Blogging Reflection

 Well, this summer semester has been interesting that is for sure. I enrolled in my first online class, my first summer class and started a blog. I am all about trying new things but I was skeptical about the blog. I wasn't sure if this was something I wanted to share with everybody. I couldn't decide if it should contain deep thought provoking entries or plain information about daily life. I used it as a journal, writing about this, that and nothing in particular. I am still not fond of the thought of keeping a daily blog as I write in a journal and often post to Facebook. It did become a habit and was hard to write in a notebook on our trip to the lake instead of typing it all in. It is a different type of writing style. Sitting at my table typing in the computer vs lying in my bed writing in my journal. I enjoy writing my thoughts and ideas down so adding the blog wasn't a big deal but there were days I had no interest in writing. If dedicated writers do this daily then maybe writing isn't my cup of tea. It does offer a person a way to express thoughts and opinions or ideas and dreams to friends or peers that they might not be able to express in words. A blog might also be a good way to stay connected with loved ones, although there are other outlets for this like Facebook and Twitter. I enjoyed reading the other students blogs, seeing how they chose to write in their own blogs;even how they decided to design their pages. It was an interesting experience although I doubt I will continue this once I complete this course.

Flying Spiders

When we got home from our camping trip there was a large spider in the dog's water bowl. It must have crawled inside and drown. It was huge. I am not a fan of spiders. If one is around the house then they usually have reign over that room until my dear hubby comes home to get the terrible creature away from my stuff and me. I was thinking after this episode, how horrible would it be if spiders could fly. They watch you with their multiple eyes and crawl across their sticky webs just waiting for a chance to attack with their sharp pointy fangs as it is. Now add wings, you could be walking down the middle of the road just minding your own business when BAM! One just flies up and attacks. Nothing has provoked this vicious little creature, other than the fact that you are there. Instead of fearing that the spider crawling across the ceiling will suddenly turn your direction now they can just take off and glide or dive bomb your current location. I have chosen this color red to show the color in which they must see. They are mean little creatures put  here to do nothing but ensure that you don't take that shower you planned because they are taking up residence in the tub or to  scare the living daylights out of you when you walk into an abandoned web. Now we add to the fears by letting the little monsters have wings. Could you imaging a  large terantula or camel spider  coming right after you. I say no thank you. People have told me that they are more afraid of us then we are of them. I am sorry but who is the spider shrink? I have never seen proof of this. Besides I haven't seen a spider about wet on himself when he walks into my home while  I am away.

Overwhelmed

This is how I feel tonight, overwhelmed. I had a very long day at work, then I came home to figure out my new schedule for this week for my online classes and feel very overwhelmed at the amount of work due this week. I have been sitting here tonight working on an English assignment and am getting ready to call it quits. Now that I am looking back over my stuff I feel that I haven't done a single thing. This is very discouraging. I am glad that it is almost over and now I think that I just need to dig in and work hard. I can do this and will succeed. I feel that my government class is going well, I just need to make sure that I study well for my next test and my upcoming final. I feel very differently about English though, I have no idea where I stand with my grade and am not sure what to expect from my final. I feel like I am stuck in the dark and can not find the light switch. I am trying to plan ahead and make sure that I have everything done but it is definately time consuming. I have registered for my fall classes and decided that I will only take one online class at a time. It has been a little stressful to say the least. That and I thought that I could work full time and do both classes, boy was I wrong. I know better than to underestimate an online class. Well, I think my best bet is to call it a night and try to regroup tomorrow. I can do this and I know it. Deep breath Trish, deep breath.

