Monday, July 27, 2009

Praying and Fasting for little man Stellan

This is where blogging meets prayer warriors from around the world. Amen.

UPDATED:

Stellan is out of Intensive Care and doing waaay better. Bless God!


This article from the local FOX news station in Minneapolis;

Baby Stellan in Intensive Care

Published : Monday, 27 Jul 2009, 5:17 PM CDT

MINNEAPOLIS - The eight-month-old baby who has been receiving prayers for his Supraventricular Tachycardia is in intensive care. Stellan McKinney’s mother says he is at Minneapolis Children's and his heart is beating unusually fast.

His mother says she is especially worried this time. Stellan may have to be taken to Boston for another surgery.

22 weeks into her fourth pregnancy, Jennifer McKinney learned her baby's heart was racing, beating three times as fast as it should. She spent five weeks in the hospital, taking medicines to slow the baby's heart rate.

But her baby had a stubborn heart and the medicine wasn’t working. Israel McKinney, Jennifer’s husband, remembers the hospital stay.

“For five weeks we were told we were 48 to 72 hours away from going home," he said.

For Jennifer, like all pregnant women there is no more glorious sound than that of her unborn baby's heart beat. Because something wasn’t right, she was constantly checking his heart rate. “It was a beautiful sound and it was a terrifying sound," she said. “I wasn't able to disillusion myself that this wasn't really happening. It was a constant reminder that he was in trouble. At the same time it was comforting to hear it because it meant his heart was still beating.”

And his was a heart beat heard round the world. Jennifer shared her story through a blog. She had been a blogger for several years already, writing a popular mommy blog with seven hundred happy, help-seeking hits a day.

Within days of sharing Stellan's name with readers, a woman in England emailed a photo of Stellen's name written in sand.

There were photos from the western wall of Jerusalem and the great wall of China. Stellan’s name was written in toothpaste, pasta, pretzels, candy, kids, berries and blocks and blossoms; beautiful blossoms.

Join Stellan's Prayer Cicle to Share your well wishes and read the thoughts of others: http://twibbon.com/join/Stellan

Read the Blog of Stellan's story: http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Follow Stellan's mom on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mckMama

Thursday, July 23, 2009

What is that cavorting AROUND and AROUND MY GARDEN?

Around and around,

the pretty brick raised bed garden,

the bunnies were chased by,

THE WEASEL ????!!!!



Yes, you read that right. Songwriter that I am, not.

Tonight, we witnessed first hand a wildlife blunder, I mean wonder, running around the garden.

It was almost dark outside and we were sitting in our room reading when movement outside caught my eye. I looked to see a dark little animal jumping around. NOT a rabbit. Looked kinda like a ferret;

click; light bulb;

It's a WEASEL. By my garden!

He was chasing off those blasted bunnies. Well, he was cute enough running and bouncing gracefully around, he can hang around in the evenings and eat those bunnies all he wants. (Like I have ANY control over it!) At least he is a carnivore, not a vegetarian. I wonder if that is why we no longer have moles!

Caity, Chris and I got to sit around him and watch him try to catch wabbits. He took off when I went outside to try and get a pic. Maybe tomorrow night!

Did I ever show you ...


the dwarf blue corn?



Close up of the very deep blue almost black kernels.


There were 12 ears harvested in all.
It was sweet and yummy.

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She weighed in


at 1.25 lbs

This is a Bloesser Pink Tomato.
I realize they keep coming in YELLOW.
I kinda like it.


just for perspective
next to a TALL jar of picante

That's one BIIG tomato baby.

I believe that, thus far, Helga's got nothing on the Yellow Pinks.

The tall jar of Picante we just happened to eat on our Lentil Taco Salad tonight for supper, with a different, completely unrelated (only .75 lb Black Brandywine) tomato.
I am saving the luscious yellow for lunch, tomorrow.
Taco salad on chips with lettuce, tomato, picante, sour cream and cheese. Boy, we eat good around here!
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Small on the cob



my favorite



mmmmmmmmmmm yummy corn!
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mmmmm fried, uh I mean feathery, chicken



Waiter, there's a FEATHER in my
fried chicken.

