Wow! I can't believe that's it been two years since I've posted anything on this blog. I guess I replaced it with facebook. This MS is ruining my life! I always felt that it was manageable, but lately it is getting more difficult to do the everyday tasks. I fell in the shower a few months back and am now to take a shower. We need to remodel the bathroom, but that takes money. Maybe later this year we will be able to afford it. My dad was in a nursing home by the time he was my age. I'm 55. Dad lived until he was 65 in there. The last few years he didn't communicate at all. I couldn't bear to see him like that. We were always able to talk about everything. He was a good listener. During my teen years, we fought a lot. I think we were too much alike. I guess we were, because he had MS too. He was always such an active person. He would work and come home and work in the yard or shoot his bow and arrows or golf. In the winter, he would tinker with various projects in the garage. He never quit until about 10:00 pm and then he take his shower, watch the 11:00 news and go to bed. He was back up by 5:00 to start all over again. Mom is a more docile person. She would lock us out of the house so we would get some fresh air but I think it was more for her own sanity. She liked to read too. It is really hard to read with 4 kids in the house! Mom was 17 when she had me, and 23 when she had her youngest. It had to be hard for her to be so young and saddled down with four kids and a husband. When I was 9, we moved from Felicity, Ohio, (where we lived right next to my paternal grandparents and my aunt), to Newtonsville, Ohio. At first I hated it. Then I met the neighbor kids. Debbie was a year younger than I, Jim was the same age as my brother, Joyce was a year younger than my middle sister, and Billy was a year than my youngest sister. We all had someone to play with. Mostly though, we all played together. They had the best place to play. There were 5 acres of land and all kinds of things to do. They had an apple orchard, where we played softball or kickball. They had an old garage with a loft. We converted that old loft into our clubhouse. We put an old rug up there and old chairs. We had a lot of fun. In the front yard, which faced the creek, they had a swing set and a big rope hanging from a big tree. I liked swinging on that rope. If some would push, you would feel like you were flying. In the winter, we would spend hours playing in the snow. I remember coming in the house to change our gloves because they were wet. When we didn't have anymore gloves, we would use socks. Mom had a lot of laundry because of us. Most times, we were at the neighbors house. When Debbie started piano lessons, they bought an old upright. I longed to take lessons too. I tried to learn from her books with her help, then proceed to play it over and over. I must have drove their mom nuts. But I remember her as a very patient mom. Sometimes she would take us shopping at K mart, or some store like that. Now it takes a lot of patience to take 5 or 6 kids shopping! Years later, my youngest sister was diagnosed with MS, myself, and Jim and Joyce. Plus my dad. There are several other people in Newtonsville with it too. There must be a reason. We have heard that there was a cannery in Newtonsville and they used to have a dumping ground where our house was. It was right next to the creek between our houses. There must be a chemical in the ground or something. No one has had it tested. I think we should. Maybe that's why we all have MS.

tulips

This picture of the tulips are from about 8 years ago. John and I planted our garden to mimmick a garden at Colonial Williamsburg. They looked beautiful the first year and then they all died. At least we have pictures to remember it.

Facebook

I've jumped ship to Facebook. If you want to find me, look for me there. Denise, if you read this, please tell Chrissy. I thought she was going to get a computer. Happy Easter Everyone!

Flip Video`

Don't waste your money on a Flip Video. I only used mine about 8 or 9 times and now it won't work. I need to get in touch with the manufacturer & see if they can fix it. I can turn it on and then it freezes.

Otherwise, things are ok. We are feeling better now. Kate & I were both sick. Just a cold. John Wayne is here today. It's 8:30 am and we are watching Cars for the 1000th time again. They love it.

Our other computer is disabled. Got the AV360 virus. Thought I had it removed, but when you open Internet Explorer, it keeps opening pages and I can't get it to stop. So, I need to have it looked at.

Take care.

John's Awards

This past Thursday, we went to the Holiday Inn for the 20/20 Awards. Boy, there were alot of people there. It was packed! Jim Scott, the dj, was the guest speaker. We were served dinner, which was ok, but Tim wouldn't eat it. It was a chicken breast stuffed with a spinach/cheese mixture. He is so picky! John received 4 certificates and a trophy paperweight. One certificate was from the Ohio Senate, one from the Ohio House of Representatives, one from the county and I think the other one was from the 20/20 committee. He took them all to the mill, so I only got to look at them once. He wants to have them framed.

I've been busy trying to learn a new computer program that helps you design a website. I guess I have to do it for the mill now. I'll send you a link after I get it done.

