tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15352282772342346172024-02-19T03:48:59.694-06:00Our House...You light the fire,
I'll place the flowers
in the vase that you
bought today...Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-29279705138677825302010-05-19T13:12:00.000-05:002010-05-19T13:12:54.777-05:00Countdown...Here I am, sitting in my last class of the day. The kids' grades are in, except for the end-of-course scores, which won't be in until tomorrow. The kids are watching a movie on the other computer via projector, and I'm slowly trying not to go crazy. I have never, EVER wanted summer vacation to get here more in my life as I had this summer. <br />
<br />
It has been a long, tiring year. We've all been through a lot, my little family and myself. Sickness, death...it's been a long struggle. This has been a hard year for Greg school-wise, and I know he's ready to rest and recharge. <br />
<br />
I'm ready. <br />
<br />
I've been on my CPAP monitor for almost a month, so I'm finally beginning to sleep a bit through the night. My health is getting better. Now all I need is to lose some weight...yeah, something I've been saying all my life.<br />
<br />
But hopefully it will happen.<br />
<br />
All I know is I can't wait to rest, relax, dig in my garden, eat fresh vegetables and can them, and just be at home.<br />
<br />
It will be fantastic.<br />
<br />
Let the countdown to summer begin.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-60311035304054505992010-02-20T08:10:00.000-06:002010-02-20T08:10:40.227-06:00It's been a long, long, time...Wow. I can't believe how long it has been since I've had an entry in this blog. So many things have happened since July of last year...way too many to put down in one entry, so I guess I'll hit the highlights.<br />
<br />
The biggest, and worst news of all, is that our family lost our dear Nadine in October. She succumbed to the brain tumors that were discovered by the doctors in June, and quickly deteriorated until God chose to take her home. She was surrounded by family and friends in her last moments. She will be missed forever--she was a beautiful, kind, loving lady. I was lucky to have such a wonderful mother-in-law.<br />
<br />
Greg is plugging away at school--doing well, making good grades. Hopefully in another year or so he will be teaching. He's excited, and I can't wait to see him in "action" as a teacher. He truly loves the special ed kids, and he'll be so good with them.<br />
<br />
My "bonus" son is wonderful, as usual--getting more handsome all the time, about to turn 11 in March, and smart as a whip. Makes awesome grades. He's pretty darn near perfect.<br />
<br />
Biggest news with me is health-related, of course...seems like the past three years I've done nothing but fall apart physically. I had major hospitalizations in 2007 & 2008, managed to escape 2009 without one, but man, did I bust 2010 wide open!<br />
<br />
January 6th or so I had a stomach pain attack and went to the ER--not here, in Murfreesboro. I won't go back here to the hospital unless it's a life or death situation. Anyway, turns out it was a partial bowel obstruction, which corrected itself with a few days of no food/drink and a tube down my nose into my stomach (ugh). The surgeon scheduled an appt. to talk about surgery in the summer so I wouldn't have to be out of work...<br />
<br />
nope.<br />
<br />
January 25th I had another attack, only worse. Much worse. This time it was a total bowel obstruction, and the doctor had to operate, no putting it off. So he went in and fixed two hernias and removed 1 1/2 feet of my intestine which was damaged from the hernia. I've been on medical leave ever since (no pay, of course). I go back to work Monday...I can't wait. I know my kids can't wait, because they've told me so.<br />
<br />
So that's the update, in a nutshell. Hopefully, I'll get better about keeping this thing up to date.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-63950489352320745492009-07-08T16:22:00.001-05:002009-07-08T16:22:40.189-05:00Oatmeal That Tastes Like Peanut Butter Cookies...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><font face='sans-serif'>I love oatmeal. In fact, it's just about the only cereal I will eat in the mornings, period. I also love peanut butter (but not as much as my Greg does, trust me). As I was making my morning oatmeal the other day, I was trying to figure out how to get some protein in my breakfast without adding more carbs, when it hit me--peanut butter has carbs. Why not add it to the oatmeal? Yeah!<br/><br/>The final product was yummy--as Greg and I have proclaimed it, "a peanut butter cookie in a bowl." Here's the concoction for each serving:<br/><br/></font><ul><li><font face='sans-serif'>1 serving hot, cooked old-fashioned oats (don't use instant--ugh!)</font></li></ul><ul><li><font face='sans-serif'>2 tbsp peanut butter (we used chunky)</font></li></ul><ul><li><font face='sans-serif'>sweetener of choice to equal 2 tsp of sugar (I used a mix of stevia and splenda, as they are natural sweeteners, but don't mess with a diabetic's blood sugar)</font></li></ul><font face='sans-serif'><br/>Just add the peanut butter and sweetener to the hot oatmeal and stir well. It has about 350 calories, 20 grams of fat (GOOD fat), and 35 carbs. Sounds like a lot, but you get waaaay more than that in a fast food breakfast, right? right.<br/><br/><br/></font><br/><br/></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-37074649101374326652009-07-07T09:25:00.000-05:002009-07-07T09:26:25.710-05:00Tuesday Morning...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><font face='sans-serif'>Another quiet summer morning here at home for me as I wait for Greg to come home from his mom and dad's. Poor Nadine is steadily growing worse, both physically and mentally. We are going to the neurologist in Murfreesboro this afternoon to get a report, and hopefully some news on a course of treatment. Tomorrow we meet with the oncology group.