A Typical Breakfast

We've all heard the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I know I look forward to my morning meal everyday, even though it hardly ever varies. I might do something fancy over the weekend, like pancakes and sausage, or waffles and bacon with a side of hash browns (yum), but during the week I like to keep it simple. This is my typical breakfast most days.

I like having a hot breakfast. Yes, I sometimes will have Special K cereal if I'm in the mood. My favorites are the vanilla almond and the cinnamon pecan flavors. But 9 times out of 10 I will have a bowl of maple and brown sugar oatmeal for breakfast. I make mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of water, and I add dried cherries to it.  

I put it in the microwave for two minutes, then sprinkle some cinnamon over it. It is so delicious! It might come off as the perfect fall breakfast, but honestly I eat it all year round.

We never had oatmeal when I was growing up. Whenever my mom mentioned oatmeal it was to tell us how sick of it she was. Growing up during WWII, she told us that there was rationing and shortage of food. There were many mouths to feed in her house, and the one thing they could count on finding in abundance was oatmeal. So everyday my grandma would prepare oatmeal with powdered milk until my mom got so tired of it she preferred skipping breakfast altogether. I got to try oatmeal in Puerto Rico at a cousin's house. She made some for breakfast, and I absolutely loved it. There was no convincing my mom, though. She couldn't even stand the smell of it. Maybe that's why I like it so much, because I missed out on it as a kid.

Along with my oatmeal I have my one and only cup of coffee of the day. Once again, I like my coffee hot. I realize that iced coffee is the rage now, just like overnight oats (also known as muesli). But I do not like iced coffee. At. All. I like my coffee hot and my iced tea sweet. My coffee preference is Kirkland's Pacific Bold from Costco. This is an extra bold coffee, dark and rich. I don't like the medium blends, and I hate the lighter breakfast blends. They don't taste like much of anything to me. This is a delicious, strong coffee, and the price (especially when it's on sale) is cheaper than most places. Aldi's has good priced coffee but I find the taste of this brand to be superior.

I then prepare my vitamin cocktail:

My vitamins are also from Costco because again, price and quality. Every morning I take fish oil pills for my eyes. I suffer from dry eyes, and my eye doctor explained that it's caused by a lack of oils in the eyes. Taking fish oil has definitely helped me in that department. I take a multi-vitamin with iron, along with extra vitamin C. After having worked several years at a tutoring center, I learned the importance of taking vitamin C everyday if I didn't want to be sick all the time. Y'all, kids are germ magnets! School would start in mid August, and by mid September every single one of them had some sort of virus. I don't believe in taking vitamin C when I start to feel sick; I take it everyday as a preventative measure. The last thing I take isn't a vitamin; it's a Zyrtec knockoff that I need for my allergies, especially now in the fall.

I like having a piece of fruit with my breakfast as well. Most of the time it's a banana, but I do enjoy having half a mango whenever I can get my hands on one. I add some sugar and powdered creamer to my coffee. I don't like flavored creamers, and since I'm the only one that drinks coffee (and only one cup a day) it doesn't get used up fast enough and ends up spoiling. So powdered creamer it is.

And that's it, my breakfast of champions! It's filling and healthy, and for me it's the best way to start my day. Have a blessed and restful Labor Day y'all!

 

It's October Already?!

My, how quickly this year has gone by! Seems like just yesterday I started working, and that was back in February. Eight months and I'm still at it! God has certainly been good to me.

It's almost a month since we said goodbye to Molly, and I'm still not used to it. I wait for her to come out at her dinner time; I expect her to be on the rug in the evening, or in the middle of the floor where she can watch us as we walk by. It's hardest when the doorbell rings and there's silence. We knew someone was at the door even before we heard the doorbell - she was standing up, looking out and ready to bark at whoever it was that was disturbing our peace. Now it's just quiet, and we all look at each other with sadness on our faces. I never imagined it would be this hard.

This past Thursday I asked my son R to throw away the last few cans of dog food that were in the pantry. We'd gotten rid of most of her things (except for her collar, leash, and favorite toy; those are keepsakes that are dear to us), but I couldn't bring myself to throwing away her dog food. It seemed so final; I would get choked up every time I attempted to go near them. R took care of it while I was at work, and when I got home and saw they were gone, I cried again. My sweet puppy. What a large hole you've left in our hearts.

