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Okay, so it took the email to get me motivated. Actually, I have been off the computer for over 3 months due to a hand injury (no work and no play). So, no way can I catch up with all that has been going on. Guess I'll just start from here.....
We joined LightHouse, a local homeschool support group. Ya' know, that term "support group" just doesn't even begin to describe what you get from a group like this. So far they have taken me and my family in and loved us every way imaginable. We are undertaking a new phase of homeschooling this year, my oldest (16yodd) will be starting a job this Friday at the new Sonic and will be taking her PSAT in October and plans to begin community college dual-enrollment classes the beginning of next year. In addition, we are homeschooling our 6-1/2-yo grandson. Talk about an adventure. My 13yodd is none too thrilled about the prospect of all those "childish" field trips, but I quickly reminded her how much fun they were for her at his age and she has reluctantly relented to try and act like she is having fun (though she was thrilled to learn she does not have to attend "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" with us).
My hand is now well on its way to healing and I have been able to return to work at least part-time for now. So far, so good.
Church is going great. We have a new youth leader -- he's really great with the kids and just told us he is planning on proposing to his girlfriend THIS WEEKEND! How wonderful. She seems to be a great girl.
My son, Mike, is in Korea (as some of you may know) and we finally heard from him via email 2 weeks ago (after not hearing from him since May). I was beginning to get really worried. Though, now, I can just be mad because since I know he has an email up and running he should be contacting us more frequently and we have not heard from him since that one extremely short email 2 weeks ago. BOYS!
I'll be back on later...di |
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My 6yo grandson stuck a rock in his ear. Now, you might say, "isn't he a bit old for that kind of thing?" But like I told his mother, if you've never been told not to do something how do you know not to do it? He was at school and a "friend" of his said, "put it in your ear." So, Jon did. The ER doc told him next time to tell his friend to "go first."
They could not get it out. It has been in there since Thursday afternoon. They are going to have to do surgery to get it out (scheduled for tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.). The blessing is that he has had no pain and the ENT thinks there is no serious damage behind the rock to his ear drum.
As a side note, my birthday has come and gone, now I'm 48. And sometimes I feel like I have been stuck in the same place for 20 years. I mean, I don't feel like I am getting anywhere. I am at a dead-end with my job and now must begin looking for something else to do. I dread returning to the "public" job market, but I just don't see any other options right now. My kids are okay about it, but it will sure put a strain on our hsing options.
I, on the other hand, am not okay about it. I am angry. If my husband (and I use the term loosely - very loosely) would stand up and get a decent job I would not have to worry so much about my job situation. I could just continue working at a part-time level and not be so stressed. It would sure give me more time with the girls and church and volunteering, etc. Plus I bet my house would get cleaner! But, that's not going to happen. He has been drinking and doping again (after 50 days clean and sober this time) and has moved back to his mother's house. I at this point really don't know how I even feel about it. I am too exhausted to really feel anything.
I guess maybe I have rocks in my head, too. I just wish someone had told me not to put them there! |
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Thanks loads, MIN!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW? Any Law and Order WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Company logo (okay, so it's really boring!) FAVORITE MAGAZINE: Reader's Digest (does that count as a magazine?) FAVORITE SMELL: Musk WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: Thinking about how much I miss my dad and his sister, my Aunt Helen, who was like a mother to me. BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD: Remembering both of them. THINGS TO DO ON THE WEEKENDS: Well, since I have to work straight through the weekends, let's just say I like to have a little free time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (my weekends) but rarely does that happen (too many HS things to do on those days). FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK: The Sound of Music WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING? That I really needed to get going on printing some of the RC books the girls should be reading. DO YOU GET MOTION SICKNESS? Yep. PEN OR PENCIL? Pencil CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Chocolate (but only in small bites since the surgery) DO YOU SLEEP WITH STUFFED ANIMALS? No IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY KIND OF PET, WHAT WOULD IT BE? A talking parrot IF YOU COULD BE ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A butterfly FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK: Don't drink (now) but "back in the day" it would have been either a Singapore Sling or a Long Island Iced Tea (something fruity that you could not taste the liquour in since I hate the taste of it!). WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? Taurus (do you really believe in that stuff?) EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? Only the part close to the florets. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I would want to be able not to work -- just devote my time to my family and church. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Well, I kind of like the "natural" look I've got going on! IF YOU COULD HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT AND WHERE WOULD IT BE? A butterfly on my ankle or shoulder (and I still ain't too old to get one, just because I'm 48 today!). WRITE THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND: I'm gonna kill MIN -- she took so many of my answers! IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Half Full ARE YOU A RIGHTY, LEFTY OR AMBIDEXTROUS? Righty IF YOU COULD BE ONE GARDENING TOOL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? A trowel (long and thin) -- now, MIN, does a bush hog qualify as a gardening tool? WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? Old albums, a couple of pictures, and the leaf out of the dining room table (along with tons and tons of cat hair and dust bunnies). WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 7 WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Any shade of purple WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR? 1968 Convertible Mustang, 4-in-the-floor, red with black interior FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH: Professional baseball or college basketball (go Heels) SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU MIN is probably the best friend I have ever had -- she certainly loves me "warts and all" and is always there when I need her.
