Stuff to Do

Not much happening here today. My family is getting ready for Dad's memorial service on Saturday, and I so wish I could be there. If I'm not taking care of everyone else's needs, I don't know how to cope with my own grief, really. That's just the way I am. I thought that today I would include a portion of what I wrote for my sister to read at the service, as well as a photo of our little cheeky monkey, who so looks like her PoPo sometimes... ================ The thing about someone dying is that we think about what kind of legacy they leave behind, or what we can learn from their life. Here is a short list of what I have learned from my Dad's life. Some funny, some serious, but all important.   - It's okay to cry, and not just for sadness. It's okay to cry when you watch Extreme Home Makeover, any Hallmark movie, commercial, or anything else that stirs your soul.   - Laughter is essential in many situations, but may not be as appreciated a...

We're off for a brief visit to sunny Queensland until Monday, so Happy Easter to all! XOXO, Sarah

I thought I heard something downstairs, so I jumped up from the computer, and thundered down the stairs, only to find out that it was nothing, but in thundering down the stairs (is there any other way when you're 7 months pregnant?!?), I woke up Charlie Brown, who was sleeping peacefully and now wants to get up and play even though she is still tired. Smooth Move, Ex-Lax! (I haven't said that in years!) So now I'm going to get her up before she screams herself into apoplexy or shreds her almost cleared up face in frustration (she would have made a good Israelite, with the gnashing and wailing and tearing of hair). Better luck next time! XOXO, Sarah

So every morning at 6:45, and every evening at supper time, this idiot (and I don't normally use that word) zooms down our street in his souped up junk-mobile, making all kinds of racket. Apart from how much the volume level bothers me, the velocity at which this guy proceeds down our tranquil street is absolutely unsafe, illegal, and totally unnecessary. So this morning I was waiting, with my camera - I was determined to make a video of his activity, and take it into the police station, complete with license plate number. Wouldn't you know it, he drove a different way today and instead of gathering speed the length of the block, started at the alley halfway and so wasn't going nearly as fast. I'm still going to investigate, and get his license plate number though, and make a report to the police. Seriously, if someone were crossing the street, there is NO WAY this guy could stop or avoid sending them into the next street. I am fed up with people who conside...

This last week has not been my absolute favourite in terms of motherhood. Aside from the fact that I'm absolutely knackered, and emotionally stretched pretty thin, Charlie is cutting her top two canines, drooling all over everything, whiny, whiny, whiny, blowing snot bubbles like a champion, and has another skin infection. We've decided that since regulating her diet isn't really working to get rid of the eczema, probably because of environmental factors (namely house dust), that we'll just do the best we can, and treat the flare-ups for now. We've got a referral to a paediatrician in May, so we'll revisit it then. I'm also wary of using a lot of cortisone on her face, because she's got this patch on her ankle (where we've had to frequently use cortisone) that's become quite hairy. Seriously, I don't want my little girl to be the only one at playgroup with a beard! I can't keep putting this pressure on myself to 'cure...

Arthur Boudman Carter    LEWISBURG - Art Carter left this world today to begin his new life with the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was Art's firm and steadfast belief that this world is not our final destination in this journey we call life, but rather just the beginning and that we will all end up to spend eternity somewhere else. He believed that this world was just simply a place where we get to chose where that eternity will be. Arthur Boudman Carter, 59, of 3010 Buffalo Rd. , died Thursday, March 6, 2008, at his home. He was born May 26, 1948, in Danville , a son of Alice Louise (Boudman) Carter of Milton and the late Walter Eugene Carter. He was married for over 11 years to the former Josephine "Josie" Fox who survives. Art graduated from Milton High School in 1966. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving in the Navy on riverboat patrols in Vietnam . He was employed as a welder and band saw operator at AC&F Industries in Milton fo...

Dad went home last night (this morning for the Americans). I don't know any details yet, other than, as my Mom puts it, "he was ornery to the end". He is in Heaven now, and beyond all the suffering. I may end up taking some time off from blogging, or I may end up finding it cathartic. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Now off to get up the munchkin for breakfast.

So we had a few clothing changes today, and Charlotte is teething, stuffy, and just plain cranky. I've got low iron levels, which explains why I feel so tired all the time and really want to eat a slab of rare steak. Lachlan is back into university, so he's busy with that. Pippa Jane is just doing what she does all day, which is to say float around and kick me everywhere between ribs and pelvis. I've got a rather embarrassingly located varicose vein, which causes me more than a little bit of discomfort but the doctor assured me that it will go away after the baby comes (praise God for that!). My Dad is still hanging in there, and although it's hard not knowing what's happening every minute of every day over there, I'm rather glad I don't. Just thinking about how much he must be suffering makes me cry all over again, and while there's nothing wrong with crying, I'd rather focus on the joy he will feel when he sees God face to face. So at t...