School has been going well. My son has A's in all his classes except biology, where he has a B. He's working hard in that class but his teacher is pretty demanding. Her motto is, "If it was easy you wouldn't be learning." Okay, I get it. His favorite class is Personal Finance. These are lessons he feels he will use his whole life, and I'm glad for that. We went to our credit union a couple of weeks ago, and he opened a checking and savings account. His goal is to have $500 in savings, and another $500 to build himself a computer. I'm so proud of his progress.

Between school and work I've kept so busy that I often think about blogging but can't find the time to do it. There's just so much to keep up with around the house. Right now our lawn mower is giving us problems, the master bathroom toilet is running even after I changed the mechanisms inside, I need to get an oil change on my car, hopefully I can get my hair cut sometime this month since I haven't been to my hairdresser since March...my life is on autopilot and I can't find the brakes! I'm seriously looking forward to the holidays and some days off!

I did manage to decorate for fall and rearrange some stuff so I could get a bit more organized. As part of his allowance I'm paying my son E to vacuum and help with laundry. Best money spent in my entire budget!

I think I'm gonna stop here, since I have to clean up the kitchen. Honestly, I need a break, but there's so much to do and so little time. I do want to say thank you to everyone who has sent me comforting comments and messages about Molly. You've all been so kind and compassionate. I don't have the words to tell you how much those words have meant to me.

Hope y'all have a blessed week. Enjoy each day and be thankful.

What's Been Going On

It's amazing what can happen in just a couple of weeks.  Life can take some crazy turns.  Thankfully ours have been pretty positive!

One of the teachers at the tutoring center recently got a job at a Christian school teaching high school math.  I was sad to hear she was leaving but happy for her new job, especially since she's getting married in October.  Little did I know how her new job would impact my family!

My daughter A has been under her father's health insurance ever since I stopped working.  She turns 26 the end of this year, which means she will no longer be covered under his insurance.  Her father has been hounding her ever since her birthday back in December, telling her she needs to get health insurance before her birthday.  She has looking, but health insurance is expensive, especially for a young single woman.  For those who think that government insurance is the answer, think again.  Even Obamacare is costly.  Since she was working two part-time jobs and neither one offered health benefits, she knew she would have to come up with a way to get affordable healthcare, and her options weren't very promising.

Her dad called her about a month ago asking once again if she had found insurance yet.  When she told him she hadn't, he told her not to worry about it, he had found a way to keep her on his insurance and she'd only have to pay him $100 a month.  Now, if I know anything about this man, it's that he can't resist a scam.  I didn't know what he was up to, but I did know one thing for sure: whatever it was, it was illegal.  He doesn't care; as far as he's concerned, it's not illegal unless you get caught.  Well, that was NOT what I wanted for my daughter.  Of course, with J, it's his way and that's that.  But he doesn't know the power of my God!  My daughter and I began to pray that God would provide her with insurance that would be more affordable than what J was insisting on offering.  Seems impossible?  Ha, nothing is impossible for our God!

A week after we started praying, I got home from grocery shopping to find my daughter extremely excited.  It turned out that the girl who was leaving had contacted her.  The school where she was going to start working needed an English teacher, someone with a degree in English, and they needed someone right away.  She immediately thought of A and asked if she was interested.  The school would take care of getting her certification.  The part that had her most excited?  The job would pay her double what both her part-time jobs paid, and she would receive 100% paid health benefits!!  She could hardly contain her excitement!  She was happy and nervous at the same time, and asked me what she should do.  I said hey, go for it!  God is sending you this opportunity, you'd best take it!  She interviewed that same day, and they offered her the job on the spot.  Turns out they'd been needing someone since the school year had finished, and no one - absolutely no one - had applied for the position.  She was the first person to apply, and school was going to start in one week.  The thought of it made her even more nervous, and she said she needed to pray about it.  She spoke to her pastor, her friends, and of course mom.  We looked into the school and the church.  This church has been instrumental in planting many of the churches in South Florida, and their ministry is extensive.  All her friends (many of them teachers themselves) told her they'd be there with help and advise.  We all agreed, this wasn't a coincidence, it was a God-incident.  So she accepted, got her training and certification, and this week started teaching 9th and 11th grade English (including an AP class) along with middle school journalism.  She is the happiest she's been in ages!  Everything has fallen into place so perfectly, that we know it has to be the hand of our ever faithful God!  We are so thankful for this new step in her life!

Of course my bosses weren't as happy as she was.  They were left without two teachers for the fall session which starts next Monday.  But once again, God has provided.  We have three new teachers coming in that got trained this week.  It was rough for my daughter, because she doesn't like to disappoint, but the opportunity was too great to pass up.  It's been hectic with her church job too, but she's such a trouper.  She's getting the work done, and getting all her school assignments done as well (she's working towards getting certified as a pastoral counselor).  God is blessing her hard work, and I can't wait to see what else He has in store for my little girl!

