Dave Pittman on American Idol

I just came home from the library...the librarian shared with me that a young man on American Idol last night..had tourettes. I had taped last nights show and hadn't watched it yet. So, for any of you who didn't see it....I'm sharing it with you. This, of course, is touching to me...because of Sam having tourettes. What an amazing performance...I am so thrilled for his opportunity to share with people...his abilities and his story. I can't wait to see how he does...I hope and pray he does well. It would be nice for America to see someone with Tourettes to make it "big" on TV...:) Hugs to all of you....Love, Jerelene...PS Be sure and scroll to the bottom of my page and turn my playlist off so that you can here it better :)

AI9 DA 4 @ Yahoo! Video

Thursday...

We are suppose to get some snow tonight and tomorrow. There is a winter storm warning just south of us and we were given a winter weather advisory through tomorrow night.
This is a book that I got from the library for Sam. It is a little easy reader with wonderful pictures. But, it is a wonderful book! It goes through the ABC's with a revolutionary theme...

The pictures are just wonderful...and so are the themes it picks to cover for each letter....We read it yesterday and really enjoyed it.
I'm going to be taking it back to the library this afternoon to give to another Mom...she is bringing me some books that she has finished up and will be so kindly sharing with me :)

This is one of the science books we just started on this week. It is really interesting learning about the first doctors and how they started off learning how to care for people. We have learned about Hippocrates, " the Father of Medicine." We learned about the hippocratic oath...

It was interesting to learn that people tried to bribe doctors back then to actually harm people that they didn't like. Hippocrates taught his students to not practice medicine that way...to treat everyone the same...."both friends and foes, rich and poor...sometimes give your services for nothing." "For where there is love of man, there is also love of medicine."

Did you know that in Europe in the 1500's..that barbers, not doctors, performed minor operations, pulled teeth and treated cuts? Barbers who gained skill in closing wounds were called barber-surgeons. The stripes of a barber pole still show the red for blood and the white of bandages. The greatest of the barber-surgeons was ambroise Pare'. I never knew that...it's amazing all of the things I am learning along with Sam......I am really thankful for the nice friend at co-op for sharing this book with us...it is full of the most amazing things and I think Sam is going to learn a lot from it :)

This is just a cute picture of Mickey sleeping on Mark's legs...just because :)
I thought I would share pictures of something my Mom gave me for Christmas. I just LOVE it!!
It is a cross that looks like stained glass. I really love what it says...It sits in my room where I can look at it when I'm laying down...but it gets moved into the kitchen sometimes. It lights up and the colors change....it is just beautiful. I love it SO much....thank you Mom.....

When the lights are off................
Since we're expecting some snow tonight...I thought I would share this cute little flannel snowman gift bag. My Mom give it to Sam a couple of yrs. ago. During the winter it hangs on the door. I really like him....he makes me smile :)
This is what I've been working on for my Mom. Her birthday is coming up next month....I don't think I'm going to get it done. It's a prayer shawl. I've been knitting like crazy at night...but it just takes time. Well....if it doesn't get done...she'll just have to know that I'm working on it and that she will get is soon....I really love the colors.....I think she will like it too....

Please have a happy day and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.................

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. Ps. 31:24

With Love, Jerelene

A few favorites :)

It snowed last night. Not a lot...but just enough that everything looks white :) They are calling for more snow on Thursday. We actually did get to see a few peeks of the sun. But, it is windy and definately cold.
If I could ask again...I would love definate names for exchanging Valentines. (Pen-paling.) I think that I had Eileen, Marcy and did I get a yes from Bernie and Jackie? I know Bernie can't seem to access my blog...so I will e-mail her and ask her. I love Valentines Day. It is a favorite holiday for me. :)
Speaking of favorites...I thought I would share a few of my recent favorites......This was my first apple pie...yes, you heard correctly. I had never made an apple pie before. I was so proud of myself. They are so much better homemade than from a box!!





I thought I did ok...for the first time :) It tasted VERY good too!! I have also found that I love these.....my Aunt got me a container for Christmas...and I just love them!! When you're in a hurry for something warm and quick...these are yummy!! I can't decide which one I like better..

