I love Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Getting better

Looks like, indeed, it was stomach flu and stomach flu is going around.  No one told me about it going around!  I guess my inoculation was not for this flu.  And who gets flu in May, I ask you.

So today the cramps are just now and then.  And I haven't visited the bathroom since last night.  Thank you very much.

One of my students is in Cruces and has been taking classes there.  I always encourage people if they travel to take in a Zumba class and experience a new instructor because all instructors are different.  He's taken several classes there now.  Said he loved them.  Did say one had too much hip-hop.  Secretly, I did worry he will like someone better than me.  I put that worry away though. I kick it to the curb because it's sure to happen sometime.  That's life.  But at the end of his email he said he's looking forward to coming back to my class.  He can be sweet as can be.  It made me feel real good and makes me want to give a goooood class.

I'm sick

Yikes.  It must be the flu.  I was up through the night with painful cramps and, ugh, the diarrhea.  Then one time I was so grossed out, I barfed, but my stomach was completely empty.  I want to be better soon.  I'm doing the BRAT diet for babies.  My innards hurt so.

I had to cancel tonight's Zumba.  Four whole people from class were sweet enough to write me back well wishes.  They are awful nice.

I went

We're having revival meetings at church.  I went tonight.  I don't really care for the preaching.  It's a visiting evangelist.  Even his voice I find grating.  I prefer a black evangelist to a white one who tries to sound black.  Luckily, I took two Excedrin before I went.  I admit, he's highly successful in his ministry for impoverished children in other countries.  The world needs people like him.  But I don't like feeling like I'm being herded in church.  Tonight I got a nutshell of useful preaching, but it was mostly a small torture.  Also, the fan overhead made me cold.  I moved.  I moved to where a guy behind me spoke quietly, but loud enough for me to hear, in tongues half the time and crumpled candy wrappers a quarter of the time, and chewed hard candies up one eighth of the time.  He's a super nice guy so I didn't move for fear I might hurt his feelings.  It was driving me insane, but as my husband says, the ticking of the grandfather clock can do that to me too.

I'll probably go again tomorrow night.  My husband who can't understand why, says, "Why are you going again?"  Because all the things we remember him doing last year, things we dreaded, he did again this year.  I don't know why, but I'll probably go again.  I'm not inviting my friend though because she'd probably never come to church again.  lol.

I wore my hair in a side braid pulled to the front.

FB

Hmmm.  Son got a Facebook page.  I said okay.  He's using a fake name.  He checked the privacy settings.  He's going to the local Christian school for high school next year.  It's a very, very small school.  There will be about ten kids in grade 9-12.  There were three graduates this year.  All are going to university.

I find it striking how many Facebook profile photos bear very little resemblance to their owners. 

I reminded him that Facebook is a toilet.  Eh.  Could be overstating it, but I'm not fond of FB still.  We talked about how few of the friends on Facebook lists are real friends.  We know a wonderful man who passed away and he had over 1000 Facebook friends.  Donations were requested, just $10 from each FB friend could have helped his family tremendously.  Yet, few donors contributed.  I guess $10 was too high; too much effort to put in an envelope.  There were words.  Lots of words.  But the donors were almost 100% his family, church family, or very close friends he knew in town.  It's a pathetic waste of time this collection of added "Friends."

I'm a fan of Charles Krauthammer.  I read all about him this week-end.  Fascinating man.  Very accomplished and overcame such adversity.  I'm reading his Facebook page and bookmarked it.  Don't tell anyone.

I read up on Krauthammer's life and about the Israel's Six Day War.  Bible says, "I will bless those that bless you and curse those who curse you."  We need to be on the side of Israel.  We must stay on the side of Israel.  It's sobering to look at a map and see all the anti-Israel nations surrounding tiny Israel.  How did they win the wars since 1948?  It had to be God on their side.  I can fathom no other explanation.

Rag or cloth

I used my white wash cloth till it was nothing but bare threads in the middle.  Literally. I had to throw it away finally because it couldn't suds up or wash me very well.  But the very next day a new wash cloth appeared.  It seemed new-ish, not completely white, but I thought my husband was so nice to put a new wash cloth out for me.  I didn't recognize it as being one of ours.

Then when I mentioned the timeliness of my new wash cloth since my old one wore out, he said he wasn't sure if it was my wash cloth.  He thought it was, so that's why he put it on the rack for me.

