Sound off - Check in

All is well in Minnesota too -- or at least, according to the new normal. I am still open for daycare, still have most of the kids coming every day. I'm happy that the last of the snow *should* melt today and we can spend even more time outside this week.

Since it's business as usual for me, I'm not experiencing much of the anxiety the rest of the world is by being isolated. Truthfully, I'm a social person, but I'm also an introvert. It would not bother me being by myself for a month and I have a hard time understanding why people are complaining about it so much. My house is still disorganized compared to what everybody else's probably looks like after having all that time to tidy up. I'm actually a little jealous in that regard, but also feeling blessed that I still have my income while many do not. We are getting by. The kiddos are able to keep their routines, and that's so important right now.

I'm no seamstress by any means...my mom was not a sewer and my experience is what I got from a 7th grade sewing class that devoted one quarter (About 10 weeks) to sewing. But I self-taught myself enough to do some very basic things on a sewing machine I bought myself many years ago. My daughter-in-law was lamenting that hers was so old it used floppy disks. I looked at her blankly. Mine was from before floppy disks were ever invented. It's very basic and plain jane, but gets the job done for me. Anyway, I am a bit of a packrat, and I had tons of fabric that I bought when I was pregnant with Lisa (who just turned 34 this past week) because I wanted to make bassinet sheets, picture frames, etc. Never happened, but I knew where the tote was that it was all stored in. I dug the fabric out, (nice tight cotton) washed and dried it all, dug around in the sewing box and found a stash of elastic, and found a mask pattern on Pinterest. Voila...I'm in the mask-making business for my family. So far I have done two each for me and John, and one each for Lisa, Ryan, Jeff, and Abbi. I will be making more as time allows. We wear our masks when we go into any establishment -- usually a weekend run for milk and one or two necessities, one week we got full groceries at WalMart and stocked up on stuff like pain relievers, vitamins, toothpaste, etc. We carry the masks with us when we walk, in case we end up in a crowded area, but that hasn't happened yet. People here are pretty respectful, although I was shocked to see only a handful of other people wearing masks when we did that WalMart run for necessities!

I'm rambling...gave you the dollar answer to the nickel question....sorry!

Barb, I'm enjoying your facebook posts. I wonder where everybody else is?

All surviving?

Checking in from Nebraska, one of the lagging states! Our Annual Spring football game was done as a video game!

New life in the family is always such good news, Sharon! I hear you about how losing the "ability" to go and do something on the spur of the moment. I sometimes refer to my morning walk these days as being my "hour in the yard" from solitary confinement.

A friend of mine (from childhood up) who got her mom's sewing genes (I missed getting any) made me three masks for walking. She made them with ties, lacking elastic, and it's been a learning curve for me to put them on, but today I got it right. No slipping, and I didn't fog up the glasses, yet had nose and mouth covered.

And Spring keeps on coming. The forsythia bush that was just budding a week ago is in fuller bloom today, just radiating:


I think we're all getting closer to God as we let go of all but the most vital needs. You are doing such vital work, Sharon, and for those serving on the front lines.

Stay safe, best you can. Love you all!

Good Morning Barb, (and everybody) I've been thinking of you.

Life for me has not changed as much as for most. As a daycare provider I'm considered "essential," so I'm still working 11 hour days caring for 10 children daily. John is on temporary layoff, so he has been here to help me, and my days seem easier for that. I still have human contact daily, as the 9 families I serve come into my home to drop off and pick up their kids. That makes me nervous, but I just have to breathe and trust that they are all doing all they can and should. Most of them are working from home now, but I do have one Sheriff's Deputy, one Nursing Assistant, and one worker in the fuel industry who are out there working in the public and creating extra anxiety for me...but of course, those workers are the ones who need me the most. I'm in a high risk category due to my age and stage 3 kidney disease, and I'm pre-diabetic as well. And I spend a lot of time trying to be the calm one, helping everybody else to feel better and less anxious...sometimes I feel like I'm about to crack. But we do what we can, right? Later today I'll be putting some energy into sewing face masks. I knew there was a reason I saved all that fabric for the past 30 years -- the last time I did any sewing other than making bibs out of dish towels and very basic mending -- for something! I have a lot and it is in the dryer now, waiting for my project to start.