I tag Rachel and Melissa! |
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Well, I can't believe it has been this long since I posted. MIN is going to kill me, ya' think?
Anyhoo, things have been a rollercoaster around here. Aside from the regular problems of life (sheesh), there have been all kinds of things going on. But, praise God I finally see a light at the end of that tunnel!
My husband has been struggling with his "inner demons" and that always affects the whole family. But praise God -- we have a praying church family and he is coming out of the valley and heading to the mountain top again! The girls and I have been praying steadily and so has our whole church family. It never ceases to amaze me the power of our God. As for me, I have been reading "Battlefield of the Mind" devotional, reading the Word on a more consistent basis, and trying to come to grips with my own shortcomings. It was truly a life-changing moment when I took the step to apologize to my husband for the part I have played in our problems. What a freeing experience. I am trying daily to look at our lives differently than in the past, forgiving and forgetting the past hurts and disappointments, and looking forward to the future.
Also, I belong to a yahoo group of users of the RC for homeschooling and recently posted about other NC RCer's. I have had responses from about 6 or 7 folks, and one of them is also another blogger here! I went to her blog (whirlwind) and it was such a blessing to read through. I can't wait until I have the time to read more.
Rachel has been teaching herself HTML and has set up a website (very much "in progress") for me to put my favorite recipes "out there." She is so excited about getting this up and running. And she has been teaching herself Spanish (finally). I have had a running argument with her about her wanting to learn Japanese -- which will cost a fortune to purchase -- I had to make a deal with her that if she would learn the Spanish we already have (Power Glide) then I would buy her the Japanese she wants (Rosetta Stone). So, now we'll see how the Spanish goes, huh?
Missy is gearing up for her spring dance recital. She takes dance at a local dance studio, run by a Christian young lady that I have known since she was just a baby herself. She is not really into the stressed-out kind of dance training, more the leisurely, let's enjoy this for the sake of dance kind of thing. Missy has really blossomed and is one of the best students there (if I do say so myself). She has a solo this year. She is taking the hip-hop class (3rd year) as she absolutely detests the ballet classes and she says the jazz classes just weren't "powerful" enough for her!
Tomorrow is pot-luck Sunday and I have made a variation of "Goldwater Beans", said to be Goldwater's favorite meal (though my dad would have died before eating any of it just for that reason)! Don't know how it's going to go over...I put extra jalapenos in it (just the way we like everything around here).
The church is gearing up for the big move into our new building. We expect that our church will take off in leaps and bounds once we get moved and folks start realizing we are there. Also, we expect that the Celebrate Recovery meetings will be growing. I have been asked to lead a women's group for CR...but I have to give that a lot of prayer as right now just does not seem like a good time for me to take on something extra.
Lastly, I am almost a year out from the gastric bypass surgery (April 6th). I have not quite reached my goal of being down to 200 pounds (I started at 305 and am now somewhere between 205 and 210) by my anniversary date. Now mind you, I'm not complaining. Folks at church who did not know me before the surgery have even been commenting on how much weight I have lost and it is finally becoming a reality to me that I really have lost almost 100 pounds in the past year! MIN knew me before and it always makes me feel good when she mentions how much better I look. I never really thought I cared much about what others thought about how I looked, but I must say that when my husband told me it was almost like he was cheating when we are "together"...well, let's just say that really turns my head! The only down side is that just last night I had my first bought with vomiting from eating too fast...came home from the Celebrate Recovery meeting and had 3 minutes before Numbers was coming on...woofed down a very small piece of pizza and still missed the show because I got sick. What a bummer. But, that is the first and only time I have been sick since having the surgery. My friend's husband was a year out in February and is still consistently vomiting because he eats way too much and way too fast...though she has begged him to stop it, he still continues and she said he has even started putting back on some of his weight. I can't imagine going through everything entailed with this surgery and then sabotaging your own efforts like that. I am just grateful that with God's help and this wonderful surgery I finally have a life that includes my being able to do things like go to concerts, play with the grandkids on the floor, and walk every morning with my grown daughter at the local gym!