"Keep it quiet or everybody will want one"

um, nevermind.

Yes, that is the grocery store to go container, still taped shut.

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Saturday, July 18, 2009

Fruits and Veggies Update...


Last week I picked some turnips and
we ate greens and turnips with supper.
oh man, they were sweet!


I also picked a few baby Chioggia beets,
which we ate warm, mmm.


This morning all these were ready
to be picked off plants on our deck.


L to R
Bloesser Pink tomato (yes, it is yellow)
Doux de Espagne sweet peppers
5 Bi-Color Cherry (yes, you only see 4- Tall ate 1)
Banana Pepper
Purple Beauty Peppers
Aunt Ruby's German Cherry tomatoes (unbelievably not small cherry tomatoes)





Gorgeous Photo of our Fruit



Also, yesterday morning we picked some blueberries. Caity was at camp the first time we went, so I threw the kiddos into the vehicle and headed out there. It is so nice to live close to a U-Pick with fabulous fruit.
We brought home about 5.5 pounds of blueberries. We could see all the lovely peaches ripening on the trees. Maybe next week they will be ready and then it will be time to can some of this lovely harvest!


And in other news, the deer came up on the patio last night and decimated the 6 lovely sunflowers I have been growing in containers. It also looks like they knocked over a stack of wood. I will check the raised bed later today for any deer related damage, but it looks like they ate the yellow Dahlia that was blooming out there. Silly Deer, flowers are for bees.
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Friday, July 17, 2009

I learned a new word today...

Paranychia

and what? you may ask yourself, does that mean?

It means that after suffering through what I thought was a simple dyhydrosis dermatitis episode - where several tiny little bumps become one HUGE and PAINFUL blistery bump, that then crack and peel and look FANTASTIC for about a week, ALL because I decided to actually use soap or hand sanitizer somewhere other than home where it is perfumeless, blah blah complain about contact dermatitis blah, ... I found out that I had an infection on one of my fingertips, right at the cuticle line.

Dang it all!

I was on my way to see Chris lead a set and then actually stay for the teaching with happy helpful kiddos in tow and THEN...

when I stopped to get dinner for those kids so we could quick picnic before the set,

I noticed that my very painful finger bump thingy was suddenly HOT and SWOLLEN like crazy and WAAAAAY more painful than when we left the house 45 minutes ago. AND THROBBING.

I was unable to bendy that finger all the way...

Then I noticed that oh crud, my finger is pretty stinkin big and so is the rest of my hand and hey, why does my wrist ache... (sometimes a high pain tolerance is a pain in itself!) ...

Nope, no red streaks, but still... (did anyone else's mom talk about the Kennedy kid that died from blood poisoning from a blister from playing tennis... is that even accurate? - Um, NO, sorry Mom... to set that story straight, it was the son of Calvin Coolidge who died from blood poisoning after he hurt a toe playing tennis... Well, I suppose the scare tactic of that stayed with me, even if the story was not accurate)

So, all that to say, I began looking for a local Urgent care, because we all know that the ER is not for a simple infection, and my doc is NOT going to be available for 3 more days and it is beginning to LOOK like just MAYBE I cannot wait until Monday or Tuesday for this...

There was an urgent care in the very next strip mall down from Taco Bell, Thank you Jesus!

They were not TOO busy and we went on in... The kids were very well behaved (again, Thank you Jesus!) and the next step was

are you ready for this...

To LANCE my finger to relieve the pressure of this new infection (it has been brewing for a week, I really did think it was just dermatitis!)

I mean to say that two weeks ago, this same thing happened on a different finger, a BIG blister showed up between the knuckles on top and was waaaay painful for a week until I lanced it myself and then waited a week for it to even try to heal. It was then that I read you should NOT open these blisters up and the silly thing finally stopped hurting and healed, anyway... I just thought it was the same type thing.