It's odd missing mass today. I admit that as I've gotten older, got my kids through their religious training, I've not been attending as often as I want to/should. I'm guilty of making excuses...my knees are so sore I can't kneel...I feel like I'm catching a cold, better not go...It's too cold/hot/rainy/icy to go today...the list goes on. But the ABILITY to go is always there and missing it has always been on me. To have that taken away is another source of anxiety. I'm still faithful and prayerful, but yet strange. I don't think I've ever missed a Palm Sunday service. I will miss having the blessed palms to fashion into crosses to place about the house. I'm sure God will understand...

But there are good things to think about too! Old Man Winter had his last hurrah last week and we are now looking at grass getting ready to turn green, buds on the trees, and robins building their nests. We are expecting some warm sunshine this week and embracing this extra time that might otherwise have been spent running from store to store to make the perfect Easter. It will be the first time we haven't all been together to celebrate -- except when Jeff was active duty -- but even then I made things for him and Abbi and had them shipped. This time I bought a teeny tiny little ham for just John and me. We'll still have all the other fixings though, and leftovers that will probably last a week. I'll still dye eggs with my daycare kids, still give them a fabulous Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard...they are young and won't remember the year Easter was strangely quiet. Thank God for that.

And best happy news of all....Lisa and Ryan's baby is due in 9 weeks and I will be a Grandma again! It's another boy. Can't wait to meet him, even if it is from a distance. And Jeff and Abbi have purchased their first house, and it's right here in Lakeville, a mile from Lisa and Ryan's home and about 10 minutes from here. They close on Friday. It means the world to me to have my kids near. Family...it's what it's all about.

And friends too. I hope you are all doing well and coping with this new normal. As they are fond of saying on TV, We're all in this together.

We're back to the echo chamber in here, but there are some things we might want to pray about that pertain particularly to the military families! On this Palm Sunday my prayers go out to the 1% wearing the uniform out there on the front lines, both in serving in areas hard hit by the Covid19 pandemic, and those who are living in close quarters unable to put "social distance" from one another!

I pray for their families, for their health and for the world to take a breath of peace, to not add to the complications!

How's everybody doing at home, dear Military Moms & Dads families? I'm OK here, check in regularly with sisters and son, in our separate environs. I miss hugs, but other than that, am just doing my best to stay well.

Take care all, and please do what you can to also stay well and safe.

Happy transition to the New Year, all! Good to hear from you Sharon. My cataracts have still been pronounced "not ripe enough" to do the surgery, but you are not the first to mention the improvement in colors! Glad it went well, and hope the other eye goes as smoothly.

Meanwhile, my most recent checkup (last Monday) the pressures (Glaucoma symptom) have evened out at 13 on both sides, and he was pleased. Keep up the same drops for another year and go back and see him then. In six months the regular eye doctor for check of vision. I did not get the new glasses script filled, but am living with a little less good vision, but still good enough to drive in the meantime.

Took the tree down today, and put the nativity and Frosty the demented cookie jar away, too. Then my son came over and brought Carl the canine, and more Christmas treats from his current girlfriend. Oh, well!

To a happy, healthy 2020 for all, and with clear vision, too!

Thought I'd check in and see if you all had a good Christmas! Ours was busy as usual...baking, shopping, wrapping, daycare crafting and daycare Christmas party, all in addition to my prep for the cataract surgery. It was a whirlwind, but I loved every minute. We had all last week off and it was a wonderful taste of what retirement will be like. I'll be more than ready when it's time!

So, I did have the left eye cataract removed this past Friday. No pain, no discomfort even! I felt instant improvement in my vision, and it was even better yesterday, the first day post op. I thought there'd be a short recovery period at least, where my eyes were sore or my vision was blurry -- but that did not happen. I couldn't be happier, and can't wait for the right eye in 3 weeks. The thing that surprised me the most is the vivid colors. I knew the cataracts were affecting my vision, making things blurry and hard to see. But I didn't realize the colors were affected so much too. Things are bright and sharp -- I'm downright giddy! I'll be on a drops regimen for the next several weeks, but it's a small price to pay.

