WEHOOOO!

***to the tune of "Ride of the Valkyries'***
Closing on Thurs-day. Closing on Thurs-day. Closing on Thurssss-day. Closing on Thursday....

FINALLY!!!
Now just another month until we can actually *live* in the house! Okay, maybe not quite that long.

Baby names...

Alrighty, we've hit a snag and we can't use Morgan like I wanted too (we realized Matt's best friend growing up named his youngest Morgan Lane just a few months ago!).

So votes and/or totally new suggestions...

Gwyneth
Tamsyn
Zoe

I think of the three I'm most partial to Tamsyn. I like Zoe a lot but I seem to run into it more frequently lately; and just for the record I did not pick it because of Zoe Jakes (of the Indigo). Nor did I pick Gwyneth after the actress of the same name. :)
And for those who don't know, Zoe is pronounced Zoh-ee

Personally, I like Willow as well but Matt can't get that 80s movie of the same name out of his head, so that's out. LOL!

Thanks in advance!!! Picking names is soooo hard. Sabrey's was easy, I had that one for a long time before she was born. No so much with this one.

Checking in...having a moment...

Ahhh, it's been too long.

Not a ton of stuff going on around here but enough minor drama to keep me running. We've been trying to buy a foreclosed house and it's been one hurdle after another. Have any of you tried to buy a foreclosed house before? It's nuts. The banks are all freaky now too because of this sub-prime crap going on. They're all weird about the appraisal and comps and whatnot. Our credit is good, but the credit union we're going through is somewhat nuts. But finally it's all been approved and we're just waiting on the call to find out what day we close.
I - can't - wait.

The hormones from the pregnancy have me on an emotional roller coaster, and with Grandpa watching 24 hour news all day (Fox, I might add) at an unescapable volume, I have a crying jag at least once a day. There's only so much cruelty and death one can handle. It's going to take me a week to recover from yesterday's trauma...the story of a man who drowned his three little children in a hotel bathtub and then killed himself. This all after the mom had been fighting to get the court to put a protective order on him and keep him from visitation rights because he was *already* diagnosed as suicidal and had *told* her he was going to kill them because it was the only thing he could take away from her that would hurt her. I can't stop imagining the terror of those children as he took them - one at a time - into the bathroom to drown them.

It's these sorts of things that make me want to scream. You do what you can for those you find in need and in suffering, but there are so many that I can never reach, so many innocents that will suffer at the hands of those with more power than they - it is hard enough to move through life with the pain that comes from this knowledge without being reminded of it every half hour of every day.

If you have children, hug them tightly and give thanks that they are yours to give love, shelter, education, and safety (inasmuch as you are able until they are on their own) to. And everyone should do something good - anything good, regardless of how small - once a week for others in need... anyone in need. It's the only way to fight against the sickness out there in the world. And if you suspect a child is in danger, do not hesitate to act. As a parent, even if I were accused in error of neglecting or abusing my child, I would rather suffer through the trouble of having to demonstrate/prove otherwise than know that a person would turn the other way when they suspected a child was being harmed. Perhaps that is an extreme position, but that's what I feel.

Okay well this was a depressing post. Sorry folks. I'll try to be more upbeat tomorrow.

More classes?

So I'm sitting in the local Chinese restaurant, eating lunch (yes I was having a craving) and reading a magazine, and these two ladies come up to my table asking if I take classes with Margie and did I perform that Saturday night? (Mind you, "that Saturday night" was about 3 months ago!!). I said yes of course, and they asked if I was the one who was going to teach here in town. I explained that I currently teach down in Murray (at the University) and that I didn't think there was enough interest here for it.

Apparently I was wrong. I think I might be able to have a decent little class if I can find a location. The other problem will be my ever-expanding waistline, making it difficult to demonstrate certain movements at some point. So now I'm torn...do I try to form a class here or do I wait 'til the fall after the baby comes and I've recovered a bit? Maybe I'll see what kind of locations I can nail down first. If I can find a spot at a reasonable rate, I might go ahead and give it a shot. Then again I don't want to eat up more of my evenings - not an issue personally but I don't get to spend much time with hubby that way. Around here there aren't separate weekends where one doesn't work; farmwork doesn't go on "Pause" until Monday. A Saturday morning class might be good; but then I run into the problem of a sitter for the Little One.

