Lee Dewyze - Hallelujah

The one thing I can say about American Idol is I don't know everything.  They have shown me that year after year.  And that's fine, I'm good with that but I began to have this sneaking suspicion that Lee Dewyze could win the whole thing a couple of weeks ago.  I was afraid to say anything because I thought my eldest daughter might have a coronary.  After this week, though,  if it had been the finals Lee would have walked out the winner.  He WANTS it, you can see that.  

My goal here is to share his performance Hallelujah with you.  

He had a big moment with this one.  

I love music.  I can't sing a lick but I love it.

Sarah Kate

In September of this school year, Sarah read a story about a golden retriever.

She started asking her Mom if she could have a puppy.  One thing to know about my daughter, she loves animals.  As a child she had a small parade of animals.  Unfortunately for my baby girl, I didn't have the capacity to take care of animals and children, so only a small parade.

  

A cat, a dog, a bird, and then another bird.  

It has to do with spring cleaning, all the doors in the house being open and the bird being trained to open his own door to his cage.  The cat comes in, I spy yellow feathers and then Danya being lead to believe that her bird flew free that afternoon.  We spent weeks looking in the trees for the little yellow parakeet. 

And then we bought the little blue parakeet.

 

During one of our phone calls, Danya tells me the story of how Sarah wanted a puppy, to my horror I asked, "Your not going to get another dog are you"?  She says well, I don't mind her having her own dog.  So I mentioned telling Sarah to work for it.  Chores, homework, no gripping.  

March rolls around and I asked if I can take Sarah with me on a spring break trip to see the grandmothers, Sarah's great grand mother, Granny-ma and her great-great grand mother and name sake, Mam-ma.  

That's when I found out how serious this puppy thing is with her.  She has done all her chores, kept her grades up, done her homework, even done chores with out being told to, all year long still dreaming of a puppy.  

On our trip she told me she wanted a golden retriever because, "she would swim with her and she would save her when she drowned".  I will never forget looking at this child sitting in the front seat with me.  

Her Mom told me the story of picking her up from school one day.  

Sarah,  "Mom, I've been thinking".   

Mom - "You have, what have you been thinking about"?

Sarah - "I've decided to give my kitty away to Caitlyn (next door neighbor) to make room for my puppy".

She walked in the house, picked up the kitty, loved on it, said her good-byes and walked next door to Caitlyn's house and gave her kitty to her friend and neighbor.

I thought that showed a lot of depth for a little girl.  So with Mom and Dad's blessing, Pap-paw and I gave her a puppy for her birthday.  We felt that she had showed a level of maturity this year and earned the right to have her own puppy.

 

Umm . . . 

Sarah . . . 

I think your puppy is in a bind, you better get her.

She looks up at me with her rich, deep, beautiful, big brown eyes and says, "my puppy chews on her own arm".  

Time to go home and meet the rest of the family.

Daddy, the German Sheppard, Abby, the bull dogs (4 of them??), and the horses and the cat that lives next door and who knows what else will parade through their house and life.  

My first born has a soft spot for animals.

Happy Birthday darling, Pap-paw and Nanoo love you.  

She is growing up too fast.  

Blessings,

 see ya.  :))

Shot of the Day

Taken this afternoon, in between rain showers at sunset.

A New Seat in the House

I've been working on my outdoor projects all week.  Let me just say one thing before we continue ... I hate ( I know that a strong word but!!) I really do hate my concrete pots.  Okay with that said let me just keep saying how much I hate those concrete pots!!!!

I thought that I would love them.  I thought they would be wonderful to have.  I thought wrong.

Wrong!  Wrong!!  Wrong!!!

Yes they last forrevverr (unless you drop one because they are sooooo heavy), yes they age and get their own patina.  Patina shamena.  (that's a new word I just made up, clever?  yes?)  And I must add that I can't really pick them up, I have to have someone come help me get them on a dolly so that they can be moved.  Or, if I am by myself, which is often because ... why?  I live in the country and their are no neighbors - K.  Not bitter, better.  I digress.  So, when that moment arises I roll them and try not to drop them because they crack and break.  Would that really be such a bad thing?  I have failed to mention the expense, so no I do not break them on purpose and I will probably be able to prove that ..... one of these days.

Anyhoo.

Do you see a patina on this one?  Hum?  Really, do you!??  I don't.  I see HEAVY!!!!!!!!!!  

Not to mention the plant, let's don't mention this plant cause it is on it's way out.  I don't want to talk about it, there are two of them.  Just sayin.

Back to the story.

So so heavy.  My back is killing me and it happens twice a year.  Every year!  Did I mention how I feel about these pots yet?  Oh my aching back, I hate them.  

Okay, I'll stop here, if I can.  It's just that you are one of the few people I've been able to rant to and my poor honey just can't take the full wrath of my feelings for these pots.  He just can't. 

So back to the patina.  I didn't like it- so I changed it.

When Sarah was little she use to say, "I don't like it and I don't want it" with attitude.  That became a mantra for me and Mom.  Hey Mom, how are you doing?  

So this is better, no?  That is until you have to move the .... thing.  Again, digress.  I used two colors of a cement stain.  Bronze and dark charcoal and then sealed it.  By the way, that is what our patio is finished with too.  A stamped and stained cement product.  

