Who Says You Can't Have It All?~

I have been away from my desk , and out of my mind. 
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Nah.  Not really.  But I have been away from the computer, my blog, and FB.  I DID however , get a marathon of house and yard clean-up done.  You know, I think they lied when they said you could "have it all."  Have you seen that commercial for that new movie called , "I Don"t Know How She Does It!" ?  Well, she doesn't.  I don't think it's possible for you to "have it all", without some of it suffering somewhere.  If I focus exclusively on my house looking "perfect", (whatever that means!) , then the boys' schoolwork suffers.  If I focus exclusively on schoolwork, all day every day, then the house does kind of look lived in.  (That's better than messy right?)  If I spend too much time worrying about my appearance, in order to look like those "super" moms, then something else will get let go.  Sooooooooo......all I know to do is try my best!  Some days, I may not get my email checked, but the house will get clean.  Some days the school work will ALL get done, and the house will look rough around the edges.  Some days, I will look   fabulous! (Ha!),  and the yard or car will be cluttered.  I don't think I will EVER have all of it done at one time..........but you know what ?  I think I'll live.  The kids will be fine.  The husband will be fine.  Every day I work at it, and maybe every day will be different, but it WILL all be okay, and one day I will look back (hopefully), and say I didn't do too badly!

Here's to getting some of it right , some of the time, and leaving the rest to God!  ~ Ruby Jeanette

Just One More~

One More Memory~
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The fall leaves are a' changing,
and the wind blows through the leaves.
Our lives always rearranging,
sand slipped through a sieve.

I see the lake a' rising,

and coming into view.
I'm here to make a memory,
one more day with you.

How many are we promised?
There is no way to know.
I might only have just one more day,
before I have to go.

So walk the lake and hold my hand,
and hear the autumn come.
While we make one more memory,
before God calls us home.


Ruby Jeanette

Four-Legged, Furry and Fun~

Every boy needs a dog,  and every dog needs a boy. 

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We have a little white terrier that someone dumped out at our house.  This was back at the first of this year, January or so, when the weather was all of 11 or 12 degrees outside with ice on the ground.  If you've read any of my previous posts you know I'm talking about Ivy, if you haven't , then she is all of about 8 pounds big, with wire hair.  She has these giant soulful eyes, and has the most amazing range of expressions on her little doggie face.  She's housebroken , doesn't bite, or snap, and is absolutely no trouble at all.  She is old, though, and you can tell her bones get arthritic and cold.  So lately, she's taken to sleeping with the boys in their bed at night.  It's really sweet.  They get their whole routine going, teeth brushing (boys) , bathroom breaks ( Ivy), then night kisses ( boys and Ivy, lol) , then they get her "special " cover, pile her up between them, snuggle her up, and sail off to dreamland.  It's awesome the care they show one another.  I understand why they say that every boy needs a dog.  It's almost as if it is preparing them to be good parents later in life. Most boys never play with dolls to get that nurturing attitude, and motions.  But with a dog, it's more acceptable.  A dog is a "masculine" thing to have.  But it's still the same concept. Feed the baby, bathe the baby, swaddle the baby, snuggle the baby, make sure the baby feels loved. And I know now why they say that every dog needs a boy.  There is just some kind of special bond between a boy and his dog, and the dogs seem to realize just as much benefit, and profit as the boy does.  After all, they say the dog was man's first animal companion.  Maybe so many years ago we realized we could help one another.  Food and comfort for the dog.  Companionship and protection for the man.  I think somewhere, somehow, it still runs deep in our DNA, and I do believe truly that in the animal kingdom, dog IS man's best friend.

