the Polka Dot Barn

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN GOD IS GOING TO PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER YOU

2012-01-26T19:51:00.000-06:00

but, when He does, you just go with it using prayer, His strength and deep breaths (you, not God).

and it happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

i'm still reeling but i'm sure it will all settle down soon.

ah, heck, who am i kidding?

it won't settle down until my mother passes or gets to the point that she needs to return to a memory care facility.

But, it's okay. She's my mom.

long story short, my mom has early stage dementia.

i have four amazing brothers and sisters who have each taken a part of her care together up until the time that i arrived about 2 weeks ago. my mom lived in michigan. kalamazoo, specifically. she was diagnosed in this psychiatric hospital for geriatrics (love that my mom was in a psych hospital. special).

she was then moved to a memory care facility which was absolutely beautiful. had her own suite - it was huge - and an amazing staff.

don't get the wrong idea - all of that beauty and good care comes at a price.

You'd think if they were going to charge what they do, they'd lose the funeral drapes.

it was decided that she didn't need that much attention and after she had told three of my siblings that she wanted to live on the ranch with jan and the puppies (we have four rescue dogs), i got the phone call.

what am i supposed to say??

i said "yes", of course.

according to her O.T., she functions at the age of a 3 year old and needs constant supervision.

gre-a-a-a-a-a-a-t-t-t-t.

so, i drove up, spent two weeks, helped pack up everything she owns that she wanted to move to Texas - enough to fill a moving van partway - loaded her, her dog and her walker, etc. into the car and took off for Texas.

we're home. she's settling in.

keeps telling me she's taking a bus to kalamazoo for Christmas.

my mother on a bus?

horrors.

glad she doesn't know what she's saying. she'd freak.

here's a poem that i want you to read, especially if you are taking care of an early onset dementia patient.

it's an amazing read:

AN ALZHEIMER'S POEM

Do not ask me to remember

Don't try to make me understand

Let me rest and know you're with me

Kiss my cheek and hold my hand.

I'm confused beyond your concept

I am sad and sick and lost

All I know is that I need you

To be with me at all cost.

Do not lose your patience with me

Do not scold or curse or cry

I can't help the way I'm acting

Can't be different though I try.

Just remember that I need you

That the best of me is gone

Please don't fail to stand beside me

Love me until my life is done.

Amen.

AH, YES, 2011...........

2012-01-11T20:22:00.000-06:00

My cousin, Melinda, forwarded me the email below.
I have never made an email into a blog post,
but this was just too good to pass up.

My 2012 gift to you................heehee

As we prepare to depart the year 2011 and progress into the critical year 2012, I want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

I no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, or have the waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose.

Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I cant touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about rat poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.

I can't have a drink in a bar because I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer buy gas without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer doesn't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Fanta since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face. Disfiguring me for life.

I no longer go to the movies because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS when I sit down.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda agents in disguise.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan .

I no longer buy cookies from Neiman-Marcus since I now have their recipe.

THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big black snake could be lurking under the seat and cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up a .25 cent coin dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting to grab me as I bend over.

I no longer drive my car because buying gas from some companies supports Al Qaeda, and buying gas from all the others supports South American dictators.

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's best friend's beautician . . .

Was that fun??
Bet'cha grinned.......heehee

LOVE YA!! Jan

BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? YOU SHOULD.

2012-01-01T19:52:00.002-06:00

I have been waiting to write this post.

Waiting to know for sure

because it's so new.

It's just day's new.

But, I have some friends that

deserve not to have to wait

a minute longer to hear

what God has orchestrated.

Friends that have been praying for us, supporting us,

loving us, caring for us.

Through all of my tears,

uncontrollable sobbing,

despair,

fear and hard prayer,

God was always there.

And I knew that in my heart.

I have always known that God was there

supporting me even more

than even my dearest friends.

That didn't mean that I couldn't be sad.

He doesn't expect us to go through life

smiling all of the time.

Just believing all of the time.

He was also working in

other's lives.

(He's the ultimate multi-tasker).

He has been working in

the people's lives who were

working with my mom.

Doctors, nurses, caregivers,

my brothers and sisters.

He has blessed my mom with

the best care and the most wonderful

caregivers and children.

All working for what's best for mom.

Mom was settled in a most wonderful

memory care facility for dementia patients.

She has had doctors that changed her meds

for the better, and

children that have given up time

and money to protect mom and do what's

best for her.

I can't press that point enough.

Because, you see, a miracle has happened.

Remember that this all started with mom falling

asleep at the wheel because she hadn't slept

for seven days?

That inability to sleep continued for two months.

She would sleep for a couple of hours

now and then, but never fully slept.

Her doctor was changed,

her meds were changed

several times.

There's so much information that

I'm just going to leave it at that.

When mom was settled in the memory care

facility, her life took a dramatic turn.

She started sleeping.

Her sleep meds were changed by

a new doctor and the meds

worked.

They worked.

Mom has slept every night since

December 6th.

Sleep deprivation postures

dementia.

She has grown stronger

and more like my mom by the day.

She still has moments of confusion

(If you know me,

you're thinking that it's genetic),

but SHE IS BACK.

PRAISE GOD.

It is her desire to live at the ranch

with Frank, me and our "doggies".

So, I'm on my way to Kalamazoo

to see my mom and

to bring her home.

Annette is flying up to drive

back with me.

When we made those plans

little did we know that we'd

be bringing my mom and her Sophie

back with us.

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your prayers, support, cards to mom
and for your love,

Jan

"here i come, Sister"

GOD HELP ME HELP MY MOM

2011-12-15T20:50:00.006-06:00

This is an email I sent out yesterday to my children, cousins, dad & U., aunt and uncle, and very close friends.

After I read it again this afternoon I realized that it contained some information that I didn't put in my blog post yesterday so I thought I would post it for you to read.

I'm also going to include some pictures of my mother so you can see how dear she is/was.

Now I'm going to tell you where we are now.

This may sound somewhat like the first "mom" post, but it will give you some more information.

Mom has been released from "the clinic" (i have no idea what it's called) where they were able to find the right medication for her to allow her to go to sleep at night.
After a couple of nights of sleep it's amazing the difference in her "attitude".
So, that seems to be working for the time being.

we do love to shop!!

this shopping trip was in downtown kalamazoo. so fun.

Mom has been diagnosed with vascular dementia as a result of the fall she took about three years ago.

She has been released from the clinic that determined her dementia and her medication.

She is now residing in a facility called Claire Bridge in Kazoo. It's independent living (I think I'm the only one that wonders if this is what mom needs. we'll see).

The facility is gorgeous. If you would like to send her a card, not that she'll understand - she may think you're her sister - I know personally how wonderful it is to get "fun" mail. Let me know if you want to send a card & I'll give you her address. You'd be such a blessing to her and to me.

Mom & Sophie; Sophie LOVED the ranch.

Every year she spent three months with us and we had so much fun!

This is a picture of mom holding a newborn goat which Sophie is checking out.

She has an "apartment", kinda like an efficiency apartment. Her bedroom is at one end and a sitting/TV area is at the other end. And, of course, there's a BR.

We, her kids, have taken all possible measures to make sure she will be safe in her new setting in addition to what the facility provides.