<br/><br/>I'll report when I know something.<br/></font><br/><br/></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-26076770269891267112009-07-01T17:11:00.001-05:002009-07-01T17:11:41.861-05:00Updates on a Wednesday...and a rant about doctors and diabetes!!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I'm home from the doctor in Murfreesboro; Mama and I both had an appointment about our eyesight. Mama had great news--her eyesight had miniscule changes and she doesn't have to come back for a year--yay! <br/><br/>My news wasn't great, but wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There was a problem, but Dr. Cherney felt that since my diabetes was getting under control so quickly that the problem might correct itself without any laser surgery. I was so thrilled! The idea of somone taking a laser to my eyeballs was not exactly tickling me pink.<br/><br/>When I think of how long I probably went with my Type 1 diabetes undiagnosed, it angers me so much....I know it went on at least two years because when my gallbladder was taken out my blood sugar was over 600 then. What did I hear from the surgeon and my then-primary doctor? "You need to eat better and take better care of yourself, and your sugar will go down." I WAS eating fine, thank you very much, but the fact is when almost anyone in health care sees a person who is heavy they (like most people in society) assume that heavy person eats constantly and eats the wrong foods. WRONG. I guarantee you there are people 1/3 my size that eat 3x more than I do all over this planet. But do you think those doctors listened to me? Nope.<br/><br/>Finally, along came Dr. Bryan Chastain, God Bless Him. He was the man who saved my life, and believed me when no one else would listen. I went to him because he was Greg's doctor, and he spent time talking to me, asking me questions, and checking out my health to see what was really going on with me. When he couldn't get my blood sugar under control, he sent me to someone who COULD. That was the Eskind Diabetes Clinic at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Within two months, my Hemoglobin A1C went from 10.8 (dangerously high) to 8.5 (1.5 point from high normal). The clinic has helped me feel so much better about myself, and feel so much better pysically. When I think of how long I have felt so tired, so sick, so depressed BECAUSE I was so tired and sick, I want to scream at those other doctors for robbing me of all that time of my life I missed out on. I feel so sad for my last two years of students for not being "all of me" the last two years of my teaching. Look out next year's 10th grade--woo hoo! Now all I have to do is go get some new glasses, and I'll be all set!<br/><br/>Another update...our sweet Nadine is still in limbo. No news, except that there are two scheduled dr. appointments next week regarding the tumor in her head. Her mental state drifts in and out--she is lucid one day, a bit lost the next, hallucinating the next. Her gait is more staggering day by day, and her legs are very weak, as are her arms. She is having a very hard time sleeping at night, and sleeps fitfully off and on during the day. We are all trying to be brave and positive, anxiously awaiting the doctor visits and dreading them at the same time. It's going to be a million years until Tuesday, and yet it will be here too soon.<br/><br/>Please keep Nadine in your prayers...<br/><br/><br/></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-42749836121024369072009-06-23T04:59:00.003-05:002009-06-23T05:05:40.186-05:00Pardon me Roy, I'm at the Chattanooga Choo Choo...So I'm at a conference on the new curriculum standards, and I'm staying at the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo. It is very nice, and since I booked through hotwire.com, I got the room for a steal. Better yet, the state of TN is going to reimburse me, so it will be free eventually...yay! I am trying very hard to enjoy myself, but there's so much going on at home.<br /><br />My mother-in-law is having a terrible health scare right now, and I so wish I was back home for that. I talked to Greg last night and told him I was coming home, but he insisted I stay. He said there was nothing I could do if I were here. Still...<br /><br />The thing is, I just told Greg a few days ago that I had not been able to shake the feeling of dread that came over me all of a sudden one night. I hope that it's just a coincidence. <br /><br />Please keep our Nadine in your prayers. She is one of the sweetest and most loving ladies I have ever known.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-43750722680063847282009-06-09T07:53:00.008-05:002009-06-09T08:15:38.781-05:00Two Years Ago Today...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><span style="color:#cc66cc;">The greatest man in the world made me the happiest woman in the world...the best part? Life just gets better with every passing day. There's no better feeling than knowing you've found someone who loves you no matter what happens, who stands by you and protects you with all his heart, who thinks you are way more beautiful than you really are, who calls you his best friend (and means it), and who still makes your heart skip a beat when he walks in the room. <br /><br />Two years ago today, I was happy and thrilled to become the wife of such a wonderful man. Two years later, I am even more happy to be his wife. That short walk down the aisle was the beginning of the greatest journey of my life. <br /><br />The song we played at our wedding is linked on my Twitter posts to your right--I tried to post it here, but to no avail.<br /><br />Have a great day everyone--I know I will!