The holiday of giving thanks
Is always in November ~
But this Christmas time of year
Brings more times to remember
How very much we owe to Him,
Who gave His Only Son
In sacrifice to show His love
For each and every one.
So at this time of giving gifts
And parties and good cheer,
Let’s don’t forget to tell Him THANKS!
For all that we hold dear.

Have a blessed Christmas Eve and Day, everyone! My Fuzzy 4 and I send you lots of holiday huggies and kitty kisses!

(c2007 Vikki L. Jeanne Cleveland)

Jimmy’s Christmas Wish
c2004, 2006 Vikki L. Jeanne Cleveland

He looked in the window, then looked in his hand ~
Not nearly enough there for what he had planned.
His eight-year-old face showed the wisdom of years ~
From a heart overflowing with pain and with tears.
His father, you see, had died in the spring,
And now it was Christmas, and this one would bring
To Jimmy’s young mother more worry and woe,
From too many bills from the too much they owed.
Amid all their sadness at this time of year
When others were smiling and full of good cheer,
Jimmy remembered the times when his dad
Would shiver and shake when the winters were bad,
And now Jimmy worried his dad would be cold,
So he walked to the store where the blankets were sold.
He picked out a red one ~ his dad had liked red ~
But then at the checkout, the lady had said,
“You don’t have enough ~ now quit wasting my time ~
There’s nothing to buy for your dirty ol’ dimes.”
So Jimmy went home ~ his mom was asleep ~
She worked a lot lately, so Jimmy would keep
Himself very quiet ~ she needed her rest.
He tried every day to do his very best ~
The best of behavior a young boy could do,
For he feared that somehow he’d lose his mother, too.
From his window he saw on the sidewalk below
The cold winter day would be ending with snow.
He thought of his dad and how cold it had been,
And young Jimmy knew before his day could end,
He had to do something to help out his dad.
Then he noticed the Mickey Mouse blanket he had ~
The one that his Grammy had made just for him
With his name at the top and the Goofys for trim ~
The one he loved most when he snuggled real tight
With his mom and his dad as they kissed him good night.
But with his dad now in Heaven and his mother asleep,
Those kisses were only a memory to keep.
So he folded his blanket beneath his small coat
And quietly left. He walked into the snow ~
He walked and he walked, for the distance was great,
Especially for little boys just barely eight ~
A figure so tiny, surrounded by white ~
A figure determined, alone in the night.
At last he was there where his father now lay ~
No stone yet to mark it ~ just one sad bouquet
Of faded red flowers that his mom and he
Had left for his father on Thanksgiving Eve.
So gently now Jimmy brushed snow off the grave
And spread out his blanket, this gift that he gave,
From his heart to Heaven, with love for his dad
To keep his dad warm when the weather was bad.
He waited awhile; he whispered the words
“I love you” toward Heaven. He hoped his dad heard.
As he turned to head home in the snow and the cold,
There was his mother, arms spread to enfold
Her son who had grown in both wisdom and size.
She wrapped her arms ‘round him as tears filled her eyes.
“Your dad would be proud of this gift that you gave,
But look, Jimmy, now at this snow on the grave ~
This blanket is special and sent from above
From God and the angels to show all their love ~
And love of that kind will keep your daddy warm
On the coldest of days, in the very worst storms.”
Then mother and son ~ and Mickey Mouse, too ~
Went home, and since then this is happily true:
When Jimmy would kneel by his bed for his prayers,
His mother made sure that each night she was there
To tuck her son in with his friend Mickey Mouse
As love once again chased the gloom from their house ~
And though at this Christmas the presents weren’t much,
Their love and their laughter were just the right touch
To remind us all here, both the big and the small,
That love is the most precious gift of them all.

Merry Christmas!

Wow, twelve days have passed since I last posted. Time surely gets away from a person, huh? Have I mentioned what a killer this school year has been?

However, Thanksgiving break offers a few opportunities to catch my breath ~ and today marks the official beginning of Christmas season. Therefore, I send you holiday greetings. :)

Did you know that in 1882, we had the first string of electric lights for Christmas trees? President Grover Cleveland ordered electric lights to be placed on the White House Christmas tree. Light bulbs were too expensive for average Americans to place on their Christmas trees. Pictured here is Cousin Grover's famous tree. :)

When Cousin Grover first became President in 1885, he hardly stopped working long enough to celebrate anything, let alone the Christmas holidays. Then in 1886, the 50-year-old President married his deceased law partner’s daughter, 22-year-old Frances Folsom, and between terms their first child, “Baby Ruth,” was born.

