Merry Christmas from the Atkins Homestead!!

Family and Friends

The winter is warmer with the kindness of family and friends!!Thank you all for a lovely party.You are all a very sneaky and loving group!!

Bambi --Who's yur Daddy????

Poor Bambi is parentless again and my husband George is driving around Rutland showing off his Daddy!!!

Bye to football for another year--

David got to carry the ball here at the Poultney game. Unfortunately Slaters lost but next year is another fresh start and even Jacob is hoping to put on some bulk and play next year also. Uh oh--crazy parents on the sidelines making complete idiots out of themselves for one more year! Isn't it a wonderful life???? Pretty soon Sammy will also be kicking the soccer ball around the field. My schedule is going to be very full and very outside!

Just click your ruby slippers and you're home--

I love Fall. This picture is almost a perfect image of my back yard now. When the world seems to be unpredictable and biting, the beauty of the earth soothes my spirit. Thank God He already knows what is truly important in our lives. Now if we all could only get a clue, we'd know we're already very rich.....

Go Slaters!!!

David Atkins #44 makes solid yardage as Slaters advance (in the rain) to victory over Otter Valley 26-15.
Dad, Ellen , Jacob, Yubby and Grant were on the sidelines to cheer them on.

Flying or Dying

Everytime I am taking off in a plane the same things flash thru my brain...ie the status of my will, what was I thinking when I booked both parents on the same flight, DNA retrieval and identification (oh yeah) and things like that....

But all is said and done and I'm gloriously soaking up the sun and surf in exactly this location and I am loving it!!

Here's a question: As a parent of two teen boys back in VT with their sisters, am I free to totally relax or do I need to worry so nothing bad will happen? Dumb question but every mother knows what I mean. Well this year I am going to do the totally relax experiment and see how that goes. I've good kids and and a very big God, so here goes.... I've already strolled the beach--walked up to the Ocean Deck to eat a leisurely lunch on the ocean.. walked back down the beach to Starbucks for the long awaited caffeine fix and then took a nice nap with the surf in my earshot. I think I am getting the hang of this particular experiment... no calls please, Amy or Yubby!

Admiration

When Mom is gone who will admire your flowers at the front door? My cheerleading squad is gone and I miss her today.

Beam Me Up, Scottie!

The rain here is relentless and yet I have this dry spot --this non creative blip -in my journaling; which has nothing to do with the rainy day after rainy day we are having here in Vermont. I'm reading Michael Crichton's book "TimeLine". I found out he also wrote one of my favorite early sci fi books/movies " Andromeda Strain." Yes, you either hate it or love it but I loved it so! Needless to say I was looking forward to reading "Time Line" all the more. It's about quantum physics and moving into another sphere of the earth by replicating molecules. Yes, beam me up type stuff but not quite. He writes so convincingly and has so many references that you're challenged to figure out what part is fiction!! Just when I think I've a handle on it, I notice a small news notation amidst the Phelps gold medals and Russia trying to annihilate the Republic of Georgia. It's about a device being announced in the scientific journals that renders you invisible.
Where are we in the world when that is a small news note on a large page? It's comforting and interesting to know that amidst my "dry spot" there is still lots of creative energy out there....

Say What??????????

mastodon?mastitis? 0h--Mastoiditis!!!!

One large shot of antibiotics in the dieriere and a week of horse size pills and the good news is Mastoiditis, loss of hearing and a side of meningitis
does not seem to be in my future.

I hate to go to the doctor so when I do it's usually rather serious and on the edge of common sense living. Fortunately my trip to the doctor this time saved me from something very unpleasant ---ie: not being able to hear the voices of my husband, kids, grandbabies , extended family, and friends. One good thing though I was reminded of during that time is that I will never cease to hear from God. He doesn't need my ears to speak to me!!!!!!!
But being on this earth I am soo glad to hear the voices of those I love .....

God's Angels

I've been remembering a touching story I read years ago. Please forgive the paraphrase..

A young women's husband died unexpectedly one day. Friends quickly drew around with needed words of comfort from the Bible, casseroles for her freezer, help with the children etc. The love of friends was apparent, as she struggled to arrange for the funeral.

Weeks later, the day to day became hard for her, and on one particularly hard day there was a knock at the door. Opening the door, she saw her daughter's little classmate.

"I'm sorry, ''Casey, Kathy can't come out to play today. She's at her grandmothers' house."

"That's ok, Mrs. Johnson. I didn't some to see Kathy. I came to see you."

"What can I do for you Casey?"

"Oh nothing....I just wanted to come and cry with you today...."

This post is dedicated to Jimmy and his family who lost their beloved sister Chrissy.

"And I even like the color!"

Out of the dust of the Ford Focus rises the beautiful 2005 CRV-EX. License plate EPB 730
Wow. Ellen's Precious Baby and the year of my wedding --whose 35th celebration is this weekend. And I even like the color. LOL

Dad and I were picking up the car and remembering how Dad walked 5 miles to sign the paperwork for our first car--which he could not drive yet, since he didn't as yet have his driver's license. I couldn't be more thankful if it were a Cadillac Escalade. Thank you honey!!!!

Focus Young Grasshopper!!!

Cars stopped at railroad crossing plus truck ahead of you plus sun's glare on window equal trashed bumber of shiny truck in front of you plus totaled Ford Focus you are driving. Driver Dad is fine, passenger David is OK--lady driving truck is ok. Truck gets to drive away--Ford Focus gets flatbed ride to body shop for last rites. Pop quiz--what is more important-sad dead car--inconvenience of loss of vehicle-or live people? What shall we focus on? Son in Iraq comes back to states in precious few days, new son in law set out to sea on USS George Washington, grandbabies are beautiful and plentiful, Spring is on it's way. Soon to be driver David gets valuable lesson on how easy chaos can occur. I think I have my focus back. It's all about people and God anyway. Everything else will pass away in the end....

Spaceman and Friends

Spaceman

The Neighbors are Back!!!

Spring is truly here! Our neighbors are moving back in. I caught some cute little bird checking out the bedrooms and inspecting the place. All things happen in God's timing.... especially Spring and new life....

Good Friday Memories

When I was growing up in the Methodist church, my Mom would always point out to me how each Good Friday about 3pm the sky would get overcast. She would imagine that it was a reminder of how Jesus died about that time of the day--about 3 o'clock. Each Good Friday I check out the sky and many many times, more than not, the skies are darkened about that time.

It's worth noting that Nana went to be with Jesus about that time of the day too. I think in some weird way she would be pleased about that.
The forsythia was always out in Connecticut about Easter time also.
Ok--kind of random but at my age it's permitted...

Red Sox chatter

Doting grandmother steps into the Sunday School class where half the kids are blood related, including the teacher, and gives hugs and/or hellos to them all.
Grant gets in a dispute that the teacher is not really my son. As said doting grandmother starts to turn her attention to Matt's conversation--the deprived Red Sox grandson continues coloring and says to Aiden to his left , quite nonchalantly, but with authority " She has a LOT of dirty laundry."
OK-time for grandmother to leave --
ROFL
Got to go home and do my laundry!!!!!

Storms...

Another snowstorm just about 2 weeks to the day I was snowed in when I received word my Mom had died.

Couldn't go to work today with the thought of the boys alone at home while Dad was snowed in up at Norwich University. Was worried we'd have power outage issues and the boys would be without heat and power... an unsettled anxiety inside, so I called out of work. Not like me but I was worried.

Turns out the power lines ripped off the side of the garage during the storm and CVPS had to make a visit to our house and shut down lines to the garage till Matt can come repair the issue.

I keep thinking I hear Mom or her doggie Star downstairs but the house is quiet. Way quiet...

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, not any other created thing, shall be able to separate us form the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
Romans 8:38-39

"I will worship the One who calmed the raging sea...
And I will worship the one who hushed the rage in me! "
~Mercy Me

I love you too..

This excerpt from my journal on the 12th...

Mom said "I love you" in the emergency room and those were her last words spoken. From then on she was sedated for severe pain. She's receiving palliative care in the hospital suite for her advanced cancer. She won't wake up again and her breathing is very heavy and labored. It won't be long now till she hears our Savior say "I love you" and He welcomes her to Heaven...

That journal entry came true and Mom has gone to be with God now.
I guess Mom's Valentine's day is the most special and loving that she has ever had.

E Mural Mather

May 2, 1930-February 13, 2008

We love you Nana....

Old Friends

I brought an old friend to visit an old friend yesterday. Star was laying at Nana's feet in the hospital saying her last goodbye. We have a wonderful new owner for her that Nana chose with her heart one day when she saw the plowman get out of his big truck and stoop down to hug the cute little dog. Plowman is coming to get Star after the snowstorm. She will ride around with him in the cab of his fancy truck and visit a whole new world.

Mom will soon be in her new world for eternity with God and I feel sure Star will join her there someday--but not till she travels the world with plowman.
Safe journey everyone---

Mr Wizard would be proud

I witnessed my son's homework project this weekend. Soak the onion in Gator Aide and then after it has absorbed enough of the liquid--you put one end of your MP3 player charger into the player and the other end into the onion. Something to do with the electrolytes causes the player to turn on. Yikes. Three of those items weren't around or dreamed of yet when I was a kid.
I can't help but reflect a lot on how much the world had evolved electronically since I was little. But it's not a complaint--it's an awe. It is great to see and experience the differences in the generations. My son gets on the laptop to further research the project--prints out his report, etc etc.
My prayer for my generation is that we won't give up on life before we die. We're responsible to live life fully every day. Get to know the new technology--not all of it but there's plenty to embrace. There's no excuse for sitting on our rear ends and being boring. There's life to be lived and we can do it. No excuses--heck--you might even like it and have a good time!!!

Outside my window...

Boy this is fun! Replacing a furnace in the dead of winter, jockeying/pushing cars out of snowbanks. Always looking for the plow and sand truck more than you look for Santa. Bottles of windshield washer fluid, astronomical heating bills, studying weather.com before you go grocery shopping, or driving your son to DMHC, yadda yadda yadda..... well at least we don't as Yet have the flu.

But David has his hard black cast and silver sharpie for signatures, the heat is nice and warm and I can do laundry again. No need for laundromat. We have a car or else we wouldn't even need the washer fluid and I have money to pay the grocer and the heating bill. So what do I have to complain about??? Well there IS my age..... but the alternative on that is not pretty. So thank you Lord for the beautiful view out my warm house window..and hold on to your hat----yes, my age!!!

Goodbye Amy & Rick

Amy and Rick have left for their new life at Norfolk Naval Station. He will get on a ship in June and probably arrive in Japan in August. Amy may actually get to Japan before he gets there. I so remember my military bride days as if they were yesterday. So I can appreciate the fun and adventure they have just embarked on.

At home we have a reality check as we cope with the departure of our 4th child. When you have 6 kids, at least 4 have to leave before you start to feel the effects of the empty nest syndrome. So I cleaned and cried and now I feel better. But then I see her little ballet type shoes in the family room and well.....

Beautiful cake decorator and flower girl....

Thank you Matron of Honor, Wedding Planner, Cake decorator, sanity check, melt down healer, and cutesy flower girl!!!

Beauty in Love

Night Flights

The light from her den called to me in the night,
But she was not there,
The fairie had left with her true love and flown to
exciting places yet unknown.

Her presence was felt still in her den,
But the light had grown cold.



She will return from far off places to visit us one day,
As fairies always do~

Clink Clink Clink!!! Smooooch!!!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Richard Contreras!!!!

Going to the chapel and we're going to get married..

Guess who is getting married!!