It's a silver

Amanda participated in the Special Olympics fall games. She bowled her way to a silver medal. Amanda never feels like she does a good job with bowling. For the last 2 years, she has gotten ribbons. But this year, she did a really good job. In one game, she had a score of 82. That's better than I can do! (which isn't really saying much)

She loves the police presence there and when the officer gave her the metal, she hugged him.

Amanda's case manager at school is Lindy Pelkey. Mrs. Pelkey has been at Pinkerton Academy for a long time. She's really great with Amanda and knows just how firm to be with her.

17!

My baby turned 17 on October 24th. I can't believe she is 17! She loves Star Trek so we got her a Star Trek cake. The Enterprise even had a light on it. We had the Wilsons over for dinner and cake and ice cream. Our neighbor Eileen, who is a great buddy to Amanda, came over and gave her a Wal-Mart gift card. The Wilsons gave her a Wal-Mart gift card, and Grammy and Papa gave her a Wal-Mart gift card. So she is counting down the days until November 17th when the Star Trek movie comes out.

Amanda was wearing her Pete's scoop 20th anniversary shirt that was given to special customers. Ryan, aren't you jealous?????

Tim's wake up call

Scout is a funny dog. In the morning, she makes a decision on when Tim should wake up. She will get up and go stand or sit over his head. If he does not move to wake up, she starts licking his eyes until he responds. Once he acknowledges her presence, she'll settle down and lay down right where she is.

WHAT?????

So New Hampshire, despite being beautiful because it is fall, is also cold. Today we are having a nor'easter and guess what? Its SNOWING!

Fall Ride

Last Sunday, Tim, Amanda, and I took a ride to look at leaves. Because all the leaf peepers fly in for Columbus Day weekend, we decided to avoid the mountains. So we drove north to Concord and west on 89 toward Bradford and Warner and Hillsboro. Although they were not as brilliant as they were at the end of this week, they were still pretty.

As we drove through Hillsboro, Warner, and Bradford, we'd be driving along and I would say...."oooh, that looks like a fun road". Tim would humor me and drive down the road. We had no clue where we were or where we were going but the roads were beautiful.

The picture above was taken in the little town of Salisbury which also had a really nice cemetary in it. I love old cemetaries, and old cemetaries in the fall are even better. This one had a really nice oak tree in it that shaded everything.

I LOVE FALL!

A View from the top

My neighbors father owns a hot air balloon company and she took a ride with him about a week ago. She just sent me this picture of our house. I LOVE the picture. Great view.

Sustinance from the Earth

I love having a garden until it comes to this part of the year where everything needs to be pulled and cooked up. Last night, Amanda and I pulled all the carrots and beets. I didn't realize how many carrots were still in there and how many were really good sized. This morning, I am working on taking the skins off the second sink load of carrots. My arm is sore, my shoulder is sore, and I'm not quite sure where I'm going to put them all because the freezer is full. But I am thankful for vegetables (that are organic by the way). The dogs really love the carrots. Scout was was jumping up and trying to steal the carrots off the counter. Funny dogs!

Carriage Man

This manikin continues to freak me out. It was sitting on the couch today and when I walked by, it made me jump. It is life size and has rubbery hands... looks kinda real. Tonight, he is resting in Tim's chair. I wonder when he will make it back to the animal hospital? I hear they have great fun with him there by sticking him in the cages, by putting him in closets, and by putting him on the back staircase. Kristin needs to take him back to work tomorrow. At least the dogs are used to him now. All he needs is the remote to the T.V. and he's golden.

My daughter got me GOOD

Ok, so its 9 p.m, I'm really tired from watching the Red Sox lose to Kansas City 2 nights in a row, and I have a splitting headache. So I thought, well, I'll go to bed early. I went in my bedroom, turned on the light, and I saw someone laying in my bed. I could have sworn the person was breathing. I slammed the door shut and called Tim in only to find out that my daughter took the manikin they use at the Windham Animal Hospital for the carriage they have out front, and placed it in my bed while I wasn't around. I thought it was my neighbor Eileen. She doesn't have any issues that I know about but I wondered if she had dementia that I didn't know about and forgot which house was hers sort of like Walter used to. This is what the manikin looks like.... Freaked me out! Kristin reports that someone put it in her car tonight.

Crazy Love

I have just started reading this book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. Chan talks about how our churches are missing it because people have an inaccurate view of God, and who we are in light of God.

R.C. Sproul wrote "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

The first 3 chapters lays the foundations and the last 7 challenges us.

There was one quote in the book that was my favorite: "God is the only Being who is good, and the standards are set by Him. Because God hates sin, He has to punish those guilty of sin. Maybe that's not an appealing standard. But to put it bluntly, when you get your own universe, you can make your own standards." I love it when people don't pussyfoot around the subject.
You can read a section or watch the chapter videos on his website www.crazylovebook.com. It will challenge your thinking, I promise.

What is this?

