WHAT A DAY!

Did I promise to tell you how the lasagna turned out? I honestly don't remember. But, I'm willing to tell about it, and I reckon I'll tell you how the rest of the evening went, even though it makes me tired to tell it.

 

So I let the meat cook with the onions, while running hot water over the frozen spaghetti sauce. When the hamburger was done, I added the sauce, plus a small can of tomato paste, lots of salt, some pepper and a ton of garlic powder. Then, I just let it simmer. When Terry was just coming in the door, I put the noodles on to cook, and it ended up that he finished the cooking, while I fed the girls. I had already grated the mozzarella and chedar, so all that was needed was to put it together and bake it. It didn't taste too bad, but you could tell the meat was over cooked. Not bad, but not the best I've ever done.

 

Ok, so just as Terry was dishing it up, Faith trips over something in the living room and skins her chin on the floor. It bled pretty bad and we had to clean her up...I mean Terry cleaned her up...and put a bandade on her chin. She cried and cried and finally, we gave her some candy to calm her down. Then, we ate the lasagna.

 

After he was finished, Terry left to go down to the AT&T store to see about getting his phone fixed. I had just started to wash out the crock pot, when Kierstin starts crying.

 

"She's stuck," Faith told me.

 

Sighing, I went over to see how bad it was, and let me tell you it was bad. We have a little plastic rocking chair and she had fallen feet first in to one of the wholes in it. Only her head and arms were sticking up, and by now she was crying like a banshee. Screaming and fighting me. I managed to get her arms down, but her head wouldn't fit through. I got her head turned to the side, but couldn't figure out a way to push her head through without hurting her. So, I got my mom's boyfriend to come and help, all the while Faith is sitting on the table above my head, getting my hair in her sucker. Well, boyfriend tried oiling Kierssy up to slide her through, but it wasn't working. Finally, after I had done prayed and begged God for a better idea, boyfriend manages to get her arms up through the whole and pulls her up and out, back the way she'd come. I tell y'all she looked like an annointing gone wrong, she was so oily!

 

So, I ran some bath water and got her cleaned up. Gave Faith a bath too, but had to deal with the bleeding chin again. When Terry came home we finally found the antibiotic medicine and been putting it on her ever since.

 

So, now you know how my day went. And, I almost forgot to mention, managed to write 5 more pages on the sequel. Wow! Ain't I good?

 

Now, all y'all sing along with me. Ready? 1 2 3 and

 

"Oh Lord it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way!..."

 

Hahaha! Y'all like that?

Ok, just one more pic

This one is of me at my first book signing. Thanks for taking it, peggy!

more pics of my girls

This is what Faith likes to save her money for. It's those silly rides out in front of KMart.

Blind Woman in the Kitchen!

With thoughts of a big pan of yummy lasagna for supper, I had my dear hubby to get the blocks of mozzarella and chedar cheese out of the freezer before he left for work. I had a package of fully cooked frozen hamburger in the freezer, along with some frozen spaghetti sauce left over from another time. So, I laid these out alongside the cheese in my drainer to thaw. About four hours later, a few minutes ago, actually, I go in there and drag out the crock pot. I mean, spaghetti sauce tastes better when cooked slowly all day, right? Well, I opened the package of fully cooked hamburger and dropped it in to the crock, which I had already turned on high to get it hot. Then, I grabbed the other package and thought to myself while cutting it open, "Hmm, this sauce is pretty thick. I might have to thin it down a bit."

But, I squeezed it out of the package and in to the crock on to the fully cooked burger. Only then, did I realize it wasn't sauce at all, but uncooked hamburger. Now, what was I supposed to do!

I fussed about it for a few minutes, then went and got a big spoon. I broke it all up as best I could and cut up some onions. Then, I put the lid on and now I'm waiting. I could have put it in a skillet and fried it, I guess, but seeing no reason to dirty up another big pot that will just need washing, I decided to just see what happens. Maybe, since crock pots cook so slowly, the mistake won't be noticable.

So, after I did all that, I went looking in the freezer for the frozen sauce. I finally found it and laid it out to thaw. What's aggravating is that I can't even hurry it along with my microwave, cause silly me didn't put a braille label on there for defrost. Maybe, I'll put it in some warm water.