What Do I Need to Know THAT for?!?~

It's official.  I have become my mother.  They told me it would happen.  All those years of "Just wait 'til you have kids!",  and "You will certainly pay for your raising!",  oh, and the dreaded, "May God make your children just like you!", well, God was surely listening!  I suppose this dawned on me yesterday because my 12 soon-to-be 13 year old, said ,  "And just what exactly is all this school stuff good for?"  .  I can remember having this exact same conversation many times with my mom.  Of course, she always said I would need it, and it will come in handy, and so on.  I, of course,  in my teenager-ly wisdom knew better!  Well, as much as it chafes me to say it, she was right!(  About some things, anyway.  I still have YET to use algebra in daily life,   and most of the time,  no one cares that I know when they signed the Magna Carta {1215} , or that I can quote obscure English poetry, {Thomas Hardy's 'The Darkling Thrush',anyone?} ) But all in all, regular math is useful for adding up your grocery bill, making sure no one cheats you on your taxes or things like that.  Not really sure why we need to know prepositions, nouns, verbs and so forth , other than writing a letter, a novel, or a paper,  but it's good to be ABLE to speak proper English, even if I don't always use that ability.  I never had a beef with the sciences, because they were always interesting, even though knowing about chemical reactions is not a real useful "everyday" ability.  I loved, loved , loved Literature, History, Reading, and anything to do with them, like poetry, or essays,  (reading them , not writing them!) But other than personal enjoyment, Old World History, and great French authors, are not something you use all the time either!  Sooooooooooo, I guess we are mostly trying to focus on the basics. Even though we ARE taking algebra, science, history, reading, spelling, art, and the other things that schools think are SO important, I do have to explain to my nearly 13 year old, that in fact, he probably WON'T be using a lot of this information, but as old Hercule Poirot would say,  "We must stimulate , every day,  the little grey cells!" , hopefully one day Joseph will thank me!

Ring, Ring!~

I forgot to put my phone back "on" the hook yesterday.  So my apologies if anyone tried to call.  I usually take it off in the mornings, during school and rest time.  I try to remember to put it back on in the afternoons, but am bad to forget.  When Mark and I first got married , and for about the first two years, we didn't have a phone, at all.  No cell phone, or home phone.  I loved it!  You don't think about how much of a hassle those things are until you go completely without them.  No more telemarketers........"Can I plese speke to Miss Ruvy Voods, plese?",
   or "Wouldya' like to buy some vinyl windows?"  ,  or "How about a trip to faaaaabulous Braaanssson!!!!!!!!?".  Uhhhh, No.  No.  and definitely  NO!  Not having a phone also gives you the excuse to actually go and visit people , instead of just saying, "I'll call instead."  Of course, it's a pain when you need to call the doctors, or pay your phone bill, or those kinds of things, but all in all, it's wonderful not to have to hear the crazy thing ring, and check the caller id, and worry if you paid the bill, and so on, and so on........any - how, I think sometimes these electronic things are just a huge time-suck.  Well, I better get off of the internet, and go plug my phone back up!  Have a great day everyone!


Here's to going unplugged , every now and then~ Ruby Jeanette

Where's the Light? ~

Don't wait for the light at the end of the tunnel.  Stride down there, and light it yourself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Have you had dark days lately?  Does it all seem like it's closing in on you, and there is no place left to turn?  I've been there!  It is oh, so easy to feel  like you are in the dark tunnel, with light so very far away.  The quote at the top makes it sound easy, doesn't it?  Just "stride down there, and light it yourself!" .  But what if you can't see to walk?  What if you can't find your own hand in front of your face?  I've never been afraid of the dark, but I know people who are .  They talk about it being a crippling fear, fear of the unknown.  Fear of falling, fear of something being in the dark , that can hurt you.  So really, it's not necessarily about the dark itself, but what can happen to you, and be in, the dark.  Jesus talks quite a bit about the dark in His messages.  In John chapter 3 verse 19, Jesus says ,  "And this is the condemnation , that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. "  And in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 6 Paul tells us this, "For God , who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  "   In Genesis God said , "Let there be light, and there was light."  And perhaps the most powerful of all Scriptures, to those in dark times, and in dark places........John chapter 8 verse 12, "Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."  What a wonderful promise!  Does this mean I will never have dark times?  Will I never again struggle with fear?  No!  But this promise does mean , I WILL NEVER WALK ALONE! So when I am in that dark tunnel,  I don't have to stride down and light it myself, Jesus is right beside me , and He is the light!  I don't have to be afraid of the dark, because He holds my hand and walks with me.  I can use this knowledge and this promise, to make it out of the tunnel, and back to the land of the living! 

