Jewel and Shadrack's Mom

Am I my mother's daughter??

2010-12-30T11:42:00.005-05:00

I can't figure out how to do this side by side comparison on facebook. I have been told that with my new haircut, I look like my mother. We shall see.

Pacux: Day 2

2010-06-14T21:41:00.004-04:00

This morning when we arrived at the church, the girl (whose name I can't remember) ran up to me and said "Me gusta ma amga" and gave me a big hug. I have done nothing to receive her love. I have hugged them and walked with them. I long to help and give to them whatever I can. They are so loving and gracious. I knew (or had heard) of this, but it is surreal. How can people, who literally have nothing, be so loving? Their shoes are torn, barely on. They have only 1 or 2 outfits total. One boy was so excited to see us when we pulled up, he ran to the clothesline, grabbed his pants, and changed from his shorts to his nice khaki pants. He wanted to look nice for us. We already have so many stories, and it has only been a day and a half. It amazed me today when our USA kids whined on the bus. I even asked, "How can you still play video games and eat candy when there are kids RIGHT OUTSIDE THE BUS who have nothing!"

This morning we had a mini women's conference. We told them about Christ's love, what it means to be a godly woman. I translated my testimony in Spanish (with help from a co-worker) before we left. So I read it to the women. They said they could understand every word. I thought it would have a lot more meaning to it if I read it myself. It went well. We also prayed. The people of Pacux repeat all the prayers when one prays out loud. We also had a time for them to pray. I don't know much Spanish, but I listened to this prayer. She thanked God for "the Americans" and tried to PRAY FOR US BY NAME! (Including using the nickname "Santa Claus" for my husband and another youth on the trip.) Some find it funny she prayed for "Santa Claus", but I find it humbling to think that she could be praying for ANYTHING, but chose to pray for us. She had no food, clean water, many clothes, possibly even 4 walls (a hurricane could wipe them out) and she prayed for US!

*Not originally part of the blog: We also washed their feet and painted their fingernails. It was a way for us to pamper the women while we had their children somewhere else. We also gave everyone a gift bag with soaps, shampoos, toothpaste...etc.*

This afternoon we had another VBS. We were also having the mothers come. My experience was a first for the trip: I got angry and upset. Yesterday when I passed out bubbles, I was concerned about the mobs. I tried to stress it to the group how to avoid it again. We colored first-it worked. All the kids sat and they passed out papers and crayons. It was amazing how they colored and that they colored the people white, not brown (cafe). Most did a nice job. It was calm. However, while they were happily coloring, they started passing out play-doh. They said nothing about lines, so the kids started to push and shove. I am upset. Each kid did not receive one and some got more than one. There is a lot of bullying going on. I don't like to see them fight and push over play-doh, bubbles...etc. Why did we create chaos? It hurts so much to see the weak, who Jesus loved the most, be shut out. They are sinners too. I don't know how to feel. None have it and all want it. It is kind of like survival of the fittest. But WE are creating it. I don't know the solution. In a culture of chaos it is expected, but it shuts out the weak. I don't want to see us Americans create sin because of our things. Maybe that is why Americans are so selfish. We have so much, but it is never enough. Kids got a small thing of play-doh, but it was not enough. It pains me to see the sin because of us. I wish I had a solution. If they could sit we could see who has been served and who has not. I guess I need to pray and not let my own sin get in the way of this ministry.

On the positive, it was cool to see the mothers interaction in the playground. Tina was there. They also wanted their photo taken with their friends and family. I am sad that I don't have a child that I know that well, but I know I am ministering to this community. Besides, apparently I have a good Spanish accent, even though I know maybe 30 words. (I also saw a "gato" today. They have tons of perros!) I also washed my clothes in the sink today. That was different! I took pictures. We have also had interesting meals. I have eaten all of them. Yesterday we had eggs, toast, and funny looking sausages (I didn't eat these)/Cheeseburgers and Cheetos/fried chicken (very yummy). Today we had funny pancakes (very dense)/burritos with chicken and onions (I had them make me one without onions)/Spaghetti and toast.

Pacux Day 1

2010-06-13T22:19:00.004-04:00

While in our hotel room in Rabinal, I decided to write down everything. In pen in paper that means "journal" online it means "blog." So I am going to transfer my "journal" into a "blog". I am trying to decide how to edit it, since I smushed day 1 and 2 on the same page. I am going to copy it as best as I can word for word. At some points on the trip, I became very emotional due to the very nature of the trip.

This morning was suppose to be spent fixing the school. But, we really didn't know what to do. We went to the school first. Earlier that day, I was timid. I couldn't speak Spanish, so how could I love these kids? How would they know? As I was sitting, a little girl came to me with her sister. Her sister was only two and scared of the "strangers". But the older sister knew the "Americans" well enough to know we were nice and meant well and wanted her sister to know us too. She kept giving her to me to hold, but she would cry every time. Finally, I managed to communicate that she needed to hold her hand while we walk so she was not so scared. (The child's name was Margarita.)

So, we went on a tour of the village with the children. We just walked, no where to go. We saw the "tile factory" where they make tiles for their roofs. It looked more like a tent where they made tiles. Nothing more. There was a mango tree nearby. I saw boys picking up rocks and throwing them hard on the ground. I asked myself "why?" Turns out, they were "testing" the rocks. They then threw the rock at the mango tree to knock down the mangoes to eat. They SHARED! They watch out for their friends and family. I was holding the 2-yr old and walking with her sister (looks 6, but is 9). The older sister went to a different tree by the river and looked for mangoes on the ground and gave one to her baby sister. Since I was carrying her, I got mango all over my shirt. (I called it the mango shirt because I HAD to wash it in my sink.) She also gave one to a girl who was walking with us who had special needs. She was mute and had to have someone interpret into spanish for her and then interpret it to us in English. So sad, kind of like a double outcast. She then gave ME a mango. She hardly knew me, but was generous and shared a good mango she found off the ground. She didn't keep it for later, but gave it to me. I felt bad because I was told not to eat it, so I gave it to another child. Note: They do not eat the peel of a mango, but spit it out. Even the baby knew this and so she continued to spit out the peel on my arm/shirt around 10 times. Once again, so generous.

As we were walking back towards the church, getting ready to leave for lunch, the girl I had been walking with said, "Tu es bonita" (I cannot spell Spanish at all!) I had no idea what she said so I just nodded. I found a translator and asked what is "bonita" and she said "beautiful". She said I was beautiful?? I am not. I am so selfish and wealthy is makes me sick. I want to love them. I want to hold them and provide for them.

So, the first day we had a VBS in the park. Thanks to my LMHS students, we had SO many bubbles. Once I started passing out bubbles, it was a MOB. I had kids pushing and shoving so much. They were knocking me over. I got a translator to come over and say "1 per kid." Once the initial group went away, they came back for more. Apparently, they were taking more than one and hiding it for later. Our USA kids found slews in the bushes, plants, dirt, and even behind a chain link fence. It is hard to believe something as simple as bubbles is coveted. (I later learned that they were getting extra for their family and friends, not themselves.) I learned how to say "No tengo" and "Uno (hold up bubbles), uno nino." I found out later "no mas" is what I should have said. Here is the astounding part: we went back on the second day and saw MANY kids with bubbles. They had saved them to use again for days to come. The USA kids would waste it and come back and ask for more. These kids were so gracious they cherished it. They also cherished the wordless books and children's bulletins we brought for them.

