The Brod Abode ~~ Where life's a hoot!

Time flies so very quickly. I thought after the boys were grown and gone our lives would slow down a bit and as we aged and our bodies broke down a little day by day it would be leisurely. Time still goes by at the speed of light or so it would seem. Mr. Mike is 61 and I will be 60 in 5 short months. Halloween is upon us and the decorating has begun. Christmas is right around the corner and I'm starting to plan and get ready for that. We will have a no addition to our family in early spring. We are expecting our very first grand baby with our son and his lovely wife. We are absolutely giddy with excitement and thanksgiving. God is so good and mom and baby are doing well. I'm in a flurry of activity for that as well. Quilts, burp cloths, story books.....all occupy my mind daily and just the glory of it all fills our hearts with joy that only the Lord can bring. We are blessed and are praying for continued good health (with a bit of sickness during the day) and a healthy mom a...

I can't believe it's been nearly 3 months since I posted! OMGosh......I thought life would slow down once that "certain age" was attained life would slow down and we will enter the golden age of relaxation and slowing down. Well, the Lord says His time is not ours and His ways are not ours and we saw that in spades this summer. So with our faith and trust in someone greater than us we have forged ahead. And been blessed in a way we weren't quite ready for but knowing someone has our backs each and every moment of every day is a comfort. In May we were told that Mr. Mike would no longer have a job after June 27th. He has worked for Medco mail order pharmacy and then Express Scripts for the past 10 years. After working in retail for 30 years he was ready for a change. Those of you who are in retail and those of us who have worked that merry go round know of what I speak. It's daunting in this "entitled age" of which we live. Shame on people who get u...

My eyes have been so weepy this week. I do not think this is from the recent cataract surgery. I'm sure it could be due to the so many changes going on in our lives right now and the difficult decisions that have to be made concerning our future. My mind has been consumed with thoughts of my sweet baby boys, now 34 and nearly 32 and the overwhelming desire to go back. And do it all over again. Because being a mom, a stay at home mom, was absolutely the best. Once the chickies started leaving the nest I was devastated. It hit me so dang hard to watch them drive off to Texas A&M in 1998 and 2001. I was devastated because they had been my life for so long. Yes, there were days I would have signed them up for a field trip to Mars. Yes, I realized quickly how much easier it was to have a job away from home than stay home with 2 little boys, 2 1/2 years apart in age. But I would not have traded it for the world. And the fact that I was a volunteer firefighter/EMT probably kept me san...

What has the Brod Abode been up too? Hmmmm so many things have gone on the last month or so. This Brod has become a Food Network addict. Again. And that is awesome because now all I want to do this "going to be Texas hot" summer is try new recipes! IF ONLY I didn't have to go to the grocery store. My dream kitchen would include a never ending pantry. Need it? It's there. Ah, I can dream. The bored om factor has been so great I've succumbed to the temptation of General Hospital again. First time in maybe, 20 years? Getting old is extremely interesting and so is double cataract surgery. And the rules that accompany said surgery. I think I have discovered that they have discovered I can be an ornery patient. I guess another old thing. An old EMT, VBG. So no bending, lifting heavy things, gardening, being out in the wind, no anything at all that might allow something to get in my eyes. I get that. I do. And the resulting eyesight is awesome. It's not perfect but w...

Is the American Dream gone? Are our "Golden Years" a thing of the past? What has happened to our country? Our lives? The belief of One Nation Under God? I think this may be a question many middle aged Americans are now asking themselves. And the younger generation as well. They will be left to pay for the Sins of the Fathers. And the mistakes years in the making. My husband, Mr. Mike, has been a pharmacist for 38 years. He worked in retail for over 25. A trying job to say the least. Those of you/us who have worked in retail over the years know the challenges faced making certain the customer is always right. And a pharmacist's goal is to make sure the patients that come to them are safe. But after so many years a new opportunity came about and he was able to go into mail order pharmacy. It was a wonderful job. Good for him. Good for the marriage and good for the family as a whole. And we were blessed for him to have that job for the past 10 years. A couple or so years a...

Thirty four years ago today God blessed Mike and I with our son, Josh. He was born at the hospital in Lewisville, 6:47PM weighing 7 lbs. 8 1/2 oz and was 20 inches long. And we were in awe of him. He was perfect, he was safe and he was ours for as long as God chooses. We fell in love with your big blue eyes which are one of your most striking features today. I love your quick wit and your sensitive heart. I loved spending time with you and watching scary movies all day, going to the Galleria and Benegins for lunch and watching you grow. I loved that you enjoyed bringing friends over because I fell in love with them. I'm proud of how hard you worked on your projects and continue to do so in your life today. You have a work ethic when so few do. I love that you have worked with Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity, that you are ready to help and take care of people and that you still get a tear in your eye when you see something that troubles you. You love animals (except my ...

Is anyone sick to death of the name calling and the blame game? It gathers speed each and every day and it almost makes my head swim. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the family sat around and talked about different "religions" and political parties. Frankly I think the various religions, for the most part, are more a hinderance than an actual help. We all have preconceived notions of what each might possibly mean and when I tell people I am now a southern Baptist rattlesnakes and loony tunes light up their eyes and I quickly explain I don't really believe in all the hoopla over "what religion are we." I grew up without any affiliation at all. And I was fine. And becoming a Baptist with my husband didn't make me believe one iota different. When our youngest son was married he was married in the Catholic church. Now the precious deacon who performed the ceremony is one of the most awesome men I have ever heard speak. Half of the church, for the most part, w...