Home Sweet Home

We are home from our camping trip now. I love taking trips or going camping but I always love coming home. I missed my bed and will be glad to be sleeping in it tonight. We left  fairly early today, the kids took a trip out in the boat while we cleaned up camp. Then they played in the woods for a while. At one point we watched then run into the edge of the woods in plain sight and pull candy bars out and start eating them. I hollered out that we could still see them; they looked shocked then took off to a better hiding spot to enjoy their stolen goods. They try to be so sneaky, it's really cute. As soon as we were in the truck and on our way home it got really quiet. Both boys were sacked out. They slept the whole way home and easily went in for baths and bed. It was such a beautiful weekend and I enjoyed getting away. I know where I am going to write my next essay though, not like I am putting it off until the last minute or anything. I was ready for a shower when I got home though. My hair felt horrible, greasy and stiff at the same time. Gross. My animals missed us terribly and were relieved to see the food bowls filled and each got their own cuddle time. Our dog even got in the recliner with my husband and he's about 45 pounds, not a lap puppy. Well my cat, Gera, is trying to cuddle now and is making my typing very difficult.

Saturday blog- Peaceful

*Note* This was originally written with pen and paper, but I was camping and electricity wasn't an option.

Peaceful, that is how I am feeling right now. The kids are out on the boat with the guys. We are just sitting here, Brandi and I, enjoying the early evening. There are some ducks that swam up to the camp looking for leftovers. They didn't find much so they left. They were wonderful to watch, they just glided in, hunted around for a minute and just the same glided back out. I can see little camp fires all across the lake and am thinking that they must frequent many camps. It is beautiful here. Our camping area is pretty level but is slightly uphill from the lake. Our tent is set up straight up from the camp fire, so when I get up I can head straight to the fire for some much needed coffee. We have a canopy set up with a table and our food. This is a good thing as we had raccoons visit our camp last night. The kids have had so much fun swimming and playing today, I bet they will be sound asleep as soon as they get back. So for now I will enjoy the peace and quiet until then. They did not do very well fishing yesterday so we will be throwing something together for dinner here pretty quickly. That is a true wonder of camp. You can just throw anything in a pot and call it camp food. I have sausage, potatoes, left over corn and some onions. Sounds like a meal to me. Well, I can see the boat approaching and I know they will be starving.

Friday's blog - Crazy day

*Note* I am writing this now but the actual blog was written on paper late Friday night. We went camping and did not have a way to get this online.

     It has been a crazy day for me. We have been planning a camping trip with my husband's cousin for a few weeks now and we finally are here. It started out okay, we woke up and started loading my husband's truck, then I had a test to take down in Branson. From there we had to go home for something we forgot, then run by the store for a last minute purchase. Finally we arrived. This spot is one they new about and so after driving miles down an old country road we found our campsite. It is right on the lake and absolutely beautiful. Then we had to set up camp and start a fire. They guys were setting up the boat and fishing stuff and we got dinner started and a canopy set up to keep bugs out. We cooked corn on the cob, "Cowboy Beans" (that's what my 4 year old calls baked beans) and pork steaks; all over the open fire. It was delicious. Now I am sitting here by lamp light, my boys are asleep. Their kids are asleep and she is lying down with her smallest one. Aside from my lamp light and the dying camp fire it is very dark and peaceful. The lake is about 30 feet from where I am sitting, although I cannot see it I can hear the gentle waves lapping at the shoreline. The guys should be back any minute from their catfish hunting. Our plans our a fish fry tomorrow if they are successful tonight. I hear rustling behind me, wonder what kind of critter is out tonight. Off to bed I go on my little blow up mattress and sleeping bag.

