I posted earlier today about the flooding and it made me think of a story that my family told about my Great Aunt Bea.
My Grandparents lived about a 1/2 mile from the Arkansas River. Because our area is known for flooding, when it rained a lot, people got in the habit of calling and seeing how high the river had risen.
Well one day my Aunt Bea had been out to their house to visit and if I can remember the story right she started to get a little irritated at all the people calling to check on the water level. Bea had a since of humor. So when the phone rang the next time, she answered the phone and just said, "Glub Glub!"
Well I thought it was funny!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
London Bridge is Falling Down...
For those of you who don't live in Cowley County, Kansas, you would probably not know that our rivers are well above flood stage. For people like my husband who didn't grow up in an area of the US where flooding was much of an issue, the word "flood" probably seems a little scary.
Unfortunately we flood here. And it seems like it happens about every year somewhere between April and the end of October. And sometimes happens several times a year. Our last was last fall.
After last weekend's storms and torrential rains across Kansas, all the rain and river water has now collected in our little town because we are the last town in the state at the bottom of the Arkansas River. Actually Ark City lies between two Rivers, The Arkansas and the Walnut River. Flood stage is 17 feet I think and this morning at 3 am the Arkansas was at 25.1 feet, forecasted to crest at 30 feet, or so I was told. And of course it's still raining off and on here and around Kansas.
The City put in the flood gates after the horrible flood in 1998 and built up the dykes so I don't know if the gates have actually been closed since then. There has been discussion of doing that this time around which freaks me out a little. The thought of not being able to get home is crappy.
What's worse is that last night as I was driving Wyatt home from baseball practice as we crossed the River bridge west of Ark City, I got half way across the river and suddenly thought about what I would do if the bridge collapsed while I was on the bridge. OMG that's a horrible thought when your child is in the backseat! Always thinking on the bright side right? Why do I think of such things????
And then the song, "Proud Mary" started going through my head. So we started thinking of all the songs about Rivers and sang them. We sang, "Rollin on the River of Love", "Proud Mary", "Green River" and so on.
As I write I realize that for an instant I became my mother! If you know my Mom, you will understand. My sister will for sure. My Mom always sang about everything. Sometimes we thought it was fun or funny and sometimes we could not help but groan.
Some things are just genetic I guess.
Unfortunately we flood here. And it seems like it happens about every year somewhere between April and the end of October. And sometimes happens several times a year. Our last was last fall.
After last weekend's storms and torrential rains across Kansas, all the rain and river water has now collected in our little town because we are the last town in the state at the bottom of the Arkansas River. Actually Ark City lies between two Rivers, The Arkansas and the Walnut River. Flood stage is 17 feet I think and this morning at 3 am the Arkansas was at 25.1 feet, forecasted to crest at 30 feet, or so I was told. And of course it's still raining off and on here and around Kansas.
The City put in the flood gates after the horrible flood in 1998 and built up the dykes so I don't know if the gates have actually been closed since then. There has been discussion of doing that this time around which freaks me out a little. The thought of not being able to get home is crappy.
What's worse is that last night as I was driving Wyatt home from baseball practice as we crossed the River bridge west of Ark City, I got half way across the river and suddenly thought about what I would do if the bridge collapsed while I was on the bridge. OMG that's a horrible thought when your child is in the backseat! Always thinking on the bright side right? Why do I think of such things????
And then the song, "Proud Mary" started going through my head. So we started thinking of all the songs about Rivers and sang them. We sang, "Rollin on the River of Love", "Proud Mary", "Green River" and so on.
As I write I realize that for an instant I became my mother! If you know my Mom, you will understand. My sister will for sure. My Mom always sang about everything. Sometimes we thought it was fun or funny and sometimes we could not help but groan.
Some things are just genetic I guess.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'm Baaack from the Gates of Hell
It's been a long time since I posted. But honestly it's been a long time since I have had anything nice to say! That sounds horrible I know, but it's the truth. Things have been really crappy at work lately and unfortunately when things at work are yucky, it seems to spill over into every other part of life.
I'm trying to learn to seperate my real life from my work life though sometimes that is hard, especially when this stressful job can be all consuming.