After the first day, I couldn't believe what else He would have in store for us.

Guatemala Mission Trip: Day 1

2010-06-09T21:43:00.003-04:00

The first day was full of travel. We left the church early to board the plane. It took us from 17 hours to get from Louisville to Rabinal, Guatemala. From the start the trip was different. There were storms, so they had to divert our plane and it took an additional hour to get to Houston. We barely made our flight to Guatemala City. Once we got there, our first stop was the mall to get money exchanged. We had McDonald's for lunch. A little disappointing, but oh well. (Note: they DO NOT serve honey at McDonald's with chicken nuggets. I was very sad.) We also saw volcanic ash all over the ground. It looked like black sand. There were bags filled with it all over the city. The city had also endured a tropical storm over the past few days, so it was also soggy.

We got back on the bus and headed to Rabinal. This is the town where our hotel was located. It was about 10 minutes from Pacux. The bus ride took SEVEN hours. Traffic was really bad. We drove past the sink hole, but couldn't see it due to a wall. There was also an accident. A car hit a motorcyclist!! Unlike the US where the road would be shut down, police and ambulance would come, insurance....etc. Nothing happened. The guy that hit him, helped him move his bike out of the road while the guy was limping off. Then traffic proceeded. Nothing else. No calling the lawyer.

We kept going, but you have to go over the mountains to get to Rabinal. Unlike the states, there are no highways and the roads are not entirely stable. There were many mudslides so we drove through water from time to time. The lines on the road are optional to the drivers and guard rails come at a premium. I was glad it was slightly dark because I really didn't want to see straight down the cliff. We made a stop at an ice cream stand with bathrooms. (Apparently, the sewage system cannot support toilet paper. So, you have to throw it out in a trash can next to the toilet. I am very thankful I can flush toilet paper.) We stopped at an orphanage where one of our interpreters lived t pick up tons of bottled water. The children were sleeping, but the wife offered some cooked mango in syrup. I tried some.

The last 30 minutes of the trip was horrible!! The roads are so curvy that it makes driving through the Appalachian mountains nothing. The other drivers are very reckless. They will pass blindly and practically cause wrecks. I had to sleep to not get car sick. One of the girls thought she was going to get sick so we pulled over. She didn't, but it was bad.

Once we made it, I was relieved. We chose a room and had dinner. It was a shame that they made us an authentic Guatemalan meal but most of us were too tired and full. The room was REALLY hot. I don't think I have ever sweated so much in my life. We had a small fan, but it didn't really help. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking something was crawling down my shirt, only to realize it was SWEAT!

About time to blog again

2010-06-09T21:42:00.001-04:00

I realize I have been on a two year break from blogging. Thanks to facebook and JCPS blocking blogger from school, I haven't made it a priority. However, I thought that it would be better for me to blog about the mission trip here, then on fb. So the next several entries will be about the trip. See fb for the pictures.

Pictures from Florida

2008-07-18T12:16:00.004-04:00

I know I have been bad about blogging. Partially b/c I use facebook all the time. But I will continue to post pictures here as well, especially for Granny K. (I love you, Sugar!)

This is Jason and Lauren posing with an ATV.

Much to my dismay, we rented jet skis for a half hour. Needless to say, I was freaked out most of the time. (Especially when I saw Jason's flip!) Lauren was nice enough to go "wussy" speed for me the whole time.

This is a captured sea turtle. Basically, they have a nuclear power plant down there and they suck in water from the ocean to make it run. However, sometimes turtles and other marine life get sucked in too! So they capture the turtles take them back to the ocean. This one weighed over 200lbs!!!

This is another captured sea turtle returning to sea. However, this is a juvenile. Since he was so small and cute, I decided to name him 'George'. (You can't tell the sex of a turtle until it reaches adulthood, but I decided to guess!) Anyway, it appeared that this was not a very bright turtle. Since they tag and microchip them when they are captured, they could tell that he had been there before. Oops! I have a feeling that he will be back...at least they have a real name for him!!

A series of unfortunate events occurred in Florida. While we were there, Jason's grandfather (the rocket scientist) went into the hospital with a racing heart. The good news is that it was just the MSG's in the pizza he ate and nothing serious. A byproduct of this was that Jason's uncle Mark, came down from South Carolina to help out. I had never met him, except at our wedding, so it was fun to get to know him. He is a funny guy and very sarcastic!!

Badger VS Ella

2008-06-20T18:04:00.006-04:00

Here is the story of Ella, Greg and Christy's cat. Actually, to save time, let's just say that Jason isn't a big fan. He tries to chase her and calls her "phantom face." However, he has recently decided she looks like a badger. So this is a comparison. Hmmmmm.

Uncle Meeshach, Aunt Ella and Cousin Ketch

2008-06-20T16:12:00.003-04:00

Jason and I went to Michigan this week to spend time with his dad on Father's Day. (I really didn't want to sit around here, it would have been depressing!) We were up there for five days and had a good time. However, I REALLY missed Jewel. (I even dyed my hair to remind me of her!) Anyway, I thought I would take pictures of the cat relatives for the "kids." So, here they are! Meeshach is the tabby (who is my favorite out of the three), Ella is the fat, badger looking cat, and Ketch is the one that looks like she laid in a puddle of bleach.

Meeshach

Ketch

Ella, not looking very lady like

Ella and Meeshach getting ready for dinner.

Updated pictures of the "kids"

2008-06-16T09:52:00.004-04:00

Although my "kids" are full grown, their relationship with each other continues to grow all the time. Jewel used to hate Shadrack. She still gets mad at him from time to time (and runs to Momma for rescue), but deep down she loves her Shadrack. Just last week I took these photos. Need I say more? (And for all the "non-cat" people, grooming is a sign of affection.)

Zoo Trip 2008

2008-06-13T22:04:00.004-04:00

Several times a year, Jennifer brings up Becka and Neleh and we have a day at the zoo. The nice part is that "Uncle Jason" was able to join us. Enjoy!

Neleh is getting so big!

Here is our inspiration for not mowing our grass for two weeks! (And the fact that our mower was in the shop!)

Mints Video 4

2008-06-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

Mints Video part 3

2008-06-06T22:20:00.002-04:00

Mints video part 2

2008-06-06T21:54:00.003-04:00

Mints videos part 1

2008-06-04T19:41:00.002-04:00

The mint taste testing

2008-06-04T19:13:00.003-04:00

For all you who are not family, this will not be funny. You will probably think this is the stupidest thing you have ever witnessed. However, my family will roll over laughing to their grave!

Background: All my life, my Granny K has had out little mints in a pretty glass candy dish. They are very tasty and she always has plenty in the living room. Years ago, maybe when I was 10, my family got into an argument over which mint tasted the best. Some insisted green, white....etc. I could care less since I think they all taste the same. BUT, us Kemps are stubborn scientists so we had to settle it scientifically with a "blind taste test." Of course, at the time, Poppy insisted they all tasted the same no matter which one he got.

Fast forward 15 years later. We now how "new" men in the family (Jason, Bill, Corey and Brian) to give us their opinion. It was a whole elaborate thing this Christmas. But, since I didn't care, I decided to get as many video clips as possible. Six months later, now that I have time, I am posting them on the web. It is also so my cousin, Katie, in California, can see these videos.

