25 years ago today......

     I sat on my couch, mesmerized by the actions on my TV.  I was holding my baby girl as tightly as I could.  I sat there all night the night before, still holding her.  Sleeping on the couch with her in my arms.  I couldnt bring myself to let her down even to let her play on the floor, or to take her to her bed to sleep.  I cried until I had not tears left and the cried some more. 
     All I could think was that it could have been mine.  I wanted to drive to Midland and hug that other Mommy, whos baby was down the well.  I understood how quickly they can just not be where you thought they were.  I could only imagine how she was feeling and the terror in her heart for her baby girl. 
   
     What were we all watching? What could have been so important in our lives for 58 solid hours? The newest heart throb and his sweety breaking up? What congress was doing to affect the lives of those around us? The newest I Phone being introduced? Nope. We were all hoping, praying and crying for a little 18 month old girl named Jessica. 

      It all started on October 14, 1987.  For 58 hours, the world around me, also, sat in awe of what was unfolding outside of  Midland Texas.  CNN, then a fledgling cable news outlet, was on the scene with around-the-clock coverage of the rescue effort. This massive media saturation of the ordeal prompted then-President Ronald Reagan to state that "everybody in America became godmothers and godfathers of Jessica while this was going on."  There were people in countries we barely even knew of in Europe and Asia who were tuned in and watching. 

      Baby Jessica McClure (born March 26, 1986) had fallen into a well in the backyard of 3309 Tanner Dr. Midland, Texas, on October 14, 1987. Between that day and October 16, rescuers worked for 58 hours to free her from the eight-inch-wide well casing 22 feet below the ground.

       Her mommy helped keep her calm by singing the Winnie the Pooh song with her with a microphone that had been strung down the hole so that they could hear her and she could hear them. 

     For me personally,  I had a beautiful blonde baby girl who was a month older than Jessica.  I was a full time working mommy who spent about 10 hours a day away from my baby.  She was in the care of her grandmother, the person I trusted most if I could not be there, my very own mother.  But just knowing that not a thing  guaranteed us a single minute with the people around us much less the children that we had been so blessed to have was more than I could deal with in those hours. I don't really remember anyone asking HOW could this happen?  We seemed to KNOW things just happened.  EVERYONE however, DID seem to be asking NOW, what do we DO about it.  And everyone got to work. 

Today, marks 25 years since that day that we watched a crew of people who did everything with in their power and even invented some new things, crying and laughing and clapping their hands as the cable came up bringing that sweet little girl into the light still alive and breathing.  We watched the medics run with her toward the waiting ambulance to take her to care.  We watched the doctors that were crowded around the top of the whole give up their time and run along side to get her to the care she would need after dehydration and lack of circulation had taken its tole on her little bitty body. 

Happy Rebirthday Jessica.  I hope your world is wonderful.  May God continue to bless and keep you and your family as long as you live. 

Changing Times

This weekend was a very difficult one for me for several reasons that I am not sure I understand all of.  The basic upshot is that it is time for change and to stop holding on to things that maybe once made me happy, but no longer do.  I am compiling a list of those things and I am beginning with the ones that cost me the most money.  I am looking for a home or homes for my horses.  When I got them, they made me very very happy, but I have gotten to ride once in the last year and that was only because I was angry.  Keeping something that makes you sad, frustrated and angry is no reason to keep it, especially if those things are living beings.    Two of them really have to go together because they have been together most of their lives and it would be very stressful on them to be seperated. 

The next part is that I have a whole semi trailer full of belongings that are sitting and rotting.  These things also need to stop taking up space in my head.  Then after those things go,  I have a garage and storage room full of things that I feel obligated to keep and to maybe do something with... I am thinking those things need cleared out of my head as well. 

I'm not sure where to go from there, and Im not sure with all the other things that MUST be done, when the time to get these things done will happen or anything.  But, if it is supposed to happen, it will.  Some times, the hard part is just making the decision. 

Adventures for the Generations

This past weekend, the Multi-Generational Moving Crew spent 4 days moving a family in our group to a new chapter in their lives. 

There are those who say "It takes a village to Fill in the blank here"    There are those who VIOLENTYLY and vehemently disagree with the concept. 