Soccer is over thankfully. Baseball started last night and was another reminder of how absolutely lame this town is. I so want to go back to Winfield. Everything to do with athletics in Ark City just seems to be an absolute cluster-fuck! (I can say that you know because this is my blog!)
Cole's coach called last night, finally! We hadn't heard from him last week and everyone we talked to had spoken to their coaches. So I called the Rec and got his name and Andy called him over the weekend and had to leave a message. And he didn't call back. So last night he calls and tells me that practice starts in 35 minutes! And when I told him that I didn't appreciate getting a call 35 minutes before practice he tried to tell me that he'd tried to call me over and over for the last week and had left me message and that I hadn't called him back! What a crock! And of course I told him that! I'm sure my kid will be a starter this year huh? I don't know what number he was calling but it sure wasn't my phone or Andy's phone and he did not leave a message. I think he was just covering for being a walking DICK ON A STICK! So that really helped after a long day at Hell's Gate.
On a happy note, Wyatt has his first track meet this weekend and I couldn't be prouder. Makes me think back to all my years of trackmeets.
We're trying to get things planned for a trip to float at Tahlequah this summer and that's exciting. The River is always fun.
Gotta run here PDQ to get groceries and then get home to fix supper and get my little one fed and homework done in time to get him to his practice. Andy is taking Wyatt to practice while we are doing homework and getting Cole fed. It seems that Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays Andy and I will just meet up around bedtime. I love that the boys get to be in sports but there are some days that it really seems like a sacrifice of sanity. But it's worth it for them to get to do the kinds of things that I didn't always get to do. I want them to get to try anything that they want to do within reason and hope that they find some things that they will love to do for life.
Off to the races.
I'm trying to learn to seperate my real life from my work life though sometimes that is hard, especially when this stressful job can be all consuming.
Soccer is over thankfully. Baseball started last night and was another reminder of how absolutely lame this town is. I so want to go back to Winfield. Everything to do with athletics in Ark City just seems to be an absolute cluster-fuck! (I can say that you know because this is my blog!)
Cole's coach called last night, finally! We hadn't heard from him last week and everyone we talked to had spoken to their coaches. So I called the Rec and got his name and Andy called him over the weekend and had to leave a message. And he didn't call back. So last night he calls and tells me that practice starts in 35 minutes! And when I told him that I didn't appreciate getting a call 35 minutes before practice he tried to tell me that he'd tried to call me over and over for the last week and had left me message and that I hadn't called him back! What a crock! And of course I told him that! I'm sure my kid will be a starter this year huh? I don't know what number he was calling but it sure wasn't my phone or Andy's phone and he did not leave a message. I think he was just covering for being a walking DICK ON A STICK! So that really helped after a long day at Hell's Gate.
On a happy note, Wyatt has his first track meet this weekend and I couldn't be prouder. Makes me think back to all my years of trackmeets.
We're trying to get things planned for a trip to float at Tahlequah this summer and that's exciting. The River is always fun.
Gotta run here PDQ to get groceries and then get home to fix supper and get my little one fed and homework done in time to get him to his practice. Andy is taking Wyatt to practice while we are doing homework and getting Cole fed. It seems that Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays Andy and I will just meet up around bedtime. I love that the boys get to be in sports but there are some days that it really seems like a sacrifice of sanity. But it's worth it for them to get to do the kinds of things that I didn't always get to do. I want them to get to try anything that they want to do within reason and hope that they find some things that they will love to do for life.
Off to the races.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Breast Cancer Rant
I don't usually drone on and on about things like Cancer. I don't wear those pink pens or have a pink magnet on my car or walk in the Relay for Life. But I see things in my job that scare me just the same and it's important to me to remind those I care about that it is so careful to take care of yourselves.
A woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the United State is:
from ages 30 to 39. . .0.44 percent (often expressed as "1 in 229")
from ages 40 to 49. . .1.46 percent (often expressed as "1 in 68")
from ages 50 to 59. . .2.73 percent (often expressed as "1 in 37 ")
from ages 60 to 69. . .3.82 percent (often expressed as "1 in 26 ")
Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. The number of cases is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is relatively uncommon in women under age 40. The NCI fact sheet Probability of Breast Cancer in American Women provides more information about lifetime risk. This fact sheet is available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer on the Internet.