Here's to never walking alone ~ Ruby Jeanette

Row Your Own Boat~

Okay.  I have a question.  If you are accusing someone of "judging"  you, and saying they are a bad person because of it,  aren't YOU judging them?  Should we even make comments about other people and their actions?  I guess I'm confused as to the appropriate place to say things about others.  I was always taught that if you didn't have anything nice to say, then NOT to say anything, and that GOD is our judge.  But people seem to be using FaceBook as a platform to say all kinds of things, and then they use the "GOD is my judge " statement to make what they are saying okay.  I think the world would be a whole lot better if maybe we kept more of our opinions to ourselves.  And if you wouldn't say it to a person's face, then don't say it on FB.  Just a thought!

Water for life~

It was so wonderful to feel the rain yesterday!  It has been so dry here, it seemed as if it would never rain again.  Drought is never good, but in the summer it seems even worse, with the heat, and everything just ends up crunchy and brown.  All of the grass and trees, people's gardens and haymeadows, it all looks really sad.  I know it makes it hard on the farmers and ranchers, too, because they won't have enough hay to feed their cows through the winter and will have to buy it elsewhere.  Of course, Texas has had all those wildfires , so not sure if people can buy hay from there, either.  I know I complain sometimes about the rain, (it's terrible on arthritic joints), but I would never wish for it to NOT rain.  I got to thinking about the drought in the Old Testament, during the time of Ahab.  I'm not sure how long it lasted, the Bible says years,  and many days.  We've done without rain for a few weeks, and we've experienced lots of difficulties because of it. Not sure how we'd deal with YEARS without rain.  Of course, I thought it was kind of ironic that Ahab asked Elijah if it was "he" who troubled Israel?,  as if the fact that Ahab doing more evil and wickedness than any other king had nothing to do with it!  I don't think we were having drought as punishment necessarily, but it does get your attention doesn't it?  We all know water is a necessity of life, but we sometimes take it for granted I think.  I hope it continues to rain , for a couple more days anyway, and I 'm promising myself, I'm not complaining about it anymore! 

Here's to showers and sprinkles! ~ Ruby Jeanette

Fair Time ! ~

Well, it's that time of year again.  County fair time.  I love the fair!  It's always so much fun to go, and see the parade, and exhibits.  My favorite is all of the art entries.  I didn't get my heinie in gear this year and draw anything to enter.  I got a third place last year, and  a first prize year before last, but have just been too busy to really have free time to draw and do it right.  I belong to EH too, and usually my project with the club involves helping to design the fair booth for our club.  Last year the theme was Country Roots, and Cowboy Boots. Our design won best in show! This year our theme is Pig Squeals, and Ferris Wheels.  We worked on it last week, so I'm hoping it does well this year .  Here is a copy of the poem I wrote to use in our booth.........

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At the fair~

We've got pig squeals, and ferris wheels,
here at the Pike County fair.
We've got pink cotton candy, the exhibits are dandy,
and we hope to see you there.

The leaves are a ' fallin ',
the wild geese are   a ' callin ' ,
and the pumpkins lay bright on the ground.
To see Nature's bounty,  
just visit Pike County,
'  cause we've got the best around!