Um, NO.


Wonderful Tall walked Small around in the stroller while all this attention was paid to my finger.

Fabulous Medium, he stayed with me, being my strong and sensitive support man, even prayed for me during it all. Love Him! He even went so far as to come over and look at the "cut" while I was soaking (and, um, bleeding) in a saline solution after the lancing. wild.

All this to say, that yes, my finger does feel better. Though it looks no better and is still HOT.

I did start the antibiotics as soon as we got home. I did know they would give some to me at an Urgent care, simply because HOT means Infected. and that means antibiotics!

I did not KNOW, but suspected... that they would cut it open. ugh. It hurt THAT bad, that I was okay with that.

As far as timing goes, Chris called as I was signing the slip for my co-pay... He had just finished leading worship and wondered why we had not made it. I filled him in, stopped by for a kiss and to beg, I mean ask, him to come home to take care of me.

We had made it all the way out to about 5 minutes from HOP before I went into the urgent care, so we were just down the street to stop by and get Chris.

I did drive the whole way home with my Throbbing finger held higher than my heart.

He did a great job, picking up my script and getting home just in time to carry up and tuck in the beautiful children and then dote on me before we headed off to dreamland.

What a day... oh, and hey, the carpets look verrrry clean. and are now covered with the plastic walky path thingys to protect the cleanness from little people who drip drinks and drop crumblys.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Blue... whaddaya mean Blue...


Medium telling me he was not going to eat
ANY of these berries
at all
except in blueberry pie
and maybe blueberry cake,
but not in muffins
or smoothies
or especially fresh?!


small, at some point trying to get more!


Medium hamming for Chris and the camera!
and annoying small

and yes, me attempting to fill the bucket



I know this looks cute, but he is smushing blueberries into a stroller strap
notice everyone wearing blue?!


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Blue and a Bear...


Brothers, checking out the haul


Medium picking some local honey...
but check out the look on small's face...
he is telling someone, shhhh!


Medium loves honey on his peanut butter sandwiches!


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Mostly BLUE


Small, cramming them in his mouth


faster than we could pick them!


mmmmmm


a little smushed, but still very edible!
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Red, White and BLUE ...


Blueberries
of which, Small, ate his body weight
and then some!



Medium enjoying


Look at them all
it was difficult to pick
because there were so many gorgeously ripe ones!


Early on, before we filled bucket

We filled two

totalling Eight Pounds!


Friday, July 3rd, we enjoyed Daddy having a day off. Long overdue and to be enjoyed... we went blueberry picking at a U-pick farm. We visited this farm last year for some amazing Freestone Peaches. The peaches, by the way, were looking pretty fabulous already. A bit green, but will be ready soon. I digress. The Blueberries are only available for picking one day a week while they are in season, and this being a holiday weekend, had people out in droves. The farm was busy and blessed by pickers young and old.

WE were some of the young, in case you didn't know that!

There were so many sweet ripe berries we really stood over the same 5 or 10 bushes. The farm had the most ingenious system to keep out the birds, I was impressed.

There were rows of blueberries with grass in between and then 12' deck posts at 15' intervals with bird netting draped completely over and hanging down the sides, except for the entry.

I mentioned to my darling husband that THIS is what I want to see SOMEDAY - along with my green house(s) and cherry trees and peach trees and veggie gardens... and Julian Easel(s) set up outside all ready for me to paint ...

But really, you could so build this in your backyard with like 15 blueberry bushes and some deck posts and netting and like never run out or pay too much for someone else's organic blueberries again!

Happy Red, White and BLUE !!!

Happy Independence Day!
Thank you to ALL who make it possible
for each and every one of us to live as
a Free American Citizen.

:)

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Monday, July 6, 2009

Always another way to see things... Forerunners

This time, it is with my one good eye and my other, very fuzzy and painful eye.