Sheesh, I've done some goofy things in the kitchen, and that's not even the worst, but still. Now, I've got about 2 or more pounds of burger in the crock pot and enough sauce for maybe half. I got a little can of tomato paste, so maybe if I mix it... What y'all think? Anyway, I reckon we'll see.

Like I said, this isn't the worst thing I've ever done. Once, I made this yummy chicken stuff...ok it would have been yummy if I hadn't gotten the boyon cubes mixed up and put beef boyon in it instead of chicken. Then, there was the time I put ice water from a jug on my cereal, not realizing until i tasted it that it wasn't milk. Then, there was the time I was making a thickening for my beef stew that called for water and corn starch, but I got the corn starch mixed up with the pancake mix. Tasted better than ever, though. So, as you can tell, being in the kitchen with a blind person can get interesting. Once, I made this stew stuff that wasn't any good, but my dog liked it. That was funny. Anyway, I better shut up before you get totally grossed out and never eat my cooking. :)

Trying something new

If this works, here's a pic faith helped me take.

Isn't Technology Amazing, Sometimes?

I'm serious, y'all in my short life time, I've seen things that still blow my mind. Now, I know what you are going to say about this post, even before you say it.

"You can take the girl out of the country, but you can take the country out of the girl."

Well, that may be true, but you have to admit that the advances in technology are beyond anything we've even imagined.

Take this, for instance, today, I took a tiny, plastic thing, no bigger around than a penny, slipped it in to a divice not much bigger than a 50 cent piece, slid that in to a slot on my laptop, clicked a few buttons, took the device back out of the laptop, took the tinier piece out of the bigger one, and slipped it in to my cell phone. Now, voila, I can listen to music on my phone!

Or, how about this one. Last night I hit a button on my computer and with no cords or wires my printer printed the page that was showing on my screen! Am I the only one amazed here? Cause if so, then either I'm crazy or y'all are for taking it for granted.
Maybe this train of thought comes from the fact that here in the past two weeks, I've been in 1882 with ranchers and Sheriffs. Maybe, I'm just easily amused, but I don't think so.

Here's something new I'm going to try real soon. I've set it up that I can post blogs from my cell phone. Now, I don't know how easy this will be, but better to try and fail than never to try at all. So, let me apologize before I start blogging from my phone; sorry for the mistakes I'm going to make in the future.

Technology, while cool isn't always the best way to go, I'll admit. It has it's drawbacks, like everything else. I can't tell you how annoying it is to try and have a conversation with someone and their phone is ringing and ringing and ringing. Or, to try and talk while someone is texting their blessed fingers off! It makes me feel like you don't want to listen to me, when you won't stop answering your phone or won't stop texting. I mean, if you don't want to talk, just say, "I don't feel like talking or listening to you just now." :) I'd rather that, than you ignore me. Know what I mean?

Well, so those are some of the thoughts running around inside my brilliant mind, and I thought I'd share. I've been writing a lot here, lately, as well. Got the first 3 or 4 chapters of the sequel to "Wild Heart" finished, but it's just the rough draft, so don't get too excited. Still needs work, and haven't had anyone critique it yet. But, to have written 147 pages, double spaced since February, I think is good. When I get further along in it, and it's edited and all, I'll post a few teasers on here, if y'all think you'd be interested.

Well, need to go in search of a drink of water, so I'll end for now.

Wild Heart

As many of you already know, I have been hoping to do a second printing of "Wild Heart" with another publisher which would allow me to set my own price. Well, I heard from my attorney yesterday that at this time it would not be legal to do so. I had figured as much, but I wanted to be sure. So from now on, I am going to have to sell my book for $24.95. I am sorry, but it just can't be helped. I honestly feel as ifI'm ripping people off, but there isn't anything I can do about it. I guess I'll just have to pray that I can make it seem worth your while to purchase it.

Is there anyway you can get it cheaper? Well, sure there is. If you wish, instead of buying an autographed copy from me, you can purchase it from
www.amazon.com
for $22.45 before shipping and handling.