<br /><br /><br /></span></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-83103570208748246642009-06-07T11:07:00.002-05:002009-06-07T11:16:30.038-05:00Not much to update, but here goes...Hi everyone,<br /><br />Well, I'm afraid life isn't very exciting right now; I don't have much to report, but I figured since I hadn't posted since Memorial Day, I should remedy that.<br /><br />The garden is going well--the beans and tomatoes are all blooming, we have little baby squash and baby grape tomatoes, and we've not had to buy lettuce for over a month--yay! The garden makes me so happy and peaceful--there's nothing like going out and playing in the dirt.<br /><br />I've been doing some spring cleaning since school's been out. I cleaned out the cabinets in the huge coffee table in the living room, cleaned out the buffet in the dining room, and tackled the closet in the living room. Problem is, I hurt my back while working on the living room closet. I bent down to pick up something small, and when I did something popped and OUCH!!! That was Friday, but it's much better and I should be back to normal in another day or so. I've resolved that this will not get me down for long, because I have too many things I want to do to be incapacitated.<br /><br />Oh, something else that looms on the horizon: I went to get new glasses the other day and found out that I have some retinal damage in the back of my right eye, probably from the times after my gallbladder surgery when my blood pressure and blood sugar were so astronomically high. After all, we don't know how long I was a Type I diabetic before I was diagnosed, and often my blood sugar was over 600 while I was sick. The doctor will probably have to do some laser surgery on the back of my eye, but I'm told it's no big deal--yeah, just a LASER BEAM to the back of my FREAKIN' EYEBALL--UGH!!! Anyway, I won't find out until July 1st, so it must not be too urgent. <br /><br />Greg's classes are going well, but he's stressing, of course. God love him, I wish I could give him some confidence so he would realize how smart he is. He just knows he's not going to do well, and I (and everyone else that knows him) knows better than that. <br /><br />Well, back to the grind...have a good Sunday, everyone.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-22979549233314178742009-05-25T08:11:00.001-05:002009-05-25T08:11:37.324-05:00Happy Memorial Day...I'm counting down!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Good morning everyone,<br/><br/>Starting a quiet Memorial Day here at Chateau Hillis...we've had our coffee/breakfast, and now we're discussing plans for the afternoon. The in-laws are having a little cookout this afternoon, and then our little guy goes back home to his mommy, stepdad and sister. I went to pick him up Friday and it was fun having some time for just the two of us. <br/><br/>I'm literally counting down the minutes, the seconds until summer vacation starts. I have such plans for my time this summer. Gardening, reading, planning my lessons for next year, a short trip to Gatlinburg, more gardening, canning, and just enjoying my time. I am so glad I feel so much better than I did this time last year--last summer was just a blur of feeling miserable and not knowing why. Turns out, it was the diabetes giving my body such a hard time. Thank God it was something treatable, and not something much, much worse. Now I feel so much better that I can do so much more and enjoy life.<br/><br/>Take care, everyone...I'll be back soon with a "start of the summer" report.<br/><br/></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-75979778623032737402009-05-13T12:47:00.002-05:002009-05-13T13:06:26.132-05:00If I Could, Would I Change Anything?My friend Dana wrote a wonderful post on her blog about the things in her life she would change if she could, and those she wouldn't change for anything. Imitation, as you know, is the sincerest form of flattery, and while I have a WHOLE PLANNING PERIOD WITH NOTHING TO DO--THANK YOU JESUS!!--I'm going to ponder this concept myself for a moment.<br /><br />Of course we all know you can't go back to the past (and as we've seen from countless time-travel stories and movies, it's usually never a good idea to do so) but what if we could?<br /><br />In thinking about this, I know for sure there are things I would never change, and some I regret--<br /><br /><ul><li>I would marry my Greg again in less than a heartbeat. He is the love of my life and the best thing that ever happened to me.</li><li>I honestly would not change the time Greg and I married to an earlier year...I don't think I was ready to be a married woman until he came along, and I don't know where his heart was before I met him. I had a lot of heartache before Greg, but I had a lot of good times as well. I had times I wouldn't trade for anything. I learned to be my own person, to live independently, and to take care of myself. I learned about all aspects of romantic love--to love someone who didn't love me back, to be loved by someone who I didn't love, and to be in love with someone who wanted to be with me but couldn't. I've traveled, made friends, lost friends, made plans, broke promises, given my all, given up, given in, all in the pursuit of who I was to become. That's who Greg fell in love with. I can't change that, and don't want to.</li><li>I would have not given my mama such a hard time as a teenager. I was mean, smart-mouthed and awful at times, and I still apologize to this day about my behavior. I hate the way I treated her at times, and I regret the time I wasted that I could have spent with her.</li><li>I regret not listening to my own heart and mind which were telling me to become a teacher years and years ago. Instead, I listened to my guidance counselors from high school (no offense, guidance counselors) who told me I should be an accountant because I was "good with numbers" and I wound up flunking out and not going back for 16 years. Whenever I think of all the amazing years I could have had working with these kids, it makes me so sad.