The next several posts will be just videos. I have had a hard time just trying to post them.

In honor of my Pond Pal

2008-06-04T14:07:00.002-04:00

My older sister, Jennifer, wanted me to take this little quiz. Since she posted hers on her blog, I will do the same! I would like to use my "pride" and say I have come a long way from 5 years ago! (My wrath would have been high!)

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Very Low
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	Medium

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

NEW color!

2008-06-04T13:56:00.003-04:00

I recently realized that I have had my blog for a year. The funny part is that I can't STAND the ugly lime green header. But during the school year I really don't have time to mess with it. Now that school is out and my silly test is over, I can concentrate on more important things.....like my blog! So, I decided to change the template to the blue. No, it is not UK blue!!!!! (Try Michigan blue or anything besides UK blue!) I will put up new pictures of my felines soon.

My darling "children"

2008-05-27T21:56:00.003-04:00

So, I have recently been receiving flack about calling Jewel and Shadrack my children. My older sister says she gets confused b/w my cats and students when I say "my kids." My cats are my kids. period. Enough of that! Here are new pictures!

Jewel curled up on my coat.

Jewel decided to pose for the camera! What a cat!

Brother and sister....notice how Shadrack's leg is wrapped around her head!

Shadrack giving his sister a "bath".

One last normal pose. For any that have cats, you know you DO NOT pose cats. They pose themselves and you just have to be lucky enough to catch it on film. (or digital media since it is the 21st century.) They did a very nice job for their Momma.

My cousin's wedding

2008-05-25T23:17:00.005-04:00

My 2nd cousin, Chuck Kemp, finally got married this weekend. It was a beautiful wedding in a pioneer log cabin and a nice reception outside. Anyway, I've known Chuck for 15 years and he has been to Jennifer and my weddings. Ok, enough about "up-chuck," here are the pictures. To be honest, it is basically my family since none of my readers know Chuck.
Here the bride (Stephanie) and the groom (Chuck) with the Geek's on parade.
Granny K and Poppy
Sandy, Chuck's cousin (who is our second cousin once removed) and Jennifer
Jason and I on a free carriage ride...the lady didn't know how to include both faces at the same time!
The Cinds and Sands picture!

More Salt Lake City Pictures

2008-04-22T22:08:00.002-04:00

These pictures were taken at the Olympic park outside of Salt Lake City.

So I thought if I uploaded smaller pictures, it wouldn't take as long. I was wrong! Next time I will be going back to my regular size pictures.

Salt Lake City

2008-04-13T00:14:00.003-04:00

As a dork, sometimes math teachers get the shaft. However, this is not the case. I was forunate to come to Salt Lake City, Utah for a national math teacher conference. As dorky as it may sound, it is quite interesting. Besides getting a lot of free pens, text books and tote bags, I was also able to hear several different speakers. I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled about going somewhere cold for Spring Break either. BUT, the city is beautiful. I do have more respect for the Mormon faith........but naturally still disagree. I was able to visit Temple Square and hear the Mormon Tabernacle choir as well as an organ recital. Everything is free....except you have to hear about the Mormon faith over and over and over. I don't think it is legal for me to post the video I took, but I will post my pictures. We also went to Park City, which I have re-named "Really stinkin' rich people City" It is VERY pretty. Enjoy the pictures.

The Snow FINALLY stopped

2008-03-08T20:59:00.003-05:00

After 10 inches, God has decided that we have enough snow. So what did I do, I PLAYED!! It was so much fun. I jumped around a bunch, made a snow-cat, and scraped the snow off my car so the sun could finish the job. Overall, I felt like a kid again. I even considered shoving snow onto the sidewalk, the decided not to. :-) So, here are more pictures!

Let it Snow part 2

2008-03-08T10:19:00.004-05:00

Ok, I thought it was bad last night. Hahahaha! Jason had to go to work this morning and use four wheel drive the whole way. (I am sure he didn't mind using the 4 wheel drive!)

Here are more pictures. Needless to say, I will not be going anywhere until the snow melts. (And the "hippies" say my SUV is bad!! :-p) This is the wonderful cool blue MR2. I finally found a use....a good photo op.

I scraped some snow off my car already b/c I was afraid of the weight of the snow.

Let it Snow!!

2008-03-07T21:58:00.003-05:00

If I hadn't lived in Kentucky my whole life, this snow storm might be a shock. However, it is not. Heck, I remember in 1986 when it snowed in APRIL!! (And we have the home movie to prove it!)

The proof is in the pictures. Sorry these are night shots. I will try to get better ones tomorrow. On a happier note, my gas sucking polluting SUV finally came in handy four years after we bought it!!

Two Fuzzy Boys

2008-02-13T20:16:00.002-05:00

A quick break to let everyone see my two favorite boys. Note the one on the right is trying to copy the fuzziness of the one of the left.

Even MORE pictures from Mexico

2008-01-21T21:00:00.001-05:00

Note about riding horses in Mexico: It is fun. However, don't tell boarder patrol!! They took me into the "back room" and asked me the same questions over and over. At the end, they wanted to look at my shoes to see if I was bringing dirt back into the USA! Is it just me or did at least 25 other people on the boat ride a horse in Mexico?

More pictures in Mexico

2008-01-21T20:54:00.001-05:00

Cruisin' 'Round the Baja!

2008-01-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

In 1995, my parents "lovingly" abandoned Jennifer and I to go on a cruise. They took Emily b/c she didn't have school, but we did. Until the day my dad died, he would always talk about how much he loved the cruise. For those of you that didn't know my dad, he liked two things: Eating and talking. Well, that and being waited on hand and foot pretty much sums up a cruise. I now know why Dad loved it so much!! I gained a little weight from eating so much. (Nothing the cereal diet didn't take care of!!) Can you say 24 hour ice cream??

The only bummer was my motion sickness meds. I never have been car sick until this vertigo crap, but I decided not to take any chances. However, after wearing the patch I discovered the WONDERFUL side effects: Dilated pupils and dry mouth. Granted I wasn't puking, but I had the eyes of a middle aged woman! I now understand and appreciate it when people say "my arms are too short to read this." Anyway, enough about me. Check out the pictures of the "Geeks on Parade!" (My mom coined this phrase. I don't know why!) I am not going to label the pictures. I think they are self explanatory. Except Emily (aka Sands).....she had this thing about making stupid faces. She says she is just being natural.........

Cruise Pictures

2008-01-21T20:20:00.000-05:00

Here is the sign. It took FOREVER to take it!

I liked taking pictures of the sun from the boat. No smog to screw up the view!!

We are back and had a great time. Now that I am kinda back on my feet, here are a couple of pictures. These are pictures from California and the boat. The pictures from Mexico are next.

More Christmas Pictures

2007-12-27T12:39:00.000-05:00

The last batch is from Christmas Day. I am now posting pictures from my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. I am so proud to have grandparents that believe that marriage is for life. (My other grandparents have been married for 56 years.)

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

Mom with her new calendar.

Above: Pa being goofy for a picture.
Below: Neleh with Pa.

Christmas has come and gone. School didn't get out until Dec. 21st, so Christmas cards just didn't happen. (I will send them next year, but I usually have a week before Christmas to get things done.) I figure I will post some pictures. I took plenty, but they take forever to load on blogger. (I would do facebook, but most of the family isn't on facebook.) Enjoy!