As for me, I've been on an organization kick - or more like a frenzy ;-).  It started in the master bedroom, moved into the kitchen where I've been organizing the pantry and cupboards, and now it has continued into the bathrooms.  I've been throwing out anything that is expired (you'd be surprised what you find hiding in a medicine cabinet) or that doesn't get used, and putting things away properly.  I've shopped at Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree and Amazon for organization tools and containers.  I've also done some deep cleaning before school starts up again, which is on the 24th.  I'm off from work this week (yay!) so I've been able to get loads of stuff done.  I'm very much a type A personality, and having everything streamlined and organized makes me feel relaxed.  I'm loving it!

I took my youngest son E for allergy testing.  Not only were his allergies getting out of control, his eczema was spreading.  Both his arms were covered, his eyes were dry and irritated, and below his chin it was starting up.  It seemed the medicines the dermatologist had ordered weren't enough, so I had to take the next step.  He had to get off his maintenance medicines for 5 days so the tests could be accurate.  It was the most miserable 5 days of his life!  He literally needed a trash can next to him to drop all the tissues he was using because he was sneezing so much.  When we finally got to the doctor's office for the tests, they got delayed because E was having a mild asthma attack.  See, the day before we'd gone to see Hillsong United in concert, and it was held outdoors in a park.  The outdoors are my son's enemies, unfortunately.  He was coughing but he wasn't wheezing, at least not heavily, so I hadn't detected it, but the doctor noticed right away.  Once he was breathing normally, the doctor proceeded with the tests.  Thankfully my son has no food allergies.  He does, however, have a ton of other allergies, all environmental.  Trees, grass, mold, plants...let's just say, he's allergic to Florida.  The doctor put him on prednisone and gave him an inhaler, along with eye drops, nose drops, and instructions for taking care of the eczema.  He also suggested I get an air purifier, which I ordered the very next day.  I'm happy to report that his eczema is almost completely gone thanks to the creams he's using (Vanicream is the best, I highly recommend it), and I haven't heard him sneeze in days.  Oh, thank You Jesus!

We found out he's also allergic to pet dander, particularly dogs and cats.  This has created a dilemma for us, because we can't get rid of Molly.  Not only because we love her, but because she has cancer, and she's dying.  The second tumor on her belly has started to grow, and we don't think she has very much longer to live.  We know no one will take her in her condition, and if we take her to the humane society they'll put her down.  We've decided to keep her until the inevitable, which J is against (he's wanted us to get rid of Molly since day one), but honestly I don't believe we will have her for much longer.  It breaks our hearts to even think about it.

Sorry to end on a sad note (I didn't realize it till I looked back) but life is like that; it has its ups and downs.  We thank God for the good, and we thank Him for the not-so-good.  In all things we praise our God and Father and trust in His decisions.  Hope you do too.

What I've Been Up To

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, busy and productive weeks.  Let's see if I can remember what all I've been up to.

I'm on an organizing kick.  Spring cleaning so to speak, except in the summer.  I've been getting rid of clutter and putting things in order.  I hate clutter; I avoid having things I don't need or having things in the wrong places.  But with work and home and church and everything in between, things have fallen to the wayside and been pushed back on the priority list, until one day I looked and said, "Enough is enough!!"  It started in my bedroom closet.  I'd bought some clothes and was having trouble fitting it all into my closet.  It was starting to look messy and out of control.  One day I decided to go through my clothes and pull out anything that could be donated so that my closet wouldn't feel so cramped.  That was all that was needed to get me motivated.  I not only got a donation pile going, I organized all my clothes, shoes and purses.  I decided to take any "winter" clothes out (winter clothes in South Florida means a few long sleeve shirts) which meant I had to organize some of my dresser drawers to fit them in.  When I was done I felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders (when in fact it had been lifted out of my closet).  There's actually room to move in my closet now, and I can see the floor again!  It got my adrenaline pumping for more.

This week it's been the kitchen.  I reorganized the pantry: there are bins to put bagged items in, canisters for snacks, pastas, flours and cereals.  The slow cookers were moved to the storage cabinet in the garage to make room for food containers.

The shelves outside the pantry were organized as well.  To make it easier for us to find things, I labeled everything with chalk labels so that the information can be changed at any time.  Now we can easily see where everything is without having to move everything or having five items fall on the floor trying to reach for one item.

