Identifying with White Rabbit

Im Late, Im Late , for a very important date.
No time to say hello, goodbye,

Im late, Im late, Im late.

Thats what I feel like lately. It seems like I'm always rushing to get to the next thing on my list, or decide between two important things.

I have 2 books to finish reading and a paper to finish writing for my lay ministry training. I kept putting it on the back burner, but the sands of the hour glass are telling me times almost up.

I never took a philosophy class and both books I must read are philosophical. Not your curl up with a good book easy reading material. In fact they are both the kind of books I need a dictionary sitting beside me to read.

God, did you forget how intelectually challenged I am when you called me to do this?

Making Memories

This weekend the grands used the gift I gave them for Christmas.

In the past I've purchased Christmas gifts that have been on their wish lists only to find out that they lost the gift, it had broken, or it had been left out in the elements and ruined

So I decided a few years ago that the best presents I could buy them, wouldn't be things at all, but would be gifts that create a memory. A memory of spending time with Grandma. Things they can get up and talk about at my funeral. Hahahahahaha.

I always trying to think up fun things we could do together that would make a lasting impression.

One year their gift was to fly to Naples Florida in January with me. It was their first plane trip, and we had a ball. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive for 5 days by myself with 3 rambunctious boys, but we did just fine.

Here they are checking out the crash landing pamphlet.

At the Pool

At the beach

And on a boat ride at the zoo.

This year their Christmas gift was a trip to Traverse City, Michigan, where we would be staying at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park.

Our big weekend began Friday. We jumped in the van around 2:00p.m.. The car was packed with enough junk food to last a week, but with 3 growing boys I figured we would be lucky if it lasted until noon the following day.

I had my new Tom Tom all set and it began barking the directions as I backed out of the driveway.

Oh my, what a difference a few years makes.

There was no alphabet sign game on the drive up, no game of twenty questions, nor were there any sing alongs that they used to adore. Instead they had their ipods hooked to their ear and they were playing games on their Nintendo DS's. Even Wendy was hooked up to a Harry Potter book she had downloaded.

It was actually okay with me, because the roads once we passed Bay City were icy and slow going. I wouldn't have done very good concentrating on the alphabet game.

During one of the rare conversations we did have, I pointed out a restaurant where RJ had taken me while we were still dating.

Wendy asked me if I ever heard from RJ anymore. When I told her he was married and that I had discovered it by googling his name, she was appalled and replied:

"Mom, You are such a stalker"

And the two of us began a lively discussion on what constitutes internet stalking.

We finally arrived at our destination after discovering I'd entered the wrong address in my Tom Tom.

It was a great hotel, very kid friendly.

The water park was a blast and the grands loved all the fun things to do. With all the stepping it took to get to the slides and with playing all the water games, my body was forced to call on muscles that have long been in hibernation.

Man, I suck at water basketball, and I'm not much better at water volleyball, but the judges gave me a whopping 10 in hot tub sitting.

When the grands weren't in the water, the hotel had a great mystery game for them to play, (providing you purchased a $15 magic wand.)

I bought one wand for them to share. Big Mistake! I almost went nuts listening to them argue over whose turn it was to hold on to it.

The idea of the game was to find clues by using the magic wand and following a treasure map leading you around the hotel. When you find all the clues, you can fight the dragon and try and win a prize.

We, along with a zillion other kids, rode the elevators back and forth between four floors as we looked for clues. I gave up before they were finished and went back up to the room for a nap.

Last night we had dinner in a restaurant called Camp Kritters, The magic wands worked in there as well, making the trees light up, the fireflies flicker and the chipmunks swing. Strenched out on a limb above our table was a stuffed bear.


After an exciting fun filled weekend it was finally time to pack up and head home.

Except for all the burping and farting sounds that have somehow worked its way in to the grands pubescent life, it was a wonderful weekend full of special memories.

On the drive home the boys began to rate the trip for things like the most fun ride, the best place to eat, and the hardest clue to solve, etc. But the thing that stood out in their memory as the number one funniest moment of the trip was when their mom called their Grandma a stalker.

I can see it all now... Dressed to the nines in their suits and ties, together they'll walk up to the podium and address the audience and begin sharing memories of their Grandma.

"You probably never knew this...but our grandmother was an internet stalker."

Oh yes, memories are priceless.

Baby It's Cold Outside.

My dial down program is over. I only lasted 3 days before I began cranking the heat back up. But even though the thermostat is set higher I can't get warm today. The outside temp is so cold the furnace just doesn't seem to be able to make heat fast enough.

This cold weather keeps reminding me of my real estate days and I thought I'd share this story.

I was scheduled to do my very first Open House one Sunday afternoon.

I was a real newbie, and I'd only just gotten my license.