Although there was no Christmas tree during the first Cleveland administration, when daughters Ruth, Esther, and Marion were born, this oversight was quickly rectified. In 1895, a tree was set up and decorated with electric lights, gold angels with spreading wings, gold and silver sleds, tops of every description, and lots of tinsel. Under the tree was a miniature White House and a doll house for Esther, who was the only daughter of a President to be born in the White House.

Mrs. Cleveland’s main Christmas activity, rather than entertaining and decorating, was her work with the Christmas Club of Washington to provide food, clothing, and toys to poor children in the D.C. area. She took the time to wrap and distribute gifts to the children and sat with them for a Punch and Judy show. Although Christmas Club charities in Washington date back to the 1820’s, no previous first lady had taken as prominent a role in these activities as Frances Cleveland, who helped set a tradition of good works carried on by Lou Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt and many other First Ladies.

I borrowed this information from http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/WHChristmas/Cleveland/ to use in the December issue of my Cleveland Family Chronicles.

Aren't we all happy to have the elections OVER with? Why do so many candidates campaign by denigrating their opponents rather than by talking about their own qualifications and visions for their positions? If Candidate A spends more time blasting his opponent, Candidate B, than telling me about why I should vote for Candidate A, I'm suspicious.

That's not to say that I haven't done my share of voting *against* a candidate rather than for his opponent. In Tuesday's election, I was grievously angry with our governor and state rep for raiding the retirement funds of downstate teachers, so I vote against them. Unfortunately, both won ~ reference the cartoon posted here.

However, what upsets me even more is their cocky attitudes since. Both are acting as if they won mandates within their state/district. The governor won by less than 50% of the vote ~ the third party candidate won 11%! Some mandate! And the rep won by just 100 votes ~ recount pending. Barely getting elected didn't teach either of these guys anything.

I'll stop now because I'm getting mad all over again, and Sundays are for *peaceful* reflection. :)

My baby boy is a celebri-kitty. :) Thanks to his Auntie Em in Minne*snow*ta, I submitted his picture for consideration as *Cat of the Week* in a Santa Barbara online magazine ~ and Joey won for Halloween week! :) As you can see, he has let celebri-kitty status go to his head ~ he thinks he's hot stuff on the stove top! Hey, that's about all I use my stove top for anyway 'cause I hate to cook. :) Martha Stewart has nothing to worry about from me. :)

Life is funny sometimes.

Just a week ago, I was grieving for a close friend and three former students who had suddenly lost their husband/father to a heart attack.

The week that followed was an exhausting blur as I continued to deal with a demanding school year that was rendered even more hectic by the end of the grading period, parent-teacher conferences, the craziness of Homecoming Week, trips to the dentist and foot doctor, typing on my genealogy newsletter, and writing letters for a friend who is running for an elective office.

While all that was going on, my Cardinals were in the midst of a World Series, the games of which often ended later than the recommended bedtime for someone who has to get up at 5 a.m. on school days.

Friday night, I left Homecoming festivities early to return home to watch Game 5. As if to punish myself for sneaking away early, I tripped over either my own feet or a kitty as soon as I was in the door. New pain in a leg already problematic because of heel bursitis caused me to consider calling my neighbor to take me to the ER. However, that trip would mean missing Game 5 entirely, and since nothing was bleeding or hanging at odd angles, I didn't want to miss what could be the clinching game.

My efforts were rewarded about 10:22 when Cardinal reliever Adam Wainwright struck out the last Tiger to make the Cardinals world champions. As the team and fans in St. Louis celebrated with champagne, I hoisted a Diet Dew Decaf to wash down some Aleve and then rubbed Icy Hot into my leg.

The Cardinals are champions of the world! Heartache to happiness in less than a week. Yep, life is funny sometimes. And my leg is okay, too ~ though I'm moving even more slowly than usual, and last night I discovered trying to maneuver on a step stool isn't such a good idea when your leg is wounded. However, the only casualty in that adventure was a Yankee candle and a sunflower topper.

Now my personal winter begins and will last until the players report to spring training in February. But this winter may have a somewhat warmer glow than did the 24 previous ones.

Go, Cardinals! :)

Parents of two of my students e-mailed this to me:

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right.