Today I emptied out several kitchen cabinets, then put things away so as to make the kitchen flow better.  I moved all my spices to the cabinet on the left of the stove.  This was where I used to keep my spices originally, until we remodeled the kitchen and J insisted that cabinet should have a glass door.  I didn't want to keep my spices there anymore, because I was concerned it would look messy, so I put glassware there and put my spices in the cabinet on the right of the stove.  Problem is, I was using the left side cabinet as more of a display cabinet, which ultimately meant my cabinet space was reduced.  I'd already lost cabinet space when J decided that one of my cabinets should be converted into a trash bin (why do people who never cook or spend more than 2 minutes in a kitchen think they know better than the folks who actually use the kitchen?).  My kitchen was so cramped.  I had to move so many things around just to get my spices out because of the way the cabinets were made; the right side cabinets are corner cabinets, but they were not built as corner cabinets.

The cabinet on the left goes all the way back to the wall, but the one on the right has no access to that space, so if I need something from the back of the cabinet I have to empty the entire shelf to reach it.  Many of my spices ended up back there; cooking became a hassle of moving things in and out of the cabinet, creating more of a mess.  As you can see, I took the spices out of the cabinet and put canned goods there instead.  I had some of my canned goods in my kitchen and some in the storage cabinet in the garage; again, every time I needed something I had to go out of my way to find it instead of having it nearby.  I decided to put my glasses, mugs, and all our drinking cups in the cabinet above the sink.  I've ordered a 3-tier spice shelf/rack for my spices from Amazon.  It's bamboo so it'll match the color of my cabinets, and it'll keep my spices neat so I won't worry about what my cabinet looks like.  I'll have to remember to take a picture once I've got it all done.

I also cleaned out my refrigerator and freezer.  It's amazing how many things are hidden in the back of the fridge - items that have expired but we've forgotten they're there.  I found some file folder holders at Target for $3 that work perfectly for holding onions and potatoes.  I have to keep these in the fridge because, with our heat and humidity, they would go bad in no time.  This works much better and keeps them longer.

Speaking of heat and humidity, I don't know about the rest of the country but it is H-O-T in Florida!  Granted, it isn't as hot as it was last year, but it's still sweltering, especially in the afternoons right before the thunderstorms start.  We are in the rainy season now, getting hammered with rain every afternoon for about a half hour.  I cut the grass and it grows back in no time.  Allergies are on the rampage thanks to this weather.  My boys are especially susceptible; they are sneezing all the time, and while R has the itchy, watery eyes, E has eczema.  E has an appointment to see the allergist for testing on August 3rd.  He has to be off all allergy medicines for five days before he can be tested.  I'm not looking forward to that - he's gonna be miserable.

My daughter has been busy with work and school.  She is taking online courses to get certified in pastoral counseling.  Nothing like having a child who can tell you everything that's wrong with you :P.  Actually, she's learning a lot and has a strong desire to help teenagers and young people.  Her dream is to work with the A21 Campaign, an organization that helps victims of human trafficking.  I pray God would use her to help many suffering people to know they can have hope in Christ.

Of course, I did some shopping for beauty products during Bare Escentuals' Beauty Rush sale.  I actually wasn't going to get anything, and I didn't even place my order until late that night because I kept debating whether to place an order, but ultimately I got a Complexion Superstars set containing two mineral veils (one loose and one compact), a bronzer called The High Dive which is in a compact, a gorgeous highlighter called Bare Radiance, and a blush that I've been wanting for a long time called Vintage Peach.  I like peach colors more than pinks on me, and this one is a soft peachy tone that is very feminine.  It also has a blush brush.  All for $21 - just the blush retails for $18.  I also got a brush set that contains 5 brushes (2 face and 3 eye) and a gold-toned case for $18 (original price was $49). I decided to get these because we are going to Disney World in September and I wanted makeup that would be easy to bring along.  A lot of the Bare Minerals products are loose powders which makes them a little tricky to travel with, though I still plan on taking a few items.

Those have been the highlights of the past couple of weeks.  I'm going to continue focusing on organizing and purging.  I know, I've got to blog about it!  I'll keep it in mind ;).  Have a blessed rest of your weekend.

Week...No, Wait, Month In Review

I've stayed away from my blog all this month, not by choice but by life.  It seems the minute I sit down something needs to get done, someone needs to talk, I remember something I was supposed to do...it's a never-ending cycle.

