He Said, She Said

We are heading out for our annual San Diego trip on Saturday morning.



Dave: Janet! Look at all of this junk. Don't you realize there are grocery stores in California too. Ralph's is right down the street.

Janet: Well! I don't want to spend my vacation in the grocery store. And anyway, the minute we pull our of our driveway someone will get hungry and thirsty. When we arrive you'll all need to go to the bathroom and stare at me looking for the TP and then someone will throw up and I'll need the paper towel and Children's Motrin. A teenager will get a bloody nose and need the box of Kleenex. Once we're done with the toilet, throwing up and Kleenex they'll head out to the beach and get burnt to a crisp without the sunscreen . They will be hungry and thirsty again and can eat Trail Mix and drink Capri Sun because that is just how we eat at the beach. And oh, the Diet Coke? Don't you even go there, dear Dave.

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Haircuts with cousin Ashley!

Yummy!

A few months ago Donna linked to the blog Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and I followed the link like a good, obedient, younger sister. I have been hooked ever since.

Ree is an amazing woman, photographer, cook, ranch babe and mommy of four! She has a great sense of humor and writes much better than this, but most all of you who read this blog write much better than this. :)

Ree also started up a recipe blog and whoa horsey, the recipes are amazing! I almost shed tears when I saw she posted a recipe for Rotel. Not your normal Rotel, but as she refers to it, Rotel on steroids!! I made it on Sunday afternoon and it did not disappoint. She received some blasphemous comments about it being too spicy and that the picture didn't make it look very appetizing. Well let me tell ya, real woman like spice ;-) and it is beautiful and appetizing. K!?

Here is my picture of Rotel on Steroids. That is James modelling for the picture, he couldn't keep his paws out of the stuff.

















Should I try the bread pudding next?

About Those Gloves

Look at what Amy found!

She said they are also sold at Sur La Table.

So, do you have a favorite?

Thank you Amy. :)

180 degrees

Now that's what I call repentance!

Good job, brother.

Kim and Aggie

These two ladies are the Simon Cowell of house cleaning!

Well, they are the sweet version.














I love them and we are hooked on the show How Clean Is Your House?

We recently got DVR on our Directv system and Dani is recording every episode for us. We watch and laugh and cringe and on occasion my stomach turns, seriously, some people live like slobs!! Hannah said that the people on the show make us look near perfect. :) I do wish Kim and Aggie would pay me a little visit and help me whip my laundry room and office area in to shape!

I love their English and Scottish accents and their bold remarks about the utter filth that they find these people living in. I took notes last night.

Here is an example of what they say and how they phrase it.....


Lovey, look at all of this rubbish!

Look at this absolute filth.

How can you live in this vile state?

When was the last time you tidied up this place?

This stench is bloody horrible.

Your loo is wretched, lovey.

I have never seen such grime.

That smell is just putrid, chap!

Don't you own a dust bin?

Get me some washing up liquid, quickly.


We watch the show on
BBC America and I just discovered it is also on
Lifetime TV. I'll be sure to let Dani know so she can record those also.

Here is a little more information on the darling hosts, if you must know more.

I'm searching the net for the fancy rubber gloves they wear. I'll be sure to let you know if I find them, lovey. :)

Summer!!

You see this motley crew? I had to deal with all of them on Thursday...all day. :) I decided that since I would be caring for 9 young people for an entire day it needed to turn in to a pool party complete with pizza and Popsicles. I set out to accomplish nothing and nothing was accomplished except these children were well cared for and fed. In this picture you see my 5 children, Janice's 2 boys and 2 girls who are staying with us for 3 days. (That spells T.I.R.E.D.)

















Here you have a picture of me. Lovely isn't it?

Once I get rid of all these children (hehehe) I will continue to work on tanning my feet and sneak away for a pedicure. A much needed pedicure.

How is your summer going?

