DOTS AND ROBBERS...I"M BACK!

GMAMA IS BACK!

WHEW!  WHAT A 2 WEEK BREAK..OR SHOULD I SAY *BREAK-IN*???

Yep, it was more like a WALK-IN considering our doors were unlocked.

But Geez Louise...WE WERE IN THE BACKYARD!!

My CSI/NCIS crime fighting skills came in handy when I went for the latex gloves before touching anything. After-all I didn't want to disturb the crime scene with my own fingerprints!  It didn't matter in the long run because evidently this robbery wasn't the thieves' "first rodeo" if you know what I mean.  They wore Gloves!!...  Left some industrial glue type substance from construction gloves.  They had obviously moved several large items earlier that morning on their little crime spree.

#1 husband and I plus Sidekick Scott were approx. 50 yds. back from the house, close to the barn, drinking some ice water.  PaPaw cut brush while Scott and I watched a little mama red bird search for her nest in the cut limbs....20-30 minutes at most...walked back to the house...Papaw goes upstairs to take a shower...I go in to the den to turn on Cartoons for Scott...NO TV!!!!!!  

GRANDMAMA, "WHERE IS THE  TV???"

SCOTT, "I CAN'T WATCH SUPER HEROES, GRANDMAMA!"

CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP  (That's ME CLOMPING upstairs, 2 at a time)

GRANDMAMA (YELLING OVER THE RUNNING SHOWER), "WE"VE BEEN ROBBED!!!"

       PAPAW, "WHAT??????????????????????????????"

      GRANDMAMA, (JERKING SHOWER CURTAIN BACK AND YELLING LOUDER), "WE'VE 

                                    BEEN ROBBED!!!!!!  THE BIG SCREEN TV IS GONE AND THEY'VE 

                                    BEEN IN MY UNDERWEAR DRAWER!"

      PAPAW (STILL IN SHOWER)  "SOMEONE STOLE YOUR UNDERWEAR????"

      GRANDMAMA, "YOU BETTER CHECK YOUR GUNS!" ................................

   

                                    NOW!!!!  I HAVE HIS ATTENTION!  HE SCRAMBLES OUT OF SHOWER

                                    DRIPPING WET, RUNS TO DRESSER DRAWER WHERE HE KEEPS

                                    A LOADED PISTOL.

    PAPAW,  "JANE!  WE'VE BEEN ROBBED!"

                                             WHAT CAN I SAY????  WE BOTH NEED HEARING AIDES!!

*********************************************************************************

SEPT. 10TH  STARTS TODAY

MONDAY's Dots Enthusiasts

September 10th

Cat Patches

Busy Bee Quilts 

Stitch by Stitch

Mary on Lake Pulaski

Just Let Me Quilt

[Amy's] Crafty Shenanigans

PolkaDotClassic

AnnieOak Designs 

Blueberry Moon

Make sure you visit these creative bloggers and get some cute ideas with a Dot to Dot Theme!  My Day is next Monday, SEPT. 17th!

GOOD TO BE BACK

BLESSINGS

WORLD CEREBRAL PALSY DAY

James Patrick  First Day of Pre-K School 2012

I'm still taking a short break till next week but couldn't miss this opportunity to share the first 

WORLD CEREBRAL PALSY DAY

I will be back Monday Sept. 10th.

I wanted to share my daughter's TOP 10 things I would like for others to know about parenting a child with CP

1. James is a Blessing not a Burden- James came into this world exactly how God knew he would, and he is perfectly and wonderful made. He may have more physical obstacles than most of us but his life is full of joy and happiness. And he gives US nothing but Joy and Happine

ss.

2. James IS a "normal" kid ( whatever that word means anyway)- James is a typical 4 year old in every way. He plays and laughs and gets into mischief. We have to parent him just like any other child. We deal with the same issues that other parents have to deal with when raising a child.

3. I am NOT a Saint- God knew from the time He formed me that James would be my son. He prepared me for this life even when I didn't know what He was preparing me for. I love my son no more or less because he has a physical challenge than you love your fully able bodied child.

4. We have HIGH expectations for James- The dreams I have for James didn't die when we got his diagnosis. We are learning how to teach him new ways to achieve his dreams, but we fully expect our son to be a fully functioning contributor to society. He will go to college, get married, have children and be the man God has planned for him.

5.The word "retard" should be taken out of everyone's vocabulary!- It hurts and even said in jest it is a word that we should all stop using because it isn't funny.

6. It is Ok to ask me questions- I LOVE talking about my son ( what mother doesn't) I don't mind when people are sincerely trying to learn about my son or others like him. 