"You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

"You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

"You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, workmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.

"You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams.

"You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

"You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.

"You want me to do all this and then you tell me...I CAN'T PRAY?"

When my very good friend and colleague left for school this morning, everything was as normal as could be. By ten this morning, she was a widow ~ her husband dying of a sudden massive heart attack. You just never know when something like that will hit. As another good friend always says, *Life isn't a dress rehearsal.* Make the best of each day the Lord gives to us ~ and don't forget to say *I love you!*

Words to live by...

Hmmmm....

Nope ~ seriously, I don't like this idea. Even if teachers were to lock their guns away somewhere, enterprising students could find their way to the firearms if their motivations were strong enough. Too many classrooms have to be unlocked during the day. However, maybe arming administrators isn't such a bad idea ~ except for that principal who shot the kittens. GGGGGGGRRRRRRR!

I wonder whether I could post this cartoon in my classroom without problems from the *State*? Every year we have a *Prayer at the Pole* at the flagpole in front of our school, and each year the crowds get bigger: faculty, staff, students, parents, and other people from the community ~ consequently, I think many share my belief in the power of prayer.

Still, we can all probably learn a lesson about forgiveness from the Amish. I read this AP article online this morning:

Dozens of Amish neighbors came out Saturday to mourn the quiet milkman who killed five of their young girls and wounded five more in a brief, unfathomable rampage.

Charles Carl Roberts IV, 32, was buried in his wife's family plot behind a small Methodist church, a few miles from the one-room schoolhouse he stormed Monday.

His wife, Marie, and their three small children looked on as Roberts was buried beside the pink, heart-shaped grave of the infant daughter whose death nine years ago apparently haunted him, said Bruce Porter, a fire department chaplain from Colorado who attended the service.

About half of perhaps 75 mourners on hand were Amish.

"It's the love, the forgiveness, the heartfelt forgiveness they have toward the family. I broke down and cried seeing it displayed," said Porter, who had come to Pennsylvania to offer what help he could. He said Marie Roberts was also touched.

"She was absolutely deeply moved, by just the love shown," Porter said.

No matter how dismal the world can get sometimes, I continue to believe that love is the most powerful force in the universe.

Thanks be to God.

But on a lighter note... :) Remember that old saying, "When God created men, She was only joking"? Or "Of course, God made man before He made woman ~ you always make a rough draft before you create a masterpiece"? :)

Did I mention that I'm heartsick? :(

A sign of the times... :(

As a teacher and a human being, I am heartsick about the recent killings of innocent children in their schools. Many people are talking about what could have/should have been done to prevent such tragedies, and these kinds of dialogues usually revolve around measures like increased security and metal detectors. However, our superintendent, David Rademacher, forwarded us all an interesting MSNBC article that contains observations and suggestions that ALL schools, great and small, can use.

The article says, in part, "Metal detectors and police officers in schools are not likely to stop school shootings, and are potentially harmful," according to federal researchers who conducted the most thorough study of school shootings across the nation. The study finds that schools should be paying more attention to listening to students.

The entire article can be found here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111439/from/ET/

Working for a living can surely get in the way of some other kinds of activities ~ like posting in a blog. This school year has been too much with me, with hectic, stressful days and wall-to-wall homework each night. My heel continues to be a problem, too. Wednesday I got another cortisone shot, but there were no magical results this time. The dose was bigger ~ the shot itself hurt like heck ~ and since then my whole leg has ached. I still await the magic. :)

In the meantime, I will share more pictures of my fuzzy four just because they make me smile. In fact, when I was having a particularly bad day and really missing my mama, I lay on my bed and cried ~ and Joey put his paws around my neck and licked my face. Who wouldn't be cheered up by that kind of love! :)

I'm not too happy about the recent decline of the St. Louis Cardinals, but other recent events in the St. Louis area have considerably tempered that disappointment. A mother's throat was slashed and her 8-day-old daughter kidnapped ~ a news story with a happy ending when the baby was found and returned to the mother, who survived the knife attack. However, there was no happy ending in another story ~ a pregnant woman bled to death after being hit in the head by someone who was supposed to be her best friend ~ a best friend who then cut the mother's belly open with scissors and stole the baby, who also died. The mother's three other children were also missing, and after an intensive search, their bodies were found Saturday ~ stuffed into a washer and dryer at the housing complex where they had lived.