I personally fall somewhere in the middle of that discussion as I believe in personal responsibility, however, I also believe that "no man is an island" and we must all band together to achieve the best most of the time, but I digress and that is a blog for a whole other time. 

This weekend was a time for our little village to assist part of our own to move on to the next step in their achivements in life.  Was this a move that they could have made all alone?  Probably, they are that strong and capable.  Was it easier by virtue of having a crew to help them?  Absolutely!   Was that crew estatic to help, even though it was not a crew who was liscensed and bonded in the art of moving ones belongings safely and confidently across the country. We sure were!!!  Are we a traditional moving company?  Not in the least!  
 We DID however provide the same characteristics as the Relocube advertized by U-Packs company.  We deliver the cube, You load it, You lock it, You keep the key, and We deliver it right to your door. 

Of course, what trip with this crew would be complete with out a mishap or two to make the tales worthwhile. 

But our crew chief made short work of the change and both the trucking crew and our chase crew were now very much awake. 

 

 It was time for a break to check on the tiniest one of the crew anyway. 

It also gave ME time to wonder about the possiblities of  "The Road Less Traveled" and where it was taking my kids.  What was going to be in their futures by following their calling ON that road.  But again, the answers to that are for a blog for another day, OR, to be told by those on the road.   follow their trek



The very first order of business, upon our arrival was to reunite Daddy with the kids.  One blonde, blue eyed 2 year old was very excited to see his Daddy after a month of separation, for sure.  One little 2 1/2 month old girl told everything with her eyes, as well. 

Then, off to seeing the new digs and start loading in!!!!! 

Their new front door. 

Everything will have a place........ one of these days. 

Biggest first?  Then we have more places to stack boxes, right? 

 

 

 

I have always believed that if you have a roof, and a bed, you have the beginnings of a home.  This was the last of putting the beds together for this young family.  Notice that everyone could have a hand in making that happen. 

The end result is just a little reminder every morning of why we are here.



THE DOORWAY TO A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE!!!

JUST LOOK AT ALL THE FAMILY LIFE, THE TOYS, THE SWINGS, THE PLAYGROUND!!!!

SCORE!!!!  I HAVE MY VERY FIRST FRIEND!!!!!

Meanwhile, back at work. 

This moving company does not discriminate by age, gender or anything else.  We at our company realize that all are capable of participating in some way.  With out the Great Grand Mother present, the job would have been much more difficult.  She had probably the most important job.  Being available to care for the youngest ones.  Could you believe that this woman is a "senior citizen"? of almost 80.  She drove her car the entire 10 hour trip to get this moving on the road, and then, spent her days feeding, changing and most importanly HOLDING her great grand daughter so that she was content and at home as the world swirled around her.  Have you ever seen such peace? 

 

So the next time that a new adventure is on your horizon,  I can't guarantee our moving company will be available to get you there, but I can say that we will be happy to instruct you in the most important components of the move, and ones you probably don't get from the average moving company. 

 Love, caring, compassion, faithfulness, and most especially, patience. 

And the greatest of these, is LOVE. 

 

MY WORLD.

A few weeks ago I went to a parade where I took this picture.  I was only taking it because of the Mustang club, my oldest son loves Mustangs and he didn't go to the parade with me.  It wasn't until I got home that I saw the liscense plate on the car. 

It bothered me at the time, but has continued to stay at the back of my mind. I have run in to way too many situations lately that seem to glorify this attitude in our culture.   I am not criticizing this person as I don't even know who owns this car and I know nothing else of this persons wants, needs, hopes or desires.  I have no problem with having a hobby that you enjoy and are proud of, I have several of those, but to say they were my world?  This has made me spend a lot of time in thought about the subject. 

I have been told that my world is not fun, not interesting, and very old fashioned, and out of sync with either the world around me, or where my world SHOULD be.   and actually I am sure that those statements are very true in some sense,  but thats ok. 

It may be a lot, I'm never very still and quiet for some .... and  kind of  boring to some who look at my world from the outside in.. but THIS  is MY WORLD.  Cant get any better no matter how much money you have to spend, or how many toys you have, or where you get to travel to, or anything else in my estimation.. Everything I need, in my world, is the family around me. 