Jason brings out the evil in Jewel

2007-12-22T20:41:00.000-05:00

The image to the left is the Vampire Bat at the Louisville Zoo. Compare this image with "Evil Jewel." Notice the bat like ears and mouth.

You should know by now that Jewel does not like Jason. He not only can't spell her name (he spells it Jewell) he brought Shadrack into the house. Please note that Jason is the one making her do the "bat face." (I guess I am not innocent since I took the picture. She can ALWAYS run away!)

The Bat Face Cat

2007-10-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

Jason has dubbed Jewel as "bat face." Please note the side view of the bat face. If you go to the zoo and look at vampire bats, they look very similar!

Find the cat--part 2

2007-10-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

I am still running around crazy. I am presenting at a conference in Lexington over the weekend. I am also joining the U of L alumi pep band. Don't ask how I have the time.

Here are more pictures of Jewel.

Busy busy busy

2007-10-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

Well, I am very busy right now with school. However, it is starting to become manageable. I am actually not as stressed anymore. And I have had more parent compliments this year than in years past. They love my emails and communication! I will try to post more pictures of Jewel and the carpet. I just don't have time to do "silly stuff." Also, my school computer is strictly school right now. I promise to get back to posting eventually.

Find the cat!!

2007-09-18T19:57:00.001-04:00

We have always laughed that Jewel blends in with the carpet. Here is proof! Try to find Jewel.

Here is a picture of us.

Florida Pictures

2007-09-16T21:35:00.001-04:00

Ok, I have really no time to breathe. However, we did go to Florida over Labor day and here are a few pictures. Side note: I have a killer picture of me on the beach, but to honor my husband I will not post it. (But I look really good!!)

This is G-ma's and G-pa's pool. And you wonder why I want to move to FL.

This Coconut tree is in their backyard. I really wanted to bring a coconut back to KY, but they said they were not ripe.

Here is Cocoa Beach!

Here is a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Steel family (minus Graham.) This is Jason's aunt and her family. (She is a teacher!) They a bunch of crazy people!!

Here are Jason and his grandparents. Please note: You are looking at a rocket scientist. (No joke! He has the NASA plaque to prove it!)

School started......no time to post

2007-08-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

Ok, since school has begun, I have had NO time to post anything. I do blog at school for my students, but not on this one. I am on facebook, which is fun. We are going to FL this weekend, so maybe I'll post pictures.

Good-bye summer....hello students

2007-08-12T16:10:00.000-04:00

Well, as of tomorrow, school has started. It has been an interesting summer. Here is a list of the cool things I did over the summer.

-Went to Alaska (way cool!)
-Read all the Harry Potter books (more reading than I will do for the next three years combined.)
-Rearranged my house
-Hosted a Sunday School picnic at the house (which is why I rearranged it)
-Slept
-Watched TV
-Gained 5 lbs (as a result of watching tv and sleeping too much)
-Took the cats to the vet (Jewel twice!)
-Grew tomatoes and peppers
-Went to Morehead KY
-Went back to Lexington---bowled with Mom
-Went to the zoo 3 times
-Created a blog!!

Basically I was a lazy bum. I guess it is good that I go back to work. It makes me get up in the morning and be productive all day long. It is fun while it lasts, but I would get bored if I didn't have anything to do. (Which is why I figure I can be a stay at home mom. I will have PLENTY to do with little ones.) I will try to blog once a week, but who knows. I am checking on my facebook a lot, but that will probably stop this week. I will be exhausted every night this week, so don't expect me to be productive. (I will try to be "awake" enough for Thursday night.)

Have a great school year!!!!

Arg! I am too busy to blog!

2007-08-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

Yes, school starts in 7 days and I have been very busy to blog. I have also been introduced to facebook. The funny part is that I don't even know what to do on facebook. I mean, what is the point of having that and a blog?? I guess so "non-facebook" people can see. But it is a lot of work and seems as if I am doing double duty. Well, school starts soon so the chances of me being able to keep up with both is slim. Besides, I don't think JCPS will let you on at school.

Puking cats are no fun

2007-07-31T23:40:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is correct. Jewel has been feeling under the weather and well, I am tired of it!!! She has been clingy cat and whenever she eats, she pukes. The good news is that she did not puke up the tuna water I gave her, so that is progress. Poor Shadrack has been starved since I cannot leave food out for Jewel. (I try to sneak food to him, but he doesn't understand that it is now or never.) I called the vet and he wants me to buy VERY expensive cat food that is gentle on her stomach. Hopefully I can get away with buying a small amount and she will get over this. Please pray that Jewel feels better. School is starting and it is hard to miss a day. (Even if it a very good reason.)

PS Tell Jason happy birthday on the 1st.

Zoo Pictures

2007-07-28T18:14:00.001-04:00

For the past 2 years, I have taken Neleh, my niece, to the zoo for her birthday. Here are this year's pictures.

It was a cool day so the animals were ACTUALLY doing something. The giraffes were butting heads.

This is the "Neleh" gorilla. Notice the blankie.

What a cute baby elephant!!

Two dorks that are related.

The birthday girl, Neleh, and her sister, Becka. (Becka is in the green.)

Arg! Schools starts in 2 weeks!

2007-07-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, JCPS starts back on August 13th. It really sucks b/c that is a Monday. The kids are going to go nuts by the end of the week. Anyway, my posts will start to dwindle to maybe once a week. My plate is full at the beginning of the year. I am starting a process called "National Board Certification." It is a rigorous process. In the end I will be "National Board Certified" and will make more money. I am also coaching the JV Quick Recall team and am doing a pilot project in the county called RICH. (Not to mention teaching Algebra 2 for the first time.)

I have confidence I can do everything, but nothing more. I went back to a workshop for 3 days last week and boy I was wiped out!! I actually went to bed BEFORE Jason. This will become standard starting the first full week of August. I actually only have 2 days free until school starts. The rest I will be working in my room or at workshops. It was fun while it lasted.

My HP7 stance-------SPOILER

2007-07-23T15:28:00.003-04:00

I have now read Harry Potter 7. WARNING: I AM GIVING AWAY THE ENDING. PLEASE DO NOT READ MY BLOG IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED AND CARE.

I am saddened by end of the series. I don't know what I will do now with my summers. I am happy about the way she ended it. Good idea to put an epilogue so people can't add on endings or what not. (Though someone probably will.) I liked how Harry and Ginny ended up together and naming their children after the fallen. (Especially Albus.)

So I was wrong about Snape! He was just so bitter that Lily died and that Harry was still alive. I am very glad that Snape gave Harry his memories. I think all of my questions did get answered. It was weird that they were trying to turn the readers and Harry on Dumbledore. That Rita Skeeter! I wish Hermione had pulled out a can of stuff on her, but I guess it was too late anyway.

JK Rowling was true to her word. Major people did die. :-( And you thought some other majors would die, like Harry. I would like to say that the chapter with Dumbledore and Harry reminded me a lot of Star Wars with Luke and Obi-Wan. (Maybe more like Lord of the Rings and Gandalf.) Hopefully I will continue to read other books.There is always book club.......

Snape is BAD!

