to where I am maybe drinking it once a month. This week, I have already had it once and today I am having Imo's pizza, which I love, and I cannot eat pizza without having soda. So, this week I will be off my course and have it twice.

Mexico

My sister-in-law just left today for Cancun. She goes every year with some of her girlfriends. Three years ago I got to go with them and it was GREAT. Now every year since then I have been asked but I don't feel I can really go because of my classes. I feel I made the decision to go to school and so I need to attend. It still bums me out a little though, but one day I will be out of school and can go again. Until then I will just daydream about it and live vicariously through her.

Vonnegut

I finally receive my copy of "The Sirens of Titan" so I can now start reading it for the book club. I will blog my thoughts on the book at a later date.

Succeeding in life

To laugh often and much,
to win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends,
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others,
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch...
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
this is to have succeeded!

-emerson

First Tests

Taking first tests are so frustrating! You go into taking a test with an idea of what is going to be on it because you were taught all the material weeks prior to the test. It seems though, once you see the test your mind draws a blank and all the material looks like a foreign language. Well, that has happened to me today. I took a math test and thought, "Have I even seen these problems before?" Of course I had, but it seemed like I hadn't. Now I have to wait to see the damage I've done and figure out what I need on the next tests to keep the grade I want. I would like to reprogram my thoughts so that I do not continue to have these problems. Don't get me wrong, a majority of the time the grades do not turn out too bad. I would just like a great start and be able to keep it all semester.

Chicken

A Great Chicken Recipe

Cooked, deboned chicken or you can use chicken breasts
1 box stove top stuffing
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
milk
cheese
cooked vegetables-optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make stuffing according to directions on the box replacing the water with chicken broth. Layer it in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Layer cubed or shredded chicken over the stuffing. You can add the cooked vegetables at this point too. Mix 1 can of cream of chicken with equal parts milk. Pour over the chicken. Add as much cheese as you desire over the top and bake for 30 minutes. MMM MMM good!

-Origins unknown

Farm Life

My grandparents owned a farm and lived a mile away from me so my brother and I were there A LOT. Either my mom would take us or we would walk or ride our bikes. Everything there to me was fun. We would plant gardens, milk cows, retrieve eggs, anything that you would think happened on a farm we were a part of. I loved it. Now as an adult my boyfriend has a farm. He does not have a many different animals as my grandmother did but he has a lot in quantity. (I hope to add some different ones this year) He also works for an electric cooperative and so he has been out of town for a week now helping to get power restored to those in southeastern Missouri. Since he has been gone I have taken over the "farm" chores along with working and going to school. In this small amount of time I have gained even more admiration for those who farm because it is a bear. I have to get up earlier, I don't get in the house until late, its cold, I don't get into bed until late, which means dinner is late, homework is late, it is just so much. I'm guessing when I was a kid and it was fun, it was because I was a kid and what else did you have to do. Don't get me wrong I still love the farm life. Even thought its a lot of work it feels simpler. Maybe because that is how it felt to me as a child and that feeling gives me comfort.