In the spring, I went to Pinkerton and bought some plants from the sale the students put on from their plant science class. I bought the one in the back I think but didn't remember what it was or even that I had it. I thought it was a weed at first but I didn't end up picking it out because I wasn't sure. Well lo and behold it turned into this fascinating plant that Tim thinks must be tobacco.... (like he has ever seen tobacco) Dad, I need your help... what is it?

Hopkinton Fair

I love September because it is fair month. Today, we ventured out to the Hopkinton Fair. We've been there once before. Of course we enjoy the food... although there was nothing healthy and I missed having my bowl of soup at the Deerfield Fair. Oh well! Anyhow, we found it delightful to experience a new treat.... Maple Syrup cotton candy. IT WAS DELICIOUS! No dyes and if you lick it, it looks like maple syrup. When we went to the animal barns, there was a white goat named Fiona that tried in the worst way to get the cotton candy. She also loved Tim and Amanda. Everyone was trying to feed her hay but she'd only take it from Amanda.



I like fairs because you can see neat things... like a giagantic pumpkin .... and a really nice looking red-tailed hawk about 2 feet away. And Tim got to see the tractor that he isn't allowed to buy this year. Too bad.... maybe next year.

September

Well, everyone is catching up on their blogs and even my daughter Kristin is now blogging. So I suppose I should catch up. My sister Tracy reminded me that each day is a gift... which is why I started this blog. I don't like to blog when things aren't so up-beat. Lately, I have been overwhelmed by those who are hurting around me. I've had friends who lost a jobs in July; and the place they worked didn't pay into the unemployment system so they have no job, no money, no insurance, and no unemployment to fall back on. I've had friends whose grown up children are suffering with health issues, spiritual issues, and whose marriages have fallen apart. My heart grieves for them and for their parents who tried their best to raise them to love and serve God. It feels like everyone around me is getting divorced right now.

I also started back to school last week and was very discouraged because I didn't get something I ordered even though it was in my budget (we're being micro-managed). Hopefully, the fire department will get me the AED trainer I need soon. By 8 a.m. on the first day of school, someone had opened the AED cabinet (I might add, we found out it was an accident and that her backpack got caught) and 3 policeman, and 6 fireman, and an ambulance came. Glad to know it works??!!!! School has been stressful with the H1N1 preparations and trainings, care plans on at least 25 kids with peanut allergies, bee sting allergies, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, seizures, and diabetes. I also have a kid with an implanted defibrillator that went off 3 times last year while he was playing forbidden sports with a town team. So I learned all about those and what not to allow, etc. And, my coworker nurse adopted a baby from Korea and she will be out for 3 months. I love the sub nurse who regularly subs for me. She is in her 60's and we all call her Rachet. She was with me yesterday as we watched a big female louse scramble around someones head. YUCK! So welcome back to school. Many think that school nursing is easy. If you spent a day with me and dealt with the issues I see, you would find it is a very hard job! I believe I have saved more lives as a school nurse than in a hospital. BUT, I'm thankful I have a job.

I'm thankful for the long weekend but will spend it getting ready for our annual lobster fest/barbeque. We have 40 coming over for 2 p.m. on Monday. We invited neighbors, close friends, and some of Tim's work colleagues. Many don't know the Lord. It will be a little more uncomfortable because its not just my closest friends, but I think it is good to do this. Why do I have to live in my comfort zone anyway?

I love September because the weather is beautiful, the apples are coming (YUM, Honey Crisp... not for making pie Tracy), and there is nothing better than the first day of school when all of the students return. I looked at one boy and said...you've grown 5 inches this summer. He had a physical yesterday and his mother came in laughing and said "you nailed it right on the head...he grew 5 inches". Please pray for my students and me as I work with them. Many are hurting so much right now. In class this week, one teacher asked a boy why he moved from a different town. His answer in front of the whole class was "Because my mother is sleeping around". Very sad. I have quite a few of the Calvary kids this year as well. Please pray for them as they adjust.

Last, I got in a car accident several weeks ago and am having to deal with the insurance company. I've never done this before (are you surprised?) so its a new experience for me. I was rear-ended at a stop light and the person totaled his car. I started to have neck and especially muscle issues within a couple of days so I'm seeing a chiropractor and getting massages. ( I know I shouldn't complain... but when you are in pain it hurts!) After seeing one of my teachers out of work after getting rear-ended, and realizing that she really has a serious brain injury from it, I'm thankful it wasn't worse. I'm also thankful for my husband who in his protective ways will not let me drive anything but a tank (which had less than $2000 damage). Thanks Steve for your wise counsel yesterday. I'm thankful for your new job, and for your old expertise in the field of collision work.