Barb, we did have a great time cheering Ryan on at the marathon. It was his third, but the first we were able to attend. He was disappointed with his time, after having trained so thoroughly and feeling very confident. But Seattle is very VERY hilly and the terrain was tough, so I really wish he was more happy with his results. I know that we are very proud of him!

I wish all the MM&P's a very Happy New Year, and hope to keep in touch with you all in 2020.

Happy Sunday everyone... just a week and a half to Christmas... hope everyone's ready.

Anybody with deployed service members, know that our prayers are with them. I well remember the Christmas my son was in Afghanistan, mailing home baked cookies and ground coffee of a local roasting (our favorite holiday blend)... and it reaching him on Christmas day. We shared a special on-line chat moment while he shared those cookies and the coffee with his unit.

Here's hoping for warm memories (feel free to share) and remembrances of what the holiday season really means to each of you and your families!

Good to see you here, Sharon!

I'm dealing with both cataracts (that they keep telling me are not ready for surgery yet), and glaucoma... which I do the eye drops for. So I hope you get some good answers from the specialist. I spent a good deal of yesterday in analysis of the budget, myself... so piles of paperwork ALSO rang a huge bell.

Hope you have a great trip to Seattle. There is an energy about those big marathon runs, as I just experienced in NYC a couple of weeks back. Kevin had qualified and registered for it, but it was not to be. Turned into a wonderful trip for the three introverts... my sister's daughter cracked up at us going to bed at 6:30... in the city that never sleeps. She texted her mom back, "p.m.????" But Alicia and I have similar natural rhythms, and it made sense to *us*!

A marathon is a big deal... good luck to your son in law.

Me too Barb! We all got each other through some hard mama times...and I still do think of you gals often and feel lucky that many of us have connected via Facebook, which for some reason seems easier to get to than SP. Not that I want to give SP up...just that I'm not as active as I once was. Even if it's only here and there, I hope we all continue to be good Sparkers!

As for me and my absence, I've just been a combination of busy and lazy...but really, mostly busy. It's a lot harder doing daycare than it used to be! By the end of the day I'm pretty low on energy. But I still have several years before retirement, so I plug away! I'm preparing for (probable) cateract surgery soon. My eyesight has not been good. I'll find out the whole scoop this coming Tuesday when I have a 3-hour appointment with a specialist my eye doctor referred me to. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome! Other than that, I'm just flooded with paperwork. It's making me stressed out seeing all the piles and not having time to dig into them. (wah, wah, wah...I know it could be so much worse!)

We are also preparing for an extended weekend in Seattle coming up right after Thanksgiving to watch our son-in-law run a marathon. This will be his third, and a nice little break for us too. First time in many years that I'll miss Black Friday though!

Hope to hear from the rest of you MM&Ps soon!

Crickets... hmmmm.

It's almost Thanksgiving... methinks many of us have moved on... don't see a lot of activity here. Miss y'all... of course grateful that I see a few of you over on Facebook, though! Hey, there's my thanksgiving thought... I am thankful that I found this group when I most needed it!

It's been almost a month since I posted here... where is everybody? I know what happened to me... I was sick for a couple of weeks, and just never got back.

I'm hoping for a healthier October! How about the rest of us? How are the kids in uniform doing?

Get some rest tonight!
Have a terrific September!

Oof, a new month! Welcome, September.

I'm exhausted already. In case anybody didn't already know, I have the grand-dog for the weekend. This is the morning after the second overnight, and he is full of himself this morning. Acting out. I've had him on two leash walks, one before sunrise, one after. Right now I have banished him to the backyard for violating the basement sliding door and following me downstairs to visit the cat. Son is coming to collect him tonight, he said.

Oh, well!

Here's to a healthy September for all of us!

Oh, Sharon, yes, memories!

One of my daycare kids has an older half-brother who was just sworn in to the Marine Corps today. Tonight he is on the bus arriving at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, to take his spot on the footprints painted on the asphalt and be "welcomed" to Boot Camp, the hardest 13 weeks he'll ever do. It takes me back...Jeff's graduation was almost exactly to the day 9 years ago. Back in May of 2010 he stood on those very footprints and I found this incredible group of women to share my journey as a military mama with. Please pray for Brayden as he begins his journey today, and for his mom Shannon, who is a stressed-out ball of emotion right now as she waits for the phone call saying that he arrived safely.

