Emotional Day.......

Posted by: cheryl


Today started out with a phone call. I was asked to come play the piano at the local Senior Citizens dinner today. I said sure. So I got up , took care of some church business while in town before going to the center to play piano. Heck, I got a free meal out of it. Good home cookin' Yumm!!!!!!!!!!!! Ritzy called while I was in the middle of playing, so I quit to take his call. Explained why his call came first and they all understood. After talking I went back to playing.

I then had to go to Vinita to the Wal-mart to get a few things including what I was bringing to church fellowship dinner tonite. While on my way back, i get a call from a sister to see if i can take her to another town. So I said sure, just let me get home to put up these food items. Took her to town and got back home around 4pm. Had about 2 hours before it was time for church. Spent that on computer reading the day's news.

Went to church, we had our dinner and then the business meeting started. It seems there were some people not satisfied with the way I was doing the business of the church, why they did not come to me first, I don't know. It was made to make it look like I wasn't doing my job. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not bragging, just stating a fact. I keep the books and the business of our church up to date. It seems they were having problems with their checking account and were trying to blame it on the way I make deposits. One does not have anything to do with the other. Once you write a check, the money is gone, whether the check clears the next day or the next week. I guarantee you that they were checking their bank balance and writing checks on the balance without deducting the outstanding checks. Anyways it was all I could do to keep my composure. I stopped everyone and said that honestly, it has been very hard to keep up this job with my husband gone to war in a foreign country. Even so I have done the best I could and everything is up to date and stays that way and if I have done anything wrong, I apologize. Also told them that anyone who wanted the job could have it, but guess what::::no takers!!!!!!!! Our Director of Missions (since we are pastorless at the moment) turned to me and said that I owe no one an apology... It was so hard sitting thru that meeting. I don't know what the heck was going on. Afterward he told me not to take it personal. I asked how a person does that and I told him that "eventually I wouldn't....

My daughter heard about this from my sister and came home and asked me why I did not "tell them off". I informed her that was not an option.

I claim to be a Christian and I had better let my life show it, no matter what comes.

I have always heard that Christians can be 'meaner' than anyone, and I am sad to say it, but I think they were right. It is so sad when people have to let their "true" colors show.

After coming home and having a good cry, and missing Ritzy to stand up for me, I think I will make it now ;-)

I can choose not to make this my problem and that is what I am going to do. I'll just keep doing my job and giving it my best shot.

Picture Blog

Posted by: cheryl











I was wondering where my thoughts would take me tonight when I looked out the window and saw a storm approaching , so I grabbed the camera and started "shooting"...Hope you enjoy.....
The next set of pictures are of some of my flowers that are blooming right now. Some four 0' clocks and gladiolus. That last picture is of the daughter's teacup chihuahua, "Roo". Our "guard dog". The only thing is: her bark is a whole lot worse than her bite, a lot like that "storm" I took pictures of. Got very little lightning & thunder and a few raindrops and that was it!!! It did cool the air down tho......
Today was busy enough, I had to get our church report ready for the business meeting/fellowship dinner tomorrow night. I then had to get some other business taken care of for the church. Let's see.....that only took 4-5 hours. By mid-afternoon I had it finished tho. Still have to figure out what I will fix for the dinner at church......Sometimes I don't know til I just walk in the kitchen and start opening doors ;-)
Talked to Ritzy....which is my favorite time of day. Being able to talk and listen to him makes my day. I also received 3 letters from him today. They usually make me cry, but that's ok....He is so sweet.....It makes me sad to know that we won't be together on our 25th anniversary this year. What are ya gonna do tho????? I think I will just be glad when it is over.
I guess that's enough to think about for one day, I still have to email Ritzy.....don't want to overwork the poor little brain..................