I also LOVE this dish detergent!! It smells heavenly, and it does seem to be helping with the dry, winter skin :) Plus....it's purple!! You gotta love that :) I love my snowman too!
That's a few of my favorite things.....I hope that everyone has a wonderful day!!! Off to do more schoolwork...........
Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you, God, for everything.
Amen - Author Unknown
With Love, Jerelene

The Revolution and some pictures too....

Our home school co-op was nice yesterday. Sam had a good time and so did I. He isn't that thrilled with doing choir, but I didn't give him a choice on that. He sings really well. As a matter of fact he sings a lot. More than any of my other children ever did. With him starting cello, I personally feel like it all goes hand in hand. If you have the pitch with your voice...it will follow through with your instrument. Your voice actually IS your own personal instrument...so to develop that, helps with everything else. I have definately been blessed with meeting some really terrific Moms at the co-op. They have the ability to have such different ideas on some things and yet smile and laugh the whole time...I love that!! That's what makes the home school world go "round. Being able to do what you think is right and personalize it for your kids :)
We just finished "Mr. Poppers Penguins." Sam really LOVED this book! He really likes penguins and so this was the perfect opportunity to really study the penguins and have fun too! He was upset that there wasn't a part 2 book. There isn't that I know of....I wish there were :) We also just finished a really old book by Augusta Stevenson. "George Washington Boy Leader."The copyright was 1942....the book really had an old look to it and you knew you were reading something from a very different time period. Even the pictures were different...like shadows. We both really, really enjoyed this. It told about how George learned how to do so many different things and how this helped him to become the great man that he was. It gave a very good feel of how it was to live in that time period. I would recommend this book to anyone. She also wrote on Abe Lincoln, Ben Franklin and Andy Jackson. These are also stories of their boyhood. If the library has any of these...I think we will read them too.
We are getting ready to start Johnny Tremain next week. I am looking forward to it...it comes with lots of really great reviews and so I am hoping Sam will enjoy it. The boy in the story actually loses the use of his hand, and so has to overcome his disability. I think this story will be good for Sam in more than one way :)
I am reading (and sharing some of it with Sam,)..."Patriots in Petticoats" by Shirley Redmond. It was actually in the children's section at the library; but it is a wonderful book! I didn't realize that knitting had such a place in history...but it did! Young girls spent lots of time learning how to sew and knit. The women had many sewing circles to make quilts and knit socks for the cause. They had huge spinning bees as well. One of the stories tells of a spinning bee where about six hundred guests showed up to spin or to watch. They made their own cloth so that they didn't have to pay the taxes on the expensive English cloth. They of course, didn't have sewing machines back then, so it was important to learn how to sew by hand. The young girls spent more than an hour a day practicing their stitches. They embroidered pretty designs and common sayings like "Home Sweet Home" on pieces of cloth called "samplers." These were framed and hung in their homes. I'm so glad that some of today's women are learning to do these things and passing them on to their children. I recently showed some interest to my Aunt in learning how to do embroidery. It is harder, (I think) than it looks. My aunt has done some of the most beautiful embroidery and cross stitch pictures that I've ever seen. That would make a lovely post...to show you some of her work that hangs on the walls in her home. But back to the book... the book shares stories of some of the most famous women in history and the brave things they did to help the Revolution. It is incredible to read of their bravery. I'm almost done with it and have loved reading it. They have a book on women of the civil war too...I've read it before, and it was really good too!
We haven't saw the sun in days here. It has just been cloudy, dreary and then very foggy at night. Periods of rain as well. I think tonight it is suppose to be windy and maybe even stormy. I miss the sun!! This weather just seems to make everyone tired and grumpy....It seems to be playing havoc on my joints too. I ache and have headaches everyday....arghh..I really hate this. It would be nice to even have some snow. Anything!!
I thought I would share some pics of some of the cross-stitching my Aunt has done for me. I know I've posted a couple of them before...but it's been a while. The smallest and first one she gave me for Christmas this yr. You know how I LOVE cows :) Also, I thought I'd show a picture of the lapbook that Sam and I are working on. We're not done yet...so some of it isn't finished.
Here is a picture of the lapbook....

And here's my pretty cow pictures....I just love them and my Aunt who made them :)
Before closing this post...I thought I'd share some pictures of Elizabeth meeting John at the airport. He has gone back to his marine base in California now until he is officially and hopefully out by summer. We are just very happy and glad to have him safely back home in the states (from Afghanistan.) A picture of the plane.....bringing him back to Indiana to see his Mom & sister and Elizabeth of course :) Sam and all the rest of us were glad to see him too :) :)
How SWEET :)
I think she looks kind of happy...don't you?
The ride home in the car.....silliness and giggles too...