I will say this, "I have learned my lesson!" Next time I publish, I will go with a self publisher. It will cost me in the beginning, but it will allow me to set my own price and the royalties will be higher. So, if you are hoping for a sequel to "Wild Heart" keep praying. I am writing it and will publish next spring, hopefully. Also, it's price will not break your budget. Also, and don't forget, my children's book, "GOLD! A Tall Tale", published by AG Press will be out some time this summer and as for price, well you're looking at no more than $10.

Well, I've got a screaming baby, so have to run. Just wanted to give y'all a heads up on what's going on with my books. Oh yeah, I am still doing an audio book for "Wild Heart". It will be out about the same time the children's book. I promise you'll love it!

I Dreamed About Rats!

Oh, my, y'all, it was awful, too! I dreamed that everyone in the Kanawha valley was infested with rats! It was on the news, and everything; everyone had rats. I was so worried, thinking they would get in my babies' bed and bite them.

"Terry!" I kept saying, "Terry, those rats are going to bite my babies!"

Terry, in the dream didn't seem too worried about them, and I couldn't figure out why.

Then, some friends from church came over, and I was getting in their van, which they had parked in front of the house in my dream. One lady from church, she's 95, well, she was there and she found the rat. I'm not kidding, that old lady held that rat up on her shoulder like a baby and kept saying, "Oh, the poor little thing."

She kept trying to show it to me, and I was backing away, thinking "You're crazy, lady!"

Then, I dreamed I got in my mom's car and she let me use her cell phone to call someone, but now I don't remember who.

Fshew! Was I ever so glad when I woke up that it was only a dream! lol

A Book Review, How I Became A Christian, and anything else I can think of

Well, mornin' y'all! It's that day again, Saturday, the day it seems I always blog on. It just seems easier to do it on a Saturday for some strange reason. Terry's sleeping, the girls are watching tv and probably hoping I'll fix them something to eat soon, and I'm blogging and waiting for the washer to get finished. Now, you English teachers, don't go in to fits; I know that sentence was way too long, but I can't help myself.

Looking back on this past week, I know I was busy, but I'm just not sure with what. lol My mom came over yesterday and fixed us egg sandwiches for breakfast. My mamaw came over Thursday to visit for a while. We had church Wednesday night and practiced singing for the revival we're scheduled to go sing at. Everyone else sang real nice, but I kept making mistakes. I guess it's a good thing I can practice at home, huh. Anyway, the girls and I were going to go to the ladies' group meeting and lunchen on Tuesday, but our driver got sick, so we had to miss. Oh yeah, almost forgot, I ordered a new braille watch Monday evening and got it Wednesday. It's a seiko, and I really like it. I think it's one of the nicest braille watches I've ever had, in fact. Usually, the braille watches from those magazines like Maxi Aids are ok, but really cheaply made, and I want a watch that doesn't look like a braille one. Also, I want something that looks nice, no matter how I dress. I think this time, I've found it.

Read a new book last week that I want to tell y'all about. It's "Journey of Faith" by Katie McCurdy. The author is sixteen, and this is her first book. It's published by Outskirts Press, and you can find it on
www.amazon.com

Katie emailed me a few weeks ago, after seeing my book on Amazon. She and I have exchanged books for reviews. I have reviewed her's and below I will post that review. She is now reading "Wild Heart" and promises a review, soon. So, here's what I had to say about her book.

"Journey of Faith" is a wonderful story richly based on Christian values and Godly principals. Told in a fashion similar to the Little House Books, the author takes the reader to a time and place far removed from today's selfish society and illustrates through example how one can simply follow the teachings of Christ. This book is mostly light-hearted and seemingly carefree, but McCurdy will surprise you with twists and turns that you will not expect. Filled with family devotions, an Indian attack, horseback riding, and a ruthless band of outlaws, Journey of Faith is sure to delight readers of all ages. An excellent family read."

As I read the 296 page book, I found myself smiling; she writes a lot like I did at that age. Even her bad guys talk like a bunch of hicks, as mine do. Katie says she's working on more, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I can tell by reading Katie's book that she's young, but she is a good writer and with age will come experience, and with experience will come maturity. So, if you're looking for a book to be a good influence on someone, teenager or not, you can't go wrong with "Journey of Faith". It's packed full of Bible lessons that would do us all good to remember.

