Not really.

It’s a meme.  Michelle, at Heart of the Prairie either gave me permission, or complimented my blog by default, you choose.  Anyway, she left it open to be taken.  “Stole” is an exaggeration, so, you decide.  I’m either an unrepentant thief.  Not really.  My opinion.  Or I’m a huge liar, or at least an exaggerator.  This is likely, but I trust you know that my tongue is, firmly,in my cheek.

The rules of this meme are as follows:

Grab the nearest book.

Open the book to page 56.

Find the fifth sentence.

Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions.

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

Tag five other people to do the same.

But first, a moment of silence for me.  A blue funk has settled over my whole demeanor at having not gotten to actually create these rules.

Alright-y.  Enough of that.  Smiles and sunshine are back in place.  All pity parties should be brief, got that girls?  Pirates do not indulge at all!  That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Now, all silliness aside, you may wonder what sort of book is here closest to me.  Doctor Suess?  Calvin and Hobbes?  Runny Babbit?

Wrong.  I’ve got a real book sitting here.

Hubby handed it to me a couple of evenings ago.   The nice folks at Vision Forum have asked me to read it and give y’all a review of it.  But, of course, I haven’t touched it.  Once I start a delay, I get a pretty good head of steam goin’. Oooops!

This is why I got excited when I saw Michelle’s meme.  I thought it would be the perfect kick in the duff opportunity for me to give you a little glimpse of things to come.

The title is To Have and To Hold: A Tale of Providence and Perseverance in Colonial Jamestown and was written by Mary Johnston and is available from Vision Forum.

To the stake was fastened an Indian warrior, captured, so my interpreter informed me, from some hostile tribe above the falls.  His arms and ankles were secured to the stake by means of thongs passed through incisions in the flesh; his body was stuck over with countless pine splinters, each burning like a small torch; and on his shaven crown was tied a thin plate of copper heaped with red-hot coals.  A little to one side appeared another stake and another circle of brushwood; the one with nothing tied to it as yet, and the other still unlit.  Suddenly, four Indians grabbed me by the arms and dragged me towards the other pile of brush!

Confession time.

I had no idea this was gonna be exciting.  I was really putting off getting started on it.  Forget that, I’m reading it this afternoon!

OK.  Whom shall I tag?  Who do I know that reads great books?

• Carri, of “all the time in the world” fame.  She blogs at Home of the Petersonclan.
• KimC, of course.  I know she has a good book nearby.  She blogs at Life in a Shoe.
• Jenn, at Sunshine on my Shoulders, because I wanna get to know her better.
• Mandy, because she’s a Texan.  She blogs at MandyMom.com.
• Faith, my long time friend in real life.  She reluctantly blogs at Godsfaith.  Y’all go poke around over there and offer her some encouragement.

Oh, how fun!  My bff, KimC at Life in a Shoe, has tagged me for another 6 Things meme.  We’ve done it before, but she seems to think we are stranger now than we were then, bizarre is her word.  She was really quite ruthless, you should go read her.

I jest, of course, about the ruthlessness; not the reading her blog part, that you should do.

Anyway, here are the rules.  Bwahahaha, I love rules!

The rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag sixish people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know he or she has been tagged.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six Weird Things About Me

1. I have kept barnyard fowl in my suburban backyard.  Two separate species, on two separate occasions, at two different houses.  Actually, I’m thinking about getting a duck again.  Wonder what Trixie-the-Wonder-Dog would think of that.  The Princess would love it and hug it and call it George.
   
2. I can sing the alphabet backwards, and I can sing the alphabet in German, just not backwards in German.  Maybe I should work on that.
   
3. I have seen Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on stage, in Spanish, in Monterrey, Mexico.  And dined with the dwarfs after the show.  My father was KING of the weird family vacation.  Chevy Chase got nuthin’ on him.
4. I caught a live jack-rabbit with my bare hands when I was 4 years old.  Yes, really.  And The Princess did the same thing when she was 4 years old.  Weird, huh?
   
5. I had a quarter-horse when I was a teen, even though I lived in the city.  Blackie lived at a stable not far from my house, I was allowed to visit him every day.
6. I love to watch boxing and bull riding.  Shocking, I know.  As a matter of fact, the day the Cap’n was born, Evander Holyfield had a heavy-weight, championship bout, and at his weigh-in he weighed the exact same thing as I did that day.  Some things a girl just doesn’t forget.
   