7. Not all CP is the same- Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term that is used to describe a VERY large range of motor function disabilities. James's CP is unique to him and he progresses and functions uniquely. 

8. Parents of kids with CP need patience- We dont have this all figured out and we are learning as we go. Most of us were thrown into this life in a very traumatic and sudden way. We are learning how to navigate not only our own emotions and fear about the future; but we are also teaching our children how to navigate this world that we know nothing about as well. We are literally flying by the seat of our pants here and we need friends that will stand with us and not judge us.

9. Sometimes it is hard to see "YOUR"  (someone else's) child's physical success- We treasure friendships and especially those that stick by us through the hard times. But sometimes it is just plain hard to watch your child physically move ahead of ours. And sometimes we just need to be sad about that. It is nothing that anyone needs to, or can, fix and it has nothing to do with our friendship. It is a feeling of loss that sometimes creeps in on special needs parents and we have to work through it.

10. I don't wish my son "fixed"- I know that can sound strange to some that don't live this life. And yes, it is true that this is not the path I would have chosen for James, but it is the path that God chose for him and there is a reason for it. James is not broken and therefore doesn't not need to be "fixed".  We are here to help him learn to use his body the best he can and to build strength and skills just like any child. 

Please share this with family and friends who may be dealing with a special needs child.

Blessings

P.S.  No news about #1 husband....had to reschedule 2nd biopsy but Dr. is NOT worried.
See ya Monday!!
Please come visit Monday!  I have LOTS of NEWS from my 2 week Break!  Nothing is ever simple here on the farm and true to form, it has been quite a "challenge" these past 2 weeks.  Good thing I took a Break.

UPDATES and SHORT BLOG BREAK

Isn't this Hysterical????  The First Time #1 Husband attended a Quilt Show and they gave him plastic gloves to wear???

Oh it was Funny my friends!!

UPDATE ON #1 HUSBAND:  Biopsy went very well on Monday morning.  We called this morning to check on the report and the nurse said they were sending #1 to Radiology "because the Dr. didn't get enough cells in the first biopsy".  So...here we go again.  The nurse will call us back for a second biopsy date.  Until then...

Things are pretty busy around the Farm with school starting back and Gmama in the Pre-K car line daily, Dr. appointments, and various other deadlines.  

With all that's going on I've decided to take a little Blog Break till Sept. 10th when the next Dots on Dots Blog Hop begins.  The old saying...I need to "get the Ox out of the Ditch".  I'm feeling a little stressed so I'm going to listen to my body and take a few things off my plate for a couple of weeks.  

 IF we should happen to get a BAD report back from the second biopsy, I promise to write a post telling everyone.  Which means, No new will be Good News!  I'm so grateful for your concern, prayers, and encouragement.  I'll leave you with some pictures from my sewing room as well as some blog hop winnings!!

Don't these colorful WONKY STARS make you smile?

4 block squares from Wonky Star Block members

Christmas Fabric winnings

Notice the Polka Dots grouped together?

Wonder what those may be used for?  Hmmm???

Another WIN from Sharon at Dancing Thru Threads

PLUS some adorable fabric that I can't show because it's being used in a gift I'm sewing!

I LOVE LOVE this Magazine!!

A Doll Quilt from Diane at Doll Quilt Swap!

Diane added the cutest little mug rug!

I actually use mug rugs for everything from a pad to sit my curling iron on, a pad under my sewing machine, beside my machine, on my bedside table, beside my sewing chair, beside my computer keyboard, etc...  You name it and a cute little mug rug is sitting on a table somewhere in the Farmhouse.

 My FIRST attempts at Log Cabin Blocks!

Don't laugh!  If there was a way to mess up (notice I was polite and didn't say *screw up*) I found a way in making this pattern.  All my friends at "Quilts and Things" on Facebook have laughed along with me and helped me figure out my problem.  

Pitiful, isn't it?

 I'll still be checking in on Facebook so if you're on FB add me as a friend! Jane Shrewsbury Hillis

Plus, I'm with two other groups "Stitches from the Heart" (join us!) and "Quilts and Things"

You're welcome to join!

Until Sept. 10th

Blessings

FAITH OF A MUSTARD SEED

SUNFLOWER 

FROM 

MY GARDEN

HOW CAN I BEGIN TO THANK YOU FOR THE OUTPOURING OF PRAYERS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT?!

As I was walking around the farm, thinking and praying, the last vestiges of our garden assured me that for every time there is a season.  Look at these lovely sunflowers!  Would you believe these sunflowers popped up from some rogue seeds I found in a drawer and threw out over the dirt just in case they might germinate and grow?  I had forgotten about throwing the seeds until this week when I looked out our bay window and saw the lovely pops of bright yellow.