Really... just a few random notes that I will probably delete later so you don't all realize I am utterly and completely whacko, er I mean abandoned in my love for Abba.


Tonight, I took my two young sons and went to an engagement dinner for their favorite babysitter.

It was held at a kid friendly place with yummy pasta at 7pm. For those of you that know me... my boys are usually in bed or almost in bed by 7pm. But we love this girl and well, wouldn't have missed it.

We arrive, the seating is two very long tables in the middle with booths around. The girl and new guy! are sitting at the far end of a long table, by the booths. I decide that is far enough away from people moving about to sit both boys and still be close to favorite sitter girl... besides, about half the people are there and already sitting in closer booths and at long tables. We sit. We hug a few people on our way to sit, and a few hug us as they pass by. We know just about everyone, we used to be involved in same church with them all. Everyone kindly asks where is Chris and Caity? I reply "at his weekly worship set and at Camp for 3 weeks". People move on.

I sit with my boys. A few people looking for seating, pass us by as a good choice to sit with and sit else where. I try to not let this bother me... I do have kids, most of them don't or have too many to join us at our booth. A few could have easily shared our space.

Moving on, everyone arrives and by now boys are hungry and restless, but still fairly well behaved and I, well, I am sitting BY MYSELF with these cute adorable and hungry coloring playing with play-doh boys.

Did I mention that small was eating a chunk of play-doh and then randomly munching the ends of crayons the rest of the time...mmm.

My booth has the only two available seats. Everyone else is together and having adult conversations, even mixing it up to sit with others and just talk. I have known 3/4 of the crowd for 4-7 years... yes, really. Still, I sit with my boys... and try to not notice or be offended in any way that no-one is sitting or dropping by to talk.

I tell the hostess, we will be leaving soon, small is restless and hungry and it will soon be time to go or I will be facing a meltdown of small but of epic proportions. Hostess says, please order your food and take it with if you feel you need to go, we understand.

Eventually, two people are very late and HAVE TO sit with us. They are grandparents. They are used to small children, but don't really know mine... have not seen one in 3 years and never have met the other. Small talk it made, pleasant enough.

My small one is way too hungry, way too tired and really just needs to go home.

I let the wait staff know... I need the food and containers for the food... blah blah. Food is brought... WAAAAYYY TOO HOT for small or medium to eat, matter of a fact, small is THROWING his food, at the good grandparents I hardly know and suddenly...

Medium has to go, RIGHT NOW... so, unbuckle small, (note; to grandparents credit, they offered to watch small while I left, but anyone knowing medium and small right now knows, those boys will not have me more than 3 feet away from them, not sure what that is... but okay)

I gracefully decline, explaining smalls particular separation anxiety would have a SCREAMFEST of the century before I made it to the end of the tables and so I dragged both boys into the womens bathroom... where medium promptly goes in to the big stall, by himself and then needs me to help... and oh does this end?

After some soapless handwashing (no, we cannot use public soap, it causes our hands to break out) we head back to the table, where I gently remind the wait staff I need TO GO containers NOW...

and once they are filled, and I have, I am certain made the BIGGEST UNINTENTIONAL SCENE of my LIFE... trying to carry small, direct medium and carry a purse, diaper bag and bag of presents from favorite sitter plus that bag with our dinner in it... then oh, my gosh, medium takes 5 minutes to say one sentance to our hostess - not noticing my hands are precariously full, because come on, he is only barely 6. I try to stop him unsuccessfully and get OUT THE DOOR intact with out dropping small or anything else... (no one offers to help... what is that? and only 2 people really acknowledge I am leaving)

I was able to try and excuse myself by simply stating it was waaaay past babies bedtime and he was trying to start the food fight of the century (only completely one sided with these genteel grandparents) - and really spoke to or was spoken to by no one else... besides the wonderful girl and new guy and her mom and dad, of course.

Did you get all that. Unbelieveable.

I am extremely grateful that my best friend was available by phone for that tearful call.