In closing (this small book, it seems), our God is awesome. No doubt in my mind about that. He has seen me through many valleys and is pulling us out of this one as I sit here typing. His hands are working in our lives each and every day. Our church family and friends have pulled together to help us through this, too. So, get together with your friends and family, pray to our awesome God, and believe the He will pull you through whatever may be looming on your horizon! |
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Hi, both of my daughters are members of the Homeschool Honor Society and their service project for February is a collection of supplies to be sent to soldiers overseas. After looking over the list of requested supplies, my girls decided that what they felt was most important on the list was the request for letters to be sent in the boxes to the soldiers. Their older brother (Mike, 28) is in the Army and is scheduled to deploy to Korea in April, and he tells them all the time how much the letters from folks mean to all of the soldiers at his post in El Paso (Ft. Bliss), Texas. So, they have asked me to go to each of my e-groups and request letters from them.
What they would like is for anyone (but particularly homeschooled kids) to write just a short note, a postcard, or draw a picture to be sent to the soldiers. You just need to mail the stuff to us and we will take them to the center for distribution in late February. We need to receive the letters, etc. by the first week of February. I would greatly appreciate all of y'all's help in making this a big success. Just mail the stuff to us at:
The Wheless Family
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The first player of this game starts with the topic five weird habits of yourself and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals." Well, endofthe road tagged me. I am still very new to this type of thing so I had to ask her how to do this. Anyhoo, here goes. Oh, and since I don't know how to link to the web journals I guess anyone who reads this can consider themselves tagged and leave me a note letting me know you have done this!
I consider myself a pretty normal person (what's really normal anyway?), so I'm not sure if these count as "weird habits" or not.
1. I always prefer to read a book before seeing a movie version. And almost always don't like the movie version after seeing it. Now, that's probably not really a weird habit, but it does cause some "grousing" around here when I make the kids do the same thing (read: can't see Narnia until you finish the book!).
2. I have 2 little stray black hairs under my chin that I am constantly (read: obsessively) checking to see if they are visible and plucking them out. I think this goes back to remembering one of my aunt's really long, thick, black hairs on her chin when I was a little girl and not wanting to be that person!
3. Like endoftheroad, I eat my M&Ms by cracking off the coating and then sucking on the chocolate. I thought I was the only person to do that -- and it's wonderful to find someone else who does that, too!
4. I don't have a problem sharing toothbrushes with anyone in my family (and some outside of my family) -- I figure if you rinse with hot water it can't be any worse than sitting near each other in the holder anyway.
5. When I am really concentrating hard on something I stick out the tip of my tongue. My mom says I picked up this habit when I was little. I had a chihuaha from the time I was born until I was 15 (Cricket) and she always had her tongue tip sticking out -- so mama says I was trying to imitate her and picked up this habit. My kids think it's very weird.
6. I bite my fingernails. I mean, I really bite them. They are never without at least one or two that are so sore from my biting that I can hardly use them (and I type for a living).
So, I guess some of mine could be considered more of an off-shoot of obsessive-compulsive behavior versus weird habits, but, there they are. |
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I can't believe how easily my feelings get hurt. I mean, sometimes it's just a little thing. And then I think, I wonder how easily I have hurt others' feelings.
Take the other day for example. It's amazing how fragile men's egos are and how easily they are hurt. I was on the phone with my friend and my husband comes in all excited about the football game he is watching. Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE football, but I was engrossed in a very deep conversation with my friend. I sort of brushed him off and it really hurt his feelings. My friend caught it right away, but not me. At first I could not figure out why he was acting angry at me, but when she asked if I had hurt his feelings I thought -- yep, that's what it is alright!
Then yesterday after church I was again talking with my friend and we were again continuing the deep conversation. At one point I said something that I realized after getting off the phone that she could have taken not at all the way I intended and it could really have hurt her feelings. I have not talked to her today (nor has she emailed me) so I hope she is not upset with me. I love her dearly and would hate to think I had said anything to hurt her.
As humans we are so easily hurt, aren't we? And we hurt others easily, also. Thankfully, God is there to help us when these things happen -- or else I don't know what I would do. Since the first of the year I have been trying to get my act together as far as my prayer life, Bible study, and "being still" goes. I want to be able to hear the Holy Spirit when he tries to get through to me. And I don't want to hurt God's feelings when he is trying to show me something and I just brush Him off. I don't want to say things that will hurt Him when we are conversing. I want to be more in touch with Him.
