ramblings

My mom called me tonight and told me that tonight will be the first night my dad has spent more than one night at home since August 29th. I can just see my dad now calculating and figuring this out. This is a man who knows how many miles his tennis shoes have run, walked, and mowed. He has been working in Baton Rouge since Gustav, and now is back in Tulsa. Enjoy drinking coffee out of your own coffee maker, Dad. Love, Kerri

This week, I:

1) Let 60 7th graders create their own personal websites in Current Events class. I have been going crazy trying to keep them from embarrassing me, my school, and themselves. Yikes.

2) am loving the fact that J. Ross tells me he wants "go pedal," when he goes to ride his bicycle, which is really Anna's bicycle. He has been "pedaling" various vehicles for a while now, but, the transformation to pedaling the bicycle was significant enough to change his wording.

3) Made a really cool mix-tape-CD (Michael Scott) that I have been wearing out in my car CD player. On it has: Wailin' Jennys, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and Nickel Creek.

4) took lots of pictures.

This week's pics

5) prayed for my Grandmother Billie. My parents were in Magnolia/Texarkana, Arkansas this week while my Grandmother was in the hospital. She has been very ill the past three weeks, and the doctors have not been able to pinpoint what it was. She is a breast cancer survivor, and was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia called Hodgkins disease several years ago. She is a trooper, to say the least. Here is the sweetest email I received from my dad on Friday:

Late last night we got the word Mom's lung biopsy was negative...they had taken slices from several troublesome areas and all were negative. The results from the bone marrow biopsy are not due til Monday but the oncologist thinks it will be fine. After 18 days in the hospital, she was released today. Very weak and feeble but home...she has a way to go to be normal but is excited to be home.

Before we left the Magnolia Hospital on Wednesday to go to Texarkana for the cancer tests, my dad said, "Let's pray" and our family circled and held hands in Mom's hospital room as my 81 year old dad prayed the sweetest prayer...as he and Mom embraced following the prayer I just about lost it. A scene that was repeated late last night when we got the good news...

Thanks for your prayers...

David

6) saw The Women.

7) was put on a budget (wasn't I already on one?). :)

8) got a Sam's Club membership.

9) am really excited about the Season Premiere of the Office!

10) am watching the Emmy's.

The tour book
What would we do without the tour book? We bought one tour book in Barnes and Noble (DFW Airport). It was Top 10 Paris, and it was a life saver. Since Paris was our first stop, I carried it onto the airplane after drinking my HUGE frappuccino. Like, I was holding it. I didn't even put it in my backpack - I might have even been reading it as I boarded the plane. Could I BE any more tourist-y? I carried that thing proudly everywhere we went in Paris. This is a picture of Josh brushing up on his French right before getting on the airplane. We were SOOO excited about our trip.

Josh and sister Deb in the Pantheon in Rome

Josh in one of the museums

Baguettes and other favorites

Josh's favorites included baguettes in Paris, some liquidy vanilla yogurt stuff that he could find in the markets in Paris, and crepes. My favorites - A grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a piece of cheese and a fried egg on top (Paris)...Pizza in Italy...Ravioli in Siena...and Paninis anywhere! Oh, and cappuccino.

Paris

Paris

Venice

A popular place to eat in Italy - the sidewalk

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month. The night before any first Sunday of the month, my husband will say, "do you want the good news, or the bad news?" I always choose the bad news first, because no matter what the bad news is, the good news will inevitably make up for it. "The bad news is, tomorrow's pot luck Sunday"...Oh yeah. What's the good news? "Tomorrow's pot luck Sunday." I have never heard of anything that good be such bad news and such good news all at the same time. I know what you're thinking. How could pot luck Sunday be bad news? Well, there are a few reasons. That means, I have to think of something to make. If I forget until it's too late, I end up feeling guilty and stressed. Or, Josh makes his specialty - frozen vegetables in a dish - which we heat up with salt and pepper when we get there. I still feel guilty when he does that, by the way. Have you ever thought about how often the first Sunday of the month comes around? I mean, before I know it, it will be the first Sunday of October and I'll be thinking of what to make. But, then, there's the good news. Let's just say, we have some really good cooks at our church. We get to eat every potluck-ish think under the sun on potluck Sunday: deviled eggs, lasagna, broccoli salad, barbequed chicken, corn casserole, pies and cakes galore. Food, fun, and fellowship. Then, come home to a clean kitchen and an afternoon nap.
If my seminary friend, Emily http://macaronincheeseagain.blogspot.com/, reads this, she will be so disappointed in me. I remember what she always used to say about potluck etiquette..."for potluck you should bring what you would bring if you were feeding your entire family - anything less isn't enough." I also remember what she said about being late, but that's another story. Anyway. This has been a good weekend so far. I got to be with my mom on Friday...then, my girlfriends on Friday night...Saturday, slept in, then saw some old college friends....for dinner met Josh's uncle and had some good talks. Tomorrow's pot luck Sunday. Have a great week!

Last night at dinner, J. Ross volunteered to pray before dinner. First he thanked God for Papi and for the noodles, green beans, and salad. Then, he thanked God for J. Ross and the noodles, and green beans, and salad (in third person). Then, he thanked God for Mommy and the noodles, and green beans, and salad...and so on...around the table (all the while looking up at each person's plate to make sure he covered everything). I am pretty sure he also thanked God for the noodles, green, beans and salad as a whole. Our food was very well blessed last night.


P.S. Later on at the dinner table he asked Papi, what's your name? Papi, Josh said. Papi Packwood, J. Ross renamed him. Then, he looked at me...and you're Mommy Packwood!