I was reminded of the beauty that can come from such a small seed....the Faith of a Mustard Seed is what God said is needed to trust in Him.  So tomorrow as #1 Husband goes for his thyroid biopsy, that's all I need...the Faith of a Mustard seed...and the many prayers of family and friends... many who have been through the same situation and wrote to tell me of their positive outcome. 

 Thank-You!  Your encouraging words mean something to me.  That one phone call had the two of us  navigating uncharted waters and yet we found that many of you had guided your ship through the storm and on to calmer seas.  Thank-You!  Your prayers mean a great deal! Like I always say, 

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS

I will keep you posted on the outcome...good or bad...it's all good because we are held tight in the Master's Hand!

Blessings

 on this 

August Sunday Morning

#1 HUSBAND NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS

MY #1 TRACTOR MAN NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS!

I NEED YOUR PRAYERS!

The phone call began like this..."Your test results came back from your thyroid ultrasound and you have a nodule on your thyroid over 1 centimeter in size.  Dr. Johnson wants to have it biopsied ASAP.  Hold on and I'll transfer you to scheduling."

I could see the look in his eyes and on his face.  Roger is the glass half full kinda guy and usually doesn't allow himself to worry much.  If he does worry, he keeps it to himself.  So I knew when that face went white as a sheet, I knew the Big Guy was scared.  I rarely have seen that face and when I do it scares the "you know what" outta me!  Excuse me, but it's the truth.  When everything is falling apart, Roger is the one who keeps his cool and makes everyone feel safe.  He's the Rock!  He's the Captain of the Ship!

He told me in a passing comment last week , "Jane, I don't have a good feeling about that test."  It surprised me so much I didn't know exaclty what to say.  All I could say was, "Let's not borrow trouble."  and that was the last anything was said

until today......

Yeah, I know, I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill.  But you see, It's just not like #1 to respond like this!  Even as I write, he's out in his Barn..the place he goes to work, to think, to pray, to worry.

Monday morning at 7:00 a.m *we* go for a biopsy.  Whatever the results, this is happening to BOTH of us, not just one of us.  The biopsy is an in-office procedure....no big deal.  But My guy is scared and therefore it IS a Big Deal.

Please Pray...Prayer Changes Things.

Blessings

FIRST DAY

FIRST DAYS

First Day of School vs. First Day of College. Much to consider!

First Days...we all have many in a lifetime.  Many of you young Moms are facing that 

"First Day" of school.   While some of you are packing up college bound children for 

that FIRST opportunity to experience freedom and independance while you spend

many a sleepless night worrying and wondering if you 

prepared them well enough for this all important step toward adulthood. 

I laughed when I saw this cartoon because I've been reading so many Facebook posts 

of the "My baby is going to school without me" variety.  

I was teaching school when each of my three children entered Kindegarten so for me it

 was all about not having to pay Daycare fees!  Another perk for me was the fact that 

my children would be attending the same school at which I taught special education. 

Tears of joy were more the variety I shed and sort of "poo pooed" those other moms

 crying over little Johnny's First Day of School.  Oh but life has a way of making sure 

you regret shining your Halo at such an early age. Yes indeed, a lotta crow was eaten 

with humility as I made up for those piously unshed tears when #1 Son left home for 

college.  You would have thought someone had died here on the Farm.  The entire 

family made the loooong trek to Montevallo that fateful Aug. day, 1994.  Our family, 

minus One, returned in one  car, without a word being spoken, the first 150 miles. As         

is common practice in our family when all heck breaks lose, we eat Ice Cream!  Not 

wanting to break tradition, #1 Husband pulled into the first Ice Cream joint he spotted.  

Quietly, the four of us, sat in a booth and began eating our ice cream.  Slowly, the 

words came, one...then two...then a whole sentence... until #1 Husband told his FIRST 

Joke.  We all knew at that moment, we were going to be okay...different...but Okay...a 

little sad...more like a LOT sad...a vacancy at the booth noticeable but unspoken.

FIRST DAY's are memorable for different reasons.  Some are exciting.  Some are sad.

Next week, will be a First for Gmama and #1 Husband.  It will be the first day one or 

both of us has not spent the first day of school as an educator.  BOTH of us will NOT be 

headed to school for the first time in 46 years.  Rest assured no tears will be shed!  We 

plan on going to one of our favorite Breakfast restaurants, talk with all the other retired 

teachers and friends, read the paper, and enjoy a good cuppa coffee TOGETHER. 

