Springtime fun !

Welcome Spring

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden

Once on the black page ,left click and hold the mouse button down and drag it all over for a spring suprise .

The saga of the prom dress

Yesterday as I was getting ready to pick up My Angel Food and looking for my receipt, I came across the receipt for Cindy's prom dress lay a way.We originally put the dress in lay a way because the store has a no return policy on these gowns . I guess that in the past many girls were wanting their money back the day after prom because they decided that they didn't want that dress after all. Anyway, we decided that we would put it in Lay a way so that if she found something that she liked better or if for some reason she ended up not going, we would not be out the hundreds of dollars that these things cost. With Michael's surgery and all the other fun stuff that has been happening here, I didn't realize that the dress was due out of lay a way ten days ago. The fact that I told Cindy that we would go get it as soon as her room was cleaned and she was badly running behind ,didn't help. As soon as I realized that we were ten days late, I told her to call and see if the dress was still in lay a way. She got a hold of a girl who Cindy said called herself Amy. This girl told her that the dress had been taken to the back room and since it was a special order, it was supposed to be sent back to the company. Amy ( or whom ever she was ) told Cindy that the dress had not been sent back yet but would be within twenty four hours if not paid for and picked up. Once Mike got home from work and we ate dinner Cindy and I went to get the dress ( about six hours into the twenty four) When we got to the store a different story on the dress surfaced. According to the two women working , There was nobody named Amy working in the store and though the one looked in the back, the dress was not there. They told me that someone called my home six days ago ( amazing that caller ID missed this call ) and since I still didn't contact them that the dress was put on the sales floor. I explained that this made no sense because Amy ( or whoever she was )described the dress , size, style, color, style number, etc. to Cindy on the phone. How could this be? they blew me off and said that as soon as the cashier finished with her customer they would give me a refund for what I had paid . Furious , I noticed a rack behind the counter with Lay a ways and holds. One had a yellow bag over what looked like a formal gown. What is that I asked? Someone's hold I was told. " Maybe that is mine? " I asked. " No it has a name on it" I was told." Is the name Cindy or Diane? " I asked. " Yes", the girl looked at me like I was a psychic . " That is Me ! I am the Diane who they are holding the dress for twenty four hours for " The girl still was not convinced. "Let me see the dress to make sure it is the right one " I said. " describe it" she shot back. I opened the order book to a picture." This is it in size __ " I said feeling my blood pressure rise. The girl held the bag so I couldn't see as she checked. "Wow"she said. Cindy went to try the dress on one more time as I tried to calm down. When she was done and surprise it fit ! The same girl told me that she could not give me the fifteen percent off that I originally was given because the Lay a way was canceled. Now I was getting Mad ! I didn't say a word because I knew I would blow up. I just looked at her. She caught on and said she would see what she could do. She called the second girl over and told her that due to all the mix up, she decided to give me the discount. The second girl said she shouldn't but my silent look changed her mind too. Almost two hours after I entered the store I left with the dress. Only paying the balance of what I owed, not a penny more. Cindy asked if I wanted to look at anything else in this mall before we left . I managed to mumble a no as we went to the car. I had enough of this mall to last for awhile !

Angel food

My Aunt Donna introduced me to Angel Food Ministries about five or six months ago. Angel Food Ministries is a Christian food ministry that sells preselected packages of food for the discounted price of twenty five dollars per package . Angel foods also offers other specials at various discounted prices.

When Aunt Donna first told me about Angel Foods, I brushed it off because I thought that it was only for the poor. I told her that I didn't want to take away from those who needed it more than I . She explained that it was not only for the poor but for anyone who eats. She also explained that the more packages that the ministry sells, the better discounts they can get for buying in bulk and the more food that the consumer actually gets.

I was skeptical but decided to check out the web site . I liked what I saw and found a church near me that distributes this food. I E mailed the church's contact person and found out what days and times they took orders and payments. I decided to give it a try and headed to the church in my area to sign up. The process was very simple. All I had to do was write my name and phone number. Because I have a family of five who like to eat, I Ordered two packages, paid my fifty dollars, and was on my way within five minutes. I was given the pick up day and where to park for pick up when I signed up.

On pick up day I showed up, ordered and paid for the next months food, showed my receipt for the current month and was given two clothes pins. I walked into the next room where they took my clothes pins and started me down a line of tables, where they had workers put one of each item in my clothes baskets that I brought from home. By the end my baskets were full. A full clothes basket of food for only twenty five dollars. Not just junk food either, but meats, side dishes, vegetables, even a desert. Angel foods said that this is enough food for one person for the month, two people for two weeks ,or even a family of four for a week. As I said I order two packages. For April the menu is :

6) 4 oz. Hamburger Steaks with Bacon(4) 6 oz. Pork Chops(1) 2 lb. Breaded Breast Fillets(1) 1 lb. Ground Beef(1) 16 oz. Fully-Cooked Meatballs(1) 2 lb. Breaded Chicken Tenders(1) 12 in. Supreme Pizza(1) 16 oz. Corn Dogs(1) 20 oz. French Fries (1) 16 oz. Corn(1) 15 oz. Pork & Beans(1) 16 oz. Pinto Beans(1) 10 oz. Gravy(1) 16 oz. Rice(1) 6 oz. Pancake Mix(1) 30 oz. Pie(1) 16 oz. Green Beans

Everything that I have gotten has been top quality just like I would buy at the store.( No seconds, expired dates, crushed packaging or anything like that) Of course there have been a couple things that were not favorites of my family ( I have a picky bunch ) but I have found that even donating a couple items here and there , this is still a phenomenal deal.