Fun Times, For Sure

These are pictures of our activities on Saturday while we were up north. These pictures represent the GOOD PARTS. Because, letmetellya, there were a few bad parts, mostly having to do with our Rhino and a tree. Long story, all is well now, except our pocket book.....


Below we have a bunch of cousins sitting in dried mud. Hey, it makes for a great bench!!


















Sarah and her cousin Andrew.


















Lauren learning how to drive with Daddy very nearby.


















HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HANNAH (15)AND DANI (12) !!!



















The cheesecake was from Sam's and it was delish! Actually much better than Costco's. Dave picked it up for us while he was in Flagstaff buying 4 new tires for our Suburban because 2 went flat the day before. Oh, yeah, we're sticking to the 'good parts' of this weekend.

Can you see the plastic placemat under the cheesecake? Yes, the one with brown mushrooms on it! For the record, I'd like to say that it is not mine. I have no control over the decor in that cabin. K? :-)

Giddy Up

We've been up in Mund's Park since Thursday night.

This is what we did on Friday afternoon....
























Lauren couldn't go on the one hour ride but she got to ride the horsey before we left for our ride. Can you see her excitement? I love the one with her squeezing the horn with all her might.

Do you see the person in front of me in the blue shirt? That is Dave's 75 year old mother! What a trooper. She grew up on a farm in Kentucky so this was nothing out of the ordinary for her. Except she had mules.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I've always loved horses and used to ride them when I lived in Wisconsin. I hadn't been on a horse in 20 years! My only regret is that we didn't get to run them. I held back a few times so I could get a little trot in but that was it, no running allowed. It's probably a very good thing we didn't run, I was very sore. The outside of my knees and my bum just ached!!

Next post, Saturday's pictures.

Modest and Pretty

I've been reading some interesting articles on other blogs lately.

This excellent article, written by a man, encourages young and old ladies to dress modestly. Some people were offended by this post but I took it as very good advice from a God-fearing man. It's true. Look around you...some women are dressing like tramps. They are wearing clothing that belongs in their bedroom. I cringe when I have my son with me and we encounter someone in an inappropriate outfit. I want to put my hands over his eyes (he's 13). We encounter these people all to often at our own church and our Christian school. I may sound like a prude but this mama bear has 5 precious blessings to protect and boy is it getting difficult!! We have long talks with our older children about their dress and about how to deal with the things they see out in public.

I think our dear mother taught us well about being modest. Her example to us was key and our example to our girls is also key. All of my sisters dress beautifully and modest. Yeah sisters!!



Here are a few outfits I think are:

a. hip and cool :)
b. modest
c. non-haggard like
d. affordable

Below you will find clothing from Coldwater Creek, Target, Chicos and Walmart (hey, I wanted a variety of prices).



















































So, tell me...what do you think?

Do you agree that these are modest, pretty and not haggard like?

And just for fun try guessing what clothing is from what store.

Jordin's In The House!!

Jordin Sparks paid a very special visit to Northwest Christian School!!! Can you believe it?

She's been on the local news all day and we knew she was going to be at her current school early in the day and Westgate Mall around 4pm.

Hannah text me at 2:45 and told me that Jordin was in the gym.our gym.NCS gym. I was right around the corner as it was time to pick the children up. I called Janice and Donna screaming my head off. I'm not sure but I have to wonder if this was an impromptu visit? She spent time with her friends in choir and sang a song for them and then she paid a visit to the rest of us in the school gymnasium. For those that don't know, Jordin attended NCS during her elementary grades. She did not sing for us but she was very sweet and gracious telling all the little kids "I love you"! She shook hands and signed a few autographs but that was it. It was short and sweet.

She looked beautiful, her hair was very long and straight. She wore a darling white dress and she looked TALL. :)

Lauren was on my shoulders so she had a great view. Her fingers/hands were either in my mouth, up my nose or poking me in the eyes. She was happy and screaming. I have a red shirt on and Lauren's is pinkish maroon. Look for us. I'm the one with fingers up my nose.