 Here's to many more FIRSTS for Gmama and #1 Husband!

Here's hoping your First Days of the past will be remembered with gratitude and First

 Days of the Future will be full of Hope and Expectation.

Blessings

MY HERO

MY HERO

He's had to work harder, longer, and over and over and over and over and over....FALL DOWN...GET UP...FALL DOWN...GET UP...FALL DOWN...GET UP...

to just STAND, much less WALK across a stage at a 

BACK TO SCHOOL FASHION SHOW

YOU'RE MY HERO JAMES

MY MIRACLE GRANDSON

READY...

GET SET...

GO!....

I DID IT!!!!

YES, YOU DID JAMES PATRICK!!!

PROUD TO BE

******************************************************************************

GO CHECK OUT SOME GREAT QUILT BLOCKS FROM THESE TALENTED QUILTERS!

Are you ready to start seeing bowls?

Tomorrow's the beginning of the

Bowls With Border Blog Hop!

(The schedule is below)

August 13th

Jody Walker

Cathy

Frances
Anneke

Majorie's Busy Corner

A Passion For Applique

Fabric-ating

Sophie
The House On The Side Of The Hill
Just Let Me Quilt

Sewing Machine S.O.S

Here is MY Gold Standard

Bernina 830 Series

But alas... My Pocketbook does not allow such an indulgence.

My Dear friend, Celina, owns this little jewel and she allows me to come play anytime I want.  Isn't that a good sewing friend?  BTW, Celina became a new Grandmama for the very first time!!  Lots of baby goodies will be sewn on Miss Bernina 830!!

Now for my dilema.  I need your input.  I am in the market for a sewing machine.  I do not mind buying used if it's in good condition.  Remember, I have Champagne taste and a beer pocketbook.

Here are some of the features I'd like to have (or Think I'd like to have):

Large Harm space (space to the right of the needle).  My Brother Machine has about a 7 in. harm space...too small.

Knee Lifter:  

Automatic thread cutter (optional, but nice)

No vibration when sewing

Good for FMQ

Embroidery culpability if possible.

Right now, I'm sewing with a $200 Brother Model from Wal-Mart.  It actually sews quite well and I've had no tension problems so far.  Me and sewing machine tension have issues! 

I want to know what you sew with and the features you like/dislike and what brand/model of machine you think I should purchase.  I have a budget of between $1000-$2000.  I realize that I may just need to purchase a separate embroidery machine in order to get a good quality sewing machine in my budget.

Ok, friends, you have been given your Mission...If you Choose to Accept, please send your tips on purchasing a sewing machine ASAP to Grandmama's Stories!

Blessings

WINNER OF THINK CHRISTMAS BLOG HOP GIVE-AWAY

WINNER

THINK CHRISTMAS

BLOG HOP 

GIVE-AWAY

Kchabr55

Kchabr55August 2, 2012 6:59 AM

"I am a follower. Love the applique circle tree. I might try that. We love colored and white lights."

Thank you, Beth, for visiting my blog. 

  I appreciate your kind words and becoming a 

new follower.

OK...

I have emailed Beth to tell her she is my winner.

But I'd like to surprise her with one more

*present*!  Beth only has 7... SEVEN?!... Followers!  Let's

 show her some love by going to her blog and becoming

 followers!!  I think it would be so nice to give Beth our

 support and help Grow her Blog.  How fun??!!

Will You Join Me??

For everyone who becomes her follower, comes back 

HERE

and tell me you did.......

Deadline...12:00 Midnight CST Friday, Aug. 10th

I have 1 yard of Christmas Fabric as an 

incentive!

Blessings

DEAR CLAY

CLAY aka CLAYBO

Today was a special day!  Today was Clay's 9th Birthday and the two of us spent Clay Day shopping for Lego sets, school supplies and a Back to School First Day T-Shirt! Today not only reminded me of the specialness of my Grandson Clay but of the Back To School Rituals that take on such importance this time of year. It is so important to wear something new on that First Day of School! New School Supplies and new School Clothes...Important???  You Betcha!

Mercer Elementary School

I went to school here.  In my memory that sidewalk was a MILE long

especially during Fire Drills mid-winter with snow!

I know...I taught for over 30+ yrs and I watched every year as the children came in with their new shoes as yet unscathed from the latest mud puddle, the new backpacks with a few price tags inadvertently left hanging onto the zipper in the mad dash to fill it up with every last pencil, pen, ruler, eraser, highlighter, and marker your parents bought!