You like to think that crimes this heinous could never happen in the Heartland, but heartache tolerates no boundaries. Still, I continue to believe that God made love the strongest force in the universe, and somehow, some day love will prevail.

Hug your loved ones a little more tightly today, okay?

So now I have to worry about only the old folks' home!

I've been home today with my little boy. He had his little operations yesterday, and today he is recuperating peacefully at home ~ and he's so happy to be here. Even before we left the vet, he was licking and nuzzling by hand, and since we've been home, he stays close to his mommy. The vet assistant said he was one of the friendliest kitties they have had there, so my sweet little Joey manages to charm everyone. :)

Yesterday was the killer. Things surely were quiet and lonely around here without my little boy. I had thought Elly Fae would be especially happy to have a break from her brother, but she was being a little clingy ~ like she didn't quite know what to do with herself. Since he's been home, she's ignored him ~ but I notice that she wants to be in the same room with him while she's ignoring him. :)

I have to say a *huge* thank-you to my neighbor, Elly. Since I had to leave for school an hour before Joey could go to the vet, she offered to take him there for me. So at 7, I put Joey into his carrier and took him over. At first, her three girls hissed at him, and he hissed back ~ but then she took him into her *big* bathroom and closed the doors and let him out of the carrier to nose around and then play with his ball. I had put his favorite ball in the carrier with him. That made me feel better because I was already feeling terrible about not being able to feed them that morning. I had four sets of hungry eyes looking at me and wondering what was going on with the empty food bowls. I can't stand letting an animal go hungry! I didn't even eat breakfast myself because it wasn't fair for me to eat when they couldn't. I fed the girls after I left Joey with Elly, but I was still majorly guilty about Joey.

However, now he's safely home, and my fuzzy little family is all together again. Thanks be to God! :)

I have been following updates on Barbaro's recovery as well as updates for two sets of conjoined twins that were separated: the Carlsen twins and the Herrin twins. Because the Herrin twins shared more connections, so to speak, their separation was more complex and their recovery slower. Since there was only one kidney, one twin ~ Maliyah ~ will have to have a kidney transplant later. Throughout everything, I have been warmed by the love, support, faith, and optimism flowing within and around the twins. Their support system of family and friends is phenomenal. And thanks be to God, the twins are going home today! If you want to check in on them, their dad maintains a Web site for them at www.herrintwins.com. You go, girls! :)

In the midst of my genealogical peregrinations, I stumbled over a site to upload photos, music, and text in honor of loved ones who have passed on. According to their mission statement: "Visit My Memorial is especially designed in an easy-to-use format which lets you create and maintain a memorial page. It allows people to visit the commemorative page and offer their condolences even if they are far away. Visit My Memorial lets you cherish your loved ones and share your memories forever."

Here is the page I made for my mama: http://www.visit-my-memorial.com/show_memorial.php?id=117

If you would like to create a memorial for one of your loved ones, visit this page and then click on one of the links at the bottom.

I know you have been eager to see the latest photos of my furry family, so here they are, top to bottom: Melanie (8), Chelsie (4), Elly Fae (2), and baby Joey (7 months). How did they get so spoiled? :)

My first sale was beyond exciting, but not enough to make me quit my day job. :) I have a long way to go before I challenge Dan Brown's stats. :)

Yesterday provided me a unique blend of old and new.

I have had some trouble with a bump on my heel for quite some time. Finally the darn thing became painful enough to impede my walking enough that I went to a foot specialist for the first time in my life. However, this particular foot specialist, Dr. Nolen, happens to occupy the very same small office building that my beloved "Doc H," Dr. Maurice Horsman, occupied for so many years. Doc H and I went *WAAAAAAAYYYY* back ~ in fact, he delivered me. And then he was my regular doctor until he retired, maybe 15-20 years ago. He has since passed away, but I retain fond memories of him, and when I needed a doctor's name for my book, I named the character Dr. Horsman.

So yesterday's trip to this doctor was a blend of curiosity and nostalgia. However, the old place doesn't look a thing as I remembered. The basic floor plan is the same, but Dr. Nolen's wife has the whole building decorated with country crafts and furniture, antiques, lace curtains, and even floral switch plates and plug-in covers ~ absolutely beautiful! Dr. Nolen himself is no Doc H in appearance either ~ Dr. Nolen has blond, curly hair and blue eyes. What a pleasure putting my feet in his hands!