At the Salon

I shot a little video at the salon today. It's for Barb.

new mill

Went to the mill today & shot a little video with my new little Flip Video. It's little and only holds about an hour of video. I love it because it's so easy and the buttons are manageable with my numb fingers. The mill is operational, but there is still some clean-up going on.

John

John has been nominated for 20/20 Salute to Leaders. Each township from Clermont County nominates someone for this each year. So, we went to the mall and he bought 2 new sportcoats and some pants. The pants and one jacket had to be altered. We picked them up Sunday and took them home. Monday he had an appointment to have his picture taken at Portrait Studio in the mall. He got dressed and the pants were way too short. The jacket fit ok. The shirt he bought was too tight in the neck. So, he wore an older pair of pants and just skipped wearing a tie. The guy who waited on him at JC Penney was a jerk. When we took the pants back, we found out that he had measured the inseam at 25 inches! The lady who waited on him when he took the pants back really helped alot. She seemed to know what she was doing, but we will have to wait until the 17th to get the pants back to see for sure. That's our latest drama. Ha! Ha!

Coyotes!

Johnny has 24 baby lambs in the barn and with the snow on the ground, the coyotes are hungry. His dog, Chloe is a Great Pyranees and is supposed to be a guard dog. Well, this morning, Katie was doing dishes when she saw one behind the manure pile. We all ran into watch it and it just stood there. Johnny had borrowed a high power rifle with a scope and he went out front behind the cars and shot it right through the eye. He's proud of himself! John can't wait to tell Andy.

Snow & Ice

Help! We're sick of this weather! It's pretty to look at, though.

The works continues

Went to the feed mill today and sent Amanda over to take some pictures. They still don't have electric. Duke sent out a crew a few days ago but they said that the pole for the transformer was rotten. Now, we have to wait until Monday for the new pole. Who knows how long it will take for them to send the crew back out to get the electric hooked up. John estimates that it will be another 2 weeks until it is operational.

The Carney Christmas

Everything went well. The food was good, the kids had plenty of places to run, upstairs and downstairs. The adults had room to spread out. It was nice. Here are a few pictures.

Our computer nerd

Here is Mac playing on the computer. He picked it up so fast! I bought him a little game that teaches shapes, colors, abc's, etc. Now he has graduated to games on noggin.com, fisher-price.com, nick jr.com and barney.com. He wants to sit there all day long. He hits a snag everyonce in awhile and will ask for help. His little mind is like a sponge. I hope he is smart in school and goes to college.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mac had a good time once they persuaded him to go Trick or Treating. He let Kate and Johnny spray his hair silver and he dressed up as Grandpa. Johnny bought him a pirate costume, but once he got it home, Mac wouldn't even try it on. I don't know what John Wayne went as, because they went in Williamsburg by themselves and we didn't even get to see him. But, they did the same thing last year. I didn't even get a picture of him last year and I guess I won't this year either. Am I griping? I guess I am. Here are a few pictures I took of Mac. Johnny carved a big pumpkin and then soaked 2 rolls of toilet paper in kerosene overnight. He set it on fire last night. It looked really spooky!

10-17-08

Kate & Mac are making sugar cookies. Mac's eating the cookie dough as soon as he cuts it out!

10-16-08

Went to the mill yesterday to get caught up on bookwork. Took some pictures of the new mill. Teaney Construction did the concrete work. John is very happy with it. Here is a picture taken from one end. It really looks big in there, but once the machinery is put in place, it will look alot smaller.

Aggravations

We have a virus on the other computer and I have been fighting with it for hours now. I called our computer guy and he said to go to download.com and get spybot search & destroy. I scanned it once and then restarted it again. Now it is scanning again. I hope it can find that pesky little virus!

They poured the floor in the mill today. I didn't get to go down there and take pictures because I was fighting the virus. I'll try tomorrow.

After Shelly's girls saw the jibjab thing I did for Alisa, I had do one for Emma too.

Update......Spybot got rid of some of the threats, but the trojan horse was moved to the virus vault by my virus program, AVG. Thank God!!!

Emma

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The weekend

John went to Louisville to a trade show. I was supposed to go with him, but after I got a shower I was weak, (typical of MS), so I told him to go on without me. Besides, I am up and down all night and that's kind of hard to deal with in a hotel room.

Mac and Kate both have colds. Mac ran a fever last night. She might take him to the doctor this morning if she can get an appointment.

I was surfing the internet and went to jibjab.com. I know that Shelly's little girl, Alisa, loves High School Musical, so I put her picture in the little video. I hope she likes it. I think it's cute.

Alisa's High School Musical

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!