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July 31, 2007
Jonathan Russell is Nine!
"Old" photos are a mixed blessing. The good side is obvious; sadly, they also remind us how fleeting life can be. I would not have enjoyed much of the past year had I known how quickly Natalie would be taknn, but hindsight can be overwhelming, just the same.
Happy birthday, Jonathan!
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 09:31 AM | Comments (5)
July 30, 2007
My 10 favorite words
(Originally published by Nattie on August 25, 2003)
- kismet
- quixotic
- ken
- serendipity
- conundrum
- cajole
- quintessence
- yew
- zealous
- mezzanine
copyright Natalie Rose York>
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 05:17 PM | Comments (3)
July 26, 2007
What are you thankful for today?
(Originally published by Nattie on August 25, 2003)
- Texas toast and homemade spaghetti
- library cards and kids who love trips to the library
- 1925 edition of Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery that I got for $.25 at the library
- dishwashers
- washers and dryers
Copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 01:13 PM | Comments (3)
July 23, 2007
Mish Mosh
(Originally published by Nattie on August 28, 2003)
I'm going to try a Sara type entry. I have things to write about, but have no rhyme or reason to them...so here we go.
- Don't watch "Chicago" too many times in a row.
- You'll dream you are a jazz singer.
- Not a bad thing, but I couldn't sleep because of all the dancing in my dreams.
- Why does my daughter take a bite out of each of her chicken nuggets?
- Just one bite...out of each nugget--no more, no less.
- Why don't remote controls stay where they are supposed to?
- I lost the remote for the DVD player.
- Of course, the DVD player won't work without it.
- I moved our loveseat to see if it fell behind it. Want to know what I found?
- Mouse droppings!!!!!! Eww!!!!!!!!!!!!
- This means the mouse we had this winter did not stay contained in the closet.
- Even though I'd covered the closet with a board.
- I feel violated!
- But found no remote.
- So I moved the couch.
- I found more mouse dropping (double EWWWW!!!!!), coloring books, crayons, Carmex, pony tail holders, and a remote--the VCR remote, not the DVD remote.
- I cleaned out the kids' toy box--still no remote.
- I upended the recliner--still no remote.
- I started to clean out my desk, and guess what I found--Yes, the remote!
- Now hubby can watch "The Twin Towers."
- I want to read the books first.
- I have always meant to read Tolkein.
- But it took me all day to finish reading the last two chapters of Out to Canaan yesterday.
- How come I can't keep my eyes open to finish said chapter, but when I put said book down I then can't sleep?!?!?!?!?!?!
- Why do the kids get up at 3:30 in the morning?
- Why can't they stay in their beds until a decent hour?
- What is a decent hour?
- 8 a.m. or later.
- Preferrably later.
- Is it time for bed yet?
- Chasing my children requires more energy than I ever seem to have.
- I know if I exercised more, I'd have said energy, but I can't seem to find the time.
- Between laundry, dishes, making sure none of Jonathan's food is on a snowman plate...
- I just keep spinning my wheels.
- Speaking of kids, they are being too quiet. Better see what they are doing...
Copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 10:09 AM | Comments (3)
July 20, 2007
Thankful...
(Originally published by Nattie on August 27, 2003)
What are you thankful for today?
- A/C on 90-degree days with 100% humidity
- Family Christian Stores
- A pair of baggy shorts when everything else in my closet seems too tight
- God's presence in the little things
- Daily calendars with wonderful saying on them such as, "Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure."--D.L. Moody
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 11:03 AM | Comments (4)
July 18, 2007
Almost Wordless Wednesday
Happy Birthday, Annabelle Rose!
Never take a year for granted!
Love you!--Grandaddy Geoff
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 09:04 AM | Comments (11)
July 16, 2007
I love quotes
(Originally published by Nattie on August 26, 2003)
I collect quotes the same way some people collect birdhouses or trinkets. I love them. I am awed by the people who can package what they want to say between those quotation marks.
Here are some of my favorite quotes:
~ "Phillipians 4:13 for pete's sake."--said by Father Tim in At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon
~ "Daddy always says, 'An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.'"--said by Shelby (Julia Roberts) in "Steel Magnolias"
As you can see, I like silly quotes, profound quotes, awe-inspiring quotes...read on for more.
~ "Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."--Louisa May Alcott
~ "Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms to stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing."--Margaret Chittenden, writer
~ "The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair."--Mary Heaton Vorse
~ "Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain."--Mark Twain
~ "Avoid commenting on a host's poor housekeeping, even if you notice that there seem to be toadstools growing out of the floor."--A.A. Milne
~ "We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them."--Charles West
~ "Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do but won't get you anywhere."--unknown
~ "You should work on projects that make your heart sing."--Lady Bird Johnson
~ "Being a mother, as far as I can tell, is a constantly evolving process of adapting to the needs of your child while also changing and growing as a person in your own right."--Deborah Insel
~ "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."--Wayne Dyer
~ "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; Prayer is the greater work."--Oswald Chambers
~ "But words are things,
and a small drop of ink,
falling like dew upon thought,
produces that which makes
thousands, perhaps millions, think."--Lord Byron
What are some of your favorite quotes?
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 09:37 AM | Comments (7)
July 13, 2007
What makes a good cake?
(Originally published by Nattie on August 23, 2003)
They look so innocent, don't they? Well, this morning they decided to make another cake. What makes a good cake?