My nephew was married yesterday.
Several grandchildren are starting their new school year.
Good luck, Barb, with the paw prints.
Too bad Carl doesn't have indoor slippers to put on at the door!

A wet Monday to start, and the first day of school for the local kids. I have Carl (the grand-dog) and we are dealing with barking for attention. Sigh. It's humid out there and my clean house? Hah! With rain overnight? Wish me luck with pawprints!

Blessings to all

A blessed Sunday to all! It's pre-dawn here. I was awakened by thunder, and we have rain coming down. One kitty came in (Rubia, the ginger), the other is nowhere to be seen (The Prisoner, grey tabby).

Prayer is always an appropriate response to whatever is troubling, be it weather or politics, or loved ones in dangerous spots!

So, deep breaths, a little spare prayer. And into a fresh, new week!

The fatigue (among other health challenges, 2ary to the Ca & tx) is real.
I just pace myself.
I see myself as theEnergizer Bunny - I keep going & going,
(sometimes in slow motion!)
Overall, I'm feeling better than a month ago.
Thanks for your concern.

IMHO: When we, as a country, replace morality with PC and relativism, we choose a dangerous slippery slope and reap the repercussions. I choose to respond with prayer.

Life in the fast lane, for sure, Patricia! Glad to hear your son is doing well in his new deployment. How are you feeling yourself, amid all those treatments for the breast cancer? We have two survivors in our family, one sister and one cousin, and just the fatigue of some of the treatment was a hill to climb. Both doing well now, and celebrating survival anniversaries of eight and three years, respectively so praying for good outcomes for you as well.

Sharon, I had to smile at the BB reference juxtaposed with the news. It has been a welcome distraction when I could get to it. I missed a couple of weeks in there with all the happenings in my own life, but I think I'm caught up again. BB has been a roller coaster this year, especially with the pretty bad look of the first few weeks. I imagine they will be talking about some of those "bad look" / "bad actor" things for a while. What I find about Big Brother is the sociological lessons it can give us, the insight into our own behaviors. At its best, it might help us become better people in real life... shining a light on some attitudes that could stand changing!

Love you all! And gotta go... as Carl's arrival for doggie day care is impending!

Updates:
I talked to my son, Bill, (deployed in Korea) today. He's doing well.
His son graduated from college this spring and is still looking for employment.
My son-in-law, Sean, retired from the navy reserves after 20+ years total service (including several years as an active duty Marine).
My 3 grandchildren who graduated high school this year are all headed to college. When talking about trade school as an option, it falls on deaf ears.
With my diagnosis of breast cancer earlier this year, I've undergone 2 surgeries and radiation treatments.
My Dad has had multiple hospital admissions (including ICU stays) but seems to be doing a little better since the start of summer.
To say life has been in the 'fast lane' is an understatement! --- It's more like a whirlwind!

I know your prayers are a big help.
I appreciate your care and concern.

Glad you checked in today Barb...I have been thinking about you and the shock you must feel in losing your brother. Another good friend of mine from the old Mesaba days lost one of his brothers unexpectedly last week as well. So, so much sadness in the world. But I'm glad you are finding ways to cope with the loss.

And of course the horrific events in El Paso and in Dayton this weekend. I have literally broken down crying watching all the sadness and all the evil unfold. It can be hard to find the joy. But like Mr. Rogers said...when you see something like this and you feel scared, look for the helpers. The people who rush in to help. They're there...and they will help save the world. I feel honored that our sons were among the brave folks who volunteered to rush in when needed.

Is it inappropriate to ask about Big Brother after two heavy hearted paragraphs? I need the release, and I'm very much into this season. (well....as always, lol) There's been so much bad behavior this year that I've been unable to pull myself away! I won't say more in case you're not caught up...

Sunny, Connie, Pat...I'm thinking of you ladies too and hoping all is well in your worlds. Hope you can check in soon! And yes, I too still think of Wilma. I hope she's doing well also, with all the unrest in Puerto Rico. I think things are starting to turn around there.