Because of something that happened in our lives a number of years ago, I learned NEVER EVER to say the words, "I would give anything for.......... "  or "I would trade anything for........."

 Because......... I wouldn't.

Things hidden in my grandmothers cookbook

As I start sorting through the cookbook that was my grandmothers, the one that she hand wrote in her High School Home Economics class, I find some poetry and writings in the midst. 
The pages are written in pencil that is beginning to fade.  I have tried to preserve the pages in acid free, archievable, materials, but still I worry.  So, here, I will share those things I have found.  I dont know if she wrote these things, copied them from someone else, or if they were part of another class.  Keep in mind that when she originally did this work she was, I believe,  a Junior in High School.  Some of these seem to have been written later on.

The very first page is titled
  The Answers to 21 Years

She wrote him this letter
That's covered with tears
And it is her answer
To 21 years.
Six months have gone by love
The good doctor said
For six weary months, love
Ive been sick in bed.
My poor hungry heart, love
was in agony.
The drug store had nothing
Could help what ailed me
They tell me you're bitter
Cause I did not write
But a brain that is fevered
Is as dark as the night.
So you'll understand why
I didn't write you.
The master in heaven
Knows what I've been through
The judge made you stand up
Said, Dry up your tears,"
Then he sent you to Nashville
for 21 years. 
As we stood embracing
They tore us apart
But they'll never tear you
From out of my heart.
They shackled your arms, love
They shackled your feet. 
But they'll never shackle
A love that is sweet.
They angels all know, Love
You'll always be mine
And I'll still be waiting
Tho it's a long time.
O wemt tp tje governor
Got down on my knees,
Said, Oh! Mr. Govenor
Wont you hear me, please?
I begged for your pardon
Through those blinding tears
Though all I remember
Was 21 years
And though you're in prison
Behind those old bars
I'll get my strength back
In 21 years.

Needs, Wants and Desires session 2

Moving on to wants in life. 

That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure

 Another answer: a "want" refers to something that you would prefer to have, what you see as a good rather than a bad. A "need" refers to something that is absolutely necessary to your health (both physical and mental). You may not want to eat salt or take insulin (if you have diabetes), but they are necessary to your health.


Many people have a hard time figuring out what things are wants and what are needs.  I find it sometimes hard to decide as well, so I am working on it. 

Take food for example.  Food is definitely a need.  We MUST have food for survival.  Ice Cream is food, right?  But it truly is not necessary for survival. I also am lactose intolerant so milk products are NOT good for me.     We MUST have food for survival and pizza is food.. but a steady diet of it could be instramental in the downfall of my husbands and my sons health, well honestly any of our health.    We MUST have food for survival, but filet mignon is very expensive, so is that really a necessity?   So that brings me to believe that the best food for our health, that each of us can afford by what ever means we can get it.. be it by purchase, barter or growing our own Is a necessity, Dessert, exotic food and  what ever goes beyond the basic food groups at amounts that are healthy for us is a WANT.  If we take a look in my cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer.  My needs for food are very much covered.  I am blessed greatly with the lessons I have been taught by my mother, grandmother, a home ec teacher of 1929 that taught my grandmother how to manage a home, and many cookbooks, cooking shows and all that has given me a great interest in methods of preparing food for those I love.  I truly believe that preparing food is a show of love for those you prepare it for.  As for wants involving food, Cookies, ice cream, strawberry shortcake, shrimp, lobster, star fruit... while food.. are all wants in this area of the country. 