But then I asked him, if it's not mine where it come from and he said he thinks it might be one of his rags - that he uses on the truck.  So I'm using a truck rag for a wash cloth now.   I guess that explains why it seems a tiny bit....rough.

Carefree

Those darn Carefree panty liners.  I can't see where to pull off the adhesive.  I fiddle around with all the edges, with one end then the other, then back to the first end again.  I still can't see where to pull the adhesive off.  I have to go fetch my reading glasses. They need to make some panty liners and mini-pads for old eyes. 

And I have three, count 'em, three zits.  One is on the bridge of my nose.  I barely, barely touched it.  Okay, I picked at it yesterday morning.  One time only.  And it scabbed over.  It's just wrong.

Erg

Aw.  I told a lie today.  I big, fat, bold-faced lie.  I feel bad.  My husband asked me where a certain document is.  I threw it away.  I'm pretty darn sure I did.  He says, "Did you throw it away?  You didn't throw them all away, did you?"  Because he knows I throw stuff away.  I tried not to answer, but there was a giant pregnant pause. It was such a long silence I was sure it would indicate my guilt, so finally I said "No."

It's highly suspect that I tossed them.  They're nowhere to be found.  It's just that, I didn't think I'd need them. He saves papers for like 80 million years. 

Starting now, from now on I'm going to keep all those stupid papers.

Infected

Ohmygosh.  My life was nearly ruined.  Or at least all of my music, my documents, my bookmarks, my photos, my email, and my videos were nearly ruined.

I was shopping online.  Surfin' around and checking out cute tops.  I followed a link from Overstock.com (I think) that went to a site called Fashionista and bam!  Got infected.  Man oh man, window after window was poppin' up and dialog boxes saying "Infection! Infection!"  And numbers were zipping by so fast I couldn't keep track of which window was doing what.  I never clicked Download or Cancel, but I clicked X to close out one of the windows and I think that's what did me in.  I think the evil people improved the malware so that no matter what you click it downloads to your machine.  I knew it wasn't really Windows trying to protect me because the icon on the top left was fake.  I turned off my computer.  Hoped I avoided infection.  Turned computer back on and bam!  All the windows and yada, yada, again.  Turned it off again.  Thought for awhile.  Decided to turn it back on, not open the browser but go to System Restore and reset myself to yesterday.  Couldn't do it.  I was locked out of everything on my own computer.  Couldn't open the browser window either.

My husband had the bright idea that I should call Eset Antivirus.  I did and it was the best advice he could have given me.  I got a super duper smart guy.  He got my browser back up.  Then he finished doing his thing remotely.  It was amazing watching what he did.  He was awesome.  And modest.  Before I hung up I said, "Your family and friends must love you."  He said, "Well, I am the "go to" man."  I'm sure he is.

So I'm happy tonight.  Not surfing for tops though.

Whuh?

I think I got called a Holy Roller today.  In Zumba class I introduced a new routine.  Unlike the TobyMac song I rotated out for this one, from the get-go there's no mistaking this one's a Christian song.  It starts off with a child's voice clearly repeating two verses from the book of James: "Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  How do you like filling up the room with those words!  Yeah, buddy.  I sure do.  Then the choreography begins.

So one of my regular students came up to me after class tonight and asked for the name and artist of the song.  She says, "Usually I don't like Holy Roller songs.  I don't like Christian songs.  But I really like this one."  I told her it's not a Holy Roller song.  But praise the Lord.  It made me really happy.  She's a super nice lady too.  She's optimistic, funny, and interesting to be around.   I got a boot out of her.  I have such wonderful students in my class.

I was slightly concerned as to what the reaction in class would be to the new song.  There's always the chance of losing students if God's name is used.  I prayed about it.  There was no doubt in my heart that I wanted to use the song.  Dancing is a joy.  But dancing to a song with Christian lyrics is just different from dancing to secular songs.  It's like my heart is leading and I get pumped in a way that the secular songs don't do.

I'm working on a bachata and a pure salsa next.  Plus a toning song, plus a Zumbatomic song.  Boy, I better learn fast.  Actually, technically, I think I am getting faster at learning routines.  In July it will be one year that I'm teaching Zumba.