No baby news yet...I didn't mean to make it sound impending. Although I think Lisa is hoping for an early summer baby next year, so maybe there will be an announcement soon. Jeff and Abbi....who knows??

Three weeks after the loss of my brother, and my thanks to those of you who saw the news in other places and added our family to your prayers. It seems as though wherever I turn there is a need for prayer. When my niece took me to visit my brother's next door neighbors on either side, each of them was touched by the big scary C-word, cancer. No one is alone in our struggles, everyone has something.

The news from Texas yesterday... well, heart goes out there, too.

Thank goodness for the angels in the midst of those struggles, though, and for the bright spots, which often appear in the form of pets and children, whose innocence returns the joy. My younger sister's grandchild was among my house guests. At age 7, she is delightfully and creatively above the sorrows, bringing all around her "up".

Pat, have you heard from your son in his new deployment? Still thinking of him as I pray, too.

Sunny, how's the recovery coming, post-surgery?

Sharon, any progress on the grandchild rumors?

I miss Wilma and include her family in my prayers, too.

Love to you all!
- Barb

Hi Team,
I'm guilty of not being very Sparky these days. Not just this team, but SP in general. Life just gets so busy, you know? I keep on pretty well on FB, but I do think of my Spark Buddies often. Fortunately many of us are connected on Facebook now so at least we can somewhat know what's going on -- although we don't tell EVERYTHING to our FB friends as evidenced here!

Barb, sorry to hear about your son's personal problems -- always a worry for us moms! It hurts my heart to hear one of our boys is not happy, but I know better times are around the corner. In the meantime, I'm glad he's got the pup to help him through it.

Sunny, I also did not know about your surgery. How are you doing my friend? Do you feel like sharing what this is related to?

Pat, I too will lift your son in prayer for a safe deployment.

I'm doing well, just as I said, BUSY! (But aren't we all?) Jeff is working as a dispatcher with the Minnesota Highway Patrol and MNDOT. (Minnesota Department of Transportation.) He deals mainly with anything traffic related. Loves his job and has removed himself from the list for becoming a St, Paul Firefighter. He and Abbi are still in an apartment but looking to buy a house within the next year, and when that happens I'll start looking forward to more grandbabies. Until then I wait (im)patiently. Our daughter Lisa and son-in-law Ryan have provided me with my Grandma fix with the sweetest little boy, who is our whole world right now. Rumor has it that Brad may have a sibling by next year at this time, but nothing to report as of yet.

Thank you Barb, for starting this thread. I don't promise to be here as often as I'd like....but I will be here!

~Sharon

Yes. Bill deployed to Korea on July 1st.
He just got back from the Middle East in March.

Thanks, Barb. I am 4 weeks post-op and plan on getting back to my exercise as soon as the surgeon releases me. I am doing well and looking forward to getting back.

Patricia has your son deployed yet? Glad I saw this and know I will keep him and you in my prayers.

Thanks, Barb for the shoutout and I hope others check-in also.
Hugs, Sunny

Thanks, Barbara, for requesting prayers for my son, Bill.
As a team leader, perhaps, you can send a spark mail to the team with a message about occasional involvement. Just a thought.

We've become a pretty quiet group here... I know I fell off posting my miles and now it seems like "work"... BUT I used to check in to the chat thread every Sunday morning, pretty regularly, and THAT stopped, too.

So... making a new topic in the hopes that we'll get ourselves to check in maybe once a week... good, bad, or ugly, just to touch base!

I noticed earlier in the week that PATRICIAAK posted that her son in being posted overseas again... let's all include their family in our prayers.

I know a lot of us are now mamas (or papas) of former service members... how are they doing?

My veteran son is now working for the VA, but going through some personal rockiness, with his marriage having crumbled. Carl (the puppy) is part of his therapy for his PTSD and depression. And that pup keeps growing. Up to 31 pounds at this point, so grandma weight-lifting has a new shape.



I myself have perked up with the responsibility for one day a week puppy day care (I'm going to have to stop saying puppy in a few months, he's already 4 months old).

How are your kids doing? How about you all? Check in and let us know, for life goes on!