Immune Defense

It's the time of year that brings a bit of crispness to the air in the morning, fields are drying and will soon be harvested, and noses start running.

It's the time of year I break out my two favorite products: local raw honey and Emergen-C. I drink this daily in a cup of hot water, sometimes multiple times a day. With my line of work, I am constantly surrounded by snotty little noses. Since starting this drink several years ago, my own personal snotty nose time has been greatly reduced.

If you are unable to find local raw honey in your area, you can use the store-bought kind, I just prefer the local raw type as it also helps with allergies.

So, why not invest in a box of Emergen-C from your local Wal-Mart and give it a try? What do you have to lose...except the snotty nose?!

You grew up in the midwest if...

1.
You know how to polka, but never tried it sober.
2.
You know what knee-high by the Fourth of July means.

3. You know it is traditional for the bride and groom to go bar
hopping between the wedding and the reception.
4.
You know the difference between "Green" and "Red" farm
machinery, and would fight with your friends on the playground over
which was better!

5. You buy Christmas presents at 'Fleet Farm'
or 'Tractor Supply'.

6.
You spent more on beer and liquor than you did on food at your wedding.

7..
You have ever tried to get your city cousins to pee on the electric
fence.
8.
You or someone you know was a "Bean/Sugar Queen" at the
county fair.
9.
You know that "combine" is a noun.
10.
You let your older siblings talk you into putting your tongue on a
steel post in the middle of winter.
11.
You think Lutheran and Catholic are THE major religions.
12.
You know that "creek" rhymes with "pick".
13.
Football schedules, hunting season and harvest are all taken into
consideration before wedding dates are set.
14.
A Friday night date is getting a six-pack and taking your girlfriend
shining for deer.
15.
There was at least one kid in your class who had to help milk cows in
the morning... phew.
16.
You have driven your car on a lake.
17.
You can make sense of "upnort" and "batree".
18.
At every wedding reception you have ever been to, the hokey pokey and
the chicken dance have been played.
19.
Your definition of a small town is one that only has one bar.
20.
The local gas station sells live bait.
21.
At least twice a year some part of your home doubles as a meat
processing plant.
22.
You think that the start of deer season is a national holiday.
23.
Pop is the only name for soda.
24.
You actually understand these jokes.

Free Movies

Who doesn't love free? I'd like to pass on to you, my dear friend, a site that has gobs of free movies to watch.

http://emol.org/movies/freemovies.html

I've been eye-balling a few of the movies already, now just need to find the time to sit and watch them.

What a great way to spend a little time with the family that is absolutely free! So, pop the popcorn, grab your beverage of choice and relax with a good movie.

Wednesday's Word

But God was with him and brought him safely through all his troubles.
Acts 7:10

Important Cell Phone information

Print this - keep it in your car - cell phone info.

4 Things you might not have known about your Cell Phone


For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.)

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.
Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival.

Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST (Emergency)
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND (Hidden Battery Power)
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.
THIRD (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? )
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06# .

A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.
If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And Finally....
FOURTH (Free Directory Service for Cells)
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial:
(800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411
without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
This is sponsored by McDonalds.

Enjoying Life

For those of you who know me, you know my life is generally crazy busy most of the time. Papa Bear and I don't spend a whole lot of time together because of it (and because of his crazy schedule). The last couple of months though have been like a breath of fresh air. For one reason or another, I have gone from being busy three or so nights a week to only maybe one! Can you hear the excitement in my voice? Yippee Skippee!!

Because of this freedom on my time, Papa Bear and I have been able to spend much needed time together. We camped the last two weekends...something we hadn't been able to do all summer up to this point. We've been taking rides on the bikes. I ride with him to Menard's just 'cause I can.

I'm sure this will not last long as Boy Scouts is starting back up soon, but I am going to very much enjoy it while I can.

Flashback Friday

I was thinking the other day about all the old shows I used to watch with the children on Nick Jr. Little Bear, Franklin, Blue's Clues, Alegra's Window....and one of my favorites--Gullah Gullah Island.