My sisters and brothers have had some of her furniture moved like her couch, end table, bedding, some of her amazing ccs she has on her walls, etc.

Her first night was last night and even though she is given a 24 hour private nurse for her first 24 hours, Eileen went ahead and spent the night because she

was restless and confused. (the word "confused" never hurt my heart before now)

Mom is on the right. This is her family when she was in high school (I think).

Today's report is that she is "pissy" (a sibling's word, not mine) which basically means that she's being mean and uncooperative because she didn't

get a good night's sleep. She's very upset that no one will take her home to her mother's.

This is our eldest, Craig, and his sweet Grammy, my mom.

Needless to say, this has been a roller coaster for all of us. She only started showing symptoms a month ago.
The doctor said that is how vascular dementia postures.

I haven't been there yet; you know I'm going the first of the year, but I think she's almost full blown from what I've heard. I could be wrong (oh, so doubtful).

Russ has been able to fly up several times as his flight from Florida is 200.00 round trip.
I've been stuck in Texas because round trip from here is 800.00.
So, we've all had our own type of Hell handling this.

But, though we all have done what we can, I must give a shout out for my little brother, Russ (he'll love that!). He has really made me proud the way he has stepped up and taken over many of the aspects involved in this process.

My mom when she was younger.

She was a knockout (though the haircut isn't shown' that too much).

If you've never experienced having a parent w/ dementia, I sincerely hope you never do.

It's horrible. It's so horrible.

When I drive up the first of the year I'm going to see someone other than my mom.

This woman is going to be confused, she probably won't know who I am, and there's a good chance I'll witness my gentle mom being evil.

God help me to help her.

Clayman holding Sophie, making a silly face (that's new)

with his Grammy.

You can't possibly understand the dread I have as I face this trip north.

(I'll be there from the 3rd - 17th *approx.*)

I'll keep the updates coming if there's any change though I don't feel there will be.

I will send you pictures of her new home so you can look for them.

My SIL, Eileen, helping mom separate ccs thread.

Mom's love for so many years has been doing very complicated ccs

projects. I'm going to miss seeing her work on her pieces.

Pray for Junie/SAJ/Grammy/Aunt/mom.

And, please pray for her kids.

The most eloquent prayers for me because I'm her favorite.

Be sure and let me know if you want her address. Blessings.

Love, Jan

Mom as a little girl.

pls. respect my copyright

I WANT MY MOM BACK

2011-12-14T21:32:00.001-06:00

This post is going to be plain Jane. No photos, no funny comments, just the truth and sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes it hurts badly.

You might remember that my mom fell and landed on her head about three years ago. She was like 81?? Anyway, she had to have brain surgery because blood was pooling or something so they did surgery and she's been fine since.

About a month ago my mom started having trouble sleeping and without sleep she was not good company and she began to become weak which makes all the sense in the world. She soon started having some hallucinations.

It gave me pause as it probably did all of my siblings. But I kept my thoughts to myself and we went on. Finally (finally), one of my sisters that was spending some time with mom decided that a second opinion was needed. (really??)
I don't know how, but they got her in this amazing clinic that was able to stabilize her and get her on the correct meds. Things started looking up. She's been sleeping pretty regularly.

Things started looking up, here, at least.
I'm in Texas.
My brother, Russ and his wife, Leslie, are in Florida.
My two sisters, Joan and Jean, and Randy and my SIL, Eileen, are all up north with my mom who lives in Kalamazoo. It's actually all of them that have done all of the "heavy lifting". I'm here in Texas where it costs 800 dollars to fly round trip to Michigan so I am living in my own little Hell, different than theirs. Russ is able to get to Michigan from Florida very easily and he has really stepped up.
I'm very proud of all of my siblings for stepping up and fighting the fight, all of them working for the good of mom. Even when there might be a disagreement, they step back and do what's best for mom. It's been really wonderful seeing them work together - all for the good of mom.

And, I sit here in Texas, praying, reading updates, participating in conference calls w/ doctors, reading more updates.........so many emails that some days it feels like that's all I do, discussions about specifics, you get the drill. And do you get that all of this has happened in one month????

Are you feeling my sense of helplessness? It's been incredibly hard but I have done what I can and will continue to do my best for my mom from here and when I make trips up north.
I leave the first of January for two weeks with my mom.

Mom's been moved to an independent living facility in Kalamazoo that is for dementia patients. I've seen photos, it's so, so nice, and so, so expensive. LOL (Why I'm laughing, I don't know). There's a library, small TV rooms, a small kitchen where the patients can bake or cook with their OT, an atrium, craft room. She has her own huge room and her furniture. Looks great in the photos I've seen.

Last night when they took her there for her first night they told me that she was restless and confused.
Oh, sweet Jesus, that word. That word, "confused". It breaks my heart to hear that my mom was confused.
Or that she was ugly, hateful, my mother. MY mother was ugly.

My mother is confused.
My mother is hateful and says ugly things to her children.
My.sweet.mother.

Oh, God, I want my mom back.
This is killing me.
I want my mom.

It seems like I spend a huge amount of time crying.
Do you think I'll cry less after I see her?
Doesn't sound like it at this point.

I don't want to go.
To Michigan.
I don't want to see her.
I'm so afraid she's not going to know who I am.
I haven't talked to her for a little over a month.
She doesn't ask for me.
She never asks for me.
I know she doesn't remember me.

She will never live in her home again.
And she will never come to the ranch again.
She loved the ranch so much.
And we loved having her here.
She got to see her Texas grand kids
and bake Clayman his favorite cake like 5 times in three months.
It seems like every thought I have connects to her and
every thing I see reminds me of her and I am so sad.

I know that I should be grateful that I had her for my mom and
that God blessed me in so many ways with her as my mom.
(Yes, I know she's still my mom. I get that.)
And I AM grateful.
But, right now I'm very sad and a little scared.

Pray for me?
I'd really appreciate it.
And pray for my brothers and sisters, my family.
And pray for my mom.

A TRIP TO GALVESTON, TEXAS, ON THE GULF - YUM!

2011-11-26T08:57:00.000-06:00

Annette, BFF, had a seminar in Galveston this fall and asked if I would want to go with.

Hotel is ON the water, ON the ocean, you can HEAR the waves, FEEL the salt in the air...it wasn't much of a decision - I LOVE THE WATER and so, yes, I went with.

These are some of the photos I took while we drove around the island and I wanted to share them with you. I'm going to let them speak for themselves in an effort to make up for my last post. Get it?? Photos, no text?? Makes up for the last post?? .............Enjoy the coast!

For some reason this picture cracked me up

Baking cupcakes this morning with a friend from church.

We're going to go visit a shut-in, take her some cupcakes and have "a little chat".

I think she'll like that.

Do you have anyone you could visit, even with a phone call, that could use some love?