The day before the open house was to be held, our company received a fax asking us to be very vigilant. The previous week a man dressed in camouflage clothing had walked into an Open House being held at a vacant home and hosted by a women Realtor.

The man supposedly stayed for a long time and walked around until all other customers had gone and the woman was all alone. He then beat and raped her.

This took place in a different part of the state so I thought I was probably okay, however the home I was holding open, was vacant.

Everyone told me I would be fine, but just in case, they said to be careful and if I had follow any single men into a room, I should stand in the doorway.

It was a below zero day that Sunday and only 2 or three couples showed up, but just before it was time to go, a single guy walked in.

No camo on, however, the guy was acting very weird.

He didn't say much but kept slowly meandering around. Keep in mind these were the days when all we had was a bag phone to use in the car, and there was no phone in the house b/c it was vacant.

I stood in the living room with my back practically plastered to the front door. Finally, the guy left and I calmed down.

I happened to tell that story at a company meeting one day, and our office manager decided we needed a system in place for scary things like that.

She decided that if we were ever in a situation were we felt uncomfortable, we should call the office and say " Hi this is Luanne, Hal Meade please."

Hal Meade was code for Help ME.

Years later I received a phone call from a man calling wanting someone to show him one of our listings right away. Since I was just getting off phone duty, I told him I would leave right away.

It was another sub zero day and I was in a suit and high heels with no boots, and oh man, this house was way way out in the boondocks. Not only was it way out in the boondocks but the house was vacant, and the closest house was over a mile away.

By now, thank goodness, I did have a regular cell phone.

There was a red pick up truck with only one person sitting in it when I pulled into the driveway. Just as I started to turn off my engine the man stepped out of the cab of the truck and walked towards my van.

The guy was decked out from head to toe in camouflage clothing!

My heart started racing as he walked up. I rolled down my window and told him to go ahead and walk around the grounds because I had to make a quick call.

I was so relieved to find out my phone worked way out there and I quickly dialed the office number.

"Hi this is Luanne Hal Meade please."

It was my friend Dick on the other end. Stop kidding around he told me.

I told him the story and he replied with , "So whaddya want me to do about it."

I guess he couldn't tell by the panic in my voice that I wanted at the very least some understanding of how frightened I was. Finally I sputtered,

"Call my cell phone in 10 minutes and if I don't answer call the police and tell them where I am."

I got out of the car and crunched through the snow and got to the side door of the house and began putting in the code to open the lock box that held the key. I was so intent trying to get the lock box open that I didn't see the man come around from the side until he said something to me.

It scared the living daylights out of me and I jumped a foot and dropped the set of keys. I could feel my hand shaking as I picked them back up and tried to unlock the door.

Thinking quickly I said "I am expecting a very important phone call and I am afraid I may not get a signal inside. Why don't you go in and take a look around and I'll be in as soon as the call comes through."

He didn't seem to mind one bit. It took him along time to look around that little house and my toes were getting frost bitten standing out there in the cold. Every so often I'd call in to the house and say, "Can I answer any questions?"

The camo man finally came to the door. "Okay I think I've seen enough" he told me.

I turned the lock on the doorknob, pulled the door shut, and turned to the man and asked "So what did you think?"

"I think I want to make an offer"

I was pretty upset that Dick had never bothered to call back to see if I was okay, but you should have seen the hangdog look on his face when I walked in the office with camo man right behind me.

I wish I would have held my hands in the air and had camo man pretend to be holding a gun at my back as we walked in, but my brain was still thawing and I couldn't think that fast. But then again, Dick would have probably ignored that too.

End of the story is this. The buyer wrote a full price offer for cash, and the deal closed about a week later. Except for the near heart attack, it was my easiest sale ever, and I did it without ever stepping foot inside the house.

Turned out that camo man was an Army Recruiter.

I Feel Blessed

Hooray! My Christmas tree and decorations are finally down, but I won't say how long it will take me to get things out to the garage and put away.

Whoops, now as I'm sitting here blogging I'm looking around and I'm spotting a grouping of snowmen I forgot.






Oh yes and a snowflake ornament that is hanging from my chandelier. But I'm sure they will all be in their proper place by Valentines Day.

Saturday my blogging friend Janine at One Breath at a time sent me this Fabulous Blog Award.

Thanks Janine I'm honored.

Fabulous is exactly what I think of Janine's blog. As I read her blog I see the way she struggles to come to terms with a life that has been thrust upon her, and my heart feels her pain. Unfortunately, I feel it only too well.

This award comes with some strings attached. I must pass it on, and I must list 5 things I am addicted to.

I'm passing the award on to my much younger cousin Debby over at Pixies Ponderings. Not only do I love her Fabulous blog because it makes me laugh, but its also a way to stay connected to a past I don't want to ever forget.