Yeah Jordin!!

Our next American Idol.

More info. Hannah told me that during the last period of the day no one was allowed a bathroom pass. It was then that they started to figure it all out. They guessed she was there.

A sheriff stopped me as I entered the parking lot and asked me if I was there to pick up my children. That was fun.

She rode around in a stylish black stretch Excursion (Ford!) and police were on our campus.

One of the football moms (spring work out) knows the Sparks family well and was invited to the big par-tay tonight. I know where it is....I should crash it. hehehe.

Fair Warning!

Moderate bragging ahead. :)

Hannah received a very special award at school yesterday and I am so proud of her! She is going to be mad at me for posting this but oh well, it's my blog and I can brag if I want to. And I'm the Mom.


















She received the very last award given out after a long morning of various academic awards. The Principal's Award was given to one young man and one young woman from each grade (9th-12th). It is from the high school principal and it was his sole decision. I honestly didn't know what it was even after she accepted it so I asked him. He said that he appreciates her positive Godly attitude and good behavior on the campus and that she is a pleasure to have around. And to that I give a hearty Amen! I couldn't agree more.




I grabbed the flowers while I was shopping at Costco and Dave picked up a special gift card to one of her favorite stores.

She was embarrassed and humble but cannot wait to go shopping!!

Way to go Miss Hannah. Keep honoring and glorifying God with your life.

Bon Voyage!

Remember my buddy Joshua?!

The one who HAD Burkitt's Lymphoma?

Well, he's smiling for a very good reason.



















Another limo is in his driveway ready to take him...NOT TO PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL this time.....

















Oh, and his parents and sister and grandparents get to go.

















On a very special cruise.

Here is one of their stops.




















The Grand Cayman Islands


All of this made possible by the amazing people at Make-A-Wish Foundation!

Bon Voyage, Joshua and family! We love you!

God's Word and Other Stuff

Encouragement for this Friday
Cor. 4:7-9

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Cor. 12:9,10

9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.





















This and That

Why the Gerbera Daisies? Just cuz they are pretty!

*****

Only 10 more days of sock wearing for my children!! The uniform policy at our school requires all children to wear socks and gym shoes, my life has been torturous. I will promptly throw out all socks and start fresh in the fall. Ten more days and the flip flops take over the house. Maybe I'll throw out all of the old smelly gym shoes too!

*****

Not relating to socks, I typed these words to Donna yesterday. "The older our children get the more I need my husband's wisdom and sense of humor". I am so thankful for a wise and witty husband to get me through the teen age years! :) Laughter is indeed very good medicine. Isn't it Donna?

*****

Lauren started swim lessons this week at Aquatots. It is a brand new indoor facility with a heated pool. I am determined to have that child swimming independent of any type of floatation device by June. I bribed her with a special lunch date and a visit to one of her favorite stores. Maybe she'll pick this darling outfit for her teddy bear.


Have a great weekend!

Any big plans?

Who's In Charge?

More from Called to Obedience

God's Purpose for Suffering and Adversity:


1. For His eternal purposes (2 Cor 4:17)

2. To bring you to a greater dependency upon Christ so you will know Him more intimately (2 Cor. 12:9,10; Phil. 3:10)

3. To teach you, experientially, that God's grace and love will sustain, uphold, enfold you in the midst of the trial. (Isa. 41:10)

4. To be conformed to the image of Christ; to build your character. (Rom. 8:29, 5:3,4)

5. To share in Christ's sufferings and for His sake (Phil 1:29, 3:10)

6. To share the comfort with others that you have received from Christ; to minister more effectively for His kingdom (2 Cor 1:3-7)

7. To learn more of God's Word (Psalm 119:71)

8. To produce more fruit than you are already yielding (John 15:2)

9. To realize that inner and eternal blessings and sometimes, outward blessings are God's rewards as a result of trials (Matt. 5:1-12, James 1:12)

You can download free studies here. These are life changing, Biblical truths.

