Marriage: Divorce in our Family

  We recently and regretfully lost a wonderful son-in-law thru Divorce. The first, and hopefully the last divorce in our Family.

 Divorce should be the very last option in marriage.  I believe with my whole being that our Daughter has made a bad mistake. I will forever miss Daniel (plus dog, River; and the entire N Family) 😓😒😓

Note: We added a new daughter-in-law recently -- increasing our Family size. It's a wash with this horrible divorce between C&D .... 😑😓

miss 🐾 you!!!

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isaiah 40







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Daughter Bitten by a Feral Cat

 

The cat at the Park looked friendly, says she.  But it suddenly took a vicious bite at her  wrist. The painful injury required a 10-day dose of antibiotics, sigh ... Thank God for a friend's Physician-mom for the Rx.

We are cat-sitting her two friendly/affectionate cats here at our home for a couple more months, but why take a risk petting an unknown, home-less, German cat? Because daughter misses her own Pets and she's a cat-lover at heart that's why!!  It did not help any that the feral cat is a look-alike to one of our own cats (who truly is a friendly cat, see picture). Appearances can be deceiving otherwise!

Day 1

Day #2

Day #3

Day #4

Day #5

The wound has healed, thank God.  As for our main concern of Rabies, the Physician assured her that the German town vaccinates its feral animals against rabies. There have been no recent reported cases. Praying, in Jesus' name,  for the continued well-being of our daughter ❤💚❤

Ciprofloxacin

Rabies

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Advice to a College Freshman From One in the Know

So, you're going to college. Here's some things I wished I knew when I was a naïve little freshman. You didn't ask me for any advice, I know, but I'm your big sister, so you're gonna get a list anyway 

1. For the first couple of months, keep your door propped open whenever you're in your room. Seriously. People are going to be walking around a lot, so it's a great way to meet your hall mates and make great friends.

2. Don't be stupid, though. Lock your door when you're not in. People suck sometimes.

3. Don't get too involved in settling down the first couple of days. You can unpack later, it can wait. Run around campus, do all those stupid freshman welcome things, and get to know people. 

4. Do not be the person who burns something in the community microwave. You will forever be known as the dummy that set the fire alarm off at 2 am in the morning on a school day. You will get death threats. Especially don't be the person who sticks a wet baseball in the stove because you want it to be dry when you play catch. Just don't. 

5. Treat ratemyprofessor.com like the Bible when signing up for classes. It will save you a lot of heartache and sleepless nights. 

6. Have a couple rolls of your own toilet paper. You never know when it will become a rare commodity. 

7. Never get into the habit of just smiling and nodding when someone is talking to you. You may end up accidentally agreeing to a date and then have to ninja around campus for months to avoid him because you're too socially awkward to face him again....

8. High GPAs look great on paper, but sometimes it's more important to network and gain relevant experience. Get a job, volunteer, intern, do whatever it takes to gain some experience. Get to know your professors. You don't need to become best friends with all of them, but if you can get close to even a few, they can be great resources and possibly provide letters of recommendation for you in the future. 

9. Before classes start, walk around campus and find all of your class locations. You will avoid being that pathetic looking freshman frantically running around the hallways and barging into class 20 minutes late on the first day. 

10. Remember to have a social life. You're in college, have fun, do dumb stuff, just be safe about it. 

11. If you find you're having trouble staying awake in class, sit in the front. It's harder to doze off when the teacher is glaring at you or, worse, spits a lot. It's gross, but effective. 

Anyway, have fun! These next four years will be amazing for you, I'm sure. Keep in touch!

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Waiting In Line at the Elgin DMV

Welcome to the  backlogged-era of Covid19! 

Baby girl had renewed her driver's permit online by making an appointment during the early morning  hours. 

Fast forward to a very rainy 🌧 Friday. It was Driver's License time! However, there were no more online appointments being done. Just show up --- first come, first served. 

Wise people get there at 6:30 am (1 hour before the opening) and be among the first 50 or so other wise people who had the same idea.

 This was the line that greeted daughter when she arrived a half-hour after the opening: 

It rained ☔ for the next 1.5 hours that she waited in line outdoors. Meanwhile, her big brother waited in the car. When the time came for the road-test, he had to get out of the vehicle and wait under a "designated tree" in the parking lot till daughter and Tester got back. 

Thank God she passed. 