2007-07-19T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have offically taken my position. Snape is evil. If you don't believe me, just re-read chapter 2 in book 6. Dumbledore is being taken for a ride with the rest of the order. I hope someone survives 7. I may post my thoughts on 7, but I promise to put SPOILER in the title so the other HP fans won't mistep.

Side note: I have not read the book club book yet. The whole world is having a book club on Saturday and I can't miss it!!

Snape.......here is my opinion!

2007-07-17T22:57:00.001-04:00

Any Harry Potter fan would know, that Snape is in fact scum. I am currently re-reading all the books gearing up for Friday at 12am. (Or technically that is Saturday......oh well!) Although I have been to a Harry Potter release at midnight before, I decided that I am not going to go this year. It is going to be even crazier than 4 years ago when I went for Order of the Phoenix. (And I don't like large crowds!)

My husband can't get over the fact that I am constantly reading. (He should take a picture because it is rare!) Harry Potter and British language is filing my brain. For example, I look at trash and say "rubbish." Or I think about a crazy person and call him a "nutter." I tried to use the word "git" in Boggle, but my mom declared it wasn't a word. (BOOOOO!)

I am almost finished with HP5. (My friend who use to work at the seminary, calls it HP. I'll go off on this later!) I really need to get into 6. I have only read that once. While I am reading 5, I really can't decide what I think about Snape. I mean, I want to believe he is on the order's side, but then HOW could he let Malfoy plot to kill Dumbledore. I am hoping for the Star Wars effect. (That he comes back via a spirit or through all the pictures of him.)

Who knows! No matter what, I still don't like Snape. Death Eater or not, I wouldn't ever treat students like he does! Even if I REALLY hate them, I try to keep it to myself. And that is about all of that!

A picture of GG

2007-07-14T23:51:00.001-04:00

Here is the kids new "great aunt." I guess this means that she is my aunt. Hmmmmm.

Ok, for those that knew Coco, it looks like she has the evil Coco stare. :-)

GG the cat

2007-07-14T17:41:00.001-04:00

I spoke to Pa yesterday. She came home around 4:00pm from the cat hospital. (They were obeying Bob Barker.) Her name is Georgina or GG for short. I asked for a picture, so hopefully I will get one soon. I would love for Jewel and Shadrack to meet her, but I don't think that is possible. (The cats don't like the car AT ALL!)

How do you get a "Great Aunt"?

2007-07-12T22:19:00.001-04:00

I don't know, but ask Granny Pat and Pa. They made a very important decision today and adopted a cat. I am very excited. Hopefully it will be an improvement. Their last cat, Coco, was anything but lovely. Spoiled, but ornery. My mom got it for them b/c they had a mouse problem. (My mom is very practical.) She got it from an ad that said free kittens. Free was hardly the word. At least they adopted through the humane society this time. They take of natural selection for us. (Don't get me started about humans!)

Who knows what this cat will be like? On the flip side, Coco was abused by some, cough, grandchildren. I think it will be a good match. Hopefully, it will not get fat cat disease! As much grief as we gave Granny Pat and Pa with Coco, she did live to be 16, which is pretty old for a cat.

I can't wait to meet her. Now, what was her name again???

I found another Alaska Picture!!

2007-07-12T22:11:00.000-04:00

We are starting to see pictures taken by other family members. So here are a few more.

Here is Jason eating ice from a glacier! Brrr!

This is us in front of a glacier.

This is a whale fin. They call it fluking or something like that. All I know is that it sounds really cool when it blows water out of the blow hole.

This is Shadrack's new friend.................just kidding! Note the fence.

I will post more as I find them.

Out with the Wii, in with the MR2

2007-07-11T00:48:00.001-04:00

I've decided to give up on the Wii....for now. After much pondering, I figured that I wouldn't have the time to "devote" to it as I want. If it is like any other game system, it will get cheaper after Christmas. No, I decided what to do with my fireworks money.

There is this car in my driveway. At least I think it is a car, I haven't seen it run in over two years. I told Jason that if he could revive the MR2 with my fireworks money, then consider it an early birthday present. Although it is not enough to make it look pretty, he thinks he can fix it. Now my weekends will be spent buzzing around town in a 1987 Toyota MR2. (I hear it gets good gas mileage.)

As much as I complain about the MR2, there are some good points. 1. A backup car for Jason (if it works) 2. Good gas mileage. 3. I cannot drive it. (I know this shouldn't be good, but it is. I can't imagine what would happen if I drove the car and it got a scratch!! Not to mention if a moron rear-ended me!) 4. A pet project for Jason. 5. It is cool b/c the engine is in the back so the trunk is in the front.

Now if he fixes it, I will get the 2nd chance to ride in it since we have been together in FOUR years. :-) I love my Beast.

No more fireworks!

2007-07-05T23:41:00.000-04:00

Well, another year has come and gone. I worked my 60 hours and sold fireworks for a week. Several people have remarked that it is a ton of hours. True----but let's look at what I do. I knitted 2 scarfs, read 2 Harry Potter Books, and read an Algebra 2 book. On the 3rd and the 4th I did sell a ton of fireworks. The fourth was the craziest fourth I have ever had in five years of doing this. Who thought having the 4th of July on a Wednesday would the most profitable? It was the same at the other tents.

I want a Wii

2007-07-02T00:23:00.000-04:00

Typically when a fad comes out, I just laugh at it and move on. Sometimes, I will get on the bandwagon----maybe later than the rest though. Some examples are Star Wars and Harry Potter. Now I want a Wii. :-) I am trying to convince Jason to let me buy one with my fireworks money. He thinks I will play with it until school starts and then it will collect dust until Christmas. (And then I will play it for only a week since I am going on a cruise.)

Who cares! I think it would be cool. I wouldn't just be a couch potato. I can actually get up and move to do better at the sports games. If a 50+ year old man likes the Wii, I am sure I will love it also. Maybe I could save money to buy a few games too. (I hear you can download the old school games. Mario in HD..............gotta love it!)

I also ALWAYS wanted a Nintendo growing up. I even learned how to spell it to put it on my Christmas list. I only got a 1986 Nintendo when I got to college. I bought it off my brother-in-law for $10. And it STILL WORKS!! Now is the chance for me to get a Wii. They are only $250. There is one little problem------finding one for $250. I'd better find one now. Good luck finding one closer to Christmas. They are going like hotcakes and Christmas is still six months away.

If you know my husband, try to convince him that we need a Wii. I don't know what Shadrack or Jewel thinks. Actually Jewel is all in favor of me doing something that annoys her dad. I try not to that when possible. When I get a Wii, I am going to have a Wii party. All are invited that actually care about video games. (Pond, you have to come to the 'Ville.)

Where are the Alaska Pictures??

2007-07-01T01:32:00.000-04:00

Some of you are visiting this site to see these pictures. Never fear! Look to the right side and scroll until you see the list of my postings. They are labeled. You can always check out the rest of my blog too!

Fireworks!!

2007-07-01T01:19:00.000-04:00

Come one, come all to my fireworks tent! Yes, it is that time of year when I sit in a tent for a week and sell fireworks. It is easy money and I get to pretend to be a smooth talking sales man with nothing at stake. The only downside is that I don't get to enjoy the fireworks on the 4th since I have to work 16 hours. :-(

Feel free to come by. I am in front of the Highland Cleaners across from the Summit. (Make sure you come after 4 since I do the night shift.) I do give good deals to people I know. I might have a show in my driveway sometime after the 4th. I know it defeats the purpose, but Jason needs to be able to blow things up at least once a year.