Those stats are staggering. Think about the population of the town you live in and then calculate how many women in their 30's are probably being diagnosed with breast cancer every year. We think that because we are under 40 or because our mothers haven't had breast cancer that we are probably safe. But the statistics make me think we are not as safe as we would like to think.
1) Do your self breast exams if nothing more, do it when you are in the shower. They say that women rarely find a lump that way (normally they find them on a mammogram) but what women do notice is breast tenderness that is not around your period, nipple discharge, skin thickening, a change in density in the breast, or sometimes a lump.
2) Get your annual paps and make sure your doctor does a clinical breast exam with the pelvic exam.
3) Women over 40 should have a mammogram every 1-2 years, preferrably every year.
4) Women who have a higher risk should talk to their doctor about having a mammogram before age 40.
5) Risk factors such as personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, long-term use of hormonal therapy (such as hormones after menopause or hysterectomy) etc. might mean that your doctor would want you to have a mammogram before you turn 40.
6) Studies show the more a woman drinks, the higher risk.
7) Physically innactive women have a higher risk.
8) Overweight women have a higher risk.
9) Women who had their first child after 30 or who never had a child are at a greater risk.
10) Women who started their periods before age twelve may have a higher risk.
11) There is a test that women can take to find out if they have a gene that make them have a much higher risk of breast cancer. The genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Ask your doctor about whether he suggests testing for you.
12) Have a good relationship with your doctor. Ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, don't take no for an answer until you are satisfied. If you are still not satisfied get a second opinion. Take charge of your healthcare!
13) You know your body, listen to what your body is telling you.
14) And don't neglect your health because you are afraid of what you might find out! I hear so many people say that they don't want to have a certain test run because they are afraid of the results. Are you more afraid of the diagnosis or the death that could result because you were afraid to get checked out?
A woman’s chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the United State is:
from ages 30 to 39. . .0.44 percent (often expressed as "1 in 229")
from ages 40 to 49. . .1.46 percent (often expressed as "1 in 68")
from ages 50 to 59. . .2.73 percent (often expressed as "1 in 37 ")
from ages 60 to 69. . .3.82 percent (often expressed as "1 in 26 ")
Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. The number of cases is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is relatively uncommon in women under age 40. The NCI fact sheet Probability of Breast Cancer in American Women provides more information about lifetime risk. This fact sheet is available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/probability-breast-cancer on the Internet.
Those stats are staggering. Think about the population of the town you live in and then calculate how many women in their 30's are probably being diagnosed with breast cancer every year. We think that because we are under 40 or because our mothers haven't had breast cancer that we are probably safe. But the statistics make me think we are not as safe as we would like to think.
1) Do your self breast exams if nothing more, do it when you are in the shower. They say that women rarely find a lump that way (normally they find them on a mammogram) but what women do notice is breast tenderness that is not around your period, nipple discharge, skin thickening, a change in density in the breast, or sometimes a lump.
2) Get your annual paps and make sure your doctor does a clinical breast exam with the pelvic exam.
3) Women over 40 should have a mammogram every 1-2 years, preferrably every year.
4) Women who have a higher risk should talk to their doctor about having a mammogram before age 40.
5) Risk factors such as personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast cancer, long-term use of hormonal therapy (such as hormones after menopause or hysterectomy) etc. might mean that your doctor would want you to have a mammogram before you turn 40.
6) Studies show the more a woman drinks, the higher risk.
7) Physically innactive women have a higher risk.
8) Overweight women have a higher risk.
9) Women who had their first child after 30 or who never had a child are at a greater risk.
10) Women who started their periods before age twelve may have a higher risk.
11) There is a test that women can take to find out if they have a gene that make them have a much higher risk of breast cancer. The genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. Ask your doctor about whether he suggests testing for you.
12) Have a good relationship with your doctor. Ask questions. If something doesn't seem right, don't take no for an answer until you are satisfied. If you are still not satisfied get a second opinion. Take charge of your healthcare!