Quiet Weekend

Posted by: cheryl

Boy, I sure needed a quiet weekend after the holiday on Friday. The only thing is, with Ritzy gone it is just about too quiet. The kids have their own things to do and places to go, and I am usually left alone at home. I sit and think about going down to the sister's house to spend time with her grandkids or do I just stay home and watch the hours pass by on the clock..........
It is no fun!!!!!
I had just finished lunch at Mom & Dad's today when Ritzy called. It is so nice to be able to talk to him every day and to just hear his voice. That 30 minutes sure goes by fast!! I came home, nothing to do so I laid down and took a nap til the daughter called me and woke me. Of course, she hung up by the time I answered the phone. It was only an hour til time for church again so i stayed up. I still feel tired because of being woke up instead of waking up myself.
Don't have anywhere to go tomorrow, I will just do a little cleaning on the house. The son mowed today, so that is taken care of......
The sister said she may have to call me tomorrow to help watch Sissy (3 year old) for a little while. You can believe she will keep me hoppin' & wishing for those quiet times, haha !!!!
I have sent Ritzy his nightly/daily email. I still don't like the fact that as my day is ending, his is just beginning. That is so hard to get used to......I hope he has a good day as always.......
I guess I had better go so I can get rested up in case I get that phone call ;-)

Happy Fourth of July !

Posted by: cheryl




I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday.

We had our regular holiday barbecue at Mom & Dad's. The "platter" is my brother-in-laws. I didn't realize when I took the picture that there was a fly on his hamburger bun. yuk!!!!! ( I can hear Ritzy saying: well the fly has to eat too), I teased him about putting this picture on my blog today and he really doesn't think I would do it. All I know is after he finished eating he went into the house and we never saw him again til about 3 hours later. He was sleeping it off. ;-) I took a picture of that too, but I told him I would not post it ;-)

The first picture is my first try at "shooting" fireworks. hahaha!!! no pun intended. I learned after I got home and started playing with my camera that it has a "fireworks" setting.. oh well there's always next year......

I am kind of new at this digital stuff, can ya tell ?????? I am determined to learn, though!

After lunch we watched the little kids play, they are so cute and funny. We ate our supper and the son and the little kid's dad started lighting firecrackers. When it got dark they finally were able to shoot off the pretty ones. After that the daughter's friend was showing the 6 year old how to dance with lights. He put on a pretty good show. Couldn't get the nephew to get out there with him and dance tho. All of a sudden he got bashful on us.....

I finally came home around 10:30 pm.

Ritzy called today just as I was finishing my lunch, so I went into the house to talk to him, we were about finished with our call when our phones lost their connection. I hate when that happens, because it just seems we have unfinished business and it has to wait until we get to talk again. Gee, it's hard enough when we get to say our good-byes ;-(

Let me just say, the rest of the day would have been better if I had gotten to end our phone call like we normally do.

Well, we have one more summer holiday to make it thru before Ritzy starts home, and I sure am counting down the weeks & days. I have said it many times before and I will keep saying it - I miss Ritzy!!

The "holidays" just don't quite seem like holidays this year...............................

Another Holiday Without Ritzy........

Posted by: cheryl


Another summer holiday almost here. These holidays are usually my favorite times of the year ( besides Christmas of course), but this year they just seem like another day. I have one more to go before Ritzy returns from this deployment.

We will go to my parent's house tomorrow and eat barbecue, which is one of my favorite foods. I don't care what it is, if it's barbecued it has to be good ;-) Favorite barbecue is brisket & baby back ribs.

My Dad has a soft-serve ice cream machine that someone gave him, and you can bet we will be having ice cream too. A root beer float sure sounds good after lunch. yummmmm.......

I have an uncle who always brings me some root beer just for that reason. That's really sweet of him. I used to clean his house up until this last fall, when the back decided to start bothering me. Saw the Dr. and she said running a vacuum cleaner was one of the worst things for my back so I quit cleaning houses. Only clean my own and sometimes that's enough. I still can't believe how much I have to do with 2 - 20 somethings living in the house.........

Speaking of those two, the son and a cousin went to see the new Will Smith movie tonite, I am anxious to hear how it was. The daughter and a friend went to my sister's house to swim. Soooooo,,, that means I am here alone, again..........I sure miss Ritzy!!!!!!!!!!!