Spending time together :) What a handsome couple..........
And yes.....John brought a ring home for Elizabeth too....but that's another story :)

"Do all the good you can

In all the ways you can

As long as ever you can

By all the means you can,

In all the places you can." ~John Wesley

With love, Jerelene

Monday evening....

Was it a nice Monday for you? It was for me. Cloudy and dreary...but warmer. It is finally suppose to warm up quite a bit. I haven't been enjoying the cold so much this year as I usually have in the past. I do love watching it snow though. We were lucky enough to get a little snow...but it's gone now. I love it...but not driving in it.

I've not been able to take any pictures...so I think that has slowed me down from wanting to post. John came in from California on the 8th of January..and Elizabeth has been staying with his Mom and has taken my camera with her. He will have to go back to California this week. I am so glad that he is home from Afghanistan and safe :) He was hoping to be leaving the marines within a few months...but, with everything going on...I am wondering now if he will be :( We shall see......I'm praying that he is able to come out and come home.

After visiting around and peeking in on my friends....I'm noticing that there is a lot of sickness going around. I see that poor Jackie is sick....I will be keeping her in my prayers. I know how bad it is to be sick. We've had more than our share around here. Big hugs to you Jackie :)

Friday was the first time back to co-op since my surgery in December. It was really nice to see all the friends I've made there and to visit and talk. Friends are such a blessing ;)

I have been so saddened by the earthquake....just like the rest of you....the people there and the people that have went there to help, are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Not much going on around here...just schoolwork and housework...same old stuff....kind of boring probably :) We are learning about George Washington, Paul Revere, the Boston Tea party and Antarctica and penguins...

We had a yummy supper of lentil soup, cornbread and chocolate chip cookies for supper :) I will try to do a post on pen-paling tomorrow. I'm thinking about maybe waiting until the end of the month and then swapping Valentines. How does that sound? Anyone interested?

With Love, Jerelene

Checking In With A Birthday Wish For A Special Friend

Hello to all my sweet friends! I know you've been wondering where I've been. We've all had sore throats and colds that have just been lingering and being passed around. Even Mark got in on the action. I had to take the 2 youngest kids in to the doctor today. They both had sinus infections and were started on antibiotics. So now if I can just get over it....I think if I'm not better tomorrow I'm going to have to get in with the doctor. All the extremely cold weather here didn't help either. With lows anywhere from 2-5 degrees at night and highs only in the teens...it's no wonder we've all been sick. We actually got some snow last week too. But it was too cold for Sam to get out and even enjoy it. He was sick and wouldn't have been able to anyway.
I've been spending time reading and doing some knitting....cuddled up under a quilt. I've been knitting something for my Mom. I think I just needed a break. Time to spend with the family and just trying to relax and recooperate. My nerves have been bothering me a lot too...The week before Christmas I found out that the little boy that I had asked prayer for (Andrew in my side-bar) had passed away. I took this really hard and cried a lot over hearing this. It was greatly on my mind even Christmas day. The thought that Melanie was spending her Christmas without him broke my heart. I had been spending a lot of time praying for him and she had wrote me and told me she was going to pray for Sam. This really touched me that she would do that....Sam's tourettes has been pretty bad again for the last couple of months. I haven't really posted much about it...it's been bothering me quite a bit too..It's a hard thing to see...Maybe you could remember Melanie in your prayers and maybe Sam too. It made him sad to hear that Andrew had passed...we had both been praying for him to be healed...

On a happier note....I want to wish my dear and sweet friend Eileen at Umma's World A Very Happy Birthday!! She is such a kind and loving person....a real life angel :) I feel so lucky to know her and to be her friend :)

To start the celebration.....some flowers!!


And a wish from the heart..........

And some pink cake............. or cupcakes if you prefer :)

and some penguins to share it with :) (this was from Sam :)





And lastly.... my favorite kitty choir singing in their most lovely voices....A Happy, Happy Birthday to dear, sweet and wonderful Eileen :) Have a beautiful day XXOO




With Love, Jerelene


PS.....I've missed everyone......I'll be back soon :)