I have a calendar hanging beside my desk here at home with different verses on it. This month's verse is "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart." (Psalm 27:14). So I want to practice "waiting" -- so maybe that way my feelings won't get hurt so easily if I "wait" before speaking, jumping to conclusions, or taking offense. |
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Today I went out on a limb and applied for an Operations Supervisor job with my company. As you know, I am a medical transcriptionist and have been for many MANY years (since I was 19 and I am now 47-1/2)! I have on several occasions been a supervisor, editor/proofer, QA analyst, etc. and recently there have been openings in the company where I presently work. Even though I work at home, they use remote folks to do almost all the real work for the company. So, I don't know whether I will get it or not -- but at my age just applying for it was a challenge. I have been out of the "basic 4" of transcription for over 4 years and now I only transcribe ER reports and clinic notes. This job will get me away from transcription (again) and I probably will not be able to work my way back into transcription again if I take this job. So many things to consider. Do I really want to be out of the "action" of transcription? Do I want a job with much more responsibility? At least now when I get my lines in I am through, I don't have to worry about anything else that may need to be done. If I get this job I will be responsible for about 70 transcriptionists -- from everything to account assignments to payroll to disciplinary actions. Do I really want that this late in the game? But, on the other hand, the money will be a lot better (at least I hope it will be better - LOL). I'll let you know how it pans out. |
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Just a quick blog to make a few comments about our Christmas. Okay, maybe not so "quick" but anyhoo.....
I have been fortunate enough to be off since the 20th -- good thing too since I had so much baking to do. On the 22nd I had both younger daughters, my 3 grandsons, 2 of their friends, and the daughter of another friend baking sugar cookies. This is a tradition at our house and even the baby got to cut out and decorate his own cookies (even though most of his sugar crystals wound up on the floor of the kitchen and in his hair!).
Then the 23rd was my oldest dd's birthday and we had candlelight service at the church. Afterwards we all went back to our house and had munchies and crunchies while she opened her birthday presents. Then movie watching and bed (finally).
On the 24th we had a lot more baking to do, and then opening of presents from each other. Since my girls are way past the jolly old man hype, we had our Christmas at 12:30 a.m. Which, by the way, will now be a new tradition at our house since they got to get their presents and my dh and I got to sleep in on Christmas morning! A win-win situation for all :-)
Then my mom came by for a little while, oldest dd and hubby and kids came by for their Santa, and then off to my in-laws' house for lunch with dh's family. Then, the end of a wonderful day -- munchies and crunchies with MIN and her family, then off to see the Narnia movie. This was another first for us -- seeing a movie at the theater on Christmas Day and we all enjoyed it so much that I believe we may just make this another tradition (provided Hollywood gives us another such wonderful selection)!
Hanukkah celebration at MIN's last night (the 26th) had to be cancelled because her ds got very ill -- we have put it off for about 2 weeks. Tonight (the 27th) we are going to my middle sister's house for gifts and more munchies and crunchies. Whew, then it's back to work for me!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Maybe you, too, can develop some new traditions! |
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Yep, winter has finally set in -- at least about as wintery as it gets for the most part around here -- slight frosting further north of us (poor MIN) but OF COURSE we only get really cold, wet rain!
Have to trek to Raleigh tonight for the Homeschool Honor Society service project that the girls have to participate in -- and will be on a mission for a Star of David cookie cutter to make sugar cookies for the Hanukkah celebration at MIN's on the 26th. Maybe there will be one at AC Moore's or Michael's.
Work has been horrible today -- have worked for 6 hours and gotten only about half of my line count for today. Oh, well, glad I have been getting "extra" lines this past week!
Can hardly wait until the 20th. My boss gave me off until the 27th! Hoo boy, the folks around here won't know what to do with me with all that time on my hands -- of course, every day has at least 3 things scheduled including lots and lots of baking. Just saw a homemade laundry detergent recipe on another blog and I might even get ambitious and try that! I just love saving money and making stuff -- so that would kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
Now if I could just find a good recipe for making money! |
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I can't believe the "blog policewoman" (MIN) has not gotten on me for not blogging since the 18th of November! She is surely falling down on the job (LOL).
Anyhoo, we had an absolutely wonderful time at church today. We had a visiting speaker and he was incredible. My hubby was rolling with laughter and crying at the same time. It was truly a blessing we both needed. My 15yodd taught Children's Church today so she really missed an excellent sermon. I got a copy of a CD with the same sermon on it for her. I just know she will love it. Plus, the speaker gave her a couple of books (including a children's book) that he had written and another CD for her of a sermon he had recorded. So, she is happily enjoying those now.
I had promised myself that my calendar would NOT fill up for the Christmas holidays -- boy, who was I trying to fool?!?! Yesterday is the only day that we didn't have something to do until after the 27th! My boss gave me several days off at Christmas so the girls and I can get some much-needed baking done. I have been going through my recipes trying to find some of the old favorites from my childhood that my mama, grandma, and aunts used to make to try with the girls. And, of course, I have to have the 3 grandsons over on the 22nd to bake cut-out cookies. That has been a tradition of ours since my oldest ones were very, VERY young and we have tried to continue doing that even during tough times.
I remember the first time my son (who is in the Army) missed the cookie baking -- it was very hard for me. And, he just called last night to say that he would not be home for Christmas this year at all. So, another bake-off he will miss. The 6yo grandson is really excited about the cookies -- he always does all the reindeer -- he says his brothers are too little to get the antlers right!