Let's get a quick recap of what's happened in May.  For one thing, my son E is almost finished with school.  He has taken 3 of his 6 finals and passed each one.  He ended up with an A in algebra (92%), an A in leadership (98%), and an A in music history (96%).  All his work has been turned in, and now he has to take his Hope, English, and Science finals so he can be done.  We are both looking forward to being done, though I suppose he's looking forward to it more.

The church where my daughter works has finally moved into their new building, which has been under construction for the past year.  There were issues these past couple of months, including a break-in to the construction site in which materials and tools were stolen.  Inspections were probably the biggest delay; they never happen when they're supposed to.  Still, God came through as He always does, and this Sunday is the grand opening celebration.  There was a soft opening last Sunday, and I was excited to go because my daughter was singing!  She has sung before, but only for children's and youth ministries.  This time she was on main stage, and yes, mama was proud!  She is also blessed to be singing tomorrow for the grand opening, which mama will not miss!

Molly is doing so much better.  It's hard to believe she is suffering from cancer; honestly, she doesn't appear to be suffering at all.  She still has a bit of a limp, though not as pronounced as it was before the surgery.  She has recovered from the surgery remarkably well.  Our Molly is acting like a puppy once again.  We hope it will last.

As for my oldest son, I don't see him much.  He's been working quite a few hours, covering for people who are out.  When he's home he's on his computer or playing a video game.  Otherwise, he's out with his friends.

I enjoyed my very simple, very quiet Mother's day, though my oldest son was gone the whole day (he forgot what day it was.  Mama was not happy).  My daughter cooked for me - shrimp and steak sandwiches, absolutely delicious!  My gift from my kids was, what else, makeup!  I got some eye makeup and a really nice brush from Bare Minerals.  My cousin came over with her 3 kids and they brought me flowers.  She isn't technically my cousin; she's J's cousin, but I've known her since she was a toddler, and I babysat her for years.  When she was older she babysat my kids, so they're like siblings more than cousins.  It was sweet of them to bring me flowers and spend some time with me.

For Mother's day I wore a beautiful dress that I got from New York and Company.  The dress is black lace, but unlike most lace dresses that have a white underlay, this one has a two-toned pink underlay.  It has stripes in light and bright pink, and the way it comes through the lace makes the dress so unique, I've gotten multiple compliments!  I felt really pretty in the dress too, which is what every woman wants.

I got a few items from that trip to NY&Co, since I had City Cash and a coupon.  I got several tops and a cardigan - I wear cardigans a lot at work.  They look professional without being heavy, which is good because it has been H-O-T here in South Florida!  Thankfully it hasn't been very humid, though we have had some rainy days, but the temps are already in the upper 80's and low 90's.  I can't imagine what our summer will be like if our spring is so hot.

I also took advantage of a Bare Minerals Beauty Rush sale and got some skincare at a super discounted price.  Cleanser, eye cream, and two anti-aging creams for $39.  Just the wrinkle repair cream is normally $50, so I got a really nice deal!  I also got some mini lip sticks and lip glosses.  All in all a nice stash of makeup.  I had to get myself another organizer because it was getting a bit out of hand - there was makeup piling up and makeup bags filling up, and I can't stand a mess.  It all looks much neater now, and my makeup is more accessible.

That's gonna be it for now.  There's plenty more I can add but laundry needs to get folded, my bed needs to get made, and my daughter wants to go to the mall later on.  Not to mention that J is coming to pick up E in a little while and I'm hoping to get some studying done before that.  Yes, plenty to do, but thankful God gives me the energy to do it!  Have a blessed weekend.

Week's Review - Is It Over Yet?

My week has been like the weather - hectic and all over the place.  We've had hot days, humid days, rainy days, stormy days...it was more like summer than spring.  Then this morning, the sky was clear and blue, and there was a sweet breeze blowing.  Everyone was shocked at the change!  Life is kinda like the weather; it can change from one day to the next.

My days are busy, busy, busy.  School in the mornings, work in the afternoons, church on Wednesdays.  Meals, laundry, housecleaning, dog tending.  It's a never ending cycle, but I'm getting the hang of it.  I think.