Well, to the twin tornadoes, cottage cheese, butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, mayonnaise, bacon bits, and cheese. They would have added pickles and pork 'n beans if they could have gotten the containers open.
Wes gets to clean up this one.
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 10:09 AM | Comments (1)
July 11, 2007
What I am thankful for today
(Originally published by Nattie on August 22, 2003)
What are you thankful for today?
1. Library sales
2. Diet Coke
3. Peanut butter cookies
4. IM'ing my dad
5. Vacations to Florida in 98 days
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 10:24 AM | Comments (2)
July 09, 2007
From the fog...
...wherein Nattie's Daddy vacillates between, "What happened?" and "I know what happened, but I still can't believe it!" here are some random, sometimes rambling, thoughts.
Natalie will always be my baby girl, but that beautiful child didn't die. She grew up. Sometimes I feel myself wishing for the return of those early days, but it is more for my own vanished youth that I mourn than hers.
Keepsakes of the era--the Fort Wayne Komets T-shirt I made for the 10-day-old hockey fan to wear on her first Christmas, the Christmas Rose book her grandmother gave her on her second, the Raggedy Ann doll her babysitter made for her third, photos of other moments of our younger lives together--bring moments of sadness, but not in the way that reading her blog posts do.
These are actually small pieces of the young lady I miss. The "realness" of her writings causes feelings that approach those of one taking Communion.
The little girl I miss is the one who left us--the mother of my two grandchildren, the reader, the writer, the 30-something "God's Girl" who departed her body on the oncology floor of Methodist Hospital.
I am reminded of a theory discussed by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He opines that everything is thought. Everything that we see, hear, smell, taste or feel--in other words, everything we know--is merely the manifestation of mental images.
You may think your tongue, your ears, your nose and your eyes are talking to you, but is the brain that processes--and stores--all the data these sensors transmit. And virtually everything you hold true is the result of the accuulation of this data.
If we accept this, we can project that the people, places and things in our memories are also real. We may no longer be able to exchange messages, phone conversations, or hugs with our Nattie, but as long as we can hold on to the memories of our previous contacts, she will live.
This is some--albeit small--consolation for Natalie's grief-stricken survivors, for barely an hour passes that I don't think of something I want to tell, show or ask her. And the disappointment that comes with the realization that I can no longer do this is palpable.
But I guess you already knew that.
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 12:23 AM | Comments (9)
July 06, 2007
Will I ever learn?
(Originally published by Nattie on August 22, 2003)
I stayed up late reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I wanted to return it to the library today. It was really well written and was an interesting story. Sad, though. So I didn't fall asleep til after 2 a.m., and the kids woke me up at 6.
They decided to make a cake this morning. So the kitchen is a mess. They found some pancake mix and vanilla. The kitchen smells good, but it is sticky.
They seem to fight constantly, lately. I'm forever having one tell the other they are sorry, doling out punishments for pushing each other, and hearing one or the other scream because they are being taunted.
They need to get away from each other. I hope we can get this preschool thing worked out, soon.
I know most siblings fight, but it is getting on my nerves. On the upside, when I went to return my library books they were having a small sale. I picked up five paperbacks for a dollar.
- Witch by Barbara Michaels
- Voices in Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Samson by Ellen Gunderson Traylor
- The Day of the Storm by Rosamunde Pilcher
- Miss Lavinia's Call and other stories by Grace Livingston Hill
The kids have quieted down for now. I'd let them go outside and burn some energy off, but it is so hot! 90 degrees with a heat index of around 100. Anna is sitting on my lap and Jonathan is building a house. Let's see how long this lasts.
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 03:31 PM | Comments (3)
July 05, 2007
My 10 Favorite Smells
(Originally published by Nattie on August 22, 2003)
- vanilla
- lilacs
- books
- roses
- baby lotion
- fresh banana bread
- cinnamon
- fresh mown grass
- the air right before it rains
- sheets dried on a clothes line
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 09:43 AM | Comments (6)
July 04, 2007
Who are you when no one is looking?
(Originally published by Nattie on August 21, 2003)
A journaling prompt taken from Fresh Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson... Who are you when no one is looking?
I definitely don't care about my appearance. I would only wear sweats and t-shirts. Maybe my Tigger slippers.
No bra. When no one is looking I pick my underwear out of my butt and sometimes pick my nose.
When no one is looking I read and read and read, or veg out in front of the TV watching "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond."
When no one is looking I don't worry about my health or if I've had too much Diet Coke to drink today.
When no one is looking I don't pray often enough or read my Bible enough. I don't temper my words or thoughts. When no one is looking, I'm not a very nice person.
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by Nattie's Daddy at 10:05 AM | Comments (3)
July 02, 2007
If I believed...
(Originally published by Nattie on August 20, 2003)
If I believed in past lives, I would think I was previously a cat. I love to sit in the sun and soak up the heat. I close my eyes contentedly and could almost purr. I love sitting in sun-warmed cars. I could just curl up, tail tucked under my nose and catnap.
Also like a cat, I tend to be self involved. I think the world revolves around me. I am high maintenance. I expect my tuna on my plate...oops! I mean I expect my Diet Coke to be chilled to a proper temperature before it is handed to me on a platter. Yeah, right!
Okay, I do like things a certain way, and I have been known to show my disapproval. But I am trying to repress the cat in me. Time to take a bath. No, not a tongue bath. I might get a hairball.
copyright Natalie Rose York
Posted by nattie at 12:48 AM | Comments (4)