So, after a wonderful day (and very busy week) I am heading back to my transcription, and preparing (mentally) for the even more busy week coming up. Ahh, to have an hour to soak in a hot tub! |
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Okay, today has been an interesting one in our home. Aside from my usual work day, the girls went on a field trip with the local 4-H/homeschool support group. Anyhoo - my girls (Rachel, 15 and Missy 12, along with my friend's daughter that I hs Ileana, 11) went with another friend of our family and her daughter (Vicky, 14). In the hs support group there is a varying range of ages, from very young (around 4) to our teen girls along with a few boys in their age range.
Today they went to the Bennett Place in Durham - a Civil War memorial of sorts. The leaders of the 4-H group chose the weapons exhibit as the tour for the group. Now, my girls are not really into weapons (unless you count those they "need" in their many computer/playstation games), so this was not a field trip they really wanted to be involved in at all. I practically had to force them out the door.
When they returned home, Missy and Ileana informed me that they had been "bored to tears" on the trip. Rachel, ever the optimist, told me she really liked it and had even brought home some authentic recipes from the museum for us to try (like potato soup and baked corn - which sounds an awful lot like my aunt's corn pudding that we all love so very much). My friend who drove them came in and said that the girls had not enjoyed the trip very much. I told her that that was the very thing they had just told me. Then she said, "so what DO they enjoy?"
After she left, that gave me pause to think about that question: What do they enjoy? After much pondering, this is what I have come to realize about my girls: 1. They are all very different -- wow, an epiphany, huh? I don't have a problem with one of them not liking something that maybe I think I might enjoy or another of them might enjoy. They are free to pursue their own interests -- isn't that what hs'ing is all about anyway. 2. My friend later said to me in an email that her daughter liked the trip and that maybe my kids just had too much fun stuff to do at home to appreciate getting out -- that Vicky looks for every reason under the sun to "escape" -- well, I'm not sure I agree with that. First, my girls do have a lot of fun things to do at home -- not just their computers and game stations as my friend was implying -- but, we read all day long, play family games together, attend an awesome church where they have forged true and lasting friendships with other youth that are like-minded, are involved in many activities that get them out of the house and around other kids like them, and they truly enjoy being with us (the dreaded parents) here at home. 3. They are in the middle of their lives, learning where they want to go and who they will be in this world for God. Rachel finally, after many changes of mind (she is my true blonde), has decided that she is going to pursue an early childhood education degree to enable her to go to Japan and work with children in orphanages while doing mission work. She has always wanted to go to Japan, loves manga (sp?) and anime (sp?), and her heart is truly for kids. She has begun working in children's church on Sundays and babysits for the Celebrate Recovery meetings on Friday nights for the church. Now, how many 15yo girls do you know would give up their Friday nights to watch a bunch of kids while their dysfunctional parents try to get it together? As for Missy, well, she is only 12 -- doesn't that say it all? I mean, she knows that she wants to be a doctor (of sorts) and is really into her math and science, but she is still only 12. She wants to dance, dream, play Age of Mythology, and listen to Avril Lavigne and Thousand Foot Krutch and Relient K. She wants to swing outside for as many hours as I will allow and cuddle on the couch watching Surface with me and her dad.
So, I guess this day was really a good field trip -- at least for me. I have come away from it with a newfound respect for my girls, and their individuality. I thank God that they don't want to follow the crowd, that they can think for themselves, and that they have their own interests. So what if each of them did not enjoy the field trip today in the same way? They each got something out of it, an experience - either good or bad - that otherwise they would not have had. And I got to see them in a different light -- all from that question "so, what do they enjoy?" |
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Well, since last night things at my house have certainly changed! My daughter, the one with the 3 boys, got married in September (not to the biological sperm donor for the boys thank the good Lord) and they have all been continuing to live with us. Well, they have rented an apartment, in a whirlwind, and will be moving probably over the next few days. This has left me with a lot of feelings that I can't quite sort out.
I know that they need/want to be out on their own, and I believe that is what they need to do, but I worry. They have no realistic expectations as far as money goes. He had her quit her job, telling her that her job was being home with the boys. Now, under normal circumstances I would wholeheartedly agree with him. But, she never wanted children, only had these in the hopes that their "donor" would marry her -- she was that crazy (in the head) about him. Anyway, she has been slowly getting more and more ill and cranky being "stuck" in the house with the younger ones all day and then the 6yo coming home from school, not wanting to do his homework, whining because he is so tired from being at school all day (I really think he would do better hsing, but she will have none of that), and she is really starting to lose it with the boys. She is a "yeller", sits around all day and yells at the boys "get back in your room", "get out of my face, I don't want to see you again", etc.