Looking at these things a little out of order from yesterday.  Next I will look at housing.  When I listened to stories over the years told to my by my grandparents and parents and other relatives and from one of the school districts I taught in, I learned a great deal about housing.  We live in a day and age that for the most part believes that we either should not have more children than we have individual bedrooms for, OR we should have a house with as many bedrooms as we want to have children.  When my older kids were growing up and had to always share a room with at least one other person, I told them I was preparing them for life.  Either in college or in married life, they were GOING to have to share a bedroom with another person and the earlier they learned to do it, the better it would be for them.  My father spent many years in his life sleeping on the screened in porch, or even in an old car in the yard.  We had a friend in the mountains who spent several years sleeping in an Indian TeePee by choice in the mountains.  So, my point is that in a living situation, we NEED a sleeping area, a cooking area, a community area, and an area for hygiene.  In many cultures those things take place in very very small areas and those people are oddly happy.  This brings us to my house.  I have all of those areas in the house I live in.  I have all the needs involved in housing.  I have a roof, all the areas, and even more.  I have a yard that I can grow food in.  I have storage areas for the abundance of stuff filling this house.  The house belonged to my grandparents before it belonged to us so it is still full of memories both concrete and remembered. 
Wants for my house would include mowing the lawn, putting away all the stuff outside that needs a new home, a clean house where things got put away when people were finished with them.  A paint job on the outside might be nice sometime.  I really dislike the paneling in the kitchen so painting over that would be awesome at some point too.  Oh I saw a penny floor that looked like fun.  I WANT something like that on the floor in the kitchen.  Taking the carpet out of the master bedroom might be fun and healthy at some point as well too.  OH, I really thought when we moved in here that I could see some fun landscaping and design of a patio in the back that would make us able to have office parties for hubby here at our house.  If none of those things ever happen will it upset me?  Nope, not really because I have my NEEDS for housing met. 

Hummm, now what about clothing.  Yep, got all I need on that score too.  Do I need shoes?  yes, especially around here with all the goat heads and the excessive heat.  HOWEVER, I had a friend once who had 320 pair of shoes.  That definitely takes shoes from the relm of need to the relm of want.  When the kids were smaller and we had 7 of them, just to maintain my laundry, I had 10 changes of every day clothes for each child.  2-3 "dressy" outfits, 2 pair of pajamas for each season, and the appropriate shoes, socks, underwear, and outerwear.  I have pretty much maintained that same rule for myself even though as a woman, I have way too many things in my closet that I never wear because I either really dont like those things, or they dont fit anymore but Im sure that someday they will.  My primary wardrobe is jeans and teeshirts.  That makes them easy to mix and match at least and I counted up and I think I have 7 pair of shoes. What in the world of clothing and such are wants?   Diamond jewelery, $400.00 purses, I cant even tell you fancy designers of shoes and clothing anymore, but those are definitely wants. 

The truth of wants is what was said at the top.  Wants generally apply to pleasure, not something that cant be lived with out. 

This is how wants and needs get confused in this current world.  Cell phones, I pads, and cable tv really are not needs. No matter how the world around us tries to convince us otherwise. 

We live in the age of the "Bucket List"  The things that many people feel MUST be done, before ew die.  I have SO many questions about bucket lists.. that start with what do you do if you accomplish all the things on your list and its not time for you to die?  Question 2, what do you do if you get close enough to death to know you arent going to be able to achieve all the things on your list.  Question 3.  What if you dont HAVE a list?   I have more questions about this topic but I wont address them at this time.   My main pervading answer to all the questions is that all of the items that go on any such list, are WANTS anyway.  Wants, for me anyway, are just that, things that might be fun but wont kill me or even make me cry if I never see them happen. 
I think it might be time to list a few more of the things I might want:
Books to read.  I love to read books
New kitchen cabinets and floor.
Refinish the hardwood floors in the front part of our house. 
A stereo system of some sort through out my house that I can listen to the music I want to listen to when no one is home or that I can have on only in certain rooms that I am working in. 
A clean, neat house.
To ride my horses once in a while.
A garage that we could put exercise equipment in for the family to use.
A tutle habitat in my back yard.
I want a new sewing machine and the time to use it. 
I want to scrapbook.
I want to do fun crafts with much of the stuff sitting around that was my grandparents belongings, to make momentos
to do SOMETHING amazing with my grandmothers cookbook.

What I have found to be true is that some wants, I have at least some control over, while OTHERS, I have very little control over. 

I also want my family to be happy and healthy . 
I want my youngest to WANT to do his school work to the very best of his ability.
I want kid 3 to finish his current projects and be able to get on with his life. 
I want us to all just want to hang out together and enjoy being in the presence of each other.

Here is what I have learned so far.  Needs are pretty much finite.  Wants can go on forever.  Needs MUST to some degree at least be met, Wants should not destroy you if they dont happen.