</li></ul><ul><li>I regret not standing up for myself when I was a fat little girl and people made fun of me. I was made to feel that I was less-than-human because I took up more space in the world, and I should have just told the people who treated me that way to shut up and leave me alone. Instead I would cry and beat myself up over it. If I had my time to do over, I'd let 'em have it!</li></ul>And so it goes...all in all, I can't say there's much I would change, because all of it made me ME, which isn't so bad most days.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-31127323399020799222009-05-12T13:04:00.007-05:002009-05-12T13:22:03.107-05:00Peace Rose...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOaS2fo69EBY9-hRmh9Z3VPj1XCmIKddQyE48tJfjzvfq9RXoyOVlod0n7gptZcuGUtgLLIxac_l9RrTudMo3sVnNAU4GpHEEdUOl3MeV0CF5u_4yWuaL_-4SPavxmY0bg-cHnogTTIQ/s1600-h/000_0098.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOaS2fo69EBY9-hRmh9Z3VPj1XCmIKddQyE48tJfjzvfq9RXoyOVlod0n7gptZcuGUtgLLIxac_l9RrTudMo3sVnNAU4GpHEEdUOl3MeV0CF5u_4yWuaL_-4SPavxmY0bg-cHnogTTIQ/s320/000_0098.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335000113193332290" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wx51uY37Lb8_6OtsHzH_5gqD6MEqrwneZkkqXFiyAgdtIE0Wxo4rHSvgazr81G_ihnI88pWMceS4_dFTZm9h7iYgO7urs9HpgOx9jR6OI1hz6JqA2phwls9N1OTxAiEFwLQ8giLKKAY/s1600-h/000_0112.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wx51uY37Lb8_6OtsHzH_5gqD6MEqrwneZkkqXFiyAgdtIE0Wxo4rHSvgazr81G_ihnI88pWMceS4_dFTZm9h7iYgO7urs9HpgOx9jR6OI1hz6JqA2phwls9N1OTxAiEFwLQ8giLKKAY/s320/000_0112.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335000533670630194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFghVmMcAuhFTu0fB2VyePv3tcP-zO-Iq90EPUhh8KlWFi9ygbysNHvW1bc807nBpgScllLRHSCSzmkoeuwZ47rxnhH9ouk034jvj4NHngpT-bZd-TAx6CbNGa84lKwN_K6hjjewyUg0/s1600-h/000_0107.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFghVmMcAuhFTu0fB2VyePv3tcP-zO-Iq90EPUhh8KlWFi9ygbysNHvW1bc807nBpgScllLRHSCSzmkoeuwZ47rxnhH9ouk034jvj4NHngpT-bZd-TAx6CbNGa84lKwN_K6hjjewyUg0/s320/000_0107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335000396031409026" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihctVgW_mvRTg3ZX6sfhh-lYo3uwB5yb57_bl-cGFfI08ZJBmgHZ2b3Ajs_-0bdQ1ikA5v8mTZjUuckaiNOFQ3vY85_JyQXgW8E9vzasOOPMtg41umgt9zMCiwG7mrpn0gPragm0ADD_s/s1600-h/000_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihctVgW_mvRTg3ZX6sfhh-lYo3uwB5yb57_bl-cGFfI08ZJBmgHZ2b3Ajs_-0bdQ1ikA5v8mTZjUuckaiNOFQ3vY85_JyQXgW8E9vzasOOPMtg41umgt9zMCiwG7mrpn0gPragm0ADD_s/s320/000_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335000255245026098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These are shots of the first peace rose that has bloomed on the bush Greg and I planted last year...I never dreamed I could grow something this beautiful. Guess I inherited my Ma-Maw's green thumb after all. By the way, if you were going to enter one of these pics in a photo contest, which would it be?Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-55359396611922024142009-05-10T07:26:00.000-05:002009-05-10T07:29:30.258-05:00Happy Mothers Day!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbwZUNGR5Idvw93tXaVxeTzlY01I2FRzaUWzXCw6XIlHmNZnjwNj7q1vQDjkSbOCpWn5Lrr3pJaVU3pu75eh4-9vmZGAKWbBkpzf9G0CdYXIaQKuD2oy1LaBzHKEgLWZH56JYjyVzsCQ/?imgmax=800' style='max-width: 800px;'/><br/> <br/>Here's to the most beautiful mom in the world--<br/>My dearest friend,<br/>My most trusted confidante,<br/>My #1 cheerleader,<br/>and the only person to love me unconditionally.<br/><br/>Happy Mothers Day, Mama.<br/><br/>and Happy Mothers Day to all the moms in the world--<br/><br/>the Luckiest Women On Earth.<br/><br/>May the joys of motherhood always outweigh the sorrows,<br/><br/>and remember that God always sees the sacrifices you make even when others don't.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e8c717f9-1677-8510-9f85-87cb3fa4e3e3' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-74111273437382488752009-05-09T10:11:00.000-05:002009-05-09T10:14:52.681-05:00I'm a medical oddity, as usual...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>News on the medical front; seems that I am now a Type I diabetic AND a Type II diabetic. I had always thought that you could only be one or the other, but it appears that in rare cases, it is possible to have one and develop the other. I developed Type II diabetes (non-insulin dependent) in about 1990, and my blood sugars since my gallbladder surgery had become drastictly higher and increasingly unstable. A test for something called polypeptide levels revealed that I had developed Type I diabetes (insulin dependent) as well. The good news? Now there's hope for controlling my glucose levels. The bad news? More insulin shots. Yay. More shots.<br/><br/>Oh well...at least I know I wasn't doing anything wrong.<br/><br/>What else is going on...oh, the garden is coming along famously. All I have left to plant are my tomato plants and my poppies in my flower bed Greg built for me in the front yard. When it stops raining so much, I'll take some photos and post them. <br/><br/>Greg and I bought two more rose bushes, a yellow rose and a red rose. They are small, but showing signs of new growth. The pink rose bush, the peace rose bush, and the salmon/pink rose bush (also known as "Nee-Nee's Rose") are growing beautifully. I've planted a pot of basil and a rosemary plant on the porch that are both doing fine. I've also started six pots of other herbs which are sprouting--two of parsley, sage, thyme, lemon basil, and another pot of sweet basil. The crowning glories are two "sweet 100" grape tomato plants who are already 2 ft tall.