Racoons vs Chickens

 We have had chickens for about 3 years now. Every spring we buy new chicks and ducklings. This year is no different. I had 3 ducks from last year, Cherry, Freddie and Dr. Phil. A few months ago when it started to warm up my chickens and ducks started to lay eggs. They do much better when the weather is warmer and the days are longer. they were laying about a dozen a day. Then in June when the weather really got warm we noticed that they stopped laying as much and then Freddie disappeared. The ducks are normally outside of the pen so we didn't pay too close attention to their whereabouts, they always stick come back around. The eggs stopped after about 2 days and I assumed that it was due to the heat as they can also stop laying if it gets too hot. Then after about a week Dr. Phil and Cherry both went missing in the night. We decided that we had a critter although the pens hadn't moved or been messed with. So out with the box traps to see if we cold catch something throughout the night. Baited with wet cat food, honey (cat's don't eat this which is good because I don't want to catch a stray cat or one of my own) and some sweet grain. For 3 nights we did not catch anything although something was taking the food. So night four we make the super buffet and my husband keeps watch from the front porch. About 10:30 I hear the pop of the gun and a few moments later he walks in announcing that he has killed the critter that has eaten the ducks. It was a raccoon. I was expecting my chickens to start laying again now that the threat has gone. They did not start laying again and 3 days later we got our second Raccoon. The shot was clean and the hide was good so we are tanning the hide of this one. That was a week ago, I had one egg this week and finally thought that I was on the way to comfortable chickens and more eggs. Sitting outside tonight, planning our upcoming camping trip, I see a little masked face peeking around the edge of the chicken house. I don't need to go into details but the final result is that we now have 3 raccoons that will not eat another duck or chicken. So I guess the score is even my 3 ducks for those 3 raccoons. I wish they would find food elsewhere as I really do not like killing animals but it is mine or theirs in this case and as raccoons don't lay eggs then I have to side with my chickens.

Long day

It has been a very long day.... It started really early. I had a very busy day at work even though I was convinced that it wasn't going to be. I left there a little late with an empty gas tank. I debated if I was going to pick up my 4 year old from daycare first or get gas in my car. I was already late picking him up so I went there first. The daycare was ready to close and go home for the day so I am glad that I got him first, then I put in a whole $5 in gas. In case you are wondering that was 1.5 gallons of gas, which barely got me above the E in my car. By now it is 10 minutes to 6 which is also the time that I am supposed to be in a town that is still 30 minutes away. So I call my husband and ask him and our oldest to be ready to go. I pulled in the drive and they jumped in. I didn't even change my clothes like I usually do. So we stop on the way to put in some more gas, because 5 bucks doesn't do what it used to, and headed on our way. We get done at the auction house and my husband wants to look about a repo he's working on so he go to look for an address. It is now 9:15, we find the house which is now vacant, big surprise in the repo business. Then we get lost trying to take a shortcut home. We finally get home an hour later and it is now 10:25 and everyone is in bed sound asleep, except me. I am going to do a load of dishes, some more laundry and get stuff ready for tomorrow. I will go to bed soon and start all over tomorrow.

New writing assignment

    I read our new lesson plan for this week and very excited to discover a new essay about a special place to each of us. I have so many good ideas for this. I think that I am going to write about the river that we go to every year. I have a special spot there, besides I think I need to be out there to get a full appreciation for it and to write a wonderful essay about it. I could write about my mom's house in Idaho, or my back porch. I could write about the spot where my husband proposed to me. I could write about the little breakfast spot that my husband and I go to on special days. I could write about the front passenger seat of my car while taking a long road trip. I could write about department stores that we walk around to do Christmas shopping. I could write about the train ride we took in Eureka Springs for our tenth anniversary, that was very memorable. I could go back in time and write about the little creek I used to escape to when I was a kid, or the secret hideout we had. There was an old tree house in the neighbor's woods we would play in. I could write about hunting mushrooms in Washington state with my mom, fighting the underbrush, the smell of the wet dirt and moss that usually fills the Northwest forests. There are so many places that I could write about, it will be hard to chose. I am very excited to write this paper though. My last essay was a little depressing so I think that I want to write something that is going to be a little more upbeat.

Drinking alcohol and acting like a fool

So, here I am minding my own business looking at books on Amazon when all of a sudden my husband runs in through the front door and says "honey you need to see this". So up I get and walk to the front door. "I don't see anything" I tell him. It is about 10:30pm and the only light outside is the street lamp and the front porch light. "Just wait, he'll be back" to that I ask him who and he says he doesn't know just that he left the neighbors house on a 4 wheeler. I start to go back inside and resume my search when I hear the neighbor's motorcycle fire up. He comes tearing out of his driveway wearing nothing but a pair of jean shorts and I know from his previous track record that by this time of night he is completely wasted. I am unimpressed by this and ask my husband what the deal was to which he replies that the first man that left was obviously drunk and riding the ATV stark naked. This is not something that I wish to see so I head back inside. None to soon either, as soon as I sat down at the table I hear both vehicles coming back. I am not a man but I could not imagine driving any kind of vehicle down our bumpy dirt road with nothing cushioning me between my boy parts and the machine itself. I imagine he will be very sore tomorrow. I just can't imagine what he was thinking, although it could have been some kind of bet. Alcohol makes people do incredibly dumb things. I wish I could record people and then play it back when they are sober. I bet that would change a lot of perspectives about yourself. I bet a lot of people would realize that they are just not as cool as they want you to believe. Well, I am off to bed without the luxury of an alcoholic beverage but I believe that I will sleep just fine without it.