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Next post: God's Sovereignty in Adversity

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Please go visit Heather today. Her post ties in perfectly with what I am sharing with you today. Please remember to pray for her on Thursday.

Forgiveness

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15


From Called to Obedience by Howie Dowell and Dennie Dowell Patton

A. When do you forgive? In prayer (Mark 11:25)

B. Whom do you forgive? Anyone you have anything against (Mark 11:25)

C. How are you to forgive? (Col. 3:12; Eph. 4:30-32)

1. As Christ has forgiven you.

2. Completely.

3. Repeatedly for the same sins.

D. Why do you forgive? (Matt. 6:14,15)

1. It is a command of God.

2. Your relationship with God is hindered if you do not forgive others.


1-2-3-4 Memory Outline

1. Forgive the offender, not verbally, but in prayer (Mark 11:25)

2. Grab hold of the truth that God has ordained this situation and thank God for this difficulty. (1 Cor. 10:13;1 Thess. 5:18)

3. Ask: "What is God trying to teach me?"

4. Ask: "How can I obey God in this situation? (John 14:15)

"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." Col 3:12-14

*******

By obeying these scriptures we can find true peace, does that mean we forget sin or ignore it? NO! But the verse above clearly states that Christ forgave us therefore we should forgive others.

Simple and yet difficult.

It is always better to obey.

Speaking of.....

Valley of Vision

If you followed the link to Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) Radio you would have heard music from their CD titled Valley of Vision. The music is based off of the book titled Valley of Vision which is a collection of puritan prayers and devotions.


From the SGM web page:

Puritans like John Bunyan, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, and Isaac Watts knew their hearts, their Bibles, and their God much better than we do. Many of them wrote down their prayers not to be published, but to assess their own spiritual growth and to encourage themselves in times of spiritual dryness. These prayers reveal a personal, humble, passionate relationship with an awesome God, a living Savior, and an active Spirit. Reading their meditations inspires us to pursue the same level of reality as we worship God.

Last night I started reading a book by John MacArthur called "Hard To Believe" and interestingly enough I came across this:

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, the the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess everything, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive. Let me find thy light in my darkness thy joy in my sorrow, thy grace in my sin, thy riches in my poverty, thy glory in my valley, thy life in my death

From Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett,ed.


I don't own this book but you can bet I will very soon!

I also plan on buying a few cd's from SGM.

Listen

If you go to Sovereign Grace Ministries and click on the Sovereign Grace Radio (in the upper right hand corner) you can enjoy beautiful, worshipful music while you are surfing the net. Try it!! You will be blessed. I am listening to a woman with an angelic voice right now and she is singing about my Savior. Praise the Lord!

Bonnet Tip: Carmon

Sleep

What's that?


Oh boy am I tired. Yes, I got on this computer to let you know how tired and worn out I am. :) I am alive, just tired. Some of it illness induced, some of it Nascar induced (that's for another post, redneck) and some of it Lauren induced.

Have you ever wanted to escape to a hotel room for a night or six? I have and right now is one of those times I wish I could go away and sleep. I know that if I did go away for one night I would a) end up with the party animals next door b) not be able to sleep because I am now 41 and you know what happens after 40 or c) get there, settle in and wonder what on earth I was doing, miss my family and not be able to sleep anyway!!

I guess I'll just stay home and love my family that God has blessed me with and persevere through this short season of illness and sleeplessness.

Praising God.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

I have been corrected (in the most gracious and loving way) by Dr. Amy at Good Soil. I told my children that the little flappy thing hanging down in the back of their throat was the epiglottis when in fact it is called the UVULA!! I have to admit the picture I posted confused me but at the time it was the best I could find and I was absolutely convinced that it was called the epiglottis. It's all coming back to me now, really.

CHECK THIS OUT!




