My daughter-in-law gave me a great, great compliment last night.  She told me that when my son went back home that he told her over and over how good I Iooked.  He told her that from the back I look 19 years old.  Hehe!  So nice of him.  Funny thing is, I'd never had known it had she not told me.  All he said was, one single time in his deep voice, "You look good, Ma."  I thought he was just being kind.

As my youngest one says, "Life is good."

Heavenly

We were in the parade on Saturday and our Zumba float was a big hit.  We played our music loud and nine of us danced on the float.  We decorated it all week with pink fabric, and gold hearts, and purple bows, and ribbon, and a Zumba poster board girl.  Actually she is a real life boxing fighter girl of some sort.  I don't know her name.  She had cool lace up combat boots and one of the women in class made a Zumba top for her.  We were going to do a poster board of me but it was $100 more than getting this wrestling girl.  Haha!  I asked Kerry to please make a top with a wee bit more coverage so we don't go through town looking like the Zumba hookers.  She did a super good job.  She's very creative.  Good with a needle in her hand.  Or scissors, I should say.

The spectators clapped and smiled.  It was great.  I hope we place, but there were 52 floats and I'm sure some better than ours.  Whenever I almost tipped over, about three people grabbed for me.  Haha!  They are very protective of me.  So sweet.

And after, I rushed home and changed into my renaissance costume.  I came in first place in the costume contest.  Pretty good, huh?  So I wish I could say I beat like 50 contestants, or even 20, or even ten.  But I beat two.  One was an 75 year old lady and the other was a belly dancer.  Haha!

It's very windy and my shoes and skirt are all dusty.  Those are my Madonna shoes from 1985.  They were the first anniversary gift from my husband.  I loved them.  I love him.  I've kept them all these years.  I will give them to my granddaughter someday.

Then my husband made jambalaya for me on Mother's Day.  And he let me order a whole bunch of horse grooming supplies tonight.  The weather is hot, and hot to me is better than cold for grooming.  I have to get back into a Bella grooming routine.

And my friend, Mayela, came to church with me.  It makes my heart sooo happy.  I think she's so pretty and so nice.  I like when she's next to me.

And the lady who took my photo for the newspaper looked exactly like Avrilon.  Exactly.  Except that she was my height.  I told her I had a friend in Georgia who looks just like her and she said, "Well, I am a southerner."

It's been a heavenly week-end.

When I hugged him good-bye I felt all the bones in his back.  Each vertebra of his spine was sticking out.  His back is like my back was when I was 17.  When I was in the hospital in traction for six weeks he used to rub my back for me and his hands were the strongest and gentlest of anyone who rubbed my back and he would do it for a long time.  My dad.

Tonight I was asked if I'm from the hippie generation - by someone older than me!  I replied that my husband says I'm stuck in the '70s, so there ya go.  Then we talked about the horror of '80s fashions.  That was the worst decade for buying clothes in my life.  Stripes I remember.  Everything was in stripes.  And those peg leg pants.  I was never so happy as when the flared legs made a comeback.

This video cracks me up.  It's a Pentecostal salesman.

I'm home.  It was a good visit and my dad is doing well.  Really well.  The diagnosis was correct and he's on steroids and is feeling the best he has felt since 2008.  He's been up and around.  Talkative.  In good spirits.  It is a delight to our eyes.

In San Diego I got to eat out every day.  We went out for Italian one night, sushi one night, Mexican one night, and Chinese.  It was delicious.

On the plane home I got a window seat and I saw the landscape all the way from California to El Paso.  It was neat.  I wished I knew exactly what features and cities I was looking at as we flew overhead.

San Diego has had lots of rain and was exceedingly beautiful.  It is one of the most beautiful downtown skylines that I've seen.

While in San Diego I had three inches trimmed off my ends by Dad's wife.  They look super duper nice now.  She did a good job.  I'm now at 46".  Again.  Can't seem to get out of the 40s.
  
Got my shoes back from the shoe repair and they're practically like new.

In San Diego, our eldest son flew in the same day I did.  One night we talked till 4:00am.  Makes me want to see his wife and his babies.  Makes me miss them.

Took Mayela to the Baptist Church for Good Friday today.  It was pretty good.  I don't want to go to my church because we have a visiting pastor that we don't particularly care for.  He's not the most dynamic speaker.  I'm gonna go to a different church on Sunday too.  I rather like visiting other churches now and then.  My friend has asked me to show her how to look stuff up in the Bible and I'm looking forward to it.