So, even though they need to be responsible for themselves, I am worrying about the boys. And money is going to be an issue for them. He has no concept of money at all. If he gets hungry, he will go out and buy fast food to eat. Oh, and he only eats hamburgers and frozen pizzas. Now, around here we eat a lot of stews, soups, chili, noodles/veggies/tuna or chicken, etc. But he won't touch any of that. Now, she is not much of a cook, never planned on having to do much cooking so never took an interest in learning. The most she can handle is the noodles/casseroles types of dishes, and he won't eat those. Do you see a problem coming?
But, on the up side. My husband, even though he is worried about the boys, too, is glad they are getting out. He has seen how my heart aches over things that happen here. I work at home and the yelling is not conducive to my getting any work done. But, he is feeling good about them moving because it will finally be just us and the girls here at home. It's been a very, VERY long time since it was just us. And ya' know, I'm kind of looking forward to it myself, now that I think about it.
Oh well, can you see how conflicted I am about all of this? I feel -- I don't know how I really feel. I'm not that good at putting a name/label on my feelings. Maybe that's something I need to talk about in Celebrate Recovery on Friday night. Well, it's almost midnight, better get to bed. Tomorrow is another day, praise the Lord! |
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Not often can I say that a total, complete, whole day was a good day -- but today was one of them. First, I slept in this morning which is something that I hardly ever get to do -- even though I work at home and my youngest is 12 already so it's not like I have a train to catch or a baby to feed -- but I just never seem to be able to sleep in. Then I got up and made a huge pot of chicken noodle soup. The whole house smelled so good (and still does even after midnight as I write this) and everyone in the house said they liked it - which is a miracle in and of itself!
Spent a lot of time working on another blanket I am crocheting (seems I have been making a lot of them lately). Then we had church. What a blessing that was. I really enjoy the folks there and I feel so close to all of them. We are a church full of praying, caring believers and we truly strive to support each other and the community. Got home from church and watched Invasion on tv. I really like that show. Then spent a little time watching the end of that miserable World Series -- of course, it really didn't matter to me who won because my team is the Braves -- but it's still fun to watch.
Now it's almost 12:30 and my husband just got home from work. His hours have been changed for the past 1-1/2 weeks and I don't like these hours. They really suit him since he is definitely NOT a morning person (as opposed to me), but I hate him getting home so late. I have to be up early to work and it makes me either not see him because I am already asleep when he gets home or I try to stay up and then am VERY cranky the next morning!
But, he's getting a shower now so I thought I would take some time here. This all in all had been a really good day. I didn't blow a gasket over anything, nothing really went wrong, everyone seems to be fairly well, the girls got most of their school work done, and -- oh yeah -- I almost forgot. My 15-year-old daughter got her Driver Education Certificate today so now I have to take her to get her permit. Anyone passing through our way might want to watch out if she's on the road (LOL). She is a true blonde (and she's the first one to laugh at a blonde joke). Her driving instructor at the local high school (who also happens to be my 2nd cousin) told her she was one of the best driver's he had ever had -- and she has never been behind the wheel of a car before! So, really, I guess all those years of watching me (the safe driver in the family) have finally paid off -- she is a very thoughtful and defensive driver -- just like her mom!
Uh-oh, the shower just went off. Better go now. |
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Okay, finally getting around to journaling again. I don't know if this twice a week will work for me or not. Today my friend told me that she really enjoyed reading my last blog about my husband planting flowers for me. Since she knows both my husband and me so well, this really meant something to me. And it was really sweet of him to do that what with everything else going on around here.
When we got home from church today there were 4 calls from different members of his family telling us that his sister Sherry was taken emergently to the hospital around 11 a.m. today. After calling his other sister to find out exactly what was going on, I then had to call him at work and let him know. As it turns out though she was released from the ER and actually was so hungry that my in-laws took her to Appleby's to eat (she really loves the Santa Fe Chicken Salad there) -- so that was a good way to end what could have been a very bad thing.
We eat after the service each Sunday and each meal has a theme. We had Mexican Day today. I made a Mexican Chocolate Pie that everyone seemed to really enjoy. The recipe is really quite simple: 1 graham cracker pie crust or a baked pie shell 1 envelope Dream Whip topping mix 1 large box (6-serving size) Jello Instant Pudding and Pie filling - Chocolate 2-1/4 cups milk Cinnamon Cool Whip - thawed in the refrigerator
Mix the Dream Whip, pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon together by first mixing on the lowest speed thoroughly - increase to next speed and gradually keep increasing speed on your mixer until on the highest setting. Mix on the highest setting for 5-6 minutes.
Spoon into the pie crust. Chill for 3 hours in refrigerator, or if you need it quicker than that, place in freezer until firm. Cover with thawed Cool Whip and sprinkle extra cinnamon on top.
Viola! A really quick pie that everyone seemed to enjoy except for the preacher's middle son who got a HUGE serving of the pie, tried one bite, proceeded to try to give it away, and finally threw it away after he could not convince any of the other kids to take it off his hands (LOL)!