13) You know your body, listen to what your body is telling you.
14) And don't neglect your health because you are afraid of what you might find out! I hear so many people say that they don't want to have a certain test run because they are afraid of the results. Are you more afraid of the diagnosis or the death that could result because you were afraid to get checked out?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
I Wish (stealing from Faith)
1) I wish I had all these great, funny ideas for interesting blogs and that I didn't have to get ideas from other people's blogs...(Faith)
2) That we would win the lottery.
3) And be able to build our dream house and have it be 100% paid for!
4) That I could wake up tommorrow and be the weight I was before I had babies.
5) And that I would wake up tomorrow with a nice, round set of knockers.
6) That I could retire at 32.
7) And sleep late everyday if I wanted to.
8) That I could have one day without the interruption of irritating people.
9) That fat free ranch dressing would actually taste as good as the real thing.
10) That I could get my eye liner tattooed on permanently.
11) And that I could have laser hair removal. (I hate shaving, especially my girl parts)
12) That I had an unlimited shoe budget.
13) And an art studio where I could make baskets, jewelry, mat and frame photography, sew, whatever I wanted to do that particular day. And there would be no entrance for anyone with a penis. My space!
14) That laundry did itself.
15) And so would the dishes.
16) That Friday came quicker.
17) That there was no such thing as wrinkles and cellulite and hair would never turn gray. (luckily no gray hairs yet, but I'm sure I'll have that too)
18) That I had been smarter about men when I was young.
19) That I could take a two week vacation somewhere with the boys and my husband but take a nanny so that we could have adult time too.
20) That men had periods every now and then. Now that would be funny!
2) That we would win the lottery.
3) And be able to build our dream house and have it be 100% paid for!
4) That I could wake up tommorrow and be the weight I was before I had babies.
5) And that I would wake up tomorrow with a nice, round set of knockers.
6) That I could retire at 32.
7) And sleep late everyday if I wanted to.
8) That I could have one day without the interruption of irritating people.
9) That fat free ranch dressing would actually taste as good as the real thing.
10) That I could get my eye liner tattooed on permanently.
11) And that I could have laser hair removal. (I hate shaving, especially my girl parts)
12) That I had an unlimited shoe budget.
13) And an art studio where I could make baskets, jewelry, mat and frame photography, sew, whatever I wanted to do that particular day. And there would be no entrance for anyone with a penis. My space!
14) That laundry did itself.
15) And so would the dishes.
16) That Friday came quicker.
17) That there was no such thing as wrinkles and cellulite and hair would never turn gray. (luckily no gray hairs yet, but I'm sure I'll have that too)
18) That I had been smarter about men when I was young.
19) That I could take a two week vacation somewhere with the boys and my husband but take a nanny so that we could have adult time too.
20) That men had periods every now and then. Now that would be funny!
Ice Storm
We had some storm damage in the ice storm last week and Andy's been working like a dog. He worked Friday night until 4:30 am Saturday morning and then since has worked 6 am to 1130 pm each day. We've hardly seen him though last night we did get to see him for a little while though he was working. I took some pics and posted them above.
Luckily it looks like the storm work is just about done and so hopefully we will have him back as normal starting tonight. We've all missed him but for some reason this storm has really hit the boys hard. I think it's easier knowing your Dad is 1500 miles away than to know he's coming home to sleep at night (if only for a little while) and not getting to see him except for a few minutes in the mornings.
I told him yesterday that all this working all the time was starting to wear me out. Tuesday night I was so exhausted that I never heard him come in and never even knew he was in bed with me until almost morning. I could have had a stranger climb into bed with me and never known it. That's a scary thought.
Here are a few pics of our storm damage. It was rainy that day so I only took pics of what I could see from the back door so this doesn't really do justice to all the limbs but you get the idea.