Went to look at piggies today.  They're still sucklings so we can't buy one yet, but boy, they sure are cute.  Our pen is almost ready.  We need a cover for it still and are thinking about upgrading the water drinking situation.  We learned last year that a pig who first drinks out of a bucket will never, never learn how to drink from a nipple spout.  Poor Winston would get so thirsty but it was hard to keep him with water because pigs always push water over to make mud.  A nipple spout would be better because they can drink as much as they want whenever they want, plus the water later in the day will still be cool instead of hot or warm.  Cool water makes pigs happier and maybe will help him grow better.

I have a Zumba training tomorrow.  It's Zumbatomics, so I will be learning how to teach Zumba to children ages 4 to 12.  I'm looking forward to it, but not to the drive or getting up at 6:45am to get there on time.  The classes are a little draining too.  I have genuine fun till noon or 2pm, then I want to go home!

I'm catching a plane at 1:40pm tomorrow.  Flying to San Diego to see my dad.  He went in the hospital today.  They think he has a rare autoimmune disease.  Doctors say they need to be aggressive in starting treatment with steroids and they will not wait for the results of the biopsy because the disease causes blindness so fast.  I want to go see him.

Psalm 121

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

I did some alterations to my renaissance dress and it fits even better.  I took in the vest 1/2 inch on each side.  Moved some buttons on the skirt to make it show more of the underskirt.  I made some elastic bands to go around the sleeves to hold them on my arms better.  The sleeves are super long and the elastic that's in the sleeves must be for a football player with giant forearms.

My Madonna shoes from 1985 will go perfectly with the dress.  They look old timey.  We need to get the heels repaired though because they've disintegrated.  I have a leather necklace to wear with it.  Need earrings kinda.  Have to figure out what to do with my hair.  I'm liable to be hot if the weather's hot.  It's a lot of fabric to wear on a hot day. But.  It'll be worth it.

I got the sewing bug and tacked down the back pockets on a pair of cargo pants that every time I washed the pockets stuck out.  That took like ten minutes.  Ten whole minutes.  I felt very accomplished.

Think I need to trim an inch off my ends.

Glenn Beck is going off the air.  I won't miss him much.  He's depressing and overacts for the camera.

I did my toenails and they look nice.  Dark blue with a layer of glitter.  I feel much prettier with painted toes.  It's the second time this year I've done them.  I was going to do them regularly, I think it was a New Year's resolution I made in a moment of weakness, but after January I promptly fell off the wagon.

It's never to late to jump back on.

I cleaned the bathrooms today.  Both.  They look better only I didn't have the energy to do the floors.  Used to take five minutes for the trailer.  Took me an hour in here.  Maybe over an hour.  Actually, I don't know because I lost track of time.

Got my period today.  Thank you, Lord.  Now I can be on the upward swing instead of continuing on the downward spiral.  Had sweats and a chill last night.  Legs ached.  Back ached.  Brain ached.

I want to cut a t-shirt today.  I didn't go sing in choir this morning.  I didn't go to churchity-church.  Partly chicken, partly just felt too bad to go.  I lay in bed till 11:30am.

I noticed on "Deadliest Catch" tv show that they bleeped out the word "God."  They bleeped it out when he said, "G-d*mn," however, they didn't bleep it out when he said, "Thank God"  which he said more than once.  Apparently it's okay to thank God, but not to curse him.  But why did they bleep out the word God instead of the word d*mn.  They edit out the cursing language, right?  To my knowledge, God is not a curse word, but d*mn is.

What was it the apostle, James, said?  Oh yes, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." The first time I read that one I took a double take.

Got my new Zumba apparel and I love everything.  Even got cute little Zumba bracelets and I'm gonna give one to each person who comes and participates in the parade next month.  

I'm crazy about these tee shirt cutting videos.  I have two tees from the craft section at Wal-Mart.  Only paid $2.95 for each one.  Will practice on them

Talked with my sister who never calls me or emails me anymore.  I know she loves me though.  She's had health trouble and her work is highly stressful on top of it all.  It was a good talk.  She saw Dad.  He's by himself for awhile.  He spilled some coffee and dropped some of his prescription.  She cleaned it up and stuff.  She made him dinner.  It was good that she stopped by.  I think he had had a bad day.

I'm going to go to Mayela's now!