I used a cinnamon from Pampered Chef that is a mixture of other stuff with the cinnamon. My girls really enjoyed the pie. So much so that when I got home I had to make another one. But, since I did not have any chocolate pudding left (only vanilla in the correct size) I made it slightly different this time - used the vanilla and instead of cinnamon I put in butternut vanilla flavoring. They said it was just as good (but not better) than the one at church.
Oh, in addition to the pie I also made a batch of Mexican Cornbread (full of jalapenos and onions) and a Mexican Casserole (also full of jalapenos and onions, tomatoes, beans, hamburger, etc.). Almost all of these got gone, too! I really love it when what I take gets completely eaten -- that way I know that folks enjoyed it. I love to cook and feed others -- one of my greatest pleasures in life.
Okay, guess I had better get back to work now. |
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Yesterday was my 18th wedding anniversary. My husband, who is not the remembering type, brought home 7 fuscia mums for me as a gift. Of course, he did not think about how much work this was going to mean for HIM (since I am not an outdoors/gardening type). I love the end results, just not the doing!
So, today is beautiful here in Butner. There is a light breeze and it's only about 70 degrees. The skies are clear and the sun is bright. My 2 younger girls (Rachel and Missy) along with my friend's daughter (Ileana - whom I also homeschool) are all outside helping Gary put the mums in the ground. They are hauling dirt from the tomato pots to the bed that the mums will call home. And, of course, they are complaining. But by the time they are finished they will be so pleased at their work.
As I sit at my computer trying to get some work done, I find myself drawn to check up on their progress frequently. They are really having a good time out there. They are all in their element. They all love being outside, you have to have a good drenching rainstorm to make Missy get off the swings and inside, and Gary has always been an outdoors type. So, that leaves me -- the perpetual hide inside from any element outside -- looking through the window as they work.
But, I am content to "visit" with them for short periods of time -- and they know that I will love looking at the mums "from afar." It all works out in the end. They get to enjoy the outdoors and I get to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Sounds like a plan to me!
Well, back to work -- sure wish I could get out of it today. Maybe later I'll join the planting crew and take them some iced tea with lemon. Who knows, I might even pull up a chair and sit for a while with them -- but I doubt it :-) |
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This morning I got an email stating that someone had left a comment on one of my posts. I eagerly went to read it (thanks to all who have commented) and it was from my friend, Lea. And wouldn't you know it -- she was getting on me for not writing lately! Funny -- she knows I hate this stuff. Well, maybe not "hate" but I just don't seem to have time most days.
So, I'm writing today. Our church is beginning a new outreach program - Celebrate Recovery - and we are so excited about this. We are having a band come all the way from California to play in our little town -- big news for our area since we are an extremely rural part of NC. The whole program is a Bible-based 12-step program, not just for alcoholics and addicts, but for anyone with "hangups, hurts, or habits." I can't believe how much I have learned about myself by attending the step meetings we have been having on Wednesday nights at church.
Sometimes you just need to have someone else say something about themselves to trigger that realization in yourself. I have realized that I need to spend more "quite time" with God and get myself into the Word more often. I used to think I was doing okay in that area, until I realized that I need to do it EVERY DAY, not just when things are going bad or if I happen to have the time.
Sort of like this journaling stuff. I sit all day on the computer (I do medical transcription from my home) and most days I am just eager to get off of it and do something else. So, today I am going to say that I will try to write at least 2 times a week. No way will I be able to commit to every day -- I know myself too good for that!
I love the way Lea ends her posts -- all that summarization -- I need to come up with a way to end mine. Maybe she will give me some ideas. |
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Well, yesterday was my 6-month checkup following gastric bypass surgery on April 6, 1005. Things went great. I have lost 75 pounds since the surgery, which puts me right on track with what they thought I would be losing. I have not really done what I should be doing, I exercise VERY little. If I had been exercising more then I would probably have seen more weight loss.
As it is, though, I am very pleased with my progress thus far. I have had more energy and been able to do so much more physically than before the surgery. I did not really have any major health problems, just basically way over weight (BMI 54) and had just begun having to use a CPAP machine (though I feel I have needed one for years and just never got checked out for one -- preop made me do it), some knee and ankle pains, but no heart disease or high blood pressure or diabetes. But, all of these run in my family and would have eventually caught up with me.
The most amazing thing for me has been the awareness of what food I actually put in my mouth. When you can only eat 3 ounces without being sick, you really begin to prioritize what you are eating. And, before the surgery I was a chocoholic, now just the thought of chocolate makes me nauseous. I no longer crave sweets like I used to -- though now I have a real love relationship with all things salty and crunchy!