There ya go.  Do ya still love me and think I’m The Greatest?  (That’s a boxing pun.  Remember Ali?)

I’m gonna copy from Kim’s post and tag some of my Pirates.

1. The Cap’n
2. Calico Zak
3. Billy Bones

And some friends and e-friends.

1. Stephanie at The Greenhouse, because she has so much free time to blog these days.
2. Mama Hen at Clucks from the Hen House, ‘cus, ya know, birds of a feather…
3. Faith at Godsfaith’s Weblog, ‘cuz she should post.  After all, that’s what a blog is for.

Linked to We are that Family Carnival and Bloggiversary.

Shannon, at Rocks in My Dryer, has a meme that is very appropriate for today!  And she has asked all of us to play along!

How long were your labors?

1. 5 hrs
2. 4 hrs
3. 6 hrs
4. 1 hr
5. 3 hrs
6. 3 hrs

How did you know you were in labor?

1. I didn’t know.  I had a regular check up.  They convinced me I should get my hubby to come to the hospital.  He got there only to find out that the proceedings weren’t, um, well, proceeding.  We were told to walk, walk and walk some more.  I think we walked around the outside of that hospital 4 times before they told us to go home.  Of course, once we got home it was clear we needed to go right back.  It was raining to beat the band and my Very Dear Hubby had to drive painfully (this is not a pun) slow.  I nearly gave birth in the car.
2. God tapped me on the shoulder and told me something was not right.  That’s my best explanation.  I just picked up the phone and called my Very Dear Hubby at work and told him something was wrong and I needed to go.  So, he took me.  I was only 4 days from my due date.  They did an ultrasound and found that Calico Zak was in trouble.  He had gotten all tangled up in the rigging and was having some heartbeat issues when I would contract.  So, they waved a vial of pit over me gave me a tiny dose of pitocin and we were under way.
3. We had an unfortunately timed trip to the ophthamologist during which I was kicked in the 8 mo belly by Calico Zak.  I have forgiven him, after all, he was only 2 yo.  But the next day I went in to labor a tiny bit prematurely.  No horrid pains or water breaking, but enough pain for concern at 36 wks.
4. I had an ultrasound at 37 wks because I was measuring WAY LARGE.  The ultrasound estimated baby’s weight at 11 lbs.  HELP!  So, I was offered the choice of a c-section or induction, but either way, they convinced me that he needed out, soon.  By the way, it’s not hard to convince a woman of this once she has seen the weight estimate of 11 lbs!
5. We used to refer to The Squid, during the last 3 wks of pregnancy, as the mean baby.  I’m sorry if that sounds unkind, but he was hurting me.  Turns out he was transverse.  This hurts!  So, again that ole ultrasound machine showed us that not only was he transverse, but he had fouled the riggin and I was already dilating, maybe 4½ or 5.  Long story here.  My Very Dear Hubby was upstairs with Billy Bones who was having an intrathecal injection of some kind of chemo.  He was in the beginning stage of his treatment for Leukemia.  So, it was all a little complicated that day.  And it was Valentine’s day, to boot.  The upshot was, I was admitted, Billy Bones was released.  All the children spent the night at our friends house who also happened to be a Urologist and was thereby competent to care for such a sick child.  Did I mention it was complicated?  By the time Hubby returned to the hospital the OB ward was so busy with other ladies who were in active labor, including the obligatory Valentine’s Day twins, that I had been put on the back burner, but not before they had performed medieval torture on me turned my baby to a more traditional presentation.  At least I was more comfortable (once the torture was over).  So, The Squid did not get to be born on Valentine’s Day and I didn’t really ever go into labor until they broke out the pitocin.
6. Again, no going into labor, per se.  I went into high blood pressure.  Short story, they don’t fool around when the bp goes through the roof.  Fortunately I had a history of short labors once someone says the word pitocin, so I was allowed to decline their offer of an automatic c-section.

Where did you deliver?

1. old fashioned delivery room
2. door-way of old fashioned delivery room
3. labor/delivery room
4. labor/delivery room
5. labor/delivery room
6. lovely, plush, labor/delivery suite

Drugs?