Ruby Jeanette

I am behind, behind , behind!  Aaaaaaarrrrrggggh!  Laundry, dishes, school, cooking, cleaning , taking care of sick husbands, paying the bills , buying groceries...................whew, breathe in, breathe out, lol!  I didn't really even realize it has been a week since I've posted anything new here.  Sometimes life seems to speed up faster than my body can go.  I always wondered , when women talk about "having it all", how do they manage it?  I manage, but it's by realizing that sometimes the laundry will pile up, or maybe the shelves won't get dusted today.  But, anyway.  Has everybody been enjoying the cooler weather?  I know I sure have been .  Something about the air in fall, it just makes you think about sweaters , boots, and pumpkins.  Of course , it also means the beginning of the holiday season.  You know after Halloween , it's Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year's...........whew, breathe in, breathe out.............It'll all iron out fine, and if it's not perfect,  I'm doing my best anyway!  Have a great day everyone!

Which Will You Be?~

Today's post is dedicated to my aunts, Lola and Rachael.  They have both been such an inspiration to me in my life, and the choices I have made.  These are my mom's sisters, and they are super-special people to me.  They have both experienced many hardships in life, but still manage to keep their eyes focused on the Lord, and stay positive in the face of great trial. My aunt Lola said to my mom, just yesterday that she is not going to be a , "P-P-P".  What is that, you ask?  Well, my aunt says it means "Poor-Pitiful-Pearl".  In other words, are you throwing yourself a pity party?  Is your outlook, poor-pitiful-me, how did my life get this way?  I thought about what she was saying and decided there could be two types of "P-P-P".  Poor -Pitiful-Pearl, and "Positive-Prayerful-Person".  I have great compassion for people with chronic illness , as this is the situation I am in.  I understand the toll, that dealing with an everyday physical ailment, and near constant bodily pain , can cause on your mind , and emotions.  I have sympathy to others who are maybe in even worse shape than I am in. This has become my life, and this has become what I understand. I can not go the places I would always like to go.  I do not have the energy to clean my house the way I wish that it was.  I can not even spend time doing my favorite activities, with my family.  I take many medications, which the doctors say will keep me alive a little while longer.  Why am I telling you this, you ask?  Because , despite ALL these things, I REFUSE to become a "Poor-Pitiful-Pearl'!  God has granted me THIS moment, THIS time, THIS body.  I refuse to give in to the negativity that the world would heap on me , saying , "You've been dealt such a hard hand.  You deserve to be bitter."  I REFUSE to make life any harder by griping about how awful all this is!  Yes, it's not fair.  Yes, I wish I were healed right this instant, and that life was all sunshine and roses.  But, I AM going to be a "Positive-Prayerful- Person" , despite the circumstances!  Besides , if THIS life were perfect, how many of us would long for Heaven?  I 've got a place so much better than here , to spend my eternity, and I'm  not going to waste one minute of ANY of the life I've been given , here, or there!  So..........which of the "3 P's" will you be?  Will you be a "Poor -Pitiful-Pearl", or a "Positive-Prayerful-Person"?  I 've made my choice today!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me~ Philippians 4:13

A Change of Heart, A Change of Seasons~

I suppose I have enjoyed my Labor Day holiday, as I did not "labor" over my blog or FB page,lol!  It was nice having Mark and the boys home for a short vacation before we really get our noses down to the grindstone with school .  They are laboring at the dining table right now over their reading,  today's subject is the Atomic Age.  This was a harder subject to explain ,than I thought.  We don't really let them watch violent television, or play violent video games.  They get along really well together, and very seldom ever fight.  They've only ever come to blows maybe twice in their whole lives.  So it's really hard to explain the whole concept of war, and nuclear bombs and all that.  I mean , their whole attitude was , "How can something be so bad that you have to use nuclear bombs on someone else?  Why didn't they just try to talk to one another?  Did their moms not make them work it out?!?".  Oh , if only the world saw it that way ! I explained the best I could, although I 'm sure they still don't really understand.  And maybe that's not a bad thing.  Maybe we could all take a step backward in time, and say,  "Is it really that bad?  Or could we maybe work it out by talking to each other?".  I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and is enjoying their day so far today.  We've maybe got a little taste of fall going on today.......feels good doesn't it? I so love this time of year!  The change in the seasons reminds me that God can always change our hearts!