I'll betcha do. *heart*

Be safe, be joyful,

Jan

TURKEY & DRESSING VS. BOLOGNA & LAY'S

2011-11-25T17:54:00.000-06:00

First, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
Secondly, let me introduce myself.
That was a joke because my posting has been anything but regular.
You do know who I am, right?
Okay, okay, now that you've assured me that you remember my quick wit and beauty (assumed), let's talk turkey.
Seriously, why do we break our backs (lower) putting together a meal large enough to feed a small village, when really, a bologna sandwich and some Lay's (yum) would work just was well.
We change the menu to sandwich and chips and take the money that we save from putting together the feast for millions which our family manages to consume over about three days, and we give it to families with children who worry about where their next meal is going to come from.
Those same families whose kiddos go to bed crying because they're so hungry.
Yes, here in America.
And, another thing.
The waste.
Have you ever given thought about how much food we waste in America?
I have.
It's shameful and that's what we should be - ashamed.
We shell out a few extra dollars this time of year in an effort to make Christmas special by buying food and putting presents under the trees of the less fortunate. And then we go on with the rest of our life until next November. (I know that there are a lot of us that support charities, tithe, etc., but let's put those aside and give me a chance to make a point followed by what I think is a great idea).
Yeah, it's one of my soapboxes.
And soapboxes tick me off.
............We sat down to a lovely lunch yesterday to celebrate Thanksgiving.
It's a misnomer to me the we celebrate Thanksgiving by stuffing ourselves with food that would bless so many unfortunate people that have nothing to eat but a bologna sandwich and generic potato chips. When I think of who the unfortunate are I think of single mothers and their children.
Yes, there's lots wrong with the "system", but that's not what I'm talking about here - I'm talking about meeting the needs of others like Jesus would want us to do.
Yesterday I decided to teach you how to make the best cornbread dressing ever made.
I'm doing this for a reason.
My idea is that you make a double recipe of your favorite dressing, bake it and quarter it, divide it into 4 Ziploc bags. Buy four chickens, one for each 1/2 9" x 13" pan of dressing and find some homes in your community and make a blessing delivery to them. If you need help, ask your church for some names, ask any church. And, you can do more, as much as you want, to make these blessings the kind that bless the socks off people.
Oh, and do it this winter, January, February, March, when a good meal is most appreciated.
AND, it's not during the holidays when everyone is doing everything from feeding the poor a meal to singing at the nursing homes (another soapbox - how we neglect our elderly).
....Just a seed that God has encouraged me to plant.

Okay, now for my recipe for the best cornbread dressing in the world to get you in the spirit!

VERMILLION CORNBREAD DRESSING

Yield: 2 9" x 13" pans of ah-mazing dressing

Ingredients: Cornmeal

2 giant cans of chicken broth

2 large onions

2 bunches of celery

8 'brown and serve' sausage links (it's a breakfast sausage)

2 - Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (crumbs)

a good amount of salt and pepper

Here's what 'cha do:

brown the sausage in a small skillet

and then crumble it (food processor works great)

chop the onions into two piles

clean and chop the celery into two piles

(chop small, but if you are teaching your 24 year old son,

Blake, how to make dressing and how to use

a food processor, be careful and watch

his every move or you will end up with

onion and celery puree.)

Barely cover the onion and celery (2 pans, remember?)

with water and simmer until translucent.

make 2 double recipes of cornbread OMIT THE SUGAR

(and, what I'm saying is that you double the recipe,

make one 9 x 13 and then double the recipe again and

make another 9 x 13)

(next, use your food processor if you have one)

I make one recipe at a time because, well,

vein' that my memory doesn't allow me to do 2 recipes at once.

So, that's how I'm going to tell you to put it all together.....

In a very large bowl

mix the sausage, onions and celery.

(I had to show you the puree. Pretty darn cute, isn't it?)

Add the bag of herb seasoning, S & P.

Mix.

Crumble the cornbread into the bowl.

Mix.

While you're doing this, be adding the

chicken broth at times.

When it's all mixed,

press into a PAM'ed pan

(Don't let this photo scare you. Keep reading.)

and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Oh, baby.

Okay, I'm sure you're sitting there thinking that

I need some photography lessons so I can learn to

hold my camera steady while taking a picture.

Well, you're wrong.

I simply need to take off my readers

before I look through the view finder and

focus my camera.

Now for some family pictures.....

This is Clay taking out the biscuits out of the lower oven

that he had left there the last time he was here.

We smelled them getting toasty as we pre-heated the oven...

(above is a re-enactment of getting the biscuits

out of the oven.....Oven too hot to put hand

all the way in and no potholder. Guh-reat re-enactment!)

Yes, those are the biscuits.

This is Blake cleaning up some dishes.

When he saw I was taking pictures,

I kiddingly asked him to flex while washing.

Not a problem!! ( check out those guns!)

We had a great day as we enjoyed being together.

The meal gave Blake and myself some special time

together as he really did help me with a lot of the cooking.

Clay was in charge of clean-up and

he did a great job of being the boss.

The only thing missing was Craig and Jana.

This Thanksgiving was her family's turn.

We've got to figure something else out.

I'm not lovin' this taking turns.

Thank you for stickin' with me if you're reading this.

That means that you have kept looking for me between posts

and that you were having a slow day - this thing is lo-o-o-o-o-ong!!!

Blessings to you all,

Jan

P.S. I hope no one has read this post and thought I was lecturing. And, I want you to know that my chicken and dressing idea? It just came to me yesterday and it's on my calendar this winter to do exactly what I suggested that you do. Let's do it together!! (And, it doesn't have to be chicken and dressing - fix your favorite foods! Just do it!!:)

OH, DEAR, WHATEVER SHALL WE DO??

2011-09-15T15:32:00.000-05:00

Our water well has gone dry.

Actually, it's not quite dry yet

because we're watering the live stock

off of our neighbors water as their well

is deeper than 120 feet.

120 feet deep has worked well for

the Thomason's since our current/original

well was drilled in 1951,

but it's worn out and

we have to put in a new one.

Yeppers, we're drilling a new water well.

You should have seen the Tank's face

when we took out the $20,000.00 loan

to pay for it.

That's a hard thing to do when you're 70 years old.

Frank, not me. I'm the young one.

Child bride comes to mind.

Anyway, Frank's face turned so gray that I had to

sneak a shake in

to make sure he reacted to it.

He could have been sitting in his chair dead from shock.

I'm happy to say that he lived to sign on the dotted line.

Sure am glad that he's going to be around.

We can enjoy our new water well together.

Have picnics next to the water tank.

Climb the ladder to the top and look in the hole

at the water.

Get a dipper at a garage sale and say to each other,

"I'm mighty thirsty."

"Me, too."

"Should we climb the ladder to the top of the tank

and get a dipper of nice warm water?"

"Gosh, yes. That'd be great."

Can't you just hear us?

It's pretty wild around here.

If you ever come to visit, get ready to rock and roll!!

And, look!!

A plus is this great gunk that keeps flowing out of

the machine that's drilling the pipe.

Fabulous!

The Tank and I will be having some

naked mud wrestling time once the workmen leave

for the day.

I'm so excited.

I wonder what that gunk is??

Okay, I think that's about it.

Our well is running dry.

We had to take out a large loan

to pay for a lovely new really deep well.

So exciting.

That's it - but there's some great pictures

for you to look at - so just stroll along to the

bottom of the post and enjoy our new venture!

Thanks for taking the time to read me.
I feel like I've lost a lot of readers because
I've been so sketchy in my posting.
For that I apologize and I hope
my readers come back and leave a
comment to let me know I'm not alone.