I still miss Doc H, but I won't mind returning to Dr. Nolen's office for the next cortisone shot in my heel. (By the way, that cortisone is a miracle! I can walk without a limp for the first time in a while now! Dr. Nolen's diagnosis: I have bursitis in my heel.)

This past week marked the ninth anniversary of the tragic passing of Princess Diana. Like 9/11 and the death of JFK, her death marks one of those times when you will always remember exactly what you were doing when you heard the news.

At that time, I was still on AOL, and I had just logged in to see the headline on the main news window. Though I'm not much for IMs, my friend Pammy and I spent the next couple of hours exchanging IMs as we both looked for further updates online and on TV. I will never forget that night or scenes from her funeral ~ particularly her sons walking behind her casket and Elton John's voice breaking as he sang his amended *Candle in the Wind* for her.

Now there are more updates on her: because of the inquest into her death and because of the new book written by her former butler, Pat Burrell ~ a book where he asserts that the mysterious diamond ring on her finger when she died was NOT an engagement ring.

*Be Mine* webmistress Emmie Jean Henderson has a beautiful tribute to Princess Diana at the *Be Mine* site: http://bemine.com/tributes/princess.htm. She was kind enough to include the poem I wrote at the time, and I share it with you now:

In Memory of Princess Diana

Sleep now, our gentle warrior,
You have earned eternal rest.
Though your light shined much too briefly,
By your love we all were blest.

You brightened the lives of many
With your gentle, caring way ~
You touched the hearts of all the world,
And we mourn your loss today.

Our world will now be darker,
And our hearts are filled with pain,
But there's one more star in Heaven
To illumine God's domain.

So sleep, our gentle warrior,
Soothed by angel lullabies.
Your love will beat forever
Although death has closed your eyes.

(c1997, 2006 by Vikki L. Jeanne Cleveland)

My friend Janet must have sent me sinus vibes from across the pond. I checked in with Dr. Mahmud yesterday and discovered that I, too, have a sinus infection. Now Joey and I are on the same kind of medication ~ Amoxicillin ~ though mine are big horse pills while his is a pretty pink liquid. :) Even with the sinus infection, last night I achieved perfect contentment: rocking Joey as he slept with his sisters close by as we watched the Cardinals come from behind to win a game against the Marlins. Can it get any better than that? :)

An update for Janet:

Singer Barry Manilow wanted more than a good doctor in the operating room where he had hip surgery Monday — he wanted his hard-earned Emmy Award in there too.

Hours after Manilow won the Emmy for outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program, he underwent hip surgery at an undisclosed Southern California hospital. He said he figured the Emmy would be a good luck charm.

Manilow came through the operation "swimmingly," then headed back to his Palm Springs home, publicist Carol Marshall said.

The entertainer won't be resting long, she said. His recovery and rehabilitation was expected to last six to eight weeks. Then the celebrated showman will travel to Atlantic City for an Oct. 14 performance.

On Oct. 21, he is scheduled to appear in Chicago, then it's back to his show at the Las Vegas Hilton on Nov. 8. He is in the middle of a four-year contract with the hotel.

In early November, his new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties," is due out.

Manilow postponed arthroscopic surgery on both hips so he could attend the Emmys on Sunday. He performed "Bandstand Boogie," the theme from Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," as part of a tribute to Clark during the show.

"He was excited. He didn't think he'd win," Marshall said Monday. "It was a nice surprise."

The 60-year-old singer was in pain during the show, but adrenaline kicked in, she said, and when his name was called a few minutes later, he didn't even hear it.

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/08/28/entertainment/e143730D51.DTL

©2006 Associated Press

I am not a parent, and at this phase of my life, I can safely say that I will never be one. Nonetheless, being a mommy to furry loved ones does give me a taste of the joys and worries of parenting.

Last year about this time, I brought in an adult stray, Biscotti, whom someone had dumped though Biscotti had been neutered and declawed. He was a sweetie-pie and seemed to like being inside again ~ though periodically he would look at the door, then at me and meow. I told him he was an inside kitty now ~ no going back outside. Still, though I knew that he was safer inside, a part of me wondered whether I was being a good mommy by keeping him from any visits back into the world he had recently known.

Sadly, that world led to his death two weeks after I had brought him in. From the beginning, his breathing didn't seem right to me, but when I expressed my concerns to the vet, she told me to wait until time for his boosters to investigate further because the stress of a change in lifestyle and a trip to a vet for shots and an initial check-up could have been creating the breathing problems.