Camp Allen

As most of you know, I send Amanda to Camp Allen in Bedford. Camp Allen is a camp that opened in 1921 as a respite for the blind who came from the Perkins School in Boston. Now, it is open to anyone with a disability. It is owned by the Manchester Lion's Club and the Boston Kiwanis. They hire counselors from all over the world. The staff to camper ratio is either 1:1 or 1:2. The camp has changed alot this year but it still has the old camp buildings. I just spent 10 days there doing the nursing. They moved the nursing office into the main office this year so it was a little different to get used to. But I like the roominess. They are trying to get Extreme Home Makeover to create a big dining hall for the campers. The camp is not spread out too far. It has cabins, a pavilion, screen house, chapel, pool, and this year a tepee. One of the camp directors is from Manchester, England. His mother came to visit and did activities with the kids. Mostly, the activities involved frosting cookies.... And apparently my face. I liked the chocolate better.

She is a lovely person and I really enjoyed her this year. Although I get really tired and miss home terribly, I love Camp Allen because it reminds me of how unique each individual is. I looked out one morning and one of the campers who has Downs Syndrome was in the upper lot with his ear phones and CD player on just dancing away, all by himself. Just being himself. Oh to be that uninhibited! Mel is one of my favorite campers. She is wheelchair bound. She is in her 30's and depends on people totally for her care. Her mind is bright and she is a joy. She is very frail and I worry about her but I can truly say I am the better person for knowing her. Another one of the campers would come up to me and say "my grandma". By the end, he looked at me and said, "bye mama". I just about cried. These people are so sweet...not innocent...but loving and sweet. For some parents, this is the only break they get during the year. The campers have the time of their life, and the parents get a break. This is a win-win situation.

Chicken Adventure

Stephanie and David came over for dinner last night with the 3 boys. They are 3 and 2 now and getting so curious! Steph and I were sitting on the front porch talking while the boys were checking out the chickens around the corner. Tim came to the door and told me to hurry up and get my camera. When I looked out, the boys had pulled back the wiring and climbed into the chicken coup and were chasing the chickens around.... BAREFOOT.....yuck! Tim , David and I thought it was hilarious but Stephanie did not.

Finally, some sleep....too bad!

Our orange tabby cat, Tang, used to wake us up several times a night to come in and out. He used to prowl the night for mice and squirrels, and has even caught a chipmunk or too. He usually wakes us up to show us his kill as well as telling us he wants to come in. When we are really tired, we shut the door and turn on the air conditioning so we can sleep because once Tim is awake, he can't get back to sleep.

Saturday morning, Tang was eating and I was petting him and I had this strange feeling something was going to happen to him that day. Scout started to irritate him and he wanted to go out so I let him out. I said, "goodbye kitty... I have a feeling I won't see you again." I almost didn't let him go out but I thought, this is crazy. He has not been sick or anything. His birthday was yesterday and he would have been 9. We've been sleeping with the door open but Tang has not returned. He's never been gone this long. I feel sad and quite freaked out that I knew somehow. I have looked along all of the streets in a half mile radius and have not found him. It just seems eerily quiet somehow. The dogs keep looking for him because he could give a good fight. He put up with alot from Kristin and Amanda... ok and me. He loved the outdoors. We've had a coyote hanging around... I wonder. :( He was always my reminder how long we've been in our house because we got him when we moved into the house. Goodbye Sweet Tang, we'll miss you!

Tall Ships

The Tall Ships came into Boston this week and the girls and I decided to go down and see them. They've been in Boston before but we never went down. Boston was crowded at the Seaport. They were expecting 400,000 people and I think we saw at least 50,000.

There were over 40 Tall Ships all around Boston Harbor. We could have taken a boat around to see them all but we picked about 4 or 5 to look at around the World Trade Center. The ships were tall. The one we actually waited in line 45 minutes to get on and see was from Argentina. It was impressive. I don't know how tall the Libertad was but the building was 4 or 5 stories at least and the mast was much higher. I heard they were in Bermuda 2 weeks ago. These sailors were from Argentina and were so nice.

Camping in the rain

Well, it was a good idea but I began to seriously question the wisdom of packing clothes and belongings only to put them outside when it was raining. We went camping with the Batchelders for the first week in July. We set up all of our tents on one site, and used the other for sitting around the campfire and eating. We actually took over the pavilion that is used for groups so that we could eat. The food has to be picked up and put in the vehicles at night because we found out very quickly that there was a bear that roams around in the campground. It rained all but one day so we had to find things to do to occupy ourselves. Fish don't care whether it is raining or not so we did spend time fishing. One day, almost everyone got their limit. We also played dutch blitz and uno, we read, and we ate lots of s'mores. It is always fun camping with friends and we enjoyed the time. I will not deny that I was happy to get home and dry out.

Bird Flu? Who cares

Ok, being a public health person, when they started to talk about the bird flu, I told Tim to get rid of the chickens. He has been wanting more ever since. So we did get new chickens in May. They were 1 day old and we kept them in the basement until last weekend when Tim made them a new home.

The dogs loved the chickens and would push them around with their muzzle.

They are finally in their new home after making the basement stink!