Well, tomorrow is the picnic. Every year in May, the WV Advent Christian Conference has a Sunday School picnic for all the Advent Christian churches in the state. They have it out at Camp Whitney, a church camp owned by the WV Advent Christian Conference. The camp is located in Clindenin, WV, and it's a pretty neet place. I went to camp there as a teenager and dearly loved it. It seemed I would look forward to camp every year, and cry when it was over. I learned so many valuable lessons out there, and when I was only 13, I gave my life to Jesus out there. I'll never forget it, either.

I had had a rough year in school; I had just finished the 7th grade and was really down. I had went to camp and that Monday night, a group of singers, Christian teens who called themselves, New light and Power, had come to sing. My cousin came to me and asked if I wanted to go up and pray. I didn't answer her at first, but a voice inside my head asked, "What do you have to lose?"

Knowing I had nothing to lose, I went to that old altar, knelt down, and amid all the caring friends around me, gave my heart to Jesus. I will never forget how I felt when I knew I had been forgiven. Oh, my friend, it was the best thing that ever happened to me! I felt so clean, so humbled, so awed at the presence of God, filling my heart and making me want to sing! I stood up from that altar, and honestly, I've never felt quite like that again, although I have come close.

Now, don't be so quick to scawf. Don't be so quick to judge. After all, I'm not that little 13 year old girl telling this; I'm a 30 year old woman with a husband and 2 kids. I'm not near as idealistic as I used to be. In fact, there's been a lot to happen in my life that has made reality come crashing down around my ears. I have had friends to die too young, friends, who weren't friends at all to leave me because of my disability. I lost all my vision in 2000, not long after I got married. I've given birth to 2 girls and have been changing diapers and wiping noses for 3-1/2 years. I've moved away and moved back home. I've been disallusioned, laughed at, ignored, and I've been told I'm way too old-fashioned. But, I still remember how I felt the moment I became a Christian! And, even though there have been times in my life that I have ignored God and His Holy Spirit, I have never felt alone, not really. I've felt lonely, when there was no actual person to talk to, but God has never left me. He promised He wouldn't, and He has kept that promise. You can't tell me it isn't real! I know it is! To quote a Christian song from the 1990's,

"I know there's a God who knows my name, and a Son who died to take the blame.
I believe Jesus is coming back, cause a promise is a promise and facts are facts."

Still scawfing? Well, what do you have to lose? Would it be so bad to let someone help you carry that heavy load? Would it be so bad to let God, your creator help you through this difficult time? Would it be so bad to have someone to listen at 3 AM? And finally, would it be so terrible to admit you need Him? He loves you! He made you, didn't he?

Well, to end this post...the girls are getting hungry and so am I...let me just say, I'd love to hear from you. Also, thanks to those followers who read this blog. Take care and have a good weekend. Once again, my email address is
ShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net

I Wanna Be That Tree

Ok! Ok! Now, I know that sounded silly, but let me tell you why I say I wanna be a tree.

I was reading my Bible the other morning. I haven't read the book of Luke much in the last few years, but found myself in the 13th chapter, and I came across a parable that I don't remember reading before. Here's the parable, in modern day Shannon language. I figure you can read it for yourself, when you get the time.

So, a man owns a vineyard and in that vineyard there's this tree that hasn't been producing fruit for I think 3 years. So, the owner comes along and sees the tree not producing. He says to the worker, "Now, I've been coming here and wanting to get fruit off this tree for 3 years and it's not producing any. Just cut it down. There's no use in it being here."

The worker says, "Well, if you'll just let it alone this one more year, I'll do some work on it. I'll dig around it and put fertilizer around it. And, if it doesn't produce after I've tended to it, then we'll cut it down."

So, after reading that parable, I got to thinking about this. Maybe, God looks down from heaven one day and sees me. Maybe I'm not where I should be in my walk with Jesus, and he says to Jesus, "She's not producing any fruit. I don't see what use she is in my kingdom. Let's just get rid of her."

Then, I can hear Jesus say, "Father, let me do some work on her. Let me dig out all the bad stuff and put something around her that will help her grow."