The best part is that I still don't get hungry. Never a hunger pang. I could go all day and not eat, and sometimes have to remind myself to stop what I am doing and eat something (go protein!). I even have to remind myself to get in my fluids because you get "full" so quickly and then you have to wait to consume anything else. It takes all day just to get my water in and most days I don't get enough of that!
Surgery has been the answer for me to a lifelong struggle with my weight. I know it's not for everyone, but for me it was the last-resort answer and has well been worth all I have had to go through to get to this point. I had to fight tooth and nail with my insurance carrier, but finally got approved. The surgery was a breeze, absolutely no complications, and my scars are not even that noticeable. I have had no side effects from the surgery, and have only been nauseous when I ate something that disagreed with me (like chocolate and dairy products). I have had no vomiting episodes except one time about 2 weeks ago when I slept late and dry-heaved following too long of a period without food (kind of like being pregnant and not having those 3 a.m. crackers near the bed to nibble on).
So, life for me is changing. I have lost 2/3 of a person and still plan to lose about another 50 or so pounds. They felt like I would lose 100 to 125 pounds, so I am close to their goal for me. My personal goal was to get to 200 pounds, which I have not weighed in over 27 years (since I was 19 years old). Right now I weigh less than I have weighed in 20 years -- and my husband says it's like having a different wife (I weighed more than I do now when we started dating way back when). My clothes are all falling off of me and a friend gave me some of her clothes (she, too, had the surgery 1-1/2 years ago and went from 253 to 135 in 9 months). I'm beginning to have "loose" skin, which I was really hoping would not happen since most of my weight is in my stomach area, but I can deal with some "bat wings" to get this weight off.
Guess I might need to reconsider this exercise thing and get into a program. Maybe that should be the goal that I begin working on now. |
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Well, last night we found out that my husband's sister, Sheri, has severely advanced lung cancer (metastasis from her breast cancer 4 years ago they think) and the doctors have only given her 2 to 3 months to live. Pray, pray, PRAY. At this point, this is the best thing we can do. I know that God can chose to spare her if it is His will. I just hope that we can continue to pray for His will to be done through this. I just lost my daddy almost 2 years ago to pancreatic cancer, diagnosed on 12/12 and gone by 1/6, and it was a struggle to pray for God's will when I so wanted it to be MY will!
Sheri is about to become a grandmother for the first time, baby due in March, and she doesn't think she will be here to see that happen. I so hope that she will. Being a grandmother has certainly brought out feelings that I didn't have when becoming a mother. I cherish each of my grandsons, even though sometimes I would like to wring their little necks! I pray that God will allow her this blessing before he takes her home. And that is the bright spot in all of this, we know that SHE knows the Lord and that she will be with Him in glory at the end of all of this!
Well, work is calling (again). |
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Well, this is certainly new for me. My friend (minwife) got me into this, sort of. At church we are journaling and I just absolutely hate it. I guess I just don't see where I have the time to do this. So, I thought, why not try what she does? Go on the computer (where I spend most of my life anyway) and just type what I would normally put in that STUPID journal.
So, here goes. We have 4 kids. Our only son, Mike, is 28 and is in the US Army, stationed in El Paso, TX, Ft. Bliss, currently. He is awaiting deployment to Korea with the 108th, now scheduled for June 2006. Lyn, then next in line, is almost 27 and newly married. She has 3 sons (Jon 5, TJ 3, and Cameron 1-1/2). They all live with us. Then there's Rachel (15) and Melissa (Missy, 12) who are still at home and hs'd. We have essentially hs'd them from the beginning with a brief break a couple of years ago when they insisted on going to PS. That lasted about 3 months and then they were dying to get back home! Imagine that.
Anyway, I am a medical transcriptionist by trade and work from my home. I am not particularly happy with the current company I am with, but at least I get to make some money and still be here for the girls. I am finding that as the girls have begun their current school year that I am struggling to get them to do their work. We have used many curriculums and non-curriculums over the years and currently are using the RC (Robinson Curriculum). I particularly like the fact that it is book-based (literature reading). We all are avid readers, so I thought that this would be the ticket.
But, with my work schedule, the girls seem to be slacking even with this format. All they have to do is math (Saxon), reading (RC list and recreational), and writing daily. We are also supplementing with Apologia Biology (through a co-op that meets at my house every other week). Then there's piano and dance, church, youth group, and all the HS group activities (Honor Society, etc.). I've been considering limiting all their outside activities to only church-related stuff until they can get on track with their school work. Maybe even cutting out all their electronically-related activities (computer, PS, email, TV, everything but the radio which is only tuned to KLOVE). Then I think, no, that's way too harsh. Just give them time and they'll straighten up.
Any of you out there with this problem? Any ideas of what I could do to motivate them?
Well, I don't have any time left on break so I'd better get back to work. Maybe I'll tell minwife to look this over. She may have some pointers for me on this blogging stuff -- it's all Greek to me anyway! |