I stand corrected and will have to inform my two daughters who were so curious about that little thing in the back of their throats.

**Amy, remind me of your training. I know attended med school and I think you did your residency in OB/GYN but later decided to leave the field and stay home with your babies. Yeah! Consider this an interview and tell us all about yourself in my comments. :)

**Amy and I have a special connection....we got to spend some time together at Starbucks a few years ago when I was in Dallas! What a treat!

*********************

Will you pray for my little Dani. She has a horrible virus. Her fever is very high and she is soooo uncomfortable. We were up all night dealing with the croup.

Thanks.

Good Question!

Tuesday Morning

Lauren: Mommy, I'm drawing a picture of a whale!

Me: Oh that's great sweetie.

Lauren: What's that thing called in the back of your throat that hangs down?

Me: What? Huh? (finally looking up from my paperwork) Oh, that's called an epiglottis.

Lauren: OK, well, I just drew an epiglottis on the whale.

Me: Really, you did? An epiglottis? Great!





















Tuesday Night (and I'm not making this stuff up)

I spot Hannah in her bathroom with a flashlight looking down her throat. I think that is odd but keep moving....

Hannah: Hey Mom? What's that thing called in the back of your throat?

Me: An epiglottis (not missing a beat)

Hannah: Cool, I'm going to look it up on the internet.

Me: Go right ahead.


This makes me happy. I love science, especially anatomy/physiology. :)

April in Arizona

I have Pooh Bear on my brain today. It is very windy!






















From: Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day
Written by: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Performed by: Sterling Holloway [Pooh]


Hum dum dum ditty dum
Hum dum dum

Oh the wind is lashing lustily
And the trees are thrashing thrustily
And the leaves are rustling gustily
So it's rather safe to say
That it seems that it may turn out to be
It feels that it will undoubtedly
It looks like a rather blustery day, today
It sounds that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today


I'm not particularly fond the this wind but I do quite enjoy reading Pooh Bear!

Yesssss!

*sniff

*sniff

I am so honored.























Thank you, Donna for creating this. It means the world to me. ;-)


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All joking aside, if you haven't been visiting Quiet Life lately you really must go and read her posts about her trip to Paris, Florence and Rome. She is her normal witty self and quite the photographer. I mean she could make a lot of money of her photographs and I really hope she does!

Heather

There is a sweet lady in the blog world by the name of Heather that could really use your prayers. Would you please pray for her, she has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She's a mom like us with little children and a husband that adores her. Her faith in Jesus is inspiring and her strength is admirable.

Another awesome lady is going to be raising money for Heather and her family to help with some of the costs of this ordeal.

Would you first and foremost pray for Heather?

And if you feel lead would you consider sending a little money their way?

It is at times like this that I love the internet. It's a neat community.

C.B.F.

We stopped at the gas station on our way up to the Hassayempa River to fill up the truck and the Rhino. Six children were crammed in to the back two seats (they're getting big) and the quarters were close. Any of you with several children know what happens when children are left to themselves for a few minutes in close quarters and within touching distance of each other. Well, I still don't really know what happened but what I do know is that when I came back to the truck there was a story to tell. I was gone approximately 4 minutes. It seems that James (13) couldn't stand the temptation to tease his baby sister, Lauren (4) and when I walked up to the car I was informed that James was in fact a......



"COCONUT BUTT FACE"



according to his baby sister!! (an original name FWIW)


















Dave was in hysterics, as was the rest of the car, and Lauren was crying because she was just sure she was going to get in really big trouble for calling her brother a Coconut Butt Face. While I was preparing my "you should never call your brother names, that's not nice, bad girl speech", my husband was repeating the name over and over and smacking James upside the head.

Dave reassured Lauren that a) she was not in trouble b) he loved the name and c) James was (and is) indeed a Coconut Butt Face.


So much for my speech.

The Wild Southwest!

Saturday
The Hassayamapa River bed near Wickenburg.



















Sunday
Ready for church.


