  Oh the First Day of School the tone is set for the entire year by what you wear ...or Don't wear...by Where you sit for lunch or Who you sit WITH at lunch...or who sits WITH you...all those little nuances that can make or break a child. 

 BUT...MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PECKING ORDER WILL BE ESTABLISHED and THAT my dear friends is what the rest of this blog post is about....READ ON...

My sister sent me a link to a blog post written in August of last year.  I urge you to go HERE (Dear Chase Momastery) and Read..but just in case...I've decided to copy and paste the entire post right here (with Glennon's permission). I don't know if I've ever read anything so eloquently written concerning the topic of bullying and/or teaching our own children/grandchildren that elusive sentiment called *COMPASSION*.  It's worth your time to read..I PROMISE!!

My Grandson Clay will be entering Third Grade on Aug. 20th and I WILL make sure this letter is read to him, his brother and sister, on the night of Aug. 19th

DEAR CLAY, RYAN, and EMMA GRACE:

(Glennon's letter to her son Chase, Aug. 2011)

Hey Baby.

Tomorrow is a big day. Third Grade – wow.

Chase – When I was in third grade, there was a little boy in my class named Adam.

Adam looked a little different and he wore funny clothes and sometimes he even smelled a little bit. Adam didn’t smile. He hung his head low and he never looked at anyone at all. Adam never did his homework. I don’t think his parents reminded him like yours do. The other kids teased Adam a lot. Whenever they did, his head hung lower and lower and lower. I never teased him, but I never told the other kids to stop, either.

And I never talked to Adam, not once. I never invited him to sit next to me at lunch, or to play with me at recess. Instead, he sat and played by himself. He must have been very lonely.  I still think about Adam every day. I wonder if Adam remembers me? Probably not. I bet if I’d asked him to play, just once, he’d still remember me.

I think that God puts people in our lives as gifts to us. The children in your class this year, they are some of God’s gifts to you.

So please treat each one like a gift from God. Every single one.

Baby, if you see a child being left out, or hurt, or teased, a little part of your heart will hurt a little. Your daddy and I want you to trust that heart- ache. Your whole life, we want you to notice and trust your heart-ache. That heart ache is called compassion, and it is God’s signal to you to do something. It is God saying, Chase! Wake up! One of my babies is hurting! Do something to help! Whenever you feel compassion – be thrilled! It means God is speaking to you, and that is magic. It means He trusts you and needs you.

Sometimes the magic of compassion will make you step into the middle of a bad situation right away.

Compassion might lead you to tell a teaser to stop it and then ask the teased kid to play. You might invite a left-out kid to sit next to you at lunch. You might choose a kid for your team first who usually gets chosen last. These things will be hard to do, but you can do hard things.

Sometimes you will feel compassion but you won’t step in right away. That’s okay, too. You might choose instead to tell your teacher and then tell us. We are on your team – we are on your whole class’ team. Asking for help for someone who is hurting is not tattling, it is doing the right thing. If someone in your class needs help, please tell me, baby. We will make a plan to help together.

When God speaks to you by making your heart hurt for another, by giving you compassion, just do something. Please do not ignore God whispering to you. I so wish I had not ignored God when He spoke to me about Adam. I remember Him trying, I remember feeling compassion, but I chose fear over compassion. I wish I hadn’t. Adam could have used a friend and I could have, too.

Chase – We do not care if you are the smartest or fastest or coolest or funniest. There will be lots of contests at school, and we don’t care if you win a single one of them. We don’t care if you get straight As. We don’t care if the girls think you’re cute or whether you’re picked first or last for kickball at recess. We don’t care if you are your teacher’s favorite or not. We don’t care if you have the best clothes or most Pokemon cards or coolest gadgets. We just don’t care.

We don’t send you to school to become the best at anything at all. We already love you as much as we possibly could. You do not have to earn our love or pride and you can’t lose it. That’s done.

We send you to school to practice being brave and kind.

Kind people are brave people. Because brave is not a feeling that you should wait for. It is a decision. It is a decision that compassion is more important than fear, than fitting in, than following the crowd.

Trust me, baby, it is. It is more important.

Don’t try to be the best this year, honey.

Just be grateful and kind and brave. That’s all you ever need to be.

Take care of those classmates of yours, and your teacher, too. You Belong to Each Other. You are one lucky boy . . . with all of these new gifts to unwrap this year.

I love you so much that my heart might explode.

Enjoy and cherish your gifts.

And thank you for being my favorite gift of all time.

Love, Mama

My Next Post on Friday will be Part Two of this post

*I Choose Evelyn*

Blessings