Wants, Needs and Desires part 1

Several things have come up in my world lately that have made me thing about things like Wants and Needs and Desires.  I thought I would look up some definitions to start with and this is what I found.

Need/nēd/ Verb: Require (something) because it is essential or very important: "I need help now". Noun: Circumstances in which something is necessary, or that require some course of action; necessity: "the need for food". Synonyms: verb. want - require - demand - lack noun. want - necessity - requirement - poverty - lack What are our needs in life?  To a certain extent that is debateable.  Starting with A roof over your head Enough food and water to maintain your health Basic health care and hygiene products Clothing (just what you need to remain comfortable and appropriately dressed) Then there is Maslows Theroy. Then there are those who add things like basic education or even college education in to the needs of life, transportation, usually of our own.  I even found a website called basicneeds.net that helps provide low cost internet for people who dont have it because apparently internet is a basic need now.  I found another website by doing a google search for Needs... that said we have 5 basic needs that should be provided for in school specifically but also in life.  Those 5 basic needs are POWER, LOVE/BELONGING, COMPETENCE, FREEDOM AND FUN.  I will also comment that I am female, I do prefer feelings of security over danger and darning.  But I dont know that I think security is a basic right in the world.  I believe that security has to come from with in and from those you choose to surround yourself with for the most part. So it seems to me that basic needs can be examined from many different points in this day of relativism.  want/wänt/ Verb: Have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for. Noun: A lack or deficiency of something: "houses in want of repair". Synonyms: verb. wish - desire - require - need - will - lack - like noun. need - lack - necessity - deficiency - poverty - shortage Wants seem to, also, be examined from many perspectives.  Some perspectives in society, might see watns more from an emotional point of view.  Our economic base in a consumeristic society might also be said to be driven by wants.  What would happen if we started only purchasing what we NEEDED, and put off our WANTS?  de·sire/dəˈzī(ə)r/ Noun: A strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen. Verb: Strongly wish for or want (something). Synonyms: noun. wish - longing - craving - request - lust - will - want verb. wish - want - will - crave - like - yearn - long - covet In the synonyms for desire I am interested to find the word covet and the word lust.  Hummm are these things then, that we NEED?  I find it interesting that both Needs and Wants include in their synonyms Poverty.  I understand how in our list of NEEDS, something not being filled could put you in poverty, but if we have things in our list of WANTS puts in poverty, interesting.    In our day and age we also list necessity as a synonym for each word and they are listed as synonyms for each other.  So, according to current wisdom, let me get this straight, Wants and needs are synonyms for each other.  Hummm that explains so much about our current world and the view points of many I see.     I have heard from several people over the last week what their thoughts are on basic needs of life and how we get to those things.  This brings me to thoughts of my own wants, needs and desires in life.  As a friend of mine would say, its time for a list.  My needs:  I need a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  I need to have the wonderful man who is my husband in my life. I need my children and family in my life.  I need a few good steady friends in my life I need a roof over my head.  I need clothing to wear generally appropriate for each season of the year. I need food to sustain my life to the best of my ability. I know there are those who would debate my point 1-4 as something that life can be lived with out, and they would be right, however I choose at this point to see them as necessary things to my joy of life.  Items 5-7, are true necessities.  I have a roof over my head.  It isnt what some of the people I know appreciate, but its all I need.  I have not the fanciest clothing, because generally speaking I am rotten at picking out clothing styles so I pretty much wear jeans, and t-shirts.  Walking shoes or boots go on my feet,  and once in a while sandals. The question for many in this day and age is how can you live happily with ONLY your basic needs being met?  I guess the answer to that for me is I CHOOSE to.  I have all I need in material things.  I have many more material things than I NEED to have, even.  With material things, thanks to inheriting a house full of my grandparents things, I have been blessed beyond measure and have many more things that should be moving on to someone who needs them much more than I do.  That is my goal at the moment.   That said:   The rest of my blessing is my husband and family.   My husband and my kids sitting around playing board games by candle light would be very satisfactory to me at any given time. As long as I had the people around me I care about a tent would be sufficient, truly.  I think moving on to my thoughts on the WANTS in this world needs to wait for another day.  Time to let needs soak in.