I have been happy with the food and thrilled with the savings .

Yesterday when Michael returned from school he brought a flyer for Angel Food ministry. I guess that many are trying to get the word out to those who have not heard of it. I had not realized that thirty of the United States have multiple sites in their state. I told Michael that I would spread the word by sending E mails with a link to the site to all on my E mail list. After all who wouldn't want to get good food at an even better price ?

Back to School

We packed Michael's doctor's excuses with his lunch in his lunch box with the long handle that he could hang around his neck while walking on his crutches. I then drove him to school, walked him in and made sure that he could make it up the steps without falling. I then stopped in the office to talk to the principal. As I left the school I felt a feeling that I have not experienced in many years. My heart sunk . I was half way home before I realized that this is the very feeling that I have felt as each of my children got on that bus on their first day of school. How odd that this feeling would resurface. How odd that I prayed while driving that my child would be OK . That he would return home safe and sound. Then it occurred to me. I should get used to it because I will be feeling these feelings the rest of my life. This must be what my father is feeling when I leave his house fifteen minutes from my own and he screams out the door " Call me and let me know you get home safe !" I roll my eyes as I say " yes Dad " Thinking Gee I'm thirty eight not six !I guess that my ninety year old Grandma knew what she was talking about when she said " The bigger they get the more you worry " I guess that is the way that it should be . He may be fourteen next week but he will always be my baby !

Happy Birthday Nanny !

Happy Birthday to a wonderful Mom and Nanny.

We hope it is your best Birthday ever !

Nanny and Pops with their grandchildren

Follow up doctor's appointment

Michael seen his doctor for his one week post op check up yesterday. Though they did not remove and change his cast they did take X rays and showed us where the pins were in his foot and where the bone graphs were done and that they were "looking good". Michael also got the go ahead to go back to school tomorrow.

I think he is ready to go back but I do worry about the crutches on the steps.Especially with his heavy plaster cast still on. He has an appointment for next week when they will remove this cast and put on a light weight one. Everything seems to be going good, even his pain level is decreasing. Of course, we are still in the beginning as he will have this lighter cast for six weeks and then , after a slight break to get back on his feet we will start all over again with the right foot. Thanks to all for your prayers !

Something to think about

When I logged on to my computer this morning I noticed this article. NFL- Sports Concussions Called a 'Ticking Time Bomb' - AOL Sports It caught my interest as it flashed by because I seen Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's picture in the introduction . Being a Steelers fan I decided to see what the article was about. I was glad that I did because , though Michael has had at least one concussion from missing a block and being hit in the head during a karate class. I never really thought of it as that big of an injury since he never last consciousness. As a matter of fact I wouldn't have even taken him to the ER except that his pupils dilated catching my attention.

This makes me wonder, If these "head injuries " are as dangerous as the article suggests,aren't eighty to ninety percent of today's children at risk? I personally have always known that Shoto Kan karate could cause injury . I remember the first month that Michael started karate.I dropped him off at the dojo and went to my mother's house to return a dish I had borrowed. When I came back I seen an ambulance in the parking lot of the plaza where the dojo was located. Panic overcame me and I got out of my car and ran in without even taking the keys with me. Luckily it was not my precious five year old who was injured but there were adults in the class who were sparing. One missed a block and took a hit to the face. For those of you who have never watched this type of sparing, when a punch hits the skin, the snap of the impact splits the skin open like you cut it with a knife. I have never forgotten the fear that I felt this day and have since felt it many times as I watched Michael compete once he earned his brown belts and finally his black belt.Luckily Michael has grown up competing and though any belt lower than a brown never free spars in competition, he has learnt how to block .

I know that many Americanized karate clubs fight in full protective pads to prevent injury but in Shoto Kan hand pads and mouth guards are the only padding used. I agree with this because One of the main reasons that I put my son's into karate was to teach them self defence. Now if they have never spared or taken a hit without padding what happens when they need to defend themselves on the street and they don't have their padding? I believe that teaching them to defend themselves, how to block and how to fall are essential.

Though karate can certainly cause injury,Karate is not even mentioned in this article. How many boys play football? I have heard that there are now pee wee football leagues for children as young as five. Though these kids wear full pads so do professionals and as the article proves these don't always protect. Then there is hockey, Baseball, basketball, even track and field . Once in high school I saw a pole vaulter miss the pads after his vault.

When you stop and think about it most activities that our children participate in can cause head injury ( or many other injuries for that matter). Aside from sports how about horse back riding? Bike riding? skateboarding? Are their any children out there who are not at risk? I would think that if any, it would be a small percentage. So what is a parent to do? I'll tell you what I do ; I pray ! What else can be done ?