My recommendations:

Jumping Jelly Bean
Run Like Hell
Shoot the Works
Cu-Cou* (I can't spell.)
Killer bees*

To be honest, I don't really like the last two, but people seem to love them. I hate the loud noises.

Ones to avoid:

Sydney Harbor
Royal Flush

These were MAJOR disappointments for the price. The Sydney is $17.99!!

I do get tired of explaining to people that Kentucky sucks b/c they do not allow the "cool" ones. (ie Roman candles and firecrackers) Though it is all about perspective. People from New York and Utah are so excited b/c ALL fireworks are illegal. People from Texas and Tennessee get mad b/c our fireworks are lame. (Then I give them a $3 free firework coupon for the tent in Indiana and try to sell them Pop-Its and Sparklers.) Can you believe that people will spend HUNDREDS of dollars on fireworks?! It puts the true meaning to "burning money." Just tonight I sold a guys $80 of fireworks. Not that I mind since part of my check is commission, but I can think of much better things to do with $80. (It gets almost 2 games for the Nintendo Wii. See future blog for that.)

I am going to bed. It is hard to hit the sack at a decent hour when you get home at midnight. (Not to mention the diet coke I had a 8pm.)

Shadrack the Maine-Coon Cat

2007-06-27T00:21:00.000-04:00

What is a Maine Coon? Is it a cross between a raccoon and a cat? Not exactly. I found this website (randomly) and thought I saw Shadrack's picture. It was a picture of a Maine coon.
http://www.petplace.com/cats/choosing-a-maine-coon/page1.aspx

It describes Shadrack so well that Jason thought I was making it up. (It even mentions that one of their favorite games is fetch.) He is a silly little boy!

Jewel update

2007-06-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

Jenny expressed concern in Jewel so I thought I would give my readers a report. :-) Jewel was not feeling well yesterday. I think she had hairballs. She was real lethargic and didn't even care when Jason petted her. She has snapped out of it and is back to her old self. I guess she saw me type "vet" and decided to get well. Cats are funny creatures.

More Pictures

2007-06-26T01:02:00.000-04:00

This is the Ididorod Dog Sled tour. I can't spell it.

This is us in front of a glacier.

This is Lauren, Jason, Chris, Greg and me. (Note: I froze on this trip. Glacier is ice. Ice is cold. Need I say more?)

Us in Seward.

On the train to Denali.

Me in Talkeetna

I went hunting and shot a wolf.......yey right!

Jason at the gold panning sight. The reason it is cloudy is because of the forest fires.

Pictures Part 2

2007-06-26T00:42:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of people. If you don't recognize them, they are members of Jason's family.

This is Jason, Chris (Jason's mom) and me.

Pictures from our off roading jeep tour. We also got to pan for gold. There is a picture of me, but my shirt was hanging a little too low for me to post it on the internet. (It is not porn, but not covered enough.)

This is me at exit glacier.

Alaska Pictures---Part 1

2007-06-26T00:13:00.000-04:00

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures....Everyone wants to see pictures. I took over 1000 pictures and Jason took 17 rolls of film. (He used Pa's old camera that takes good pictures. A digital one of those costs almost $5000.) I will be printing some of them to show everybody. Here are some landscape pictures. Disclaimer: These are not even close to how awesome it really looked. I told Pond (aka Jennifer) that it literally looked like a picture from a book or the movies. It didn't seem real.

This was taken near Exit Glacier---near Seward.

This is another beautiful mountain taken at the Widlife Conservation. It was on the route from Anchorage to Seward.

This was taken in Seward on the Resercurrection Bay (They have rocky beaches, no sand.)

This is Mt. McKinely. You can only see it 20% of the time. Jason's cousin said, "Too many tourists, no mountain for you."

Home at Last

2007-06-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

Greetings to all! We made it back safe and sound. Though the flight back was a pain. It was 13 hours and we had to make 2 connections. (If anyone can explain how Charlotte, NC and Las Vegas are on the way to Alaska I would love it!) Not to mention us being up for almost 20 hours.

Speaking of time, I am all screwed up! In Alaska, there truly is no dark. At midnight, there was still twilight. Here is a picture I took at 10pm. I also took a picture of my watch. (I will spare you of that.) I was sleep deprived half the time because I went to bed too late. I am used to going to bed when the sun goes down. Not a good idea in Alaska.

Now that I am back, I am still messed up. Besides the fact it is dark outside....so strange....it is technically only 8pm in Alaska. (midnight in KY) Also, Jason and I were so tired that we slept for 5 hours when we got home. The good news is that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. I can't say the same for Jason. :-( Needless to say, I am wide awake. I am still weired out by the dark.

The cats were very happy to see Mommy and Daddy. Jewel was very vocal with her greeting, Shadrack was still under the bed. Jewel actually went under the bed to "tell" Shadrack it was us and he came out. We then gave them their presents: Two Alaskan Catnip pillows. Shadrack has already messed with his. Jewel was ok with it, but she blew it off to sleep with us. (I don't think she feels well. I might have to take her to the vet.)

Forest Fires are Freaky

2007-06-22T15:06:00.001-04:00

I know I said I wouldn't blog, but we are waiting to catch the bus to the train. Anyway, a few nights ago there were thunderstorms in the area. Several fires broke out and some continue to break out. There is one close enough that it looks really weird. Though the sun is not down, it looks dark. The sky is orange and it smells like a giant campfire. (My clothes smell like a campfire.) Its looks like it will storm any minute, but the clouds are smoke, not storm clouds. They say there is one 3 miles from here. We are leaving in about 30 minutes, so maybe I will catch a glimpse. Its funny, the first day we were here the mountain was out and people made such a big deal of it. Well, I understand. I have not seen the full mountain range since we got here on Wednesday. Hopefully it will rain and it will go away. See you Monday or Tuesday.

Shadrack's name

2007-06-21T21:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my mom called with exciting news. It appears that our son was not just named after his Uncle Meeshach. In fact, I have an ancestor named "Shadrach Dial." (According to the genealogy, it is spelled with a "k" or "h") He died in 1832 and had 23 children. My Shadrack will no have any children. I obey Bob Barker. :-)

I will continue later!

Another Alaskan Update

2007-06-21T21:16:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I said I wouldn't blog in Alaska. Mostly because I didn't know if I would have access a computer. But hey, I do so I can up date you.

Today we went on a off-road jeep tour. Jason got to fulfill one of his wishes....off road in a four wheel drive that WASN'T his. (It tears the cars apart.) At first I thought it was another wilderness tour...BORING. (If you've seen one moose you've seen them all.) But then we got to go off road and it was so cool! We (I say we, but Jason drove along with another guy) got to do the typical off road things, like splash through water and mud and go over big bumps.

After 2 hours, we stopped for lunch. I got to pan for gold!! I also learned that you don't pan for gold for the money. (Sounds weird, huh?) It is the way the identify where the gold is. The more flakes, the further they start move upstream to find the source of the flakes. If the flakes disappear, stop and dig. If there is a fork in the stream test both sides to decide which side is the path to the gold. I did find gold, but the flakes were so small that if wasn't worth my time, energy or effort. (It took me 15 minutes just to pan out a lot of stuff. The flakes are so small it is hard to filter them out.)

