Its Monday

How was your weekend?

I have trouble remembering things from day to day lately. Haha. Its just a constant juggle.

Lots of people ask how Lizzy is doing. She's great! She's back to playing tennis again this year which was where things all began with the pain in her back last year. Her only pain is in her lungs when she has to run. I think that's just being out of shape aerobically.

Because of a change in her insurance we won't be going to the city anymore for her follow-up visits. I can tell you that this piece of news does not disappoint me whatsoever!! She saw a new pediatrician on Friday. I made her ride the dinosaur while we were waiting.

                                        

The basement was cleaned out, thanks to my boyz. We filled a 10 yard dumpster twice. Still working on that. Bathroom renos are next (fingers crossed).

I went to a homecoming game at my old alma mater Saturday night. Terry didn't come with me. He was tired from all the work he did that day. He also mentioned that going there with me is like going to one of my old class reunions. Haha. Its true. I find it quite entertaining, but he doesn't. Anyway, East Hampton won their trophy back from the rival team, Southampton. Age old competition.

Sunday we took a ride in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering to see our Nicki. We brought her some entertainment. She was doing well, but there's still a ways to go. Praying for the infection to be overcome completely and quickly and for the rest of her post-surgery recovery to be a cake walk.

Raul was an extra careful and extra slow wheelchair driver. So we were trying to speed him up!! Nicki smiles for every picture no matter how she's feeling. Silly girl.

I had two other girls of mine go to two separate concerts over the weekend. Crazy.

Jennah's was Ed Sheeran. Great entertainer and musician. General admission is the crazy part. Aaaaagh!! I would have not liked that very well at all.

Anika went to a Dayglow concert. Thats the one that shoots the toxic glowing paint into the audience all night long while the DJs or musicians or whatever, do their thing. Yikes. This is college for ya.

So its Monday. Now what? I changed over my summer and winter clothes today. I had to reserve out some items for our trip to Florida in 2 1/2 weeks. I did some stuff for my regular job. Practice my lines for a 1850s wedding reenactment I'm doing this weekend for the Southampton Historical Society. Pulled out some meat from the freezer for dinner. (I'm avoiding the cleaning thing...). Um... ok. That's about all the stalling I guess I can do. Guess I'll go vacuum.

The World News... Aggghhh!

What the heck is going on across the world? Its crazy. Since when are Americans subject to Egyptian laws to where its being demanded that several Americans be tried in Egypt for a movie trailer--under Sharia Law???

This is ludicrous!!!

Our present day foreign policies are failing miserably. I don't believe Obama had any experience with foreign policy and he campaigned 4 years ago on the mere fact that he wasn't Bush. And right now he is way over his head. There's too much campaigning and not enough attention being given to the grave issues taking place against Americans. Apparently he doesn't have a real strategy regarding the attacks, anyway.

I hate election season.

Honestly, I believe that everything about our nation is being completely undermined, especially over the past 4-6 years, and we are in serious trouble. Our world is in serious trouble!! I don't blame Obama. I don't blame GWBush. I know that the things taking place are much larger and widespread than our government, our president, or our nation. But I tell you what, our financial system has been seriously attacked with its first major blow on the WTC, September 11, 2001. Our culture and society are now under major attack and being brought down a little at a time. Our "united" nation is growing weaker and more divided and almost completely unable to make decisions with any kind of compromises among each other.

I'm no expert on politics or government, but the stuff taking place right now is very unsettling, and to watch our people getting steered off on some of the most minuscule aspects, in which platforms are running, is just disgusting. Some of the issues, of course, are very important but others are merely being used to drive an emotional campaign. Meanwhile, it looks to me like the violence presently being performed, is about to be unleashed on a much broader scale.

So, whatever happens, I want to be sure my heart is right with God and that I continue to love people and reach out to those around me. Tragic things are going to happen in our world. Our nation may face serious trouble in the future. Our freedoms may remain or may be taken from us, but I choose to follow the Lord no matter what. These daze I find that the love part is a major challenge, like never before... but that's what I choose. Help me, Jesus. It doesn't mean I won't still have opinions about things or valid perspectives to be shared as much as the next person, but keeping eternity in view and a hope that purifies--that one day I will see the Lord face to face and I will be changed--must become my ultimate focus and goal. No matter what anyone says about Jesus, the one I worship--no matter what awful film trailer or anti-God artwork, or sentiments or hatred or insults--with the power of the Holy Spirit within me, I will still choose to love. Blowing other people up to make a political statement, rioting or killing those who disagree, or setting myself on fire or strapping explosives to myself to protest someone else's beliefs or religion isn't something that's a part of my faith. Love is!

I wonder what that will mean for me as things play out in our world and in our nation. Its a serious post and a bit of a downer...

