whatever you do for the least of these

she went from that... to this! on her own, she asked if i would make an appointment for her to cut off her hair so she could donate it to 'locks of love'! wow! this from the girls whose preschool ambition was to grow her hair out as long as rapunzel! but she looks SOOOOO cute, and her hair will change someone's life. you go girl! mommy's so proud of you!

i hesitate to speak too soon

while i know that saying this outloud is just asking for trouble, i thought i'd let you all know that "chubby pants", the fat fish in a line of easily expired fish, is still alive and kicking. we are keeping our fingers crossed for his continuing health and wellness!

is there a doctor in the house?

i have a new favorite show. i can tell it's my new favorite show because i soak up every minute of it, and spend the commercial breaks raving about what i loved about the preceeding 7 minutes. it is intruiging, funny, smart and engaging. what show is it, you ask? 'House'. some of you may already watch said show, and shame on you for not telling me about it! i love that show!

on a completely different topic, i have had a headache for 5 days. taking "stuff" to help doesn't really seem to help, neither do sleep or water. so we are trying something new. NO "stuff". none. i am going to give it 3 days. if i still have a headache after 3 days, i will go to the doctor. tellingly, i read something on msn this week about how american's have more trouble with treatable diseases than any other first world nation because they don't want to spend the $20, $30, $40 to just see the doctor. i can relate.

lastly, a shout out to my little brother vinny... love you, boy!

and a little child shall lead them

ahhh, meg.... my little meg. so young, and so wise! The Girls were apparently having a discussion with curtis about what they could do to perk me up (i had been feeling weary with life), and settled upon having a babysitter come over so curtis could take me out on a date. as they told me this, meg looked up at me and said (somewhat disdainfully), 'i suggested shoes, but daddy wanted something more romantic.' shoes! what a wise young woman! clearly, cute shoes make the world a better place, and there are very few things i love more than new, cute shoes! i have been given cute shoes as gifts a few times in recent years, and i can honestly say they made my whole week! so meg, you go girl! keep on suggesting that daddy buy me shoes! you know i'll share them with you when your feet catch up to mine! :) mommy loves you, baby!

how fun is this!

you may have noticed i changed the picture i used... i'm sorry, but i had to get rid of katie couric!

time, love and tenderness

2 1/2 hours and (poetically) 2 1/2 bags of garbage later, i have cleaned The Girls rooms while they were at school. i admit, i used to hate coming home from 3rd grade to find my bedroom bereft of treasures, but from the other side of the argument - Mother Sick of Mess and Chaos - i completely understand. it's not like i look back and wish i had the half a deck of barbie uno cards (the remaining hafl wrinkled, folded and torn) i got in a birthday treat bag when i was 6. i didn't throw away any real toys, and i only packed away the ones they haven't played with in 6 months...mostly an astonishing collection of strawberry shortcake dolls, houses and accessories (which they collected with a fevor! this fevor has recently applied more to 'littlest pet shop' dolls, houses and accessories). i put said strawberries in a box where they are accessible if push comes to shove! i organized books, approximately 312 chapsticks, said "littlest pet shops", collected 3 loads of laundry - ostensiblly on the shelf or in the drawer as "clean" - and countless trinkets and "treasures". i think i was very fair-minded. now they have room to play, and they will be able to not only see, but find, the remaining 'my little pony's', LPS, beads & string, polly pockets, books, chapstick, clip on earrings, build-a-bear clothes, et al. phew! i wish a had a coffee crisp (one of God's gifts to chocolate lovers) to celebrate, but they are only sold in the true north strong and free (that would be my native homeland of Canada.) sigh. oh well. at least i won't feel like crying everytime i walk down the upstairs hall!

good times!

i realize that this may not be your idea of a good time, but driving home, 2 box turtles were in the road, so i pulled over to save them, put them on the floorboard of my passenger side and set them free in the forest behind our house....and i got peed on in the meantime! hooray! if you have the chance to get peed on by a turtle, you know it's been a good friday!

(by the way - do you like the turtle porn? these are not the turtles i rescued today, but rather fornicating turtles that were outside our livingroom window the month we bought our home - clearly an auspicious sign!)

happy friday!

rainy day blues

headache, rain, wierd leg pain, time pressure, teacher meetings...

baby steps - one foot in front of the other...

delays...

hey gang - i was waiting to see if anyone would post comments about my lovely, tiny chickens before i posted again, but alas...no comments. admit it - you're just jealous that you weren't invited to my swanky affair! :)

well, i will delay no longer.

last night i told my life story (wildly abbreviated for the sake of time and interest!) to a group of 30 women, and it was very well recieved! phew! then i came home and took advil pm and passed out from relief! it was our churches first ever gathering of women, called 'revive', and it was good - God showed up, and really, what more do you need? not much! plus, sabrina brought dessert, so.... mm - mmm good!