I just ordered a 3' x 6' vinyl banner for his homecoming online a while ago. A lady who keeps us informed about what is going on with our soldiers e-mailed me about a company that was giving them to soldiers' friends and families . You get to order 1 per soldier. I got to design it the way I wanted, putting pictures, clip art, & text on it . Only had to pay a very small price for the shipping. That was really nice of them and I wrote and told them so. Should be getting it in a couple of weeks. Can hardly wait to see it.

Sometimes I think the people of this country forget that we have soldiers somewhere fighting in 2 different wars, and the families back home waiting on them. That's why it was so nice to hear about this company's generosity.
I guess I had better go so I can send Ritzy that "nightly" email. Have to wish him a Happy 4th of July. Hope he has a good day...................

Time Seems to Go By So Slow.........

Posted by: cheryl


Anyways it seems like it has during Ritzy's deployment. I found this wind chime in Branson this Spring on my trip with my sister-in-law. I decided when I bought it that it was going to stay in the house. I told Ritzy about it but he hasn't seen a picture of it.
Had a pretty easy day today. After mid-week church tonite I went back down to my sisters house. The little 3 year old and I sat on the deck watching the other older kids in the swimming pool. She kept wanting down, but mean ole me would not let her go. She can get away before you know it and she would have headed straight for the pool. It seems that I go there an awful lot, but I just can't go home and wait for bedtime, it's too lonely without Ritzy. These last couple of months of this deployment are the "pits" for lack of a better word......
I may go back down there tomorrow to help babysit cause the sister is busy doing fingernails all day and she needs someone to just watch the kids. I can already hear the little neice...."outside???" is the first thing she will ask, or she will ask "you wanna see Wucy (Lucy-the bassett hound pup)?
"Sissy" is so cute. She makes those sad faces and just melts my heart......
July 4th is almost here and I can still remember last July 4th so well. Last year I was thinking about how I would be taking this next year with my husband gone so far away. I am taking it just about the way I thought I would, no surprises here.........
I am so ready for this to be over. Probably sounds like whining, but who cares,,I don't like it and I am not going to pretend I do.
And then when I think about the last 25 years, it seems like the time has flown by. Where did it go? Why is it like that????
I think about how fast our kids have grown up and it is so unbelievable. It makes a person sad in a way, knowing you will never get that time back to do things over that you wish you had done different. You just have to rely on the fact that you did the best you could at the time. And always let everyone know that they are loved......One thing that it doesn't bother me to do is tell someone I love them or appreciate them. You never know what a kind word can do for someone.........
I love Ritzy and I have told him every day this past 25 years. I still tell him when he calls or when I send him that e-mail every night. He has done the same with me. I believe that is what has gotten both of us thru this deployment.
See, you never know where your thoughts will take you, and my poor little brain does not slow down, no matter the time of day or nite. It's always thinking about something!!!!!
I think that's one of the reasons I have a hard time going to sleep at night. This deployment hasn't caused the sleeplesness it has just made it worse ;-)

Nice Day............

Posted by: cheryl

Today was a pretty good day even tho I was pretty busy. Had errands to run, go to bank, buy groceries, buy fireworks for the 4th...........returned home and put all the groceries away. A couple of hours later it was time to start supper. I was in the mood for Taco Salad tonite so that's what we had. Took it to my sister's house to eat. After we finished eating, that little niece wanted to go outside so we went out for a little while, then she decided she wanted to get in the swimming pool with the "big " kids. My neice (her aunt) held on to her and she was having fun til she took in some water. After that she said she was ready to get out. ;-)
I don't know how they stood the water, it was too cold for me. Today while shopping ,I had bought "Bubba" and "Sissy" each one of those guns that you attach bubble liquid to and pull the trigger to blow bubbles so me and "sissy" played with that for quite a while. I was telling her mama that "Gee, when I was a kid all you could get was a little bottle of bubbles with a little wand in it. haha".
Came back home and started the dishwasher, and now it's time to end another day and mark another day off the calander waiting for Ritzy's return. I am just hoping we have a "nice" day Friday for the holiday. We have a pretty good chance for rain, but I will keep hoping for good weather. Sure would be a waste not to be able to shoot off all those fireworks. ;-) I know....I can always shoot them off later, but it's just not the same......................