A Common Shepherdess

The blue marks where I have visited, the red is where I have lived and the green is where I would like to go. The Internet has infinite ways to waste time. :) Get Your Own Map View Larger Map

Head on over and check out the latest contest on Nan's blog.

Rain! We have rain! The high today is supposed to be under 100 degrees! Could the end of summer be around the corner? The other day, my husband stepped outside early in the morning. He came right back in, lay down in front of the air conditioner and said, "I can't wait for summer to be over so we can remember why we like this place."

I love watching the clouds come and go across the valley. My husband and kids get tired of hearing, "Look at that cloud!" and "Wow! Look at those!" But aren't these clouds cool?

I know what I want to do to get my "baby fix" when my youngest is grown: volunteer at a children's hospital. For the past day and a half our 3-year old daughter was at the Phoenix Children's Hospital. She was diagnosed with a kidney stone awhile back and we have been waiting to see if she would pass it. At about one o'clock Monday morning, she woke up my husband and me, complaining about stomach pain. Then the vomiting started. I took her to the emergency room where she was immediately given pain medication and fluids. A CT scan confirmed the stone had moved from the kidney to just before the bladder. By Tuesday morning she was released but the stone is still there. The doctor is hopeful it will pass quickly and no surgery will be required. This morning our daughter didn't want to leave the hospital after she was discharged. On her floor was a play room. Outside the door are some ride-on toys and little chairs. Inside the play room are games, books,