This week E took his unit exam for algebra.  Quadratics have been a headache for him and for me as well, because I don't remember doing them.  His exam was two parts; part one was multiple choice, and part two was 5 questions broken down into 3-4 parts, which meant it was really 16 questions.  He finished part one and got a 64%.  That really upset me, because he did study for the test, but the questions were tricky.  There were times when he would say, "it's either A or C," and invariably he'd pick the wrong one.  I was stressed about the second part of the exam more than he was, because a) the second part is always harder, and b) this material will be on his semester exam and he doesn't seem comfortable with it.  He did part 2 Tuesday night, and it took him 3 hours to complete it.  I decided he needed more help than what I was giving him, so I got him a tutoring session at work.  The tutor he got is a great teacher; he's studying finance at the local university, and is a brilliant young man.  I'm so thankful that E got the session.  He feels more confident now.  And today, when the scores were posted and I saw my son got a 94% on part two of his test, it made me feel so much better!  I really shouldn't have stressed so much.  If I'd given it to God from the start I would have saved myself a lot of internal frustration.  I hope I've learned this lesson.

Molly has continued to improve.  As a matter of fact, she's been behaving like a puppy again, so we were very optimistic.  Then I got the dreaded call from the vet this morning.  Our suspicions were confirmed: it is cancer.  The tumor that was removed was a stage 2 mass cell tumor, and this type of tumor will continue to spread.  The vet told me he would refer me to an oncologist, and I thanked him but explained that we'd already discussed it and decided we would not put our beloved dog through chemotherapy.  I just feel it's cruel to make an animal suffer through that horrible treatment, and honestly, each time I've heard of pets that have been put through chemo, it's always been the same outcome.  They end up dying of cancer anyway.  I simply cannot do that to Molly.  The doctor said she might do fine for another two years, or she might last six months.  Either way, we will do whatever it takes to keep her comfortable and happy, and when the time comes, we will say goodbye and be thankful to God for the time He allowed us to have her.  She has been a joy for us; I don't regret taking her in and caring for her.  She has been the best dog I've ever met, the most loving, affectionate, sweet dog in the world.  There is a dreary cloud over us today, but the silver lining around it is the reminder of all good times we've had.  She's been a rare treasure, and we are oh so thankful for her.

Our women's bible study group this morning was a real thought provoking study.  We were challenged to study the bible, not to gain more knowledge, but to know God better.  A challenge to read scripture, not for what I can get out of it or what it can do for me, but to see God in its pages and understand my Father in a more intimate way.  I hadn't thought about it, but how many times don't I pick up the bible to look for guidance for me, to seek answers for me, to feed me spiritually.  Me, me, me.  What I should be asking God is, "What do You want me to learn about You today?"  Because in knowing Him better, I will desire more of Him.  And as I desire more of Him, I will want to be more like Him.  And when I am more like Him, I will have all the answers to those questions that I usually go to scripture for.  It was such an eye-opener.

That has been my roller coaster week.  Ups and downs, spinning this way and that.  The ups have been exhilarating, the downs have made my stomach ill.  There is so much change in our lives, but I've learned that I'm tallest when I'm on my knees.  God has gotten me through rougher times than this; He will see me through again.  Have a good night, y'all.  God bless.

Recapping the Past Week

It's been a long and busy past week...but thankfully, a less stressed one.  Not completely stress-free, but let's be honest, does such a day exist when there is absolutely, positively, no stress?  Only after we die.

Molly is healing nicely.  She's in her normal mood again, cheerful, playful, happy.  Since she isn't a complainer, it's hard to determine when she's in pain or distress; now that we see her so full of pep we realize she was not comfortable with the tumor.  At all.  There was never any whimpering or crying, just lack of energy and no desire to play, though her appetite was never affected.  She is so totally different from Tobey, our first dog, who let us know when he was not feeling well.  I guess the male of the species aren't so different, one creature from another.

My son E, on the other hand (or should I say on the left hand?), had me running from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what in the world was that nasty rash on his hand.  The rash was first detected by his doctor around his left eye.  She said it looked like eczema and gave him medicine for it which took care of the problem.  Then a similar rash took over his left hand.  It looked awful; first it started as a slight rash, then as it got more intense I had him put the medicine from his eye on his hand.  It didn't do much of anything.  Since E has had eczema before, I was able to recognize similarities in this rash, though he'd never gotten it on his hand.  It was always on his elbows or behind his knees.  Still, I thought that's what it looked like, so I went to the pharmacy and got him some Neosporin for eczema.  The itching stopped, but the rash got worse - I mean really bad.  I took him to the doctor (his doctor wasn't in so an associate saw him), who determined it must be a fungus, since the eczema medicine wasn't working.  The doctor honestly admitted he didn't know for sure what it was.  He gave E another cream, and said if it didn't get better we should see a dermatologist.  The cream seemed to work for the first couple of days, but soon after it started making matters worse.  E complained every time he put the on medicine because it burned.  That was not good.