Three days later, Biscotti passed away. He was close to me on my desk, one of his favorite places to be. Then one moment he was licking and nuzzling my face, and the next he fell dead to the floor. Dr. Deb said he had probably contracted heartworms from a mosquito bite when he was outside and had a heart attack as a result. We both felt terrible that we hadn't investigated the breathing problem right away. I should have insisted, and she shouldn't have suggested that we wait.

Friends comforted me by telling me that I gave Biscotti two weeks of love and pampering that he would not have had if I hadn't brought him inside ~ and his final kisses to me seemed to be a thank-you as well as a loving good-bye.

Now I have another little stray making his home with us, and as soon as I heard him cough, he was on his way to the vet. Joey is much better now, but today, as he was looking out the window, I asked him, *Are you glad I brought you inside, little guy? Are you happy here?* He turned around almost immediately and licked and nuzzled my face ~ but this moment of affection was followed only by more nuzzling and purring, not by the heartbreak of losing him as I had Biscotti.

Maybe I finally got it right. :)

You're probably not too surprised that my blogging time has decreased considerably since school started. This first week seems especially tiring for some reason, and now my baby has a respiratory infection, too. I have to give him Amoxicillin twice a day ~ in liquid form ~ but I thought I would share the following instructions for giving a pill to a kitty. Personally, I much prefer giving liquids meds to a kitty though some Velveeta molded around a pill can do wonders. :) Anyway ~ the following instructions have been around the cyber world for a while, but they still make me laugh! :) By the way, in less than a week, my baby boy has gained .65 pound. Dr. Britt seems to think I spoil my furry loved ones?????

Instructions for Giving Your Cat a Pill

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby.

2. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
3. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

4. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

5. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

6. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

7. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

8. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.

9. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.

10. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

11. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

12. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot.

13. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

14. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

15. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

16. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.

17. Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.

18. Arrange for vet to make a house call.

Today is the 13th anniversary of the passing of my beloved mother. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and miss her so very much. Besides being the best mother in the world, she was my best friend and role model. At my Cleveland Family Chronicles Web site, I have a tribute page for her if you want to check in there for more information about this wonderful lady: http://www.angelfire.com/il/ClevelandFamilyChron/index4.html.

Yippee! Not only do the Cardinals finally win one in Chicago, they also signed the player I was hoping they would get back before the July 31 deadline: Preston Wilson. But things worked out better this way ~ they didn't have to give up anything to get him. :)

Stop reading here if you are sick of hearing about the new novel: Although I am still waiting for the graphics guy to add the cover photo in these places, The Wading Place is now up and running in the booksellers' circuit ~ places like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble online. However, you can still get a discounted book at www.lulu.com/vikkijeanne.

Some people jog ~ I blog. :)

A wonderful vet, Dr. Deb, once told me, *You don't find them ~ they find you.* Well, another stray has found me ~ much to his sisters' intense dismay. Please keep my little family in your good thoughts as we all adjust to each other?

Our new addition is Josephus *Joey* Wadelomo Cleveland, born about February 2006 ~ weighing in now at 4 pounds. His name is from one of the characters in my most recent novel. :) He is a precious, loving little guy to his mommy ~ not so much to his sisters, but I am praying for the best and petititioning the patron saint of pets for his assistance. Are you listening, St. Francis??? :)

For Janet's luggage ~ wherever it may be! :)

There's hope for us! :)

I would like to introduce *Gracie,* the latest addition to my family: a 2006 Toyota Corolla. Actually, this isn't *really* Gracie, but the photo is a very good facsimile thereof although Gracie is a deeper gray ~ *pearl gray.* :) Gracie is beautiful car, but her best quality is that she gets 35 miles per gallon! :)

Since today is the Sabbath...

Son Shine

[c2000, 2006 Vikki L. Jeanne Cleveland]

I want to shout loud about it,

For the Son shines every day.

There can be no doubt about it ~

I have the Lord to light my way.

I shall sing in exultation

And close my eyes in silent praise

Of the Lord, my soul's salvation.

It is His love that lights my way.

I can feel His joy within me,

For to my blinded soul He gave

The sight to see eternity.

It is His love that lights my way.

I want to shout loud about it,

For the Son shines every day.

There can be no doubt about it ~

I have the Lord to light my way.