Don't get me wrong, I like many of today's shows also, but my heart has a special spot for some of these 'oldies'.

The Yellow Shirt

This is a story sent to me by my dear aunt. It is just a story, yet very touching.

The yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away..
'You're not taking that old thing, are you?' Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt.. 'I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!'

'It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom. Thanks!' I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow shirt be came a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it..
After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned.

The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois .. But, that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 25 years earlier.

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her 'real' gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again...

The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad 's to pick up some furniture .. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt!

And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad 's mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture . The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois . As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, 'So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up.'

I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt.. Slowly, it dawned on me.. Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer.

Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet.

Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words 'I BELONG TO PAT.'

Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters.
Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, 'I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER.' But I didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington , VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from 'The Institute for the Destitute,' announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it.

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a pocket was a note: 'Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother.'

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses: 'I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me.'

The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that she had terminal Lou Gehrig 's disease. Mother died the following year at age 57.

I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.

Life List

I think we all have things in life we would like to accomplish. Things wanted to be tried, to be experianced, to be learned, to be enjoyed. Since I was just a girl, I have had a 'life list' of these things. Over the years, things have been added and things have been able to be removed. Now, my list isn't anything big and grand, I have no desire to jump out of a plane or climb a huge mountain or walk on fire. My list is rather ordinary, nothing special about it. Never-the-less, it is made up of my hearts desires.

Some things I would like to do include:

*learn to knit/crochet from a pattern
*learn to sew
*run a 5K
*read the Bible from cover to cover
*not have to work anymore
*own a brand new vehicle

As you can see, my list is pretty simple.

So, dear friends, do you have a list? Do you have desires yet accomplished?

Monday's Menu

Good Monday morning dear friends. I do hope you were able to have a restful weekend. I'm happy to announce my menu planning went well for last week, I was able to follow it every day! So, here goes with my second weekly menu.

Monday
BBQ pork sandwiches
sauteed zucchini
watermelon

Tuesday
Hamburger Helper
green salad
peaches

Wednesday
Leftovers for Papa Bear as I have a dinner-meeting

Thursday
Tacos!!!

Friday
Buffet at the Cafe`

I am very much looking forward to Taco night, it has been years since I've made them and they are just so yummy!

Wednesday's Word

I've been reading in 2 Corinthians lately, here are a few passages that I've underlined in my Bible.

The scripture says, "I spoke because I believed." In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe.
4:13

For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.
4:16-17

In everything we do we show that we are God's servants by patiently enduring troubles, hardships, and difficutlties.
6:4

Monday's Menu

Wow, it's been 12 days since my last post...what's up with that? I guess with the weather turning nice I'm out with the daycare children more. I've also spent quite a bit of time working on the house...not that my cleaning list is anywhere near done, but it sure does look much better in here. I've also been working hard on clearing my calendar some. Instead of being gone 3-4 nights every week, I'm down to 1-2 instead. I'm enjoying spending more of my free time with Papa Bear! We were actually able to take the motorcycle out two weekends in a row!

Now that things are getting a bit more settled in my new routine, I'm finding myself able to do blogging again. Thanks you, dear friends, for being patient with me as I try to find a healthy balance between real life and internet time.

In my new schedule, I'm going back (trying to anyway) of having a weekly menu. This is the first week (and we'll see how many weeks actually follow! LOL )

Monday
Tuna pasta salad
fresh fruit salad
fancy crackers

Tuesday
grilled chicken breast
fettuccine Alfredo
green beans
applesauce

Wednesday
seasoned burgers on the grill
homemade fries
fresh tomato

Thursday
baked fish on the grill
seasoned rice
watermelon

Friday
Buffet at the cafe`

Wednesday's Word

Today isn't exactly scripture, however, it is something worth thinking about.

You can't truly love someone unless you respect them.

How many times have we shown disrespect to our loved ones in the form of either words or actions? How many times have we cut down our spouse to our friends? Discussing a problem with a friend is different from cutting down/disrespecting someone. "My husband doesn't do things right." "My wife is the worst housekeeper." These are the types of things that are disrespectful.