His father showed up that Saturday after not having seen or spoken to his son in two weeks.  All of a sudden he decided he needed to be a dad and take care of the situation because I hadn't done enough.  He wasn't around when the rash started, nor did he know what I'd done, but he started putting on a show, telling me I should have taken him to see a dermatologist from the start, and taking pictures of E's hand to "figure out" what it was.  I was angry and annoyed for hours.  How can one human being disrupt a household the way he does?!  He doesn't fool anyone; we all see through his act, including E.

As I saw the rash not improving, I went ahead and made the appointment with the dermatologist for the following Friday (this past Friday).  Tuesday I got a call from J asking how E was doing, and that he'd been trying to get in touch with the dermatologist to make an appointment for him but was unable to get through.  He claimed he was extremely concerned because the rash looked "dangerous". I told him I'd already made an appointment, and had gotten through to the dermatologist just fine.  Once again, I was convinced he was just putting on a show.  E spoke to his dad on Wednesday because it was his dad's birthday, and once again his father asked for a picture of his hand to see how it was doing.  Friday couldn't come fast enough, as far as I was concerned.  I wanted to get this thing over with once and for all.

Finally the dermatologist was able to see him, and guess what?  It's eczema.  No fungus, no "dangerous condition", just eczema.  The medicines I had weren't strong enough to take care of the problem, so the doctor prescribed a stronger hydrocortisone cream and told us that, just as in the past, this would eventually go away on its own.  In the meantime we would treat it, and there was nothing to worry about.  After the doctor, I took E home and went to do some grocery shopping.  I was at Walmart when J called asking what it was E had because E had told him but he didn't understand.  When I told him it was eczema, he didn't know how to respond.  His first comment was, "But that's just dry skin."  Which of course it isn't, but I just said uh-huh.  Then he asked about the blisters on E's hand.  What blisters?  E didn't have any blisters at any time.  His skin was dry and cracked, but it never blistered.  He claimed there were blisters in the pictures E sent him.  I know there were no blisters, and he was being a drama queen as usual.  Here's the interesting part: we haven't heard from him since.  He didn't show up on Saturday to see his son or take him out, he didn't even call to ask if his hand was better.  Once he realized the show was over, he disappeared.  And then he wonders why his kids don't ever reach out to him.  

The rest of the week went by fine.  E finished his schoolwork a day early, which was great since he had to be at the doctor's on Friday.  He's got straight A's so far, and we are praying that continues, since finals are going to be coming up in the next few weeks.  His hand, by the way, has improved dramatically.  I expect the skin to be back to normal before weeks end.  Thank You Jesus!  Weather-wise, it has been scorching.  Yesterday we were in the 90's.  Thankfully the humidity hasn't been as high as in the summer, but still, it felt like we were in the 100's.  I don't even want to think about what the summer will be like.  Praise God for air conditioning!!!

Saturday I stayed home all day getting the house cleaned up.  We were all suffering the effects of allergy season this week, and I was finally feeling better, so I didn't want to go out and provoke my sinuses to shut down.  Yesterday we went to church, then my daughter and I went to the outlet mall for a little shopping.  There's a Bare Minerals outlet there, and since I had a $20 off coupon I decided to get some concealer.  The small sample I got back in November is finally running out.  I also picked up a neutral lip liner and a gorgeous blue eyeliner.  Then we went to the CCO (Cosmetic Company Outlet) and I picked up a Mac Face And Body foundation for $19.  It usually goes for almost $30 so I was thrilled to get it so cheap.  My daughter got some too.  Can't wait to try it out!  She had gotten a Forever 21 gift certificate back in December for her birthday, so she decided to bring it along and see if she could find something she liked.  She got a really cute handbag that was on sale, so of course she was excited - I thought she'd start dancing in the store!  We also stopped at Teavana for some herbal teas.  She got a ginger coconut tea that is delicious!  We had some last night, and while it doesn't say it's relaxing, I can tell you I slept like a baby.  I could get used to that stuff!

That's my recap for the week.  I'm hoping and praying we have a stress-free week, but if not, it's okay.  God's got my back.  Blessings to everyone!

My "Day Off"

I wanted to post about my crazy "day off" yesterday, but by the end of the day I was beyond exhausted.  I couldn't even think straight anymore.  So here I am, giving a recap of Friday on Saturday, though I can't say I'm fully recovered.