<br/><br/>In the garden, we've planted peas, green beans, arugula, two kinds of lettuce, onions, cabbage, spinach, kholrabi, yellow crookneck squash, cucumbers, banana peppers, beets, and carrots. The only thing that hasn't sprouted are the carrots. Also we have already picked about three quarts of strawberries from our plants--they are so tender and flavorful! <br/><br/>The birds have even contributed to the garden, in their own way--all throughout the garden plot there are randomly placed sunflower plants "planted" by the birds who dropped them from the bird feeder while in flight. Greg and I decided to just leave them there--how cool will it be to have big, smiling sunflowers keeping watch over our vegetables? <br/><br/>I can't wait for summer...I plan on having garden dirt under my fingernails all season!<br/><br/>Take care everyone...<br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=11462c15-c083-8c54-bc4d-c0e0560feab6' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-48964022453964123442009-04-23T18:50:00.000-05:002009-04-23T18:51:41.942-05:00Time to brag about my darling...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><font color='#66ffff'>I have such good news!!! My Greg has gotten into the BASE-TN program at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. The program is going to pay his tuition to become a licensed special education teacher. I am SO proud of him!! It took a great deal of hard work and effort for him to get this award, and he deserves every bit of it. <br/><br/>His goal is to become a comprehensive k-12 special ed teacher, which is where he is meant to be. The students in that area love him so, so much, and he loves them too. He has such patience with them, and they think he hung the moon (well, he did, of course!). When we walk down the hall together at work, they see him and their faces just light up. The Comprehensive program needs a wonderful, caring man like him.<br/><br/>Have I mentioned lately how proud I am of him? Have I mentioned lately how much I love him? <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></font><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=829deca4-5949-89ca-9f87-7c5e603290fc' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-91839355603769975492009-03-17T11:05:00.004-05:002009-03-17T11:15:25.830-05:00Okay, Pity Party is Over...This was one long stretch of feeling sorry for myself. I HATE when I do that. <br /><br />If I look at all the reasons I want a baby, there are just as many (if not more) reasons why I don't need to have a baby. My age, my health, our financial situation...not to mention having a child with a man who doesn't want another child. That's not fair.<br /><br />With the possibility of Greg changing jobs, I would be on my own a great deal of the time. It's hard enough to raise a child with two parents, but with just one?!? There's no way I'd do that to a little one. <br /><br />I will focus on the positives in life, of which there are many: I have a man who loves me, the most precious stepson ever (who turns 10 TOMORROW!!!), amazing in-laws, a mama who is my best friend, a job that I love so much. Yes, we are broke...VERY broke. But I've never been well-off financially--it's not been much of an adjustment. I am happy, despite having no money. <br /><br />If a child comes into my life somehow, then I will embrace the blessing. If not, I will be grateful for all the blessings I have.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-26429620518471089792009-02-22T20:05:00.002-06:002009-02-22T20:16:17.749-06:00Baby Blues...When Do They Go Away?<span style="font-family: verdana;">How do you live with the knowledge that one of the things you want most in the world will never be yours? How do you learn not to want that thing? <br /><br />I pray for peace, for resolution, for realization that I will never be a mom, but the yearning for a baby never goes away. Everyone tells me that I touch kids' lives, that I make a difference, but the problem is I have them for a little bit and then I lose them. <br /><br />I try to get my Greg to understand why it bothers me so much, but he can't see it. He HAS a child, he IS a father. He vows that it will never happen to him again. He's taken steps to make sure it never happens again. <br /><br />I love my stepson, please know that. That's what's so painful. I know he will never love me the way I want him to...he can't. I'm not mommy. I'm Charlotte. I'll never be anyone's mommy. <br /><br />I think about my mom and my in-laws, and how I can't give them the joy of a grandbaby. Hell, Greg's ex-wife has given my in-laws two grandkids, and one of them isn't even Greg's. Don't think that doesn't rip my heart out. I'm glad they love the new baby, really glad--she's a beautiful and sweet little girl. but it hurts so much to know that I have nothing to offer them. I have no money, no babies, no talents...just me. I know they regret me marrying Greg, but I love him so much.<br /></span> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/66934b8c-7454-4aa3-8961-bb35f6784a3a/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=66934b8c-7454-4aa3-8961-bb35f6784a3a" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-46752459054856780612009-02-18T20:05:00.001-06:002009-02-18T20:07:51.842-06:00One of my Favorite Songs in the World...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="youtube-video"><object width="425" height="355"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EG0Q3kR7_9c" name="movie"> <param value="transparent" name="wmode"> <embed wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EG0Q3kR7_9c" width="425" height="355"></embed> </object><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;"></div></div><br /><br />the cure - pictures of you<br /><br /></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/ab5d216d-48d0-4d6d-88de-426979aa94bf/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=ab5d216d-48d0-4d6d-88de-426979aa94bf" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-55303849016954646842009-02-13T11:39:00.002-06:002009-02-13T14:15:02.191-06:00Funny Video from "Ellen" Show--I love Jesus, But I Drink a Little<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I LOVE JESUS (but I drink a little)!