Love you!!
Jan

WAITING FOR GOD - PRICELESS

2011-09-03T16:38:00.000-05:00

Now, why would I title this post, "Waiting for God - Priceless"?

Because that's what I've been doing for months and months.

In fact, for so long, I stopped thinking about my question and

stopped praying for it.

Seriously??

Oh, yeah. I'm old and it's not that hard.

Quickly, I should have died twice in the last 7 years

from two of my medical adventures.

Well, it should be obvious that I didn't

as I'm the author of this post.

I started wondering why God didn't take me.

And, then I knew without a doubt that

he had something for me to do.

He started planting seeds when Skyler and I were

planning our road trip/mini mission trip

to Joplin............we thought!

God had other plans which happens to me

all of the time!

Cut to the chase:

He sent us to Bokenkamp Emergency Children's Shelter

in Corpus Christi, Texas.

I asked for donations to help defer the cost

of having 79+ kids make their own journal

and was humbled by how many people jumped in

to help us.

The planning and specifics of that mission trip

can be found in the previous post.....

Since that time the volunteer director has asked

me WHEN we're coming back.

The kids loved us, loved making their own journals,

the clinicians love how the journals are

helping them work with the kids,

and Joanne is anxious for us to come back.

We will be going back as soon as I can gather up

enough of our "budget" to buy canvas, paints

and brushes for the kids to paint their

self portrait on an 8 x 10" canvas.

This is a perfect project and will, again, be a

huge help to the clinicians in working with these

amazing kids.

I'm so excited!!

On the drive home from Corpus

(I live about 3 1/2 hours north)

after the first time,

I heard God.

Loud and clear,

I heard him tell me what he wants me to do.

Not only does he want me to continue my work

at Bokenkamp, he wants

me to volunteer at the woman's shelter for

rape and domestic violence victims

(and their children if they're involved)

in Kerrville, 10 minutes up the highway

from Center Point, where I live.

I visited the shelter office on my way home

from Bokenkamp.

Why wait when God tells you to do something?

I have filled out the mound of paper work

and go for my orientation next Friday.

After that I will start my volunteering

which will include teaching art classes

for the woman and any children there,

along with other programs.

I am extremely excited that God has chosen

me to be his vessel

in working with his hurting children.

(His "children" are all of us:)

Wow. Bokenkamp is my heart.

And, I know that

Hill Country Cares will soon

be my heart, also.

There is never enough money to run a shelter

so these programs, these art projects,

are funded by me.

Me and any of you who have a heart

for God's hurting children.

I would gladly accept your help and

I can send you a letter so that your help

can be tax deductible.

Or do you think I should put a PayPal

button on my blog?

I don't know what to do -

I've never been God's vessel to this extent!

Anyway, that's the story Morning Glory.

No matter how hard your life is,

and mine's been health-hard these

last 7 years,

when you reach out and help others

through Jesus Christ,

your life takes on a new light.

And it doesn't have to be a "big deal".

God will take all of the blessings

we are able to dump (dump?) on his

children.

Pay someone's toll.

Pay for the lunch, or a dessert,

of the person behind you in line

at McDonald's.

(My sister did that as my

birthday present this past week.

Best present I've had in a long time!)

Hold a door open for an approaching person.

Smile at the checker at Wal-Mart

(can you think of anyone else that needs

a smile more than a Wal-Mart checker??)

See? There's a lot you can do to be God's vessel.

Oh, another one.

Last night Frank and I were at a restaurant

and next to us was an older woman

sitting by herself.

She was finishing up her dinner and

reading her Kindle.

So, I simply asked her if she liked her Kindle

which started a very nice conversation

for someone that may have been very lonely.

We don't know people's circumstances,

even the put together people we see,

so always take the time to be a blessing.

Sermon's over.

And, the people said?

"Finally!" LOL

God bless you and God bless

the people I will be working with,

new and old!

Jan

BLESS OTHERS AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED TEN-FOLD OR...................... WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS 3 DOLLAR STORES AND 79 NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING TEENAGERS?? .....PART 1

2011-08-25T22:36:00.007-05:00

WOW. It's true - my blog title. It's true like 'paying it forward' is true.

I live by those. Nothing blesses me more or makes me forget my problems than blessing someone else.

Like at the movies yesterday. I was approaching the door to go into the theatre and this 20 something girl has just walked out....long enough ago that the door has closed and she has taken the first couple of steps to leave.

She stops, turns around, walks back to the door and holds it open for me.

No special reason - I wasn't limping or anything.

I like to believe, and I do believe, that she did it to be nice.

(And, not the "nice to old people" kind of nice)

I'm going to tell you about the Mini-Mission trip that I've talked about on Facebook and here on my blog this summer. I'm going to skip everything and get right down to it as I took a lot of pictures and have some amazing, over the top, God IS alive, stories to tell you.

But, before I get to that I want to thank everyone again (hopefully I didn't miss anyone) that sent me supplies for kids in a shelter that Skyler and I were hunting. Those supplies and the generous checks and gift cards....WHAT A BLESSING! Thank you. (And, if anyone is wondering if maybe I bought myself some Chanel No. 5 with your money, I saved all of the receipts if you want to see them. My cousin, Melinda, said that was ridiculous, but I feel better telling y'all anyway. *I was going to copy them and put them at the end of this post and she wouldn't let me*)

The story of some uber-remarkable kids goes like this................

Once upon a time there was me and there was my "little girl", Skyler, and we wanted to visit a shelter taking all kinds of cool art supplies for kids and spend a day or two with them "playing art". I knew it was a long shot, having worked as a volunteer in a shelter. They were going to want a background check before they let anyone spend time with the kids and you can't blame them. Heck, I could be as crazy as Jan Thomason.

And, that's exactly what we ran into......that and Skyler getting a temporary job, blah, blah.

Skyler's temp. job was over last Wednesday and I told her to look in the Corpus Christi yellow pages and find some shelters. She sent me the ONE shelter that had a website. I researched it and knew that it was where we were supposed to go and that they were going to let us "play art" with their kids. I just knew it.

Joanna Villarreal, the Volunteer Coordinator, and I exchanged emails and to make a long story short, THEY WANTED US. Praise God!!

So, I started my trip down to Skyler's. I had gathered up all of the supplies sent to me and cashed all of the checks. I stopped at three dollar stores to spend the money on further supplies as I made my way to Skyler's. I visited three dollar stores and can honestly say that I visited more dollar stores in that one day than in my entire life.

I'll not be going back. Really, Wal-Mart is bad enough.

In one store I bought a Composition Notebook for every kid because we were going to turn them into journals. I bought 90 notebooks. Ninety. In one store. The checker didn't even look at me which I found rather odd.

The shelter that we spent Saturday at was like none I've ever volunteered in or been in.

It's called Bokenkamp and is in Corpus Christi, Texas.

It is amazing and I am at a lack of words as how to describe it so I'm going to let it speak for itself:

(This part may seem long to you, but I encourage you to read it all - I think you will be a different person for reading it.)

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, LET ME TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE BLOGGER ISN'T COOPERATING THAT I HAVE FINISHED THIS TWO DAY POST ON FLICKR.