This award for Debby is actually two fold because she has two blogs. Her other blog Depuffing Pixie is her honest struggle to achieve a goal shes been striving towards for a long time. I share her struggle and she inspires me to get going.

The rules say to pass the award on to 10 blogs but I'm stopping here. Some of my favs haven't posted for a while, and some Janine already awarded, and some don't like the strings attached to awards.

Now as for my 5 addictions let me think which one's I'll admit to.

First of all I'd have to say my biggest addiction would be spending time with my grandkids. I need a weekly fix or I go into withdrawal.

The second addiction would have to be blogging since I spend way too much time surfing blogs.

The thrid addiction is my Lay Ministry class. I am loving learning more about my faith and learning how I can serve God better and the class is bonding and we are starting to feel like a family.

Fourth Addiction is definitely Naples, Florida. Some people experience God in a shack but for me its a beach in Naples.

My final addiction is Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream. No explanation needed.

There you have everything you didn't ever want to know.

Pretty boring stuff eh?

It's late I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Good Night.

Whats Cooking Thursday

The boys were coming over after school today. I was so excited because I haven't had a chance to see them since Christmas.


I decided to make their favorite dish, Poppy Seed Chicken. Its not a very weight watcher friendly dish but if it puts a smile on my grands face, thats what being a grandma is all about.


You'd think I was Racheal Ray the way they ooooh and ahhhh when ever I make this dish.

I start with 3 or 4 cooked chicken breasts and shred the meat and mix it with a can of cream of chicken soup.

Add to it one and a half cups of sour cream


Mix it all together

Spread mixture in a 9x13 pan.

Take one sleeve of Ritz Crakers and crumble it up in a bag.

Add 1 tsp of Poppy Seeds to the crumble crackers




And shake the bag to mix


Sprinkle cracker crumbs on top of chicken mixture and drizzle 1 stick of melted margarine on top of the cracker crumbs




Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

I set the table with my Christmas table settings that I have not yet put away, and anxiously awaited the arrival of my loving grandsons.

I envisioned them coming thru the front door and the smell of their favorite meal wafting thru the air to greet them. I just knew they would come running to me and throw their arms around me appreciatively and sing my praise.

Yessiree I was excited. And since a picture is worth a thousand words may I just say that their enthusiasm overwhelmed this Grandmother and brought a tear to my eye.



Oh yeah they were excited all right. They could hardly contain their enthusiasm!

Geesh! You'd think I was feeding them liver and onions.

I am complete, I am whole, I am loved.

I'm Getting the Itch

I'm dreaming of white sandy beaches............. just like the one I used to know.



My friend was going thru her picture duplicates last week, and sent me this picture taken from my balcony two years ago.


Oh my, I have much work to do in the weight department before March 5th.

How much weight do those herbal wraps take off and how long do I have to suck in my breath before everything bloats back up to the real size?

For those of you who don't know me, I still look fat in the picture, but I'm almost a normal size
here.



Now if you'll excuse me Richard Simmons and the Stair Master are calling out to me.

A Spooky Start To The New Year

Happy 2009

I was just starting to write a different post over at my First Tea blog about New Years Eve, when all of a sudden in the stillness of my home I got the daylights scared out of me.

I'm sitting in my living room with no TV on, no radio, not a sound can be heard except the ticking of my clock on the wall.



As I was thinking of how to phrase my words, a mans voice spoke out loud and clear. I'm not kidding you. I heard it just as plain as day, and I wasn't imagining it.

I looked at the TV to see if I had some how, accidentally, pressed the On button of the remote. Nope it was off.

I looked down at the sound bar on my computer to see if it had come from the computer. Nope, the horn had this symbol over it.

I had just been writing my first 2009 entry in my new journal. It was letter to God and it was full of questions I am hoping he'll answer sometime this year. Then just minutes later, right over my head, this big booming voice comes out of no where and says

" TURN LEFT AND YOU WILL ARRIVE AT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION. "

I almost wet myself.

I knew I'd been eating too many Christmas cookies and treats lately and wondered for a second if this voice was issuing my marching orders for my arrival at the Pearly Gates.

My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I played like Fred Sanford and clutched my chest and said "Oh Oh This is it, the big one! Oh Ed, I'm coming honey" ...................

And then all at once I realized that the sound was coming from the GPS Tom Tom the kids had gotten me for Christmas. It was sitting on the roll top desk directly behind me.

Wendy had programed it for me about this time on Christmas Day, so I'm guessing it must update itself weekly and that's why it suddenly came on. Couldn't help but start laughing hyterically.

When Wendy was programming it she asked me if I wanted a man's voice or a woman's voice.

I told her "definitely a woman's voice since it has been so long since since I've had to take directions from a man I don't know if I could do it anymore."

Either Wendy doesn't listen well, or else I have a very butch female giving me driving orders.

Oh well, it was a fun way to start 2009.