<br /><br />Got a link from one of my students about this...This is an awesome clip from "The Ellen Degeneres Show" featuring Gladys--an 88-year-old Ellen fan who is so hilarious she should have her own show--enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="youtube-video"><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;" ontop="true"></div><object width="425" height="355"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/83JDXXKzOXg" name="movie"> <param value="transparent" name="wmode"> <embed wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/83JDXXKzOXg" width="425" height="355"></embed> </object></div><br /><br />Ellen DeGeneres ~ I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little (HQ)<br /><br /></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/e1cab27e-2a24-40f5-9e24-e89e22e8f130/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=e1cab27e-2a24-40f5-9e24-e89e22e8f130" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-7854937450318346652009-02-10T20:37:00.001-06:002009-02-10T20:42:40.714-06:00Something I Noticed...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A while back, a long while back, I came to grips with the reality that a man I loved would never love me. I realized that no matter what I did I would never be who/what he wanted. It was one of the most devastating truths I've ever had to face.<br /><br />It was so painful. I would cry every time I thought of him, which was almost constantly. I would drive past his house any chance I got, just to get a glimpse of him. I would try to get in touch with him every chance I could because I couldn't let go. I prayed to God that if this man couldn't love me, then I needed God to take that man out of my heart forever, to take the love and longing away so I wouldn't be in such pain.<br /><br />I struggled along as best I could, and went on with life. A couple of months later, Greg entered the picture. The rest, as they say, is history.<br /><br />The last time I saw that other man, I almost laughed out loud to think of the desperate love I used to have for him. I honestly could not relate to those feelings at all--it was as if someone else had whispered them to me in confidence--as if they had not been my own at all.<br /><br />It was at that moment that I realized God had truly answered my prayers in the form of my husband Greg. Every day I love him more and more. I know I can count on him to stand by me through anything. I know he thinks I'm beautiful, and I know I am the only woman for him. I don't have to settle for being second choice; I'm his first choice.<br /><br />I'm free from the past--and the feeling is amazing.<br /><br /></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/c4377845-cd45-4973-b087-22e7db19fb30/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=c4377845-cd45-4973-b087-22e7db19fb30" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-84017383573456119982009-02-08T09:22:00.002-06:002009-02-08T09:27:51.031-06:00Long time, no post...Wish I could say I've been performing miracles during my absence from this blog, but that would be a lie. I've been getting by...that's about the size of it.<br /><br />Not to say I've been completely on autopilot, or completely in the depths of despair...I've just been so busy with the little ins and outs of life that I've not had anything I felt I should report.<br /><br />I do, however, have an introduction to make--it's a little late, but it's no less heartfelt.<br /><br />Welcome to the world, baby D.A.Z. We're happy you're here and so happy to meet you. You've been blessed with an amazing family, who will love you more than you will ever be able to know.Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-20758065482031516652009-01-09T17:11:00.005-06:002009-01-09T17:18:12.265-06:00Photofunia--A Fun New LookAh, the fun you can have with a new website. <br /><br />See the photo above, in the header of this blog? I would love to say I created it in some photo editing program, but I'm not that talented (or that patient). Truth is, it is the product of a great site called <a href="http://www.photofunia.com">Photofunia</a> which creates some cool, sexy, or downright hilarious images using your personal photos. You select a scene, upload your image, and viola! Instant photographic art. You can then save your created image to disk and use it on a blog, a social network like Facebook or Myspace, as a desktop wallpaper, etc. It's a great site, and lots of fun!Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-32548658849037900522008-12-28T11:38:00.004-06:002008-12-28T12:00:58.315-06:00Jeepers, Creepers, How Can You Help Those Eyes?!?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjkhMxBc6qiYaXai914htMXjigDNd4e86mbQAl6S5yyUY45au558DDBwGRs9QtmBW488hxEbzBmIesEc3aCxqxzS9A4BzazP-KybHKxJMfGPXAWJdOiAqEu8-lbl1DwD5H3XOMfTljGY/s1600-h/eye.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjkhMxBc6qiYaXai914htMXjigDNd4e86mbQAl6S5yyUY45au558DDBwGRs9QtmBW488hxEbzBmIesEc3aCxqxzS9A4BzazP-KybHKxJMfGPXAWJdOiAqEu8-lbl1DwD5H3XOMfTljGY/s320/eye.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284897335933162850" border="0" /></a><br />Ah, the holiday season...time for food, fun, gifts, and gatherings with those we love. It's a great time of year--except for our poor little peepers.<br /><br />This busy holiday season also usually means time for late-night revelry, stress, high emotions, arguing (come on, admit it--not everyone has a "Norman Rockwell" Christmas), allergies, and the ever-present lack of sleep. These can take a toll on our eyes, making them red, swollen, and puffy. Nothing prettier in those family photos, right? Ugh.