Quality family time

   Today was a beautiful day. My husband and I took my boys out geo-caching. We had so much fun! Sunscreen, bottles of water and a handheld GPS, it was quite a day. We found all kinds of stuff and had a blast doing it. I love spending time with my husband and kids, days like this when I can forget about work and school and bills. I am ready to go again, in fact there is a place that has a lot of hiking trails and caches to find that I think we are going to do next. We have plans to go camping next weekend and I am also very excited to do this. We are going with some family that we just recently got back in touch with. I am happy that we are doing this. We will be spending time on the river and cooking over an open fire, sleeping under the stars. I am a lover of nature and of the outdoors. It is very peaceful and relaxing out there. Even in my own home and yard or out on the river, it is really very therapeutic for me. A warm soft breeze, a good book in my hand floating down the river in a john boat, my kids fishing off the front, my husband guiding us from the back, ah peace. Cooking on the river is just enjoyable. I love my dutch oven and cook everything in it. Potatoes with peppered bacon, a coke cake, eggs and sausage in the morning, and fish caught from the river. I am hungry now though.....

Independence Day

Today we celebrate our Independence and our right to be free. I am proud to be an American even if I don't agree with everything our country and government do. I am proud of our men and women in the armed forces. Without their strength, courage, and sacrifices we would not have the freedoms we have today. I sat down with my children today and asked them if they knew why we celebrated the 4th of July. My 9 year old new that it had to do with the Declaration of Independence and my 4 year old said it was to pop fireworks. So we discussed why we celebrate this day. They both seemed to understand and my 9 year old said, " you know a lot of these holidays are based on something important" he was correct. I just wonder how many kids know this. It saddens me to think that their might be quite a few. I was at a parade a few years ago for Christmas and a man next to me held up a sign saying something about soldiers going to hell for what they had done and I thought to myself, if it wasn't for that soldier and his brethren you might not have that right to stand their and hold up your ridiculous signs. I will say this in closing, thank you all for what you have done for us all and I am proud to be an American.

My Credo

I believe that everything happens for a reason. You may call it karma, fate, or God's plan but I have faith it exists. I have focused my life and have covered some pretty rough terrain with this belief system. Instead of living life wondering "why me?" I sit back and say "okay this has happened what am I going to do next". You can wake up each day and decide to be happy and have a great day or wake up depressed and fight for a reason to get through the day. I hope that I can pass this credo down to my children. Life is short and can be hard, knowing that it was meant to be. Everything from a death of a loved one to wrecking a car while under the influence of some illegal substance. As I said before, whether it is God's plan, Fate or Karma. I believe everything happens for a reason.

Brand New Day

 It is a bright and beautiful day today. It is not too hot or humid. I stood on the back porch this am and took in a deep breath of clean fresh air. I wonder if people in over crowded cities and say the same? I love my life here in the country. It is so peaceful. I could not imagine living anywhere else. This day is so bright and seems so full of hope. It puts a smile on my face and I know that all will be well. I pray that my patient's today get the care they need and that their health will be improved. A new day, a new fresh start. I work in a clinic, don't get me wrong. My patient's aren't all dying or suffering from incurable diseases, but we do have some newly diagnosed with cancer, some coughs and colds, and others that need treatment for blood pressure or blood sugar problems. It's a regular day but will be a happy one. Often times I feel very stressed and that there is not enough time in my day. I like days like today where I can just take a moment to breathe and enjoy the peace and tranquility around me. It is a blessed day.