I am utterly and completely something walking out the door, with hurt feelings that no-one would sit with me to eat and feelings of how terrible I am at parenting these precious sweet boys with out my husband helping me or even sissy to help... I cannot take the boys to a restaurant. ugh. Okay, so, really, I cannot take the TIRED boys to a restaurant, when there is so much going on.

But ... another way to see things goes like this...

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

No one at the restaurant, even the people you used to "be the church" with, want to share a table and eat with you.

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

That is a point my friends... a prophetic point worth looking at with both my eyes. - or all 3.

Really, what does it say when we are eating the bread of life and people do not want to partake of it with you... what does it say when we are the forerunners of a praying lifestyle and people do not want to share in that meal?

Shake the dust off your sandals and move on...

I get it my sweet Abba, and thank you.

Beauty for Ashes. You are the reason I live, I live to worship only You.

Oh, and small (16 months old), once again... grabbed both my hands once his food was before him, to receive blessing for that food, what he simply calls "Amen". The food had been corporately blessed earlier. And he proceeded to eat it with his blue teeth.

Now THAT is a forerunner for a lifestyle of prayer AMEN.

Not me...

Not Me Mondays is a fun posting carnival - see sidebar for link ... it takes you to a friend's blog where she lists all the "not me" things she did this week and then a list of fellow "not me-ers" yes, I made that last word up.

So for me...

I did not lean small back in a reclined stroller while everyone was eating around us at a wedding reception and proceed to change his very wet diaper, nope, not me and I certainly did not snap back up his onesie and dressy overalls that were soaked through and let him continue to wear it, effectively til it dried itself, nope, NOT ME.

I did not poke my stinkin eye out trying on a pair of sunglasses at the store today... with a sharp plastic UNMOVING tag on the frames of a pair of sunglasses, very effectively scratching my eye and cutting my eyelid... and then act like it did not hurt like heaven and earth while I purchased the same eyeglasses, because really... now I need to go back and try and shop with crabby crunchy whiny small child and way too active for a store medium child for another pair when my eye is replaced by a glass one... nope, not me.

I did not do all my yardword in my almost a bra swimsuit top and a pair of shorts (much like my mother did my entire childhood - in her 50's style swimsuit top) this weekend and every other time the sun is out and I do yardwork, surely I am wearing more modest clothing than that to cut the grass, sweat, weed, sweat, trim, mulch sweat etc... nope that's not me at all!

I did not forget medium left the hose on and then walk around the other side of the house chasing small, leaving the same hose on for another hour until it flooded the yard either. sigh, nope, not me.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Veggies mmmm



The very first Listada de Gandia ~Eggplant!

Isn't the coloring lovely!

The leaves of the eggplant are HUGE too.

Tonight... grilled eggplant veggie fajitas !



Tomorrow night we eat fresh dwarf blue corn on the cob!

I may grill a couple of ears tonight, just because I can!!

We continue to have green beans, the purple pod beans are flowering again! This means we should have plenty of beans through the summer.

We have some critters in the garden; a few aphids, a yukko green caterpillar or two on and in the stems of the tomato (I deleted them of course) and some wierd tiny black with two yellow stripeys beetles on the turnips. All in all, not bad for a first year of organic gardening. The ladybug beetles have kept the aphids mostly away and probably several others I don't even know they ate! There are some japanese beetles around, but they appear to not have done too much damage. We drown them as we find them. I continue to put ladybug beetles out and check the plants daily for new damage. The Jacobs cattle is sustaining some leaf damage, but fairly minor... it has some new blossoms where I pulled beans two weeks ago too. Which is good news to me, I was worried I was not going to have enough to put up dried beans!

The worst pest is the ants... we have an unbelievable amount of tiny black ants in our yard and neighboring yards, I think this year because of all the rain they have been trying to move their eggs and nest to dryer locations. I have found (and destroyed) egg piles on the wood bench (between the cushion and the wood) out in the raised bed garden and now twice under two of the earthboxes. Next year, they all get casters.

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