1. No time.  The Cap’n got in a hurry before we got back to the hospital and he was born a mere 15 minutes after we arrived.  Did I mention he was born on his due date?  He’s the ship-shape type though.
2. Just the pit.
3. I was given an epidural.  The only effect it had was to make me itch head to toe, almost enough to distract me from the awful, horrible, pitocin contractions.  Yes, they’re worse than the regular ones!
4. Just the pit.
5. Just the pit.
6. Another try with the epidural.  This time it killed all the pain and almost killed The Princess and me as well!  I have to say, it’s not worth it.

C-section?

Thankfully, no.

Who delivered?

I guess I don’t fully comprehend what is being asked here.  I delivered all these babies.   There were a few OB docs involved, but I get the credit, and God gets the glory!

Thanks, Shannon, for starting all the fun!  I’m gonna be bold and add another part to this fun, Labor Day meme.

Baby’s Weight?

1. 9 lbs, 4 oz
2. 8 lbs, 6 oz
3. 7 lbs, 2 oz
4. 10 lbs, 9 oz
5. 7 lbs, 11 oz
6. 8 lbs, 3 oz

My Random Secrets Plot to take over the Plans

Mama Hen over at Clucks From The Henhouse has tagged me for a meme and I feel muy importante.  I’m thinkin’ that by the time I finish writing the 6 revelations, I may feel otherwise.  When you’re done reading mine, remember to cluck over to Clicks From The Henhouse (wait . . .huh?. . .???) and read Mama Hen’s 6 things.

Rules of Engagement:
1) Link to the person who tagged you.
2) Post the rules on your blog (copy and paste 1-6).
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I am breaking Rule # 3, and changing the words random things to plans for the upcoming weeks.   And remember, read all the way to the very end where I will tag some of y’all to play along.

Six plans for the upcoming weeks that you may not know, (and maybe you already know some, but not all of them) by Mother Hen:

1. I will commence to making all of our bathsoap and shampoo, starting this week (or next).  I’ve been doing some reading on just what shampoo is made of, ew.  I know what soap is made of, I used to make our soap, 382 years ago.  And most of us aboard this ship have a little eczema, so we need NO CHEMICALS in our skin care and hair care stuff.
   
2. We will be building a Solar Oven starting this weekend.  I bought this book about 12 years ago and it’s time has finally come!  The rising cost of energy blah blah blah, I can’t wait to cook for free!
   
3. I plan to make baskets for Christmas gifts this year (out of newspaper).  Again, this is something I have done before, so I know I’ll enjoy the results.   And hopefully I’ll have enough hot-pads crocheted by then, to load the baskets with.
4. I will have the whole house completely devoid of clutter by Christmas.  Watch out fellas, the garage is next!
   
5. I’m giving up coffee as soon as the current canister is empty, Hubby is on board too! Who needs it!  I love my herbal tea.  Just don’t expect me to be very nice too much from me next week while I have the de-tox headache.
6. No more TV!  Starting yesterday!  Man alive, are these children bored!  Actually, the boredom was yesterday.  I mean, they were entertained by watching me grind wheat for cryin’ out loud.   Today they have remembered how to be creative.  The Princess woke up with a bit of a sore throat, so Cannonball Jack, thoughtful to the core, made her this.

And if you give a Princess a bouquet, she’s gonna need a gown.

And if a Princess is wearing a gown and holding a bouquet, she’s gonna need a Prince.  Cannonball Jack!

While I type this, there is a ceremony happening in the next room.  Billy Bones is providing the music and The Squid is the presiding preacher-boy.  Not sure on the progress of the sore throat.  No-one has said anything about that for a while.  It may have been a ploy to get me to turn on the TV for a sick child.  No dice, chickadee!

Well, that wasn’t too hard.  Now it’s your turn!

So, here we go:

• Happy Momma at Pink Explosion
• Mel at The Living and Learning Chronicles
• Faith at Blessed Quietness
• Karen at Engstrom Family Cerebrations
• Stephanie at The Greenhouse
• Carri at Home of the Petersonclan

You’ve been tagged!

All the rest of my friends and efriends are also invited to play along.  Leave me a comment and let me know how to find you, a link would be nice, too.

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