Ideas anyone?

Resolutions - Gonna make some doggone it....

Yeah, changed my profile style again. Feeling a little schizophrenic I guess.

Feeling a little better today, and trying hard to procrastinate on hitting the treadmill, so I figured I'd hash out some resolutions. Heeeere we go:

1) Get the house built. Get the house built. Get the house built. If I have to go out there myself with a shovel, hammer, and nails, that house *will* be built ASAP.

2) Get back into my dance training more seriously. Really have let that slip of late, although that probably has more to do with not actually having any *space* in which to dance here. Think I might talk to the local studio owner about renting space for an hour every other day. That should help me focus. All I can think of here is, "Gotta clean that; The laundry needs done; Geez this floor needs mopping; Grandpa turn down the damned tv!"

3) Sew more. I have so many ideas for costume and apparel pieces I could explode. To remedy the situation, I've decided to convert the other bedroom into my sewing room. It'll be tight, but at least it will be a dedicated space, and I can build a portable/foldup tabletop for the bed to use as a cutting surface. I'd make it a dance room, but there's not enough floorspace.

4) Brush up on my web skills. They're lacking. Too much time chasing a toddler, moving, getting frustrated here living with extended family...I'm afraid my skills are adequate but not extensive enough for what current sites require. Got a Flash book (new version...the new ActionScript is a doozey and it's been a while. Need to start from scratch again to make sure I've got it right), and some AJAX and CSS material to nail down. Now to just make a schedule to study this stuff (when I'm not distracted by the housecleaning, of course).

5) Ahh, yes, and to not get involved in any of the Drama. Too many people believe too many rumors about things that aren't true, and nobody bothers to ask the source. I'm not even going to go down that road. I'm not there anymore, I have my own drama. I wholeheartedly second the prayers for forethought before speaking and going one's own way without begrudging others. I would also add to that prayer that folks take everything they hear with a grain of salt unless they hear it firsthand (I include myself here, make no mistake), and above all that everyone FORGIVE- either real or perceived wrongs (it doesn't matter which they are, they still make one feel bad), and always speak and act out of Love (not gushy sappy love, but LOVE...the spiritual/for the good of humanity/go take a class with the Dalai Lama kind).

6) Plant a garden this spring. At least a few things. Grandpa always has a garden at the farm; unfortunately the selection tends to be fairly limited. This year his obsession was okra. I will be a happy girl if I never see another piece of okra again. The zucchinis were good, but good God they grow fast! Tooo many of those last year too. I'm sure he'll grow tomatoes again but I think I'm going to keep them weeded better (he can't get down too easily so he just grows stuff until the weeds get so bad he can't get at the veggies anymore, lol!). I want to grow some sauce tomatoes though - I can't eat fresh tomatoes so growing the sandwich/salad kind are pretty pointless for me personally.

7). OH!!! The big one - though I can really only do so much about it .... Getting my dad to quit chewing tobacco and to lose weight!!! At the very least if I can get him to stop bringing home so much junk food, that'll be a big step in the right direction (for everyone in the house!). That's going to be the hardest resolution. He's pretty set in his ways.

Okay, I'm done. That's quite a long order as it is, though some things are easier than others on it. We'll see how I do.

Blessings!

Thanks all...

Thanks for all the congrats and good wishes!

If I were well enough to do a happy dance, I would. I am sooooooo sick. Nauseated 24-7 lately. Dancing is the *last* thing on my mind (thankfully classes don't start again for another couple of weeks!). It seems to be letting up slightly the last couple of days so I'm hoping I'm on the opposite side of morning sickness, heading for that blessed three-month mark, but I'm not taking anything for granted.

Now where did I leave that ginger ale?....