<br /><br />Here's a few home remedy ideas to help alleviate the redness, swelling, and puffiness in your eyes--during this busy season and any other time. **NOTE: these are home remedies, so use caution, as you need to take care when dealing with the delicate eye area. Keep in mind your general eye health, personal allergies (i.e., if you're allergic to it, DON'T USE IT), etc.<br /><br />1. Milk does a body good--and it can be an awesome soother for your tired, puffy eyes. Just take a small bowl of milk (as cold as you can get it--icy cold is perfect), and dip cotton balls in the milk. Hold your head back and apply to your (tightly closed) tired puffy eyes. The coolness feels great! Replace the cotton balls a couple of times (or more, if you have time), and enjoy the cool sensation. Be sure to rinse your face with cold water afterward, and use your favorite moisturizer.<br /><br />2. Speaking of moisturizer, if you use an eye cream/moisturizer, keep it in the fridge--you'd be surprised how much it will do for tired puffy eyes just because of the cold temperature. Use the cream as directed, and enjoy the cooling sensation.<br /><br />3. Almost everyone has heard of the tried-and-true "cucumber slices on the eyes" trick for tired puffy eyes--and there's a good reason for that: it works. Cucumbers contain a natural astringent that helps smooth and tighten skin, and chiling the cucumber slices will make it so refreshing!<br /><br />4. If you have an aversion to cucumbers, try chilled fresh strawberry slices--the berries also contain a skin-smoothing astringent and will soothe tired, puffy eyes. Just be sure you watch out for staining from the strawberry juice--fresh cold berries don't exude as much juice as room temperature ones, though.<br /><br />5. I learned this one from an aunt--soak two teabags in ice cold water. While they are soaking, apply a small amount of olive oil to a cotton ball and gently stroke a light coat of oil on the under-eye area where there's puffiness. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the teabags, lie back, and place the teabags over your (shut) eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes, then remove and rinse/pat dry face.<br /><br />6. The best defense against tired puffy eyes? Prevention! Avoid lots of salty foods, too much alcohol, or excessive amounts of caffeine. Try to get as much rest as possible, and drink lots of hydrating beverages--water, vegetable/light fruit juices, herbal tea.<br /><br />Hopefully, both you and your "peepers" will survive the holidays with flying colors!Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-63295516817565139972008-12-27T19:34:00.000-06:002008-12-27T19:34:37.660-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOVwlwebME7nR0VhhQ4B00qrc2ZegeFwSShJL1HdaVwg2C7h2BXTM_z-Zsn7Eb0SP5gEYP5TEmcYvGKyvZ1SiGBV5yOnyzEzg0JysTyOLkhsJxfpz18m-TSHUpydgJObhNjcetkq24QE/s1600-h/100_4863.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOVwlwebME7nR0VhhQ4B00qrc2ZegeFwSShJL1HdaVwg2C7h2BXTM_z-Zsn7Eb0SP5gEYP5TEmcYvGKyvZ1SiGBV5yOnyzEzg0JysTyOLkhsJxfpz18m-TSHUpydgJObhNjcetkq24QE/s320/100_4863.JPG" /></a> This is a shot I just took of my lil' guy trying to take a nap...he's a doll!<div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-39182675162125887932008-12-27T08:58:00.000-06:002008-12-27T08:58:01.018-06:00Short Story of the Week...one last bit of Christmas...For the story of the week, here's a classic heart-warmer that shows the true meaning of this season, and the glory of true love.<br /><br />"The Gift of the Magi"<br />by O. Henry<br /><br /><p>One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.</p> <p>There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.</p> <p>While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad.</p> <p>In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young."</p> <p>The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good.</p> <p>Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag. She stood by the window and looked out dully at a gray cat walking a gray fence in a gray backyard. Tomorrow would be Christmas Day, and she had only $1.87 with which to buy Jim a present. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result.</p> <p>Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim. Many a happy hour she had spent planning for something nice for him. Something fine and rare and sterling--something just a little bit near to being worthy of the honor of being owned by Jim.</p> <p>There was a pier-glass between the windows of the room. Perhaps you have seen a pierglass in an $8 flat. A very thin and very agile person may, by observing his reflection in a rapid sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain a fairly accurate conception of his looks. Della, being slender, had mastered the art.</p> <p>Suddenly she whirled from the window and stood before the glass. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her hair and let it fall to its full length.</p> <p>Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair. Had the queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.</p> <p>So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her. And then she did it up again nervously and quickly. Once she faltered for a minute and stood still while a tear or two splashed on the worn red carpet.</p> <p>On went her old brown jacket; on went her old brown hat. With a whirl of skirts and with the brilliant sparkle still in her eyes, she fluttered out the door and down the stairs to the street.</p> <p>Where she stopped the sign read: "Mne. Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and collected herself, panting. Madame, large, too white, chilly, hardly looked the "Sofronie."</p> <p>"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.</p> <p>"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take yer hat off and let's have a sight at the looks of it." Down rippled the brown cascade.</p> <p>"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the mass with a practised hand.</p> <p>"Give it to me quick," said Della.