Sorry.

Its been a difficult week.

Just Waiting...

Noah was waiting for his boyz to get out of the water

I'm waiting for some motivation to kick in.

I'm waiting for something funny or important or interesting to blog about.

I'm waiting for my next gig to get started.

I'm waiting for the elections to be over because it gets so ugly around here.

I'm waiting for this 30 day cleanse to be over (still have 25 days) so I can feel all healthy and lighter and more energetic.

I'm waiting to talk to my friend, Nicki, who is recovering in the hospital after just having surgery yesterday, but I don't want to bombard her with phone calls.

I'm waiting for my son to finish cleaning out his old bedroom so I can move my office over.

I'm waiting for a friend to come pick up my Musikgarten supplies that I'm donating because I've moved on from it and she has been teaching music to a group of LD children. These things have been sitting in my kitchen all summer. It's TIME!!

I'm waiting for the orthodontist to take Lizzy's braces off. She really wants to be done and its been at least 3 years now. I will never go to this orthodontist again (she says after sending 3 of her children to him already) and...

I'm waiting to see if I want to write a letter stating why I am so annoyed with his practice. Grrrrr.

I'm waiting at least until the weekend before I clean up all the fans, take out the air conditioning units and switch over the summer/winter clothes.

I'm waiting until I get used to not drinking any wine before I try giving up coffee as well.

(I don't know what I'm waiting for to start exercising again)!!!

I'm waiting with fear and trembling to get the latest credit card bill.

I'm waiting for the bathroom renovations to begin.

As for today... I'm going to take care of my office work, see what needs to be done with the pool so that it can be closed up this weekend, and then, if there is time, create some space in the attic for the air conditioners and fans and the switching of the clothes bins. (Why do we have so many bins of clothes)?

The waiting is so excruciating!!

The Summer Flew By

Our summer starts late. The kids don't really get out of school until the 3rd week of June and the weather isn't always hot enough for the beach until July anyway. Even the lifeguards don't start at the beach until July 1st. and then, all too quickly, its over. Waaaahhhh!


I certainly didn't get enough beach time. I wanted to go several times and my 10 year old never really wanted to go. I could have easily said, "Too bad, that's what we are doing today". But if and when we did go, I knew all she was going to do is bother me the entire time we were there. "Mom, come with me crabbing." "Mom, come in the water with me." Mom, can I go to the ice cream truck?" "Mom, can we go now?" When I go to the beach I look forward to relaxing with a book, maybe catching a few winks, and jumping in the water only if I'm hot. I don't prefer to be the entertainment for my youngest child. L A Z Y !!!

Such an innocent face. She knows exactly what she's doing!!!

Anyway, I'm glad they got on the bus this morning. I can't believe its down to 3 Hochstedlers at the school. WOW! It was only 2009 where I had all six in the same building for their education. How does that happen? And no, I didn't take a picture of them this morning before they left for the bus, but I wished I had. They were so cute.

So my oldest daughter is doing her college thing. She was not happy at all, after the first week. :-( She said she the food was awful and making her sick, even the salad and she couldn't eat. Also, it was boring. And the boys were disgusting and incredibly rude (she has a boyfriend so she's only looking for friendliness) and she was very unhappy with her "inconsiderate" roommate. Ruh roh. Someone definitely needed more sleep and better food for the first off. I know she misses her Beau terribly and that wasn't helping at all. But she did say she really liked her classes and one teacher especially and she had biked to the beach a couple of times. She's going on her second week and I am hoping things will get better for her... I really have stayed away from it, because my tendency is to say "Get over it! And change your perspective!" I don't like to listen to complaints, especially if the person is leading to a quick solution that says, "This isn't going to work." I say SO MAKE IT WORK! Its all part of life and growing up. But in spite of trying not to come to the rescue, I sent a large package with all kids of food she can make in her room. And I have been praying and reading scriptures and praying scriptures for her, and losing some sleep, and trying not to feel down about it. I do believe this is a very important step for her and she needs to find the deeper meaning in it all. Breaking free from the comfort zone is really hard sometimes. I didn't realize how hard it would be for her.

In other news nonpolitical... Today, Noah goes back to the vet because his eye should be better and its still not completely better. I'm not all that concerned but dang, I hate doing these appointments.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the city to support my dear friend, Nicki, who has a big surgery coming up next week. Tomorrow its the battery of pre-op tests (at my old stomping grounds--Memorial Sloan Kettering). We want more of those results we received with Lizzy--the "tumor is BENIGN" results. And of course, the recovery from a total hysterectomy can be a great challenge, so please help me pray for my friend. I'll be asking for prayers again, later in the fall, as she will need another surgery. God's grace. God's peace. And His healing power.