Before opening up and saying something about someone you say you love, consider if you would say it if they were standing right there with you.

Done for another year

Well my friends, VBS is over for another year. It exhausts me, yet brings me such joy at the same time. We had our program in church this morning and the children all did such a wonderful job...and they got me in trouble too!

I always do something silly if the children bring friends and reach a certain attendance number. This year I told them I would hula-hoop. My mom and I had a thing going all week with the kids that she was going to get mad at me if I hula'd in church...so of course when I was done this morning she came down the aisle and used my FULL name!! (You all know you are in real trouble when the full name gets used). She then scolded me and took me out of the sanctuary saying I had to go sit in the naughty chair...all this to the delight of the children! THEN the kids went and tattled on me when I got out of the chair! LOL Oh, it was such a great time!

We ended the week this evening with a pot-luck down at the park followed by ice cream sundaes. I know I've said it many times before, but you just can't beat small town living!

Cleaning Bug

This so applies to me!

Well dear friend, there is a bug in my house and I fully intend to take advantage of her visit....I'm talking about the ever elusive cleaning bug! She doesn't make a stop at my house all that often, however, I am embracing her visit with open arms. We sat down together this morning with pen and notebook and pretty much filled the front and back of a sheet of paper with the items we would like to accomplish while she is here.

Tomorrow, my day is completely empty ( I know, what's up with that??!) except for lunch with a dear friend. My bug friend and I are going to get an early start on our list and work straight through the day on it. Our goal is to have at least half of it done by the time we turn in for the night.

Due to previous plans, we may not get gobs of time on Sunday, but we're going to give it our best shot on getting the entire list done this weekend!

Hmmm...if my bug friend and I achieve this goal, I must reward us in some way. I'll have to put my thinking cap on about that. Maybe I'll let Papa Bear treat me to dinner out .

Well, off I go, I'll report back to you all on Monday how it went 'cause I'm sure you'll all be sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear.

Death of soldier

I am posting this in hopes that the person/people responsible for the death of this young man will be found. This hits very close to home for a dear friend of mine.

DENVER (CBS4) – A Fort Carson soldier was shot to death on the streets of Denver on Saturday. On Tuesday his parents asked the public to help them find whoever killed him.

Sgt. Anthony Silva, 25, was walking his dog in the 3800 block of Paris Street when he was shot several times. He had been staying at a nearby Motel 6 along Interstate 70 waiting for his father pick him up and drive with him to Illinois.

Silva’s family said they have no reason to believe anyone was specifically trying to target Silva. They believe it was a random crime.


Police haven’t revealed much about the shooting, but they are asking for any witnesses to come forward.

Silva was about to complete his service in the Army after 5 years. He had hurt his back and was leaving the Army for medical reasons. His family said it’s ironic that he spent so much time fighting overseas only to get shot on the street in the U.S.

“He just got out of the Army on Thursday. He was on a leave until he was going to be discharged in August. He was coming home and he had such plans to start his new life as a civilian,” said Diane Silva, Anthony’s mother. “Now it’s the end instead of a new beginning. And he was such a friendly, fun-loving guy with the greatest smile. He loved his dog, he loved his family, he loved his friends. He’s going to be missed so much.”


A makeshift memorial put up by the Silva family at the location Anthony was shot.

While the family was giving the news conference, Diane Silva received a cellphone call that was a reminder that their hometown was holding a prayer service at that moment for Anthony. She broke out in tears at the news.

“He was looking forward to a brand-new start, resuming friendships, going to school,” said Dave Silva, Anthony’s father.

Diane Silva said the streets in their town were lined with American flags to welcome Anthony home.

Anthony’s brother, Joe, is 19-years-old and had been waiting to spend time with his brother again.

“He’s a great guy. He was about to come home. He’s been gone for the last five years and (we had) a lot of catching up to do on the brotherly activities,” Joe Silva said.