Once again, I so want to post pictures. :-( The cord is nowhere close. If I can't blog until I get back, see you all next week. Tomorrow is the last day here, then I travel back to Seward where it is almost impossible.

Greetings from Alaska

2007-06-20T18:08:00.000-04:00

We have now been in Alaska for several days. It is SO pretty. If you have never been up here, it is hard to imagine. (Especially if you have never seen mountains.) You stare at the sky thinking, this is out of a book...it can't be real.

We have been to Anchorage, Seward (a small town along the coast) and now we are at Denali State Park. (Or as we biased Americans call it "Mt McKinley.") They changed it back because it means "Great one" in native Alaskan. It is really neat. (Open a book and look at it. That is EXACTLY how it looks.)

We are not leaving until Sunday, so we are still here for awhile. The weather has been interesting. They say dress in layers. When we arrived, it was in the upper 60s/70s in Anchorage. We went to Seward and it was overcast so we FROZE! It was only in the 40s and 50s. (It was really cold on a day cruise.) Now we are in Denali where it is in the 70s and maybe 80s. (Who would think to bring shorts to Alaska???)

We have a cord, so I may try to post pictures in the next few days. You can only use the hotel computer for 15 minutes at a time, so this is limited. See you when we get back!

PS Our wonderful, lovely, gracious cat sitter says the kids are doing well. Jewel says hi and Shadrack is nowhere to be found. Go figure.

Catnip.....The legal drug for cats

2007-06-13T03:42:00.000-04:00

First, let me be clear. I am against the use of illegal drugs. Any information I know I have learned from the media and books. I am also a high school teacher. (need I say more?)

However, in the world of cats, there are no illegal drugs. In the human world, some use pot or other drugs to get a "high" feeling. In the cat world, they get a high by catnip. You can buy the plants (or dried) pretty much anywhere.

As in the human drug world, there are different qualities. My cats prefer organically grown catnip from Alaska. (Thank you aunt Lauren.) I also grow catnip in the backyard. When it is in season, I will pick a leaf from time to time and rub it on their toys and carpet. It makes them go crazy! They also have two toys, the duck and carrot, that have a pouch to put catnip. I put the fresh leaf in there and it is a lot of fun for them.

They do not like the cheap stuff. I bought some catnip at the flea market in one of those cat stockings. I ended up throwing it out b/c they could care less. The more expensive, the better.

It is a mind altering drug. When Shadrack is "on" catnip, he will growl and hiss at you if you try to pet him or take it away. I would post a small video of him "high", but I don't know how to do it. Please let me know if you know how to post a video on the blog.

NOTE: The picture of Shadrack by himself, he is holding the pillow with organic Alaskan catnip. That is why he looks so attached to it.

Ode to Molly

2007-06-12T17:06:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my blog before, the Kemp family had a great dog named Molly. I told my family she was on the web and they were not pleased. I barely mentioned her. So, this post is dedicated to Molly, the funny dog.

I'll back up and give you a little history. When I was in 7th grade, my younger sister Emily (or Hoagie) wanted a dog. My dad's cousin had a poodle he wanted to give away, so we drove down to Greensberg and got Lanette. She was a faithful, smart dog, but died of cancer when I was a junior in high school. We watched her die in my room on a spring night. (Might I add, that if you have a hippie animal lover teacher, you get all sorts of extensions. Like, I was SUPPOSE to have finished a book for English, but didn't. I got out of French class to go read. Thank Mme Tuck.)

Anyway, we were saddened by the loss of Lanette. Mom planted a rose garden and we put a little poodle statue in the garden. Mom said she didn't want another dog. (hahahaha) A few months later, the vet called us and told us of three poodles that were brought into the office en route to the humane society. My dad said yes and we talked about which ones we wanted. (We couldn't have 3 dogs.) We went to adopt the puppy and his mom, but only the mom was left.

Since it was Mom's birthday present, we let Mom name her. Thus where she got the name Molly. Over the next 7 years, Molly would carve a space in the Kemp family forever.

It was a rough start for Molly. She was "house-trained", but that was a lie. She only went out if she wanted to go out. After several times of pooping in the house, we had enough. She would only go if you took her on a walk. If you let her out back, she would turn around and come right back in.

What were we to do? Well, we found out they make DIAPERS for dogs. Technically they are for dogs in heat, but hey it might work. Mom bought a package of cheap disposable diapers. The only problem is the lack of a "tail hole." We cut one out and slipped it on the dog. Molly DID NOT like her diapers. She would try to take them off, but we would only take them off when she went outside. She rarely went in the diapers. (Only pooped.)

After awhile, it seemed to work. She graduated from the diapers. I modified a diaper /pull up commercial for Molly. "I'm a big dog look what I can do. I can wear big dog pants too. And I can take them off without putting them back on. Doogie Mommy, WOW! I'm a big dog now."

I only got to live at home full time for a year before going to college in the fall. But when I came home, it was a royal welcome from Molly. She would run around the house barking and going crazy. She insisted to be picked up and held for an HOUR. If I tried to put her down she would jump all over me until I picked her up. Since she was only 7 pounds, you could hold her in one arm while doing other things.

I will continue the Molly story later. Next post.....Molly is a funny dog. All the ways Molly was funny. (I think it will take 2 posts.)

Who am I?

2007-06-11T22:03:00.000-04:00

To quote Les Miz....."I am Jean Valjean." (or 24601)

As look over my site and admire what cute cats I have, I realized that no one knows what I look like. (Or my sexy hubby for that matter.)

This is me at a cookie decorating party with my in-laws.

This is the official family photo. Since you can't pose cats, this is as good as it gets. They are both looking at the camera. I have tried to duplicate it in another setting, but it hasn't been as good.

On June 2, Jason and I went to Lisa Harshman's (now Blair) wedding. This is our picture.

This is my husband's family. I am lucky to have good in-laws.

This is my sister, Jennifer, and me. Note: I never call her Jennifer and will never call her Jennifer. She is more known as "Pond" or "Oh Pond". Typing Jennifer is just too weird.

These are the girls of the Kemp Family. From left to right, Rebekah, Mom, me, Emily (Hoagie), Jennifer (Pond), and Neleh.

Sharack is so BAD!

2007-06-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

My husband can attest to the fact that if our "kids" were human they would be emotionally scarred. We often insult our cats from telling Jewel that she is not the sharpest tool in the shed to telling Shadrack that "you're always bad, you're never good." (Ok, I say that the most.)

My hubby usually insults Jewel (or as he calls her the "bat faced mule") and I tell Shadrack he is so bad.

As I mentioned before, Shadrack likes getting into icky things. He is also quite smart and resourceful. Jason often says "We trained our cats not to get on the table....when we're around." So this morning, I am in bed listening to the noises of the house. Note: Teachers don't have to get up before 10 during the summer. The shower was running, the A/C was humming and then I heard a plastic bag. Now Jewel likes to paw at a plastic bag on the litter box and Shadrack likes to lick kroger bags. (don't ask---he is icky!) The sound I heard was neither.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed my glasses. I came into the kitchen and CAUGHT Shadrack in the act! He had managed to get to the top of the 5 ft shelf and get a baggie with a stale crescent roll. We keep them there so Shadrack COULDN'T find them. (I guess I will be finding a new place.) He was sitting on the floor chewing a hole through the bag and had started to nibble on the roll. The funny thing is that he just looked at me. Usually if he knows he has been caught, he RUNS under the bed. I did my normal thing...grabbed him by the collar and yelled at him.