PART TWO:)

VISIT MY FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM AT www.flickr.com/photos/polkadotbarn TO SEE THE PHOTOS AND READ THE STORIES ABOUT THE PICTURES AND ON ONE PHOTO YOU WILL LEARN OF THE HORROR THESE KIDS HAVE SEEN. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN STORY TO TELL, BUT THIS STORY WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF ONE AMAZING YOUNG MAN.

BE BLESSED AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BLOGGER NOT COOPERATING.

BELIEVE ME, IT WILL BE GROUNDED.

God bless you all,

Jan.............continue reading before you go to my flickr account. the following story is uplifting!!

Bokenkamp Children's Shelter is an emergency shelter for unaccompanied refugee children from Central and South America, ranging in age from infants to teens. (We had 10 - 17 year olds when we visited) These children have all experienced some form of traumatic separation from their families. Bokenkamp provides short-term care that will leave a long-term impact in these children's lives by offering shelter, education and spiritual care.

The children who come to live in our residential centers in Texas – New Life, Krause, and the Nelson Center – often bring with them pasts and stories of unbearable hardship and emotional pain. Miracles do happen, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds are overcome, and we witness a child’s life turn around from the brink of despair in front of our eyes.

Read this and you'll get a feel of the 80 kids that we worked with on Saturday:

Manuel – Safe at Last, A Bokenkamp Story

By: Scott Carroll

7/19/2011

Manuel was only 12 years old when his parents were killed. He was left alone in the small mountain village in Guatemala, in a very unstable environment. For two years, Manuel lived in fear and poverty often begging for food from villagers. When he was 14, he decided that his only chance for survival would be to travel to America to find his aunt and uncle who lived and worked “somewhere in Texas.”

Manuel traveled for two months with strangers under treacherous conditions. He mentions hearing the screams of children as they were abused, and some killed, by the men guiding them all across the border. He was spared and is still not sure why.

When Manuel finally made it into Texas – after traveling more than 1,200 miles, alone and mostly on foot – he was apprehended by authorities and taken to Bokenkamp Children’s Shelter in Corpus Christi. He arrived at Bokenkamp hungry, tired and scared, identified only by a number written on a piece of duct tape placed across his chest. Staff at the center immediately gave Manuel food, water, a shower and a chance to tell his story.

For the next month, Manuel stayed at Bokenkamp while staff worked to locate his aunt and uncle. While at Bokenkamp, Manuel experienced many firsts. He ate three hot meals a day. He attended formal school. He was given a Bible. He received therapy to help him deal with the trauma of his losing his parents. He was safe. Manuel was united with his aunt and uncle and cousin in Houston, Texas, on June 20^th. He left Bokenkamp a healthier, happier teenager, with hopes and dreams of a promising future.

......................NOW FOR PART TWO:)

A REALLY HOT GUY, GUNS AND TOILET PAPER

2011-07-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

When you have

a really hot guy, guns and toilet paper

you have a really fun wedding shower!

Hostess, Hannah Jones Brown, and

her mom, Annette Jones, gifted

Brat this amazing *grace* cross.

During all of the fun, I forgot to take

a photo of the gorgeous table

that Hannah and Annette laid out.

The red velvet cake was the

crowning glory!

"Did I forget to mention that you would be
the only guy here today, Blake??"
(That's so unlike me)

...This is Blake, my son, and
Brat's best friend, so it only made sense
for him to come.
And, I knew the ladies (and young ladies)
would enjoy having him there.

He really likes my best friend, Annette.

In fact, I think this might be his new fb profile pic.

Phyllis Fischer, Betty Harris and Kim Bolin
all delighted us with their presence
and delighted Brat with their presents.
(Oh, hush)

Jeanette Ricks and Rudy Shepherd...

I can only assume that Taylor has

walked into the room.

Yep! I was right!
Here's Brat's sister, Taylor, with her
most precious little boy, Skilyr.

"Blake. Stop.

I KNOW I told you there would

be toilet paper involved."

Groups of 3 with one of the group

being the BRIDE.

In this group, that'd be Blake.

(...the reason I wanted him to come...)

The wedding dress is made of,

you guessed it, *shhhhh* toilet paper.

Does anyone else think he's enjoying this just

a little bit too much?? Bwahahahaha!

(He was such a good sport!)

The stand out part of Amanda's

wedding gown was the sleeves.

Gorgeous.

However, I did hear some whispers

about a mummy. Just sayin'.

Some women were just born to be a bride.

Ginger's gown had a heavenly look.

So much so, that she reminded us of Mary.

You know, Jesus' Mary.

Remember, his mom??

Stay with me here.

Every bride needs bridesmaids!
And, Ginger's bridesmaids are
stinkin' beautiful!!

A sneak peek for all of my blog readers

of Brat's wedding dress.

Okay, not the real dress,

but it is the back up dress in case

something happens.

Good thinkin', huh.

Brittany is trying to look like one of those
professional models in the bridal zines.
You know, when they push their
shoulders forward? It's not a good look
on anyone.
I'll talk to her.

I'm as proud as a mom to tell you that

Abe, age 5, and my model,

came in as runner up.

His mom was my co-designer

and responsible for the shoes.

I'm thinkin' it was either the shoes

or the eyebrows (look closely)

that pushed him over the top.

Good lookin' bride, Abe!!

I think another element of Abe's bridal attire
that pushed him up to 2nd place was
his floor length veil.
(That was my idea. Is that bragging?)

I know you've been waiting for this moment
and may have even scrolled forward,
to see the Bride of the Shower.
Taylor Stone won the title.
She's a vision, isn't she?

I would be remiss if I didn't introduce you

to Taylor's designer, Elyce.

Where would a bride be without her designer??

I'm sure it's the camera man's fault
and Brittany isn't really sneaking in a nap.

Dig deeper!! There has to be wine in here!

No wine, but some fabulous placemats!

A darling Lucille Johnson creation,

an apron perfect for backyard bar-b-ques.

The picture tells the story.

I'm a firm believer that the best gifts come
in the smallest packages.
That would be because this smallest of gifts
is from mwah.

Oh, real nice.

Brat couldn't read my handwriting

so Hannah had to help her.

It was offensive in so many ways.

(I'm kidding, ya'll:)

Abe kept telling me that THEY brought the BEST GIFT.
I think Brittany would agree!

And, to end the party,

some of the little faces that were there!

(There's a couple of big faces, too:)

And, last but not least..........I promised you some guns!!

The shower was a scream

with really good sports,

fun people,

cute kids,

great cake,

fabulous presents,

high fashion,

a really hot guy,

guns

and toilet paper!!

Thanks, y'all, for taking the time

to read my blog.

PLEASE leave a comment at the

bottom of the blog so I can get

an idea of how many are reading -

a lot of you send me emails or

comment on facebook, and that's

great! I'd just like an idea of

how many people I'm reaching.

I love you!!

Jan

also made of toilet paper

BOY HOWDY, DID IT RAIN ON BRAT!!

2011-06-25T20:43:00.002-05:00

Yes, it rained on Brat......like a wedding SHOWER!

And, I went to it.

You wouldn't think driving five hours to the Ft. Worth area

would be that big of a deal for me.

But, you must remember that I am an old woman.