And then, our furniture came in.  Yippeeee!!!!!!!!!

I can hardly believe it.  I've been planning for this for a year (you can check out an old post here) of my porch dreams.  

 
Ooh, it's so pretty.  I ran around all afternoon and sat on every piece.

So what do you think?  We need to have a get together, cook something.  

Hmm, I should get a grill first ... I still have work to do but wow, what a step forward.  

So tomorrow I want to tell you a story about little miss Sarah Kate.

Okay, bye.

American Idol

American Idol

My oldest daughter D and I get together every Wednesday morning and talk about AI, we argue sometimes too.

D - everybody sucked.  I think Casey might be going home there Mom,   I don't know what happened to everybody.

Me - I think they are all really nervous, I thought it was telling what Mike told Jamie Foxx, that his goal was to get into the top three, and as the judges pointed out, not to win it.  So at this point they've all hit their goals, most likely.  And speaking of the judges . . . did Ellen really have to say that?  I think the judging has been the weakest link this year.  I don't think they need four, it takes to long.   I think Simon is the glue that holds it all together and if he leaves the show's really gonna suck.  That's what I think about that.

D - So, Mom who did you think was best and worst.  

Me - I thought Mike was the worst.....

D - WHAT???!!

Me - what?

D - you didn't like him?  Why don't you give him a chance?

Me - I do give him a chance, I just don't really ....... don't ........like him.

D - You do not give him a chance!

Me - I do too!  You don't know what I do and don't do.  You can't say if I give him a chance or not!  I close my eyes and listen to their voices and I imagine them on the radio and I just don't think Mike has that pretty of a voice.

D - Well, Lee had pitchy problems all over the place last night, I know I watched it twice.

Me - You did?  Well maybe I should watch it again to.  I didn't delete it, I'll go watch it again and see if I missed Mike performance.  Down girl, I'm just saying.

Anyway so American Idol last night -  the solos were just okay, the duets were really good.  Whose going home, for me I don't know.  Casey or Mike and then next week the one that didn't go home this week.  And then the contest between Crystal and Lee really takes off.  And we'll see.  And then we'll wait for their albums to come out and watch to see what happens with Simon and the judging panel for next year.  

And I'm really glad to put up a new blog even if it is about American Idol.  I've been busy but haven't finished anything to show off, yet.  

But tomorrow is a different story.

See ya.    

Time Really Can Fly

I didn't mean to take a break from blogging but time just seem to get away from me.  And honestly, it may have started about a month ago.  I noticed a question a blogger asked on her Friday poll,  "Are You Addicted"?  Why,  yes I am!  Thank you very much.  So I didn't read that blog and I scrolled right on past that title and keep on reading and reading and reading other peoples blogs.

But the question kept nagging at me.  And finally I had to admit it.  Hello, my name is Jerriann and I am addicted to blogs.  

Whew, what a weight I had been carrying.  I didn't really want to admit it and I really enjoyed it so what's it hurting?  Right?  Right!  

So, after the great news on my honey, it just seemed to happen.  One day here, a two day trip there, help at the pens working cattle - check off two days there, keep the one year old grand baby here and wa-la two weeks have gone by. 

So, things are going great.  We still struggle with the things chemo brings but no hospitalizations and a much better attitude.  Thank You Lord.  

I have five tables lined up to be stripped or painted, I've decided to paint my bed and I still need to do something with the wall in the dining room.  So things are wonderfully, blessedly normal around here. 

Grand daughter goes home Tuesday next week so, it will be a while before I'm back running full steam ahead.  I'm getting old.  She's a pure pleasure to have around, very easy to keep but I find it hard to do much of anything else.  I just sit in the floor with her and watch her play, let her crawl on me and then we eat yogurt melts.  Um yummy.  This is exactly what we needed.  

I hope all is well in your homes.  

See ya. :)   

Update on My Honey

As I was walking up the stairs this morning the song "Oh Happy Day" started playing through my mind. Well the chorus maybe I don't think I remember the whole song anyway yesterday was a big day.

It was our 7th chemo treatment and it was the day that we got the results of his p.e.t. scan.  

Negative.

The pet scan was NEGATIVE!!! 

Negative for cancer!  ( insert picture in your mind of me dancing the jig here)

My honey cancer is not curable but it is highly treatable and the treatment is working (picture me with tears rolling down my face and a great big smile spread across it) 

The doctor said the scan shows no sign of cancer, there is no cancer growing, it is all dead, we got it!  Woo - Hoo!! :))  

He still has to finish his chemo treatments but they took the "bad" drug out so it should be a little easier on him and we have to finish this walk we're on but you know that light at the end of the tunnel, it suddenly got a lot brighter.  

The doctor cautioned us to remain careful during these last two treatments so we don't end up in the hospital but it is almost over and then we begin the maintenance phase.  

Oh happy day.

I can't thank you guys enough for praying for us, asking about us, putting us in your thoughts and concerns.  I can't even begin to put into words my gratitude so I will just simply say thank you with the promise of standing in the gap for you.  

After a few minutes of calling family and through the joyful sobbing did I hear in my spirit God say, I AM.  

I AM that I AM and there is no other.  

Yes Lord. Yes Lord.  Praise Your Holy Name.  Praise You.  

(insert picture of me kneeling down and praising the LORD here)