on a different note, we are beginning to look at green cards. OH MY GOSH! i think it is just about the scariest and most complicated buerocratic (sp?) process in the entire universe! i have already spent an entire afternoon in tears, and we haven't even filled out any forms yet. if you have the inclination you could pray for us - it is urgently needed!

happy tuesday!

tiny tiny chickens!

look at the tiny, tiny chickens! these are the un-basted, un-cooked rock game hens i cooked for last night's soiree! aren't they cute! even naked they are cute! i stuffed them with apricots and pecans, and basted with a corn syrop/consumme mix. mm-mm good! then i made a spicy sausage & green bean sautee with garlic and onion, and black rice - and christine brought glazed carrots, jennifer brought salad, and sabrina, the dessert mystic, made a glorious fruit parfait served (festively!) in martini glasses! it was glorious! we turned the dining room into a 'salon' with all the soft livingroom furniture and served appetizers, and set out banquet tables in the livingroom, set with all sorts of glorious things! i was too busy to take pictures, but sabrina may have, and i will get her to send them to me! :) hooray!

this may have to become a semi-regular event!

it's a soiree

this friday night i am having a soiree... a lovely banquet for some of the people i know and love. i am roasting tiny little game hens and everything! today is going to be a fun day ... and although some of you may think i'm joking, i'm not. i get to hop around town getting said hens, decorations for the table, wine...planning it all in my head! how fun! i love to throw a party, and it's been a while since i threw an intimate, sit down dinner. i think we don't celebrate enough!

so, ta ta! i'm off to 'the shops', as they say across the pond!

keep your comments to yourself

ok - i have been purposefully not posting about this particular area of my life, because people are so polarized about it. so i warn you in advance, don't judge me. what i am about to confess goes against every humanistic sensibility i have, and i don't need to be made to feel worse by your scathing comments.

a week ago today, we had our cat, Satchmo, declawed. the reasons were varied and complicated, and for today's purposes i will not go into them. needless to say, he, and i, have been traumatized for the last 8 days. he has been isolated in my bedroom, wearing The Cone of Death, and generally looking miserable. finally, today was the day The Cone was supposed to come off. so i took it off. and he cleaned his feet til one of his scabs came off, and i had to put the cone back on. now his vet, our friend Sara, says we should leave The Cone on all the way til friday night. i cannot tell you how unhappy i am about this! poor satchmo! i cannot tell you how much i regret this!!! i spend hours everyday on the bed with him, scratching and rubbing his poor, lonely self...enticing him to eat and drink despite the half-blindess of The Cone. sigh. only 2 more days... only two more days... i hope that we can make it.

puppy love

who doesn't love a holiday monday??

we have been laboring this labor day weekend with 5 kids in the house, rather than the usual 2! happily, though, there have been very few snags - and they have been minor. unless you count all the childhood flirting between my megan and one of the boys, wesley. oh my goodness! the two of them spend hours holed away together while the other kids play ... i heard them today trying to decide what to play, and megan said, "well, you're the man!" HEAVEN HELP ME!

does anyone actually fall for this?

(to be perfectly clear, what i am about to share with you i share to mock the incredibly obvious scam, not to toot my own horn!)

so...remember the poetry "award" i won, that i could recieve for a mere $170? well, look at the email i got this morning....

"Dear Rachel,

As you may know, Noble House is one of the world's foremost publishers of fiction and nonfiction works by new and established authors. Our poetry division in the U.K. has had the honour of publishing the poetry of more than 800 poets over the past twelve years.

Recently I had the pleasure of reading your poetry that you have had published in the United States. I was moved so much by your written words that I have selected you to honour with our most desired and prestigious Noble House 2006 Lapel Pin. This stunning pin, crafted with 24-karat gold, proudly displays your status as an elite member of Noble House Publishers and is something you should be very proud of. This accomplishment should not be taken lightly since only a few writers have received such a distinction in the past.



To take advantage of this 'once-in-a-lifetime' honour, simply fill out the order form or click on the link below. I must ask for a nominal fee of $69.95 (£40.20) to cover the costs incurred with the shipping, handling, and insurance of the Noble House Lapel Pin. It is extremely important to me that it is delivered to you in the right manner with the utmost care.

Rachel, I was extremely delighted with your work and feel you deserve this type of recognition. Many people write poetry for years and never obtain the level of artistry that is present in your work. You should be very proud of your accomplishment."

wow! for a mere $69.95 i can recieve such a special award! quick! where's the checkbook? i will proudly wear my pin to church and people will ask me why i have such a lovely piece of jewelry on, and i will tell them about my marvellous skills!

honestly, i would "click to stop receiving emails from...", but they always make me laugh! do people actually fall for this, you think?