A very, very old woman, and that I made a huge mistake

in my drive north....I drove up I-35.

For you that know me, you know that I.DO.NOT.DRIVE.ON.THE.INTERSTATE.

I found myself 'talking' to the other drivers, using gestures (nothing nasty), and shaking my head most of the time.

It's the semi's.

Oh, yeah, S-E-M-I.'s.

You know the one's I'm talking about...

"Breaker....Breaker....

I'm going to pass you

now that we're approaching a hill"

"Breaker....Breaker....

This is Black Roots; can girls play?"

And, you (that'd be ME) average 40 mph a-l-l-l-l-l-l-l

the way to Euless, Texas.

Oh, my gosh, I wanted to smack someone.

(And, if you drive a semi, love someone that drives a semi, and this offends you,

just play Pass Another Semi on a Hill - you'll feel vindicated)

Okay, enough about me for a moment.

.....The shower for Brat was delightful.

The food looked amazing.

The house was beautiful.

And, it was apparent that all had a fabulous time.

This is the sign that greeted us as we walked up

to the house. When I saw it, I KNEW we were

going to have some fun!

These lovely girls met me at the door.

That's Brat, second from the left - isn't she pretty?

Oh, yeah, here I am trying out some layers

in Photoshop Elements 9 that I've just purchased.

This was an experiment and took me an entire

day, therefore, it's included.

This is a picture of the fruit that was served.

It tasted better than it looks.

THIS is a really good cupcake. Oh, my.

The room was filled with friends, family and

sorority sisters of Brat's.

Will's mom (on the right) came from Ohio

(I know) and though I didn't get but a minute

to talk to her, I hope to get to know her better

at the wedding. Brat says she's delightful.

(Just like my DIL says about me)

"Oh!!" I think Brat just opened

something that really excited

Hostess Heather!

It's embarrassing how bad my memory is -

at the shower I introduced myself to the

same woman twice. Yeah.

But, for some reason, I remember who is in

this picture with Will's mom -

it's Jessica (in the middle)

(oh, dear, it could be "Jamie" now that

I'm writing it. SEE?? It's so embarrassing:)

and Will's aunt.

TaDah!!

Now, for gift opening and, though,

I'm really not a selfish person,

I just really want to share the card

and gifts I gave her.

WELL??? It's my blog.

(Oh, hush, I'm just being sarcastic.)

Okay, after 45minutes of trying to get this to right justify,

I give up and wouldn't ya know,

it right justifies. I can honestly say that I

hate blogger. The envelope I made is above.

This is the back of the envelope.

The card. I loved being back in my studio!

All eyes were on Brat as she opened all of her wonderful gifts!

Brat's shower really did give me the excuse

I needed to clear off a 4" square of work space to make a wall hanging for her and Will.

It wasn't on her registry so I knew I'd surprise her!
This will be so handy on those

away games on the bus.

There's always that one gift

at every shower.....

This also wasn't on her registry,

this canister set, and Brat

was so excited to receive it.

If I could just remember who gifted it.

Bed Bath and Beyond was a
very successful registry store.
Brat received so many great
gifts from that store.

Isn't this so cool?

I wonder if she'll give it to me

for my birthday?

I want to introduce you to an amazing

young lady - Jackie. She was one of

Brat's best friends (and remains so)

in college and was in a horrific

automobile accident that left her

in a coma for a very long time.

She came out of her coma and Brat

and everyone that loved her were

overjoyed! No one knows if she

knows who you are when you talk to

her, but after meeting this amazing

young woman, I know that she does.

Jackie is an honorary bridesmaid in

Brat's wedding and I think that's very

special, just like Jackie.

Y'all know what retail therapy is, right?

After two days in a row on I-35

(I didn't mean to take I-35 home, I just somehow ended up

on it. True story.)

I decided I needed some.

I stopped at my favorite shop in

Llano, Texas, and spent $75.00.

I picked up some wonderful things.

Unfortunately, it didn't help.

*sigh*

But, you know what did make me smile

after two days on I-35?? Coming home to

all of this mail. It's all donations, monetary

and art supplies, for kids that need our

love and something to take their minds

off of their problems - hopefully in JOPLIN.

My other 'little girl', Skyler, and I are

planning a "mission" trip the first part of

July - God's plan and we're so excited!

And, btw?? I'm still smiling.

And, though it's not my usual sign-off,

I LOVE YOU, BRAT

MOM2

one more thing - if the pictures aren't spaced correctly with their text, I apologize, but I'm not re-opening this post. it's 8:45 P.M. and I'm pooped! I hope you've enjoyed reading about Brat's lovely shower.

Good Night! lol

OKAY, I PEEKED..................DID I MENTION THAT I HATE BLOGGER??

I NEED SOMEONE TO SMACK.

"Oh, Franki-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e"

A MISSION TRIP TO JOPLIN?? ARE YOU TEASING ME, GOD??

2011-06-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

I know God doesn't tease

but, these last couple of months

have been a merry go round,

so for just a moment I cocked my head...

I have spent hours trying to find a woman's
shelter that would allow Skyler
and myself to come in and

teach some art project
for a couple of days.

Everywhere I turned I was turned down
because we didn't have the
criminal background checks.

I totally understood where
they were coming from

but, it was very frustrating.
(Misunderstanding God IS
frustrating, isn't it!!)

So, I sat back and waited for God to show me

where he wanted us to go.

JOPLIN.

JOPLIN, MISSOURI.

Well, I did't ignore him,

so I called Skyler

and told her the change of plans.

She was excited about going to Joplin

and helping the people that live there

and have found themselves

smack in the middle of Hell.

I was excited, too.

We can be very effective in Joplin.

There is so much to do.

And, even though God changed "our" plans,

we feel we're still able to help

the children.

We are going to hit every

Big Lots, Dollar General store and

the other dollar stores

and I am going to buy every

coloring book and crayola product

I can find.

In our hotel at night

we are going to stamp lunch sacks

with precious stamps

and fill the sacks with

the loot I am able to gather!

We're going to fill hundreds of sacks

(that's my hope)

and find the Salvation Army when

we get there because I've heard that

they are keeping the kids

during the day while their parents

work on putting their lives back together.

Isn't this just the best thing??

God is so good. He knew all along

where he wanted us and we're thrilled

to follow his lead!!

Do you still want to help?

You can send checks or

coloring books, construction paper,

glue sticks, kids scissors,
glitter sticks

and crayola products.

Your help would be such a blessing
And, remember, we're leaving
June 24th!

And, if you've already sent me

tags, don't worry about them being used.

You know what else God have let

me know??

He wants me to volunteer at the

woman's shelter here, in Kerr County.

I can do general work

and I'm hopeful that I can teach

art projects to give the women

a break from worrying about their future.

Isn't that just the best??

I love God!!

So, if you want to help with

our mission trip, send donations to me at:

Jan Vermillion-Thomason

5720 Hwy. 27

Center Point, Texas 78010

Can't help with donations??

We need lots of prayer and that

would be a huge gift.

Thank you, God bless you,
and I think you

are absolutely wonderful!

Jan

ROAD TRIP TURNS INTO A MISSION TRIP!

2011-04-29T21:35:00.000-05:00

I am taking a "random" road trip this July

with my 'little girl', Skyler.