Jewel was a spectator and witness. (If she could speak English, she would have told me in detail what he did.)

As I write this, Shadrack is chasing a lightening bug that got into the house. He is chasing it around a plastic bag. He has it into a corner. Once again, Jewel is a spectator. He is too cute to put it into words. I'll predict the ending...................Shadrack catches it, plays with it, and eats it.

UPDATE: While I was spell checking (as I have to do) Shadrack caught it. He also played with it. By playing, I mean letting it try to fly away and pouncing on it about 5 times. Jewel has watched it the entire time, including a quick cat nap. He has disabled it so it cannot fly and it tried to hide and "die in peace" but Shadrack caught it again.

Jewel is now involved. By involved I mean she moved to get a better seat and the lightening bug came within an inch of her fur and she jumped 2 feet.

Jewel and Shadrack meet their Great-Grandparents (with a side about Molly)

2007-06-09T20:55:00.000-04:00

Some people are fortunate to meet most, if not all of their grandparents in their life. Every so often, you get people who are fortunate enough to meet their great-grandparents. (My nieces have actually met their great-great grandmother.)

My "kids" got to meet two of their great-grandparents. One of the downfalls on having cats as kids (as opposed to humans) is they are not very portable. So, the chances of them ever meeting their great-grandparents is slim to none. (2 are in Fl, 1 in NE, and 4 in Lexington, KY)

However my mom's parents, known as Granny Pat and Pa, made a stop into Louisville tonight to meet the kids. Shadrack is not one to like strangers, so we tried to trap him so they would at least get to see him. He was ok, until they got out of the car. As I held him, he started to scramble......after a few claw marks, I gave up and he ran under the bed.

Jewel was social. I was a proud momma. She did not try to bite or hiss at them. They liked her and said she was very soft. She even gave a courteous hello to Granny Pat. She sniffed them and then acted like such a lovey cat. She was even good when Jason held her.

Jason and I were pleased since we got a free meal out of the deal. (Thanks, Pa!!!)

Now the cats have met most of their human family. (Their grandparents (including Dad), their 3 aunts (I guess Bill is their uncle), their 3 cousins. They really haven't met any of the feline cousins. Jewel was fortunate to meet Molly, the Kemp family mascot, before Molly went to doggie heaven.

This is Molly. She is a funny dog!

The History of Shadrack

2007-06-07T00:12:00.000-04:00

On June 4, 2005, we invited a young kitten into our house that would change our lives. Actually, on June 3rd we went to Feeder's Supply to look at the kittens. There were two kittens, a boy and a girl. The boy was so energetic. He was bouncing all over his cage and "dive-bombing" his sister. When we held him, he tried to crawl into my purse to come home.

We tried to adopt him, but we couldn't that night. His soon-to-be sister hadn't had her yearly shots. We had to prove that Jewel was going to get her shots. We came back the next day and brought him home.

There was a problem....his name was Arnold. What an awful name for a cat. We knew we needed to rename him. But what. Actually that was easy! My in-laws have a cat named Meeshach. In case you don't know, there is a story in the Bible about Shadrach, Meeshach, and Abindigo. (They wouldn't bow to the king and were put in a fiery furnace. But b/c they were faithful to God, he stood with them in the fire and saved them.) There is also a Veggie Tales episode called "Rack, Shack and Benny." So we decided on Shadrach. But he is not your typical cat. Thus, his Momma decided to spell it with a "k" instead of an "h". (Truth: I spelled it wrong at the vet, but it kinda fits his personality.)

Back to Shadrack. He was a BABY when we got him. He didn't even know when to retract his claws to play. (Which made Mommy really made.) He had a huge forehead. As he grew, he grew into his forehead.

He has always been bad and getting into icky things. The first day we had him, he hid behind the toilet. We thought he was scared when it flushed so he wouldn't move. Ironically, he just likes gross things and the bathroom. (It is still his favorite room in the house.) He got into so much trouble as a kitten. He dumped his water bowl all over the floor and tried to lick the water out of the toilet. (He was so small it looked like he was going to fall in.)

He made me mad enough, that I stuck him under the kitchen faucet. Didn't work....he started purring. I gave up.

As a grown-up, Shadrack has had adventures by the age of two. He has eaten lunch with Daddy at work. (I took him to work to see Jason on his lunch break. He doesn't like the car.) He has been to Feeder's Supply and seen the fish and birds.

On a normal day, Shadrack keeps himself busy sleeping, chasing his sister, watching birds, catching bugs (if there are any in the house), knocking things off the coffee table, playing fetch, eating yogurt, getting pets, and making noises. He make little "meer" noises as well as humming noises. If he can't find his sister, he will call for her.

Shadrack is such a cute cat. He is 14 lbs of cat. We looked it up and he is part maine-coon cat. Not full bred, but definitely has some. My husband has had many cats growing up and he says that Shadrack is his favorite. (Sorry Meesh.)

I will keep you updated on Shadrack's adventures.

Here is his sniffing the Christmas tree.

The History of Jewel

2007-06-05T00:35:00.001-04:00

Jewel is MY cat. I say MY because she does not like her dad. We got her when she was only 9 months old. (We thought she was a year, but then we got papers from the city saying she was born in september.) She loved her mom and her "soon-to-be" dad. (We were not married, so she was a bastard kitty.) Everything was happy. However, my husband wanted his OWN cat. So we got a little kitten named Arnold. (Which we thought was an awful cat name and changed it to Shadrack.)

Now my loving husband wanted to make sure the newest member of the house felt welcomed. He neglected Jewel. I couldn't stand a little kitten with sharp claws, so I loved on Jewel even more. The rest is history. Jewel loves her momma. She talks to me, complains about Dad, purrs with me, yells at me when I am outside....etc. She only lets Jason hold her when I am around OR if I am literally gone for several days she warms up to him.

I will keep you updated on Jewel.

Jewel is playing with an Alaskan catnip toy.

Summer for teachers

2007-06-04T23:27:00.000-04:00

It is 11:30 and well, I should be in bed. But hey, I am a teacher and there is no school tomorrow! Some people complain about teachers and how little we work, but that is because they are jealous. I thought about pursuing another career at one point, but once I realized I only get 10 vacation days PER YEAR (and not just for Christmas) I decided to suck it up.

Also, the "little we work" is so bogus. I don't know many teachers that actually stop working at the final bell. I am not going to mention teacher pay, since that would be beating a dead horse.
(On a side note, I kinda enjoy it when politicians are trying to bail themselves out and give out teacher raises. Thanks Fletcher!)

At least my kids are happy to have their momma home for the summer.

What is a blog?

2007-06-04T17:41:00.001-04:00

Blogs....what the heck are they? Being a math teacher, writing and I are not friends. (Reading and I are getting reaquianted.) Spelling is not my friend either. I am doing this so Emily D can keep up with what is going on. I already miss her.

This blog is named after Jewel and Shadrack, the best kids a mom could have. I have included their picture below. Aren't they cute?

Jewel is the brown and black cat reclining. Shadrack is the larger tabby-looking cat. (For all cat lovers, he is part maine-coon.)