My Egg Basket
I blogged a while back on how I was going to start making baskets again. It's been literally since I was probably 13 or 14 since I made my last one and I just actually discovered a place online that I could purchase the supplies. Finding the time to start making one was a lot harder than finding a supplier. I finally made the time Sunday though and got this basket started. I had a little time Monday night and a little time last night and actually I am almost done. You can't really tell by the pictures, but this basket is actually pretty large. The width of the basket is something like 14 to 16 inches I think. I actually didn't measure, but it's big. I've had a lot of fun making this one, but it's amazing how much I've forgotten and how much I've had to figure out along the way.
I'm already excited about making another one. I have tons of ideas now.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Another Tale of Randomness
Sometimes Andy just cracks me up. Last night was classic Andy funny. So we were having this conversation that started with Andy saying, "You know what makes me mad about these Kansas news channels?" The thing is that yes I do know that makes him mad. Because he says the SAME thing over and over and over and over again. The horse is dead. Stop beating him.
Andy might as well be a Texan. But instead, Andy thinks that everything is bigger and better in Oklahoma, especially newspapers and television stations. And he thinks that Kansas newscasts should devote equal time to Oklahoma news as they do to Kansas news. So for example, they should report equally enthusiastically about OU and OSU as they do KSU, KU and WSU. OK, yeah that will happen just as soon as the Daily Oklahoman starts running the Power Cat on their front page. OK.
So after he rants on and on about that for about the millionth time, he starts to complain about news in general.
He said, "There is nothing but horrible stuff on the news these days anyway. That's why I never let the boys watch the news. Heck I used to enjoy getting dressed in the mornings and sitting and watching the news but now the news is nothing but sodomy, murder, rape and WEATHER!
I nearly died laughing! Like weather is just as evil and innappropriate for kids to watch as stories about murder, rape and sodomy! And the funniest thing was how he emphasized weather. Like it was the star of the show in the show of evilest current events.
He didn't think I was funny at all. And he didn't like me laughing at him, but goodness who wouldn't? Too funny!
Andy might as well be a Texan. But instead, Andy thinks that everything is bigger and better in Oklahoma, especially newspapers and television stations. And he thinks that Kansas newscasts should devote equal time to Oklahoma news as they do to Kansas news. So for example, they should report equally enthusiastically about OU and OSU as they do KSU, KU and WSU. OK, yeah that will happen just as soon as the Daily Oklahoman starts running the Power Cat on their front page. OK.
So after he rants on and on about that for about the millionth time, he starts to complain about news in general.
He said, "There is nothing but horrible stuff on the news these days anyway. That's why I never let the boys watch the news. Heck I used to enjoy getting dressed in the mornings and sitting and watching the news but now the news is nothing but sodomy, murder, rape and WEATHER!
I nearly died laughing! Like weather is just as evil and innappropriate for kids to watch as stories about murder, rape and sodomy! And the funniest thing was how he emphasized weather. Like it was the star of the show in the show of evilest current events.
He didn't think I was funny at all. And he didn't like me laughing at him, but goodness who wouldn't? Too funny!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Three Things I Love Today (Monday)
Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain bread is awesome! It's chocked full of all kinds of grains and seeds like oatmeal, sesame seed, flax seed, sunflower seed, whole wheat etc. Even my super picky little boy in a grown boy body husband loves this bread!
Physician's Formula "Vegas Strip" Shimmer Strips. Love this! It's a blush/bronzer/eye shadow all in one. All of the strips can basically be used anywhere on your face, cheek bones, brow, forehead, wherever. How fun. A little glam or a lotta glam. You decide!
Cornflake Potato Casserole. Who doesn't love this stuff? Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onions and potatoes topped with crunchy toasted cornflakes...a covered dish dinner wouldn't be a dinner without this casserole. The funny thing is that I never make it. Maybe that's because I would eat the WHOLE pan myself! Don't think I'm not kidding. Anyhoo, the caterer brought that casserole today and so my tummy is so happy. And I'm still fantasizing about going back down there again to have some more later. Love that stuff!
Controlled Chaos
After a long week of missing my boys, we drove to Freedom Saturday morning to get them. Last week was a really rough week filled with some really stressful, emotional events. Between the stresses of work and trying to adjust temporarily to life without children, I was just about spent.