We started planning this trip about 9 months ago

and it was simply going to be a road trip

with no agenda.

We were going to find some

Diners, Drive-In's and Dives,

take back roads and my camera.

Check out some junk stores.....

just ~~several~~ many days of relaxed fun.

It's not changed in that sense.

What has changed is that we now

have a mission!

I love, love, love it when God speaks to me

and I'm quiet enough to hear Him.

In thinking about the trip, He told me

that turning it into a short mission trip

would give it meaning.

It would give us more of a chance to

be a vessel for God.

Whenever I travel I always

do what I can to be a vessel for God.

I pay other people's tolls, anonymously.

I pay for other traveler's meals, anonymously.

And, I am extremely blessed each time

I do a random act of kindness.

(if you've never done a random act of kindness,

give it a try - it's the bomb.)

You've probably figured out our mission...

we are going to volunteer for two days

at a Center for Women and Families

in the eastern part of the U.S.

Basically a shelter for victims of

domestic violence or rape.

(because of confidentiality I can't tell you any more than that)

We are so excited to be a part of

the healing process of

these women and children.

We will be helping them create art.

Here's where YOU come in.

Here's where you can be a part of the healing process.

We'll be supplying the art supplies to make journals

and keepsake boxes out of cigar boxes.

We could use some help with these supplies

so if you are interested in helping with

glue sticks, patterned paper (for women and children),

fabulous embellishments,

AND/OR AN ENCOURAGEMENT CARD OR TAG FOR

THE WOMEN AND FOR THE CHILDREN,

please do what you can and

mail everything to me.

Don't sign your name on the cards/tags,

And, don't "address" OR seal the envelopes. (This is sooooo exciting!!)

and add a note of encouragement in your card or on your tag back.

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ENOUGH CARDS/TAGS

FOR EVERY

WOMAN AND CHILD IN THE CENTER.

Those will touch these hurting women and children

more than money.

Think about it - receiving a letter of encouragement from

someone that doesn't even know you. WOW.

God bless y'all and

if you can help with some of the above,

thank you.

And, if you can't, would you please pray

that we can be effective representatives of Jesus Christ

and that the women and children who we encounter

will see Jesus in our eyes and in our actions.

Jan Vermillion-Thomason

5720 Hwy. 27

Center Point, Texas 78010

A RETREAT, ART, FRIENDS, AND A TEACHER, ALL TREASURES

2011-04-21T17:25:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was more than an art retreat for me.

It was three days that deeply touched my soul.

Officially, it was a K.C. Willis Art Retreat

held at Clark Mansion

in Taylor, Texas (east of Austin).

For me it was a weekend of renewal, validation,

new friends, an old friend, amazing art instruction and

laughter - straight from the gut.

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE

The piece above is my first of two that I made

during the retreat.

It measures about 16" x 20".

All it is lacking is the vintage rhinestone

under the photo on the cabinet card.

(I couldn't wait to show it to you so use your imagination)

Above you're looking at a close-up of the

baby picture of a little boy.

Of course, the boy in the baby picture

is the boy in the main photo.

A close-up of the quote I wrote for this piece.

The picture you're looking at above is my

second piece. I will be attaching it to a

16" x 20" black canvas before I hang it.

I'll also be adding large tea stained (cream) ball fringe

to the bottom and

a piece of vintage jewelry to the bottom left corner.

Do you see the "open top" hand stitched

"envelope" on the bottom right?

Inside of it, and peeking out, is a small

photo of the girl in the piece.

I'll be giving it a wash to create a ghostly hue.

The lady on the envelope? The little girl as an adult.

One of my new friends is Susan and I'm

almost positive this piece above is hers.

I do know one thing and that is that it isn't quite finished.

Susan is a delightful artist and a lot of fun.

The best part is that she lives in San Antonio!

I'm also pretty sure this piece is by Rita Blanks.

Don't trust my memory!

(not quite finished)

I KNOW who created this piece!

My new, darling friend,Robin Woodward.

She and I have been blogging friends for years

and one day I mentioned this retreat and suggested

that she might be interested.

She was, we met IRL, went shopping, were roommates,

table mates and she is now my dear, sweet friend.

She is absolutely darling and this piece

is my favorite! (Not completely finished)

Susan created the above piece and what makes it so

special is that the little girl on the pony IS SUSAN.

What a wonderful piece!

I absolutely adore not only this darling piece of art,

but, the artist, too!

I've known Rita Blanks for many years

and though I don't see her often enough,

I adore any time that I get to spend with her.

Isn't this piece the bomb??

Here we all are with one of our two pieces.

We had such a wonderful time and

we learned and had so much fun with our

precious teacher, K.C. Willis.

If you are ever in a position that you can take one of her

Internet courses (DVD) or attend one of her retreats,

you will be blessed, entertained and

you will learn so much that you will be so stinkin' happy that

you invested in her teaching. She's amazing!

The Clark Mansion is a delight!

You can find the very

fascinating facts of it by clicking on "Clark Mansion".

It is a private home owned by Sherry Clark and she

holds weddings to art retreats on the property,

so let me just say,

if you're looking for an amazing place

to do "something",

give her a call (512-365-6709)

There's Sherry waving from the amazing front porch.

The greeter stands next to a historical marker

at the entrance to the property.

A lovely front yard with lots of seating.

A perfect place to sit and drink

your morning cup of coffee.

An alcove under the grand staircase.

The mansion has only had two owners

and both have done all they could

to keep it's integrity.

You feel like you're in another era - fabulous!

Look at this inlaid wooden floor -

original to the house.

The wallpaper??

I was tempted to tear off a panel.

Seriously.

The chandelier in the front hall.

Yeah, original to the house.

I will always regret not taking my big suitcase.

The oak front doors and their lead glass windows.

Oh, mama.

The grand staircase is one of the first things

that you see when you enter the house.

That lamp at the base of the stairs?

I stayed away from it.

Can you imagine if you were the one to

fall into it and knock it off.......

The ballroom is where we 'held our retreat'.

Mine's bigger. Just sayin'.

The house even has a keyhole window! Shut up!!

A fainting chaise in the front room.

The amazing woodwork above the door(s).

I know that the buffet and

the dining room table & chairs

are originals to the house.

I fell in love with the glass swan centerpiece

on the dining room table.

The windows in Robin's and my room

were topped by stained glass.

The sun shined through every morning

and it was a sight to behold as

I was getting ready for the day.

One of my favorite things in the house

was the reading light attached to the

headboard of my king size bed.

This is a picture of my sweet friend, Robin,

and our fabulous teacher, K.C.

We all have battles to fight and everyday challenges and I'm no different.
I've had a rough time for about a year, even had a dear friend "destroy me"
(my words) a couple of weeks ago with words and attitude.
My point in sharing that with you is so that I can tell you this:
Always find time, find some way, to enjoy what makes you passionate.
And, find that one person that you can trust and don't keep those moments
that destroy you to yourself. You'll be much healthier mentally if you can just
talk to someone.

(Oh, and btw, he didn't destroy me - after I stopped hyperventilating and
immediately talked to my bff, Annette, about what had just happened,
I did what God would want all of us to do.
I forgave him in my heart and I pray for him every night.)