</p> <p>Oh, and the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings. Forget the hashed metaphor. She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present.</p> <p>She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. There was no other like it in any of the stores, and she had turned all of them inside out. It was a platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation--as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch. As soon as she saw it she knew that it must be Jim's. It was like him. Quietness and value--the description applied to both. Twenty-one dollars they took from her for it, and she hurried home with the 87 cents. With that chain on his watch Jim might be properly anxious about the time in any company. Grand as the watch was, he sometimes looked at it on the sly on account of the old leather strap that he used in place of a chain.</p> <p>When Della reached home her intoxication gave way a little to prudence and reason. She got out her curling irons and lighted the gas and went to work repairing the ravages made by generosity added to love. Which is always a tremendous task, dear friends--a mammoth task.</p> <p>Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant schoolboy. She looked at her reflection in the mirror long, carefully, and critically.</p> <p>"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to herself, "before he takes a second look at me, he'll say I look like a Coney Island chorus girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and eighty- seven cents?"</p> <p>At 7 o'clock the coffee was made and the frying-pan was on the back of the stove hot and ready to cook the chops. Jim was never late. Della doubled the fob chain in her hand and sat on the corner of the table near the door that he always entered. Then she heard his step on the stair away down on the first flight, and she turned white for just a moment. She had a habit for saying little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."</p> <p>The door opened and Jim stepped in and closed it. He looked thin and very serious. Poor fellow, he was only twenty-two--and to be burdened with a family! He needed a new overcoat and he was without gloves.</p><p>Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face.</p><p>Della wriggled off the table and went for him.</p><p>"Jim, darling," she cried, "don't look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold because I couldn't have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It'll grow out again--you won't mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say `Merry Christmas!' Jim, and let's be happy. You don't know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I've got for you."</p><p>"You've cut off your hair?" asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor.</p><p>"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Don't you like me just as well, anyhow? I'm me without my hair, ain't I?"</p><p>Jim looked about the room curiously.</p><p>"You say your hair is gone?" he said, with an air almost of idiocy.</p><p>"You needn't look for it," said Della. "It's sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?"</p><p>Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discreet scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on.</p><p>Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table.</p><p>"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you'll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first."</p><p>White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat.</p><p>For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone.</p><p>But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"</p><p>And them Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"</p><p>Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit.</p><p>"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You'll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."</p><p>Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled.</p><p>"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christmas presents away and keep 'em a while. They're too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on."</p><p>The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.<br /></p><p>THE END<br /></p>Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1535228277234234617.post-1404395428602405902008-12-26T08:46:00.001-06:002008-12-26T08:46:00.946-06:00Recipe of the Week--Ramen Noodle SlawThis is a salad that I recently discovered--it is easy and delicious. Serve as a side dish, or add chopped cooked chicken to make a wonderful luncheon salad.<br /><br />Ramen Noodle Slaw<br />(serves 8 or so as a side dish)<br /><br />1 1-lb. package pre-cut coleslaw mix (cabbage or cabbage/carrots)<br />2 packages oriental flavored ramen noodles, uncooked, crushed, seasoning packets reserved<br />1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions<br />1 cup roasted salted sunflower kernels<br />1/2 cup sliced almonds<br />1/2 cup apple cider vineager<br />1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute to equal 1/2 cup sugar--Splenda works well)<br />1 tbsp. soy sauce<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2/3 cup light salad oil (vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower or safflower oil)<br /><br />In a large bowl, combine coleslaw mix, uncooked broken ramen noodles, scallions, sunflower kernels, and almonds. Set aside.<br /><br />In a small mixing bowl combine contents of both seasoning packets, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and salt; whisk until well combined and sugar is dissolved. Gradually add oil, whisking continuously, until all oil is incorporated. Pour this dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss together. Refrigerate for 30 min to 1 hour, then serve. Yummy!Mrs. Hillishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640975141754689012noreply@blogger.com0