The Tester made a comment to her Brother that his Sis is "... a very good Driver." 😀  But, of course!

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13)

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RITUALS Brand Cosmetics

Got more gifts of RITUALS cosmetic items.  Love the various aroma (though it is my goal to wean myself of any ingredients containing perfume). My daughters cannot get enough of these goodies. The source/ enabler has been my DIL, Barb, who says that RITUALS is a favourite among European women. 

 BTW, Barb now also happens to be the "source" of something far, far better: our new grandchild.  The baby will be born towards the end of Summer, God willing. We are ecstatic.  Thank You, Jesus!

Turning routines into RITUALS

a. Reviews


b. Reviews



c. Reviews


d. Reviews



e. Reviews

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List of a Few Memorable Lincoln Laureate Winners

I chose these guys deliberately.
Vandercook College of Music:
Sat next to Daniel's parents & Voice Prof. during the convocation. Daniel is pursuing a Voice and also a Percussion Major. If my son ever wants to change his degree to Music Education, this school may be a good option.

pc: the lincoln academy of illinois

Wheaton College:
I couldn't ignore WC, of course!  Tryphena does not know my WC sophomore son personally, but daughter Jill (who sat next to Tryphena) made sure to mention his name. I showed the picture to son and he does not recognize her, nor the academic representative.  BTW, I was rather surprised that our friend's son, Caleb G, did not win the award for WC. Talk about student involvement!

pc: the lincoln academy of illinois

McMurray College:
I met Professor O'Hearn at the pre-convocation continental breakfast. Friendly and eloquent.  We discussed Politics a little. Did not seem surprised that I am a Conservative. She is a writer.  I want to read her book when it's eventually published.

Aurora College:
We met Tia during the pre-convocation breakfast. She does speeches often -- I admire this ability in anyone.  Her Mom was not at all surprised that she had won. It's rather usual for her to get an award, says she. As young as Tia is and while still in college, she's already married.

pc: the lincoln academy of illinois

Trinity International University:
What a pleasant surprise! Till the day of the convocation, daughter had not known that Margaret was chosen as the Laureate of her Uni. She is my daughter's old friend whom she met while they worked at Lake Geneva Youth Camp. Small world!

Judson University:
Andrew was the winner at my oldest son's Alma Mater.  Yay!

Trinity Christian College:
Son in Law Daniel attended Trinity Christian College during his freshman and sophomore years.   Congrats to Roberto!

SIU-Edwardsville: 
Keelah was the winner at my second-born daughter's Alma Mater. Our daughter got a full-ride at this school.  Good times!

SIU-Carbondale
Dr Goldman, the academic Rep for the winner Kara, was friendly and spent a few minutes talking to me and hubby before the convocation. He had a hand in the decision of who got the  2018 Order of Lincoln Award -- which he rightfully could not yet divulge to us at the time, though we had jokingly asked for the names, LoL.  My daughter's Father-in-Law graduated from this school many years ago... back in the day when it was memorable for being a party school.

Last, but not least, East-West University:
I was looking forward to meeting this particular Student Lincoln Laureate winner.  EWU was my former employer -- back in the day when I was newly married and had only 1 child. During this season in life & while employed there, I made at least two very important decisions that I would change in a heartbeat if it were possible. Whenever Hillary Clinton spoke of glass ceilings, this was what I thought of while there: "And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass..."  (Deut. 28)

The pay was low, and the lack of advancement obvious.   Far more important, priceless things were waiting for me at home. Why didn't I quit sooner? Sigh. Lord, give me beauty for ashes.

Anyhoo, I am grateful for the work experience. Told Laureate-winner Kisha to give the head honchos my regards and a sincere "Hello!"

Sound advice from King Solomon to all the student laureates (and to young Moms):

Lincoln Student Laureate 2017

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College Daughter's Lincoln Laureate Award Ceremony

The convocation of the prestigious Lincoln Laureate award for Illinois college  & university seniors -- our daughter in particular -- was held at the Old State Capitol Building, Springfield Illinois.  We are so very proud of her!  Thank You, Lord God!

assigned spots for group photo

group picture with Governor & Mrs Rauner

one of the double-stairs leading to Hall of Representatives

DD in foreground; Governor Rauner at podium area

"You must be the Mom.  Congratulations!" -- Mrs Rauner to me

Luncheon

Student Laureates Inducted in 2017

19.8.28.18