Down on earth, after Jesus starts working on me, I am feeling bare without the ground close at my roots, and it's starting to get pretty smellyhere with all this dung around me. Now, the Lord says that fertilizer is supposed to help me, but it stinks, and I don't like it. Besides, nobody will come around me no more.

You see where I'm going with this? You know as well as I do that we must cut off the bad if we want flowers or trees to grow, but yet, we don't want God to prune us. Do we?

I remember several years ago, my husband said to me, "I'm going to get a chain saw and cut off the bad parts of that tree out there."

We have a pink dogwood in our back yard, and that year it had grown so much that it was in the power lines. I of course, thought to myself, "Oh dear, I'm not so sure about this."

Well, one day in March I came home and he had taken a chain saw to my tree, and everybody, mostly my family kept saying how awful it looked. :) But, do you know what? It bloomed so very pretty that year, and everybody was talking about it. They loved the way it looked and were shocked when I told them what he'd done.

Here's part of a little song we learned at church camp.

"He's the peach of a Savior, He's the apple of my eye. He prunes all my branches when my branches get to high. He bares fruit in season and His love will never die. So, that's why I'm bananas for the Lord."

So, I've been meditating on that parable, here lately. I've been thinking about that tree, and decided that I want God to use me, to fix me, to help me grow. And, the only way He will do that, is if I be that tree.

Book Signings, Radio Interviews, And Anything Else In Between

Deed, y'all that was a long title, but I didn't know what to call this post. I know it doesn't really matter, but I usually worry about things that don't matter, so have to stick with tradition.

Now, about my book signing on Saturday, May 2. I got up early, hopped online and announced it all over MySpace. I grabbed a bite to eat, got ready and when my friend came to pick me up, we left. We made sure to get to the Community Center early enough to get the table set up, and it did look really nice. My friend had brought a nice quilt to cover the table, and she arranged my books, cds, bookmarks and such. We sat down and started chatting, knowing we had a bit of time before anyone came. Well, we sat and talked and laughed, smelling them hot dogs all the while. We waited, and we waited, and... Well, one person came over and asked about the books, but I don't think she came back. Someone came over to talk to my friend, but didn't buy anything. Then, I asked my friend to pass out my bookmarks. I hoped that if someone got something for free, they might at least come over and ask. But, nothing happened. So, figuring I could let my singing speak for itself, I asked my friend to take my cd over to the sound man and ask if he would play it. He did, but still no one came over. Well, a couple of hours had gone by and now my friend had to leave, so we packed it all up, and I went to sit with my husband and girls to eat. The man who played my cd brought it back to me, and the lady across the table asked how much I wanted for it. I told her, and she bought it. So, it wasn't a total flop; I did sell one cd. I also gave the lady my business card. We'll see if anything comes out of that.

Later that day, I received a message from MySpace; a friend wrote to congratulate me on the book signing. I told her that the drawing for a book or cd was over, and she said she didn't even know about it, but that she wanted a book, just the same. Guess that tells me how much folks really pay attention to that stuff on MySpace. Anyway, I try.

As for that drawing, I want to congratulate Misty Prevatt and Chris Jackson for winning a book and a cd. I gave Misty the book an signed both the book and cd. I'm praying they are a witness.

Ok, so now the radio interview. I was on blog talk radio last night, being interviewed by the owner of Poetic Monthly Magazine, the magazine I write for. It went pretty well, and later, I downloaded my own copy, so. I'm going to try to post it below, so you can listen if you like, but can't promise that it'll work. If it does, the show lasts about 30 minutes, just to warn you.

Well, I guess I can't end a blog, or shouldn't end one without saying something about food, so here goes. I wasn't doing bad on a diet, when dear hubby asks, "You still on a diet?"

"Yes," I answered. "Why?"

"Cause I have a peanut butter pie for you," he replied.

"Oh, if it's good, I can stop dieting for a while."

Well, dear hubby came home, we ate dinner, and then I opened the pie to taste. Want to know the end results? I'm not dieting right now. Can't let that pie go to waste. Would be a shame!

Ok, so I don't know how to put the show in here, but you can go to the site and listen for yourself. Here's the web address

www.blogtalkradio.com/poeticmonthly

Y'all have a good one. Till next time, eat something yummy and remember to pray.