Monday
The Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix






















Phew, I'm tired!

Hallelujah!

I want to share with you an old, old hymn. It is one of my favorites.

Listen Here


Low in the Grave He Lay
Robert Lowry


Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!


Have a blessed Resurrection Day my dear blog friends and family!

He is risen indeed!

For Donna

Found at Art.com



















Home, Sweet Home
John Howard Payne
(1791-1852)


Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!
The birds singing gayly, that come at my call --
Give me them -- and the peace of mind, dearer than all!
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother now thinks of her child,
As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door
Thro' the woodbine, whose fragrance shall cheer me no more.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

How sweet 'tis to sit 'neath a fond father's smile,
And the caress of a mother to soothe and beguile!
Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam,
But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!

To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;
The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;
No more from that cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!


Welcome home dear sister! You were missed!
Love, Janet

Biblical Parenting

I am looking forward to this series at Pulpit Magazine. So far what I've read is very good Biblical advise and information.

And so far I give them a hearty AMEN!

I found that button at Pyromaniacs and that is probably why that poor child has the logo on her darling pink t-shirt. :)

Anyway, it is good stuff over there and I hope it encourages you today and the rest of the month.

Just Janet Makeover!!

Well? What do you think?

You all know this is not something I could ever do but I found someone who could! Her name is Jules and she writes her own blog called Everyday Mommy. I have had fun getting to know her by reading her blog and now via email.

I gave Jules some very general ideas; shabby chic, pastel, welcoming etc. and over the course of a few emails (and a lot of patience on her part) we narrowed it down to an antique tea cup and a full bunch of flowers. Wow. Did she deliver! I am absolutely thrilled and cannot recommend Jules' services enough. Be sure to visit her site and check out her other designs.

THANKS JULES!!

Reminiscing

I am having a great time "following" Donna through Europe. Today she is still enjoying Florence and I have been living vicariously through her. I even dug out my diary from my time in Europe, more specifically Florence. I was there on Friday, June 17, 1988. It is shocking to admit that it was almost 20 years ago, OUCH! Here is what I wrote as a young 22 year old:

We arrived in Florence with no problems-trudged through an open market place with our heavy luggage to find our hotel (Hotel Europa). It is a great place and a great location. We were off to discover Florence. We found the Duomo and Basilica and were amazed at the size and beauty (a lot of construction going on though). We went across the street to a museum and saw Michelangelo's Pieta- it is a statue of Nicodemus holding Jesus with Mary Magdalene and Mary. Awesome!! Next we were off to the street markets to find some good deals on leather jackets, gloves, purses and bags. They were everywhere! I purchased 2 pair of gloves for L52.000 which equals $40.00. Great deal. We grabbed dinner at a pizzeria- had pasta- bad waiter and off to explore more of Florence. We found delicious gelato and roamed the nicer streets of Florence. Then it was off to Hotel Europa to catch some zzzzzz's.

Michelangelo. Pieta. c.1550. Marble. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy




Italian Gelato!

Florence

UPDATE: Monday morning here. Donna commented on her own blog!! She has internet service in the lobby of her hotel. Woo hoo!!! All is well and Paris was wonderful. Am I just too weird to keep going back to her blog to check the comments? Old habits die hard. Anyway, it paid off this time, she paid Quiet Life a little visit.



It is the wee early morning in Florence, Italy right now and Donna is finishing the night on her overnight train ride. Janice and I took an overnight train from the South of France to Paris (I think, my memory is horrible). It is a great way to save time. I remember worrying about who was going to be in our sleeping car with us but two elderly Europeans were more afraid of us than we were of them.

Here is a link to the Weather Underground. You can see the current conditions in Florence and get the current time. I love that site and used it often when I was teaching Apologia Physical Science last year.

I'm sure today will be a day of museums and site seeing for Donna et al. I remember well standing in line for the museum in the rain and then shopping in a street market filled with beautiful leather!!