The family has collected reward money from friends back home to add to the $2,000 being offered by Crime Stoppers. They say the reward for information is now up to about $5,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call Denver police at (720) 913-2000. Remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867). Text to CRIMES (274637) then title DMCS and enter the message or send an e-mail to metro-denvercrimestoppers.com

Wednesday's Word

"Give at least two warnings to the person who causes divisions, and then have nothing more to do with him".

Titus 3:10

VBS Week

It's that time of the year again. Time for the church to be decorated in some crazy fashion. Time for gobs of cookies appearing in the basement. Time for the towns-people to volunteer at church. Time for wiggling, giggling, excited children to fill the church up. Yes, dear friend, it's Vacation Bible School time!

I just LOVE this time of year! The looks on the children's faces as they come in. The excited chatter as they wait for the program to start. The laughing, the singing...did I mention the cookies?

We have a wonderful group of ladies that put VBS on each year. We all have our own little part we do. And you all know how it is in a small church, once you start doing something, you are there for life! I started a new part this year to go along with my regular part. My new part was decorations. My friends Alicia, Kathy and Sherri answered my anxious plea for help when it was discovered there was a decorations mix up less than a week before VBS started. I don't even know what I got anxious about, the ladies all did a wonderful job and the place looks great.

My regular part is the opening and closing. Basically it's my job to get the kids all wound up and then send them off to someone else....imagine that, ME getting kids wound up! Who'd of ever thought that to be possible?

Tonight was the first night and it seemed to go off without a hitch. Each year I do something silly in the church service on Sunday morning if they reach a goal of a certain amount of children attending...of course I always make it an attainable goal. This year I'm going to stand up in the front of the church and do the hula-hoop!

See what I mean, who would ever think I could get kids wound up??

Quote of the Decade

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”


-- Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

Wednesday's Word (a day late)

It came to my attention (via message from my dear friend Laurie) that I neglected to post Wednesday's Word yesterday. *sigh* I will go put myself in the corner for being a slacker when I'm done there...but I'm taking cookies with me!


But you, brothers, must not become tired of doing good. It may be that someone there will not obey the message we send you in this letter. If so, take note of him and have nothing to do with him, so that he will be ashamed. But do not treat him as an enemy; instead, warn him as a brother.

2Thessalonians 3:13-15

Banana Boat

While at Boy Scout camp, one of the incredible staff members stopped by for a visit and to share in our dutch oven banana bread. She shared a recipe with me for Banana Boats and I think I have fallen in love! This is so simple that it can be done even in the house in the oven.

1 banana
tin foil to wrap it
stuffers of your choice

Leave peal on banana and make a slice from one end to the other, careful not to slice all the way through. Insert into this slit your stuffers (small pieces of chocolate, marshmallow, caramel...etc.). Wrap banana in tin foil and place on hot coals. Remove after about 5 minutes. Open foil, grab your spoon and eat all the yummy goodness waiting for you inside that banana peal!

No meetings?!

Is it true? Did I miss something? I checked and double checked my calender but don't seem to be able to find anything. I had an entire work week and not one single meeting! You heard me right...I was able to be home every night this week if I wanted. Well, Wednesday should have been Community Club, but it was cancelled. Thursday was a meeting that I could have gone to but it's no real biggy that I didn't. Thus, I was able to see my husband every night this week! What is doubly nice is that Little Bear (aka Ben) is home from Kansas for a visit and we have been able to spend some time together. *sigh* I am a happy little girl now.

The weekend is looking promising also. I have a Boy Scout fundraising cook-out Saturday for about four hours, and of course Church on Sunday...but the rest of it is all my time! I sure am hoping Papa Bear and I can get out for a ride on the bike before the heat comes in.

So, this is how life can be, I think I'm liking it!

Wednesday's Word

A prayer for protection

Listen to my words, O Lord, and hear my sighs. Listen to my cry for help, my God and king!

I pray to you, O Lord; you hear my voice in the morning; at sunrise I offer my prayer and wait for your answer.