I am bursting with the Lord's word.

I want to share it every day

With those lost souls who have not heard:

It is His love that lights my way.

I want to shout loud about it,

For the Son shines every day.

There can be no doubt about it ~

I have the Lord to light my way.

One of my favorite current baseball players, Mike Piazza, has been in the news a lot lately because of the warm welcome he received from the NY fans when the Padres played at Shea. In the course of reading about Mike, I also saw many mentions of Paul Lo Duca, who has pretty well followed in Mike's footsteps from the Dodgers to the Marlins to the Mets. Both these catchers ~ yep, I have a thing for catchers! ~ have something else in common: they are married to former Playboy Playmates. Although Lo Duca is going a divorce right now, Mike and his bride are expecting their first child in February. I wish him every happiness, but something I just do not understand: why would any man want to marry a woman who shows the world things only her husband and gynecologist should see???

I've been really busy these past few days ~ taking a friend to Alton for physical therapy while getting out the next issue of my genealogy journal and working on PR for the new novel ~ and also looking for a new car before Delores, my 1998 Aurora, expires. :) Anyway, to show you that I haven't forgotten you, here is a picture of my three furry loved ones: 8-year-old Melanie Muffin, 4-year-old Chelsie Pamelyn, and 2-year-old Elly Fae. Melly and Chelsie are 13-pounders, twice the size of their little sister, but Elly Fae is definitely the queen of the household ~ a queen with an inclination to terrorize and bully her older sisters. :)

Today I approved the preview copy of my latest novel, The Wading Place. :) It should be in the booksellers' circuit in about a month. If you want a copy sooner, however, you can order one *NOW* at a *DISCOUNTED* price from the publisher's site: http://www.lulu.com/content/381120. You can also order a copy there in e-book form. If you haven't already read my first novel, The Roommates, you can find it at the publisher's site, too: http://www.lulu.com/content/166874.
(The Wading Place is PG-rated so that my students can read it; The Roommates is R-rated for strong language and adult situations.) Thank you for adding me to your reading list! :)

This one's for you, Janet ~ apparently you were right: Barry Manilow isn't *hip*! :) I have always thought he looks like Joe Montana's older brother. :)

From Yahoo News:
Barry Manilow will take a break from his regular gig at the Las Vegas Hilton to undergo surgery to repair torn cartilage in both hips, his publicist said.

The 60-year-old singer, who has a four-year contract with the hotel, suffers from labrum tears in his hips — a painful condition exacerbated by his high-energy performances, publicist Carol Marshall said in a statement Sunday.

Manilow will continue performing through his appearance at the Emmy Awards on Aug. 27 and will then have outpatient arthroscopic surgery at a Southern California hospital, Marshall said.

Recovery and rehabilitation time is expected to be about eight weeks.
Manilow will miss about 20 concerts at the Hilton, all of which will be rescheduled for the 2007 season.

He is scheduled to return in mid-October for the launch of his new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties."

This is for you, Janet of Lord Celery fame ~ does that make you Lady Celery? :) However, I have one slight little problem with fulfilling all your instructions for blog tag: Besides you, I have only one other friend with a blog, and this other friend would probably hurl me under a bus if I even tried to tag her. :) May I compensate by fulfilling your request twice?

My first contribution:
In 1956 Chamoun, unnerved by the Nasser phenomenon, dashed consensus politics and adopted a one-sided, pro-Western foreign policy. To the consternation of both the Muslim and the Lebanese nationalists, he refused to oppose the Baghdad Pact, a British-sponsored alliance formed to thwart Soviet moves along the USSR's southern flank. He refused to break off diplomatic relations with Britain and France in 1956, after the Europeans attacked Egypt along the Suez Canal to avenge Nasser's nationalization of the waterway. From Lebanon: A House Divided by Sandra Mackey ~ a book I'm really, truly reading for background material for my next novel ~ consequently it's on my desk now.

My other contribution ~ and PR for me:
“I will NOT!” Joe shouted. “I will pay for the baby and be a father to it, but I will not marry Claire Ella. I CAN’T marry Claire Ella.…” From my soon-to-be released novel, The Wading Place.

Since I have no one else to tag, am I *IT* forevermore? :) I'll post the directions here in case anyone else stumbles in and want wants to play ~ 'cause this is kinda fun! :)

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

6. Tag five people.

Am I the only one who has trouble uploading images to my blogger???