Let me just mention, for starters, that I love to decorate.  I love fixing up my house, whether for holidays and special occasions or just everyday.  I love changing things up.  I love moving furniture around and into different rooms to get a new look.  Even when I was young and living with my parents, I would change things up and move them around.  I love to paint, I love to clean and polish and dust and shop for beautiful things...you get the picture.

When my two older kids came home from living in Central Florida, they brought a bunch of furniture with them, including a sofa and love seat we'd bought them at a furniture outlet store.  At first I put them in the garage, since my son's desire was to look for a place and take the furniture with him.  Things didn't work out for him financially, and it made no sense to me to have brand new furniture in the garage while I was sitting on faded furniture that was 13 years old.  So I sold the old sofa and love seat and put the new items in the family room.  It worked quite nicely.

Last year I decided to get an electric fireplace/media center for the living room, and I got rid of the enormous wall unit that was in the family room.

The wall unit worked while we had the oversized television set, but once that broke (and there was no way to get it repaired) I was left with a gaping hole in the wall unit.  I tried fitting other things in there but it didn't work.  Out it went, and a television table the kids brought back with them took its place.

I'd originally put it in the living room, but I moved it to the family room and put the fireplace/media console in there instead.  I flanked it with bookshelves, a look I documented here.  And that worked as well.  I was super happy with the way the house looked.

Unfortunately, the furniture we'd bought for the kids was not the greatest quality.  It was 3 1/2 years old but looked like we'd been sitting on it for 20 years.  The cushions were attached to the furniture, and they were sagging horribly.  The frame under the cushions also appeared to be sagging.  The fabric itself looked the worse for wear.  It's microfiber, which usually stands up to all kinds of abuse, but this fabric was stained and the stain wasn't coming off.  I tried covering the sofa with a fluffy blanket so the sagging wouldn't show too much, but it wasn't fooling anyone.  I had moved this furniture into the living room at Christmastime because the tree wouldn't fit in there with the recliners and sofa, and after Christmas everyone wanted the ugly furniture to stay in the living room because "they made the room look bigger."  I thought it made the room look dingy.  I wanted so badly to get rid of it, but I didn't want the huge expense.  I thought about going out looking at garage sales or second hand furniture, though there's always a chance I'll end up with something as bad or worse than what I already had.  

After Christmas Costco always puts their home furnishings out.  I was walking by the seasonal aisle on my way to the meat section, when I saw a gorgeous, huge sectional.  It was a lovely beige fabric, light but durable, with the nailhead design that I love so much.  It was $999, a great price for this large piece of furniture but more than I wanted to spend.  I sat on it for a minute and loved how comfortable it felt.  Ah, if I could only find something similar but at a lower price!  A couple of  months later I saw that the price had been reduced - a common occurrence when Costco is ready to bring in the next seasonal item, in this case patio furnishings.  Now the price was $699 - a whole $300 off!  I was tempted, but at the same time, how would I get this home?  I don't have a truck or SUV anymore.  Besides, I was wanting to get some cabinets to organize the garage, and my car needs new tires.  Spending $700 on a sectional wasn't an option right now.

Because I have executive membership at Costco, I get a yearly rebate from them.  I wasn't expecting much; I buy from Costco regularly but I hadn't bought anything major, so there was no reason for me to get much money back.  I was totally surprised when the rebate check came in: $116.  The wheels in my head started turning really fast.  With this rebate check I'd be able to get the sectional for under $600.  No way was I going to find a deal like that anywhere else anytime.  I'd have to act, and fast.  Time (and inventory) was running out.

When I told my daughter what I wanted to do, she suggested renting a truck from Home Depot.  Home Depot rents vans and large pick-up trucks for $19.95 for the first 75 minutes, then $5 each additional 15 minutes after that.  The idea was, rent the truck, get the furniture from Costco (which is a few blocks away), get it to the house, and get the truck back in an hour.  That sounded doable!  Then I remembered the garage storage cabinets.  What if I could get those from Home Depot, and the furniture from Costco at the same time?!  I would save on delivery costs!  I checked out the Home Depot webpage, but there was nothing at all like what I wanted.  Everything was either plastic or resin, and I wanted something stronger.  I looked on the Lowe's website next.  Bingo!  A large steel cabinet for $249, and a smaller cabinet for $157.  Lowe's is less than a mile away from Home Depot; I could still get everything done and pay less than what it would cost to have the cabinets delivered, which was $79.  The picture looked brighter and better each moment.  I prayed and asked God to work this out for me as He saw fit, then I got to work.

Thursday morning I called Home Depot to reserve the truck.  Turns out they don't do reservations - it's on a first come, first