It's amazing how structured life must be in order to keep a household running smoothly when you have school aged kids and they are in sports. Last week Andy and I learned that we need that structure too, or at least that we've grown really accustomed to that structure. Without the kids at home, we lived a much lazier existance which was nice, but on the other hand, I felt like our entire life was chaotic and just completely turned upside down without our comfortable routine. When I would wake up at 6:00 ready to get in the shower each day, I could not get in the shower because Andy was in the shower. He's normally out by then but because the boys were gone, we slept later. So because he started later, I had to wait until later to get started which meant that instead of getting to work 30 minutes early, I was only 10 minutes early last week and that bothered me.
When we got to Freedom I was so ready to see the boys and envisioned this sweet little reunion where my boys were so glad to see their Mama and we hugged and laughed and I kissed them like 10,000 times. Well my reunion with Wyatt was as I had imagined, but Cole was having so much fun playing with one of his new cousins on their trampoline that he hardly even acknowledged our existance! I was crushed! Andy practically had to make him come over and see us. I was absolutely heartbroken. Usually he's my little lovey snuggle bunny. But Saturday he was a big boy on a mission and had no time for his Mama.
On one hand I am glad that this week away was fun filled for them and not traumatic in any way, but on the other hand I guess part of me wanted him to need me a little more. I know they need us. In some ways they maybe even need us more now than they did when they were little. We've done a good job of creating two little boys with great self esteem and the strength to be independent. I have also realized that overnight they have grown up in my eyes. I guess I am coming to terms with the fact that they are going to need me less and less as the days go by. They will always need me, but I think in time, they will need me to be in the background waiting for them to have an acute need. And that's hard. I wish I could keep them small forever. I miss our Saturday and Sunday afternoon naps. It felt so good to snuggle up to them and take a nice little nap next to their sweet little sleeping faces. And those days are gone. Sometimes I still ask little Cole if he will PLEEEEZE take a nap with Mama. He always tells me, "Mom, I don't take naps anymore!"
So this week we are back to homework, soccer practice, supper, showers and bed. But this week I think I will be just a little more appreciative of the controlled chaos that is our life.
It's amazing how structured life must be in order to keep a household running smoothly when you have school aged kids and they are in sports. Last week Andy and I learned that we need that structure too, or at least that we've grown really accustomed to that structure. Without the kids at home, we lived a much lazier existance which was nice, but on the other hand, I felt like our entire life was chaotic and just completely turned upside down without our comfortable routine. When I would wake up at 6:00 ready to get in the shower each day, I could not get in the shower because Andy was in the shower. He's normally out by then but because the boys were gone, we slept later. So because he started later, I had to wait until later to get started which meant that instead of getting to work 30 minutes early, I was only 10 minutes early last week and that bothered me.
When we got to Freedom I was so ready to see the boys and envisioned this sweet little reunion where my boys were so glad to see their Mama and we hugged and laughed and I kissed them like 10,000 times. Well my reunion with Wyatt was as I had imagined, but Cole was having so much fun playing with one of his new cousins on their trampoline that he hardly even acknowledged our existance! I was crushed! Andy practically had to make him come over and see us. I was absolutely heartbroken. Usually he's my little lovey snuggle bunny. But Saturday he was a big boy on a mission and had no time for his Mama.
On one hand I am glad that this week away was fun filled for them and not traumatic in any way, but on the other hand I guess part of me wanted him to need me a little more. I know they need us. In some ways they maybe even need us more now than they did when they were little. We've done a good job of creating two little boys with great self esteem and the strength to be independent. I have also realized that overnight they have grown up in my eyes. I guess I am coming to terms with the fact that they are going to need me less and less as the days go by. They will always need me, but I think in time, they will need me to be in the background waiting for them to have an acute need. And that's hard. I wish I could keep them small forever. I miss our Saturday and Sunday afternoon naps. It felt so good to snuggle up to them and take a nice little nap next to their sweet little sleeping faces. And those days are gone. Sometimes I still ask little Cole if he will PLEEEEZE take a nap with Mama. He always tells me, "Mom, I don't take naps anymore!"
So this week we are back to homework, soccer practice, supper, showers and bed. But this week I think I will be just a little more appreciative of the controlled chaos that is our life.
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