You are not a God who is pleased with wrongdoing; you allow no evil in your presence. You cannot stand the sight of proud men; you hate all wicked people. You destroy all liars and despise violent, deceitful men.

But because of your great love I can come into your house; I can worship in your holy Temple and bow down to you in reverence. Lord, I have so many enemies! Lead me to do your will; make your way plain for me to follow. What my enemies say can never be trusted; they only want to destroy. Their words are flattering and smooth, but full of deadly deceit. Condemn and punish them, O God; may their own plots cause their ruin. Drive them out of your presence because of their many sins and rebellion against you.

But all who find safety in you will rejoice; they can always sing for joy. Protect those who love you; because of you they are truly happy. You bless those who obey you, Lord; your love protects them like a shield.

Psalms 5:1-12

Treat night

It's late and I should be in bed, but had to take a moment to share my special treat with you all. I got to have two of the grandkids over for a sleep-over!

We went shopping for ball gloves to stay here at our house. The boys got a chance to see their Uncle Benner who moved to Kansas in February...they just love him. We went for a bike ride, they had a fun playing bath and then a nice big supper. The youngest and I played while the oldest was allowed 1/2 hour of computer time to play on Lego.com.

Of course, come 10:00pm when they were both a bit fidgety in bed, I was regretting spoiling them with a soda at 8:00pm.

*sigh* I just love being Nana!

Home from Camp

Well, Dear Friends, once again a great time was had by all at Boy Scout summer camp. Except for a few sprinkles, it was a rain free week. Temperatures also co-operated with us. (Thank you, Lord).

The boys cooked almost all of our meals. They had to walk up to the commissary before each meal (that would be 6:00 am for breakfast) to pick up the meal supplies. The first breakfast was very slow, almost making them late to their first merit badge class. They did improve after that though. There were 12 Troops (250 boys) at camp while we were there and there were only 2 of us doing jambo (cooking our own meals). It's a great opportunity for us to spend some down time together as a troop. Talk about what everyone has been up to. Go over plans for the rest of the day. Watch the boys be complete goofs.

We shared a campsite with Walnut's Troop again this year. The boys seem to enjoy it and I enjoy learning from their Scout Master, Ron. It also gives us 4 adults in camp instead of just 2. Twice as many eyes to watch for naughtiness. LOL

There are platform tents on our site. They are basically a wooden platform with a wall tent on top. This means they are not fully enclosed...so bugs and critters can come in if they so choose. Believe me, they chose to come in my tent all the time! I'm thinking my platform had a mouse nest under it as I was visited by a herd of mice every night! On one particular evening, they pulled my make-up bag and belt out of my shower bag and then tried to take off with my cell phone!!

Ron, Walnut's leader, and one of his older scouts decided to help me with my mouse problem....they put marshmallows outside my tent and up the stairs into it. Their justification for this is that the raccoons would keep the mice out!!! I seriously laid on my cot not moving for almost 1 1/2 hours due to a raccoon invasion! Oh yeah, they thought they were real funny!

The boys learned to do a 'gravity check'. It involves running and jumping. If they fall to the ground, gravity is still working. They actually thought this was fun. So, if you know Austin, Terry, Trevor or Devin and see them, ask them to do a gravity check for you.

I'm very proud of my boys and their accomplishments. They all went to camp as Tenderfoots and left as 1st Class. They all earned their fingerprinting merit badge. Devin earned his archery badge while Terry, Austin and Trevor only need to catch and fillet a fish for me to finish their fishing badge. All 4 boys earned their Greenhorn and On my Honor rockers also. AND, they got a 100% on site inspection their first year there!! This is a difficult thing for jambo troops to earn as there is so much more to be inspected. Did I happen to mention how proud I am of them?!

Now that they have their first year of camp under their belts, they've already started making plans for next year. I'm looking forward to using some of the new ideas I got when we do our weekend campouts.

Is your son is scouting? If not, contact me and I can help you out with that. Cub and Boy Scouts is a wonderful organization that helps boys channel their energies into positive directions.