I am well. I've got my joy back!
God bless you all,
Jan

SOMEONE GET THIS WOMAN A COMPASS!!

2011-03-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

This is day two on my drive back home from Michigan.
I'm not ready to post about the trip yet, but I do have a funny story to tell and it's too long for Facebook, so y'all win:)

The day started out nicely - I grabbed my double espresso from the gas station while I filled the car, turned on my phone's GPS and headed out of town.
I had stayed in Hopkinsville, Tennessee, last night, and as I started out of town I was a little curious as to the route I was being sent on by Jana, my current GPS "girl".

You see, since my GPS voice is a woman's, I named my GPS after a woman in my family.....Oh, Jana isn't the first.....she's the third.
The first was Carly (after my niece) but it seems that "Carly" had a drinking problem and was continuously showing up to work drunk and unable to give me the correct directions.
So, as hard as it was, I fired her behind (felt kinda good).
I hired "Mother" (after my mom) next and was to be disappointed yet again.
Seems she has a problem with the bubbly and I couldn't count on her either.

The hardest part was that in my new "safe" Tonka (Tonka yellow Nissan) I don't have a stinkin' compass. So, even if my GPS shows up to work sober, I STILL don't have my compass.
Would someone PLEASE buy me a compass for my new "safe" car??

.....Back to task - my newest GPS girl is Jana (after my DIL). She's been doing quite a good job and I've been very pleased. I really thought I had found a young adult with the sense of responsibility needed to be an effective GPS girl.
Well, it seems she has simply been able to hide a serious drug problem.....until today.
It took me TWO HOURS......................TWO. HOURS. .......................to get out of the Hopkinsville wilderness this morning.
Oh, I fired her before the first hour was over, I was so disappointed.
So, there I was with no GPS girl and no compass.
Are you seein' my problem??

I finally made my way out of the maze and headed south.
I'll continue the trip without a GPS girl as I mull over whom to hire next - I'm definitely going outside of the family.
The compass?? Well, seems I always think of one when I NEED one and that's in the middle of no where, so someone is going to have to buy this woman a compass!

The day picked up this afternoon when my little girl, Skyler, called to give me an update on her dog, Sooner.
Sooner had a 104 degree temperature and wouldn't walk on one of her legs yesterday so they (she and her husband, Brian) took her to the emergency clinic last night and got antibiotics and some pills or something for her.
Today Sooner is doing better.

Skyler said that when she came home at lunch that Sooner was standing up in her CRATE and barked a couple of times.
I said, "She's still in a crate??"

Skyler knows how I feel about crate training dogs - it's not my favorite thing (anyone that strongly disagrees with my stand should send all letters, emails and comments to Oprah).
I understand that sometimes it's necessary and Skyler and I tease back and forth about it.

Skyler said, "She's comfortable in the crate. She came to us crate trained and it keeps her out of trouble. She's got lots of room."

I said, "If you had a bird would you keep it in a cage??"

*L-O-O-O-O-O-O-NG MOMENT OF SILENCE*
..............and then we both bust out laughin'.

It was sooooo funny!
I don't know if you had to be there - you might think so if you have never heard me talk, but if you have then you can hear me sayin' all of that and maybe it would be funnier.
Oh, alright, I THINK it might be funnier to you because I thought it was cuh-razy funny when it happened.

So, that was my day.
That a glass of complimentary wine at the hotel when I got here.

Love you more!
Jan

DEATH BY GOAT....OR.....I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' MAN

2011-03-04T21:08:00.002-06:00

Now, now, put your tissue up, I lived to tell the story - the goats did not win.

I won and that's why I kinda wanted to name this post, "I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' MAN".

That's because I beat me some goats by myself.

The Tank? Out of town for the day.

Picture this.....I'm sound asleep *probably not more than 5 or 5:30 am ;)*

and in comes my mom. She tells me that all of the goats

were out and that they were in the swimming pool.

I turn my head enough to mutter back to dear mother, "They're IN the pool??".

"Well, no, but they're all around the pool and what if they want a drink??"

"They'll drown."

The goats loved getting some sun at the pool and no one fell in.

(thought bubble) 'Right.'

I slowly rise out of bed and stumble into the bathroom,

get dressed, take my meds and brush my teeth.

You see, I was real concerned.

The front yard was full of goats, too.

Evidence that the goats were in the yard.

Just outside of the yard.

I was so glad that my table and chairs were still standing!

See that corner??

Several of those sneaky goats tried to blend in and hide there.

I went outside and all of the goats were at the pool, in the yard, outside of the yard, everywhere they weren't supposed to be.

They should have been in a pasture by the barn.

Frank wasn't on the place

and all I had for a ranch hand would be.......my mother.

So, basically.......I was alone.

I got the bucket, a plastic Maxwell coffee can.

(You see, if you're a real rancher you don't need fancy metal buckets.

You just use what's in the trash.)

I filled the bucket with goat feed and got them all into the pasture.

The infamous plastic Maxwell coffee bucket.

No man.
No ranch hand.

No mother.
I did it all by myself.

I don't need no stinkin' man.

However, after it was all over,

what I did need was a change of clothes

and a shower.

Oh, not because I broke a sweat.

Come on, I am woman.

"BACK OFF, BILLY!!.....BILLY!! BACK OFF!!.........Ohhhhh, Billy!

The problem was that, well, the billy (proud man goat)

rubbed up against me.

So?????

Well, let's see, how do I put this?

Why do I share it at all?

I share it because it's a fact that all should know

in case you are ever caught in the middle of a goat herd.

To attract the fetching female goats for a date

(yes, they date)

the male goat goes through a, well, a ritual......

Billy lowers his head between his front legs

and, well, oh gosh, this is so hard.....

Okay, I'm just going to say it.....

Billy lowers his head between his front legs

and he, okay, he pees on his head.

There I said it.

I know, it's quite vile.

AND, it's the truth. (I know!)

And, since this isn't smell-a-blog

then you aren't getting the real feel for this act.

IT. IS. SO. BAD. THAT. IF. BILLY. CORNERS. YOU......

AND. RUBS. UP. AGAINST. YOU......

you must immediately change your clothes

AND take a shower.

And, I mean IMMEDIATELY.

Oh, it is soooo, soooo disgusting.

Alrighty then, I made it through being ranch hand for a day

and had a renewed sense of appreciation

for what the Tank does.

Babies love the confines of a tight area.

Milling around acting like they had done nothing wrong.

Just like a goat.

As a matter of fact,

later that very day I had that sense of appreciation

all over.....as those ~~damn~~ darn goats got out again.

And, that 2nd time two of the teenagers,

males (was there any question?),

decided that they didn't want to be corralled.

After about 45 minutes I got them in threatening them that

I could just shoot them.

Look at that precious little male juvenile delinquent.

I warned all of them as I was walking

through the herd to go back to the house

that I would bring my gun (yes, I have a gun)

with me the next time.

I feel certain they got the message

and I don't expect any problems in the future.

it's hard to see the red arrow,

but it's pointing at one of my ideas of their escape routes.

Goat ranching??

Easy peasy.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!!

I really enjoy all of your comments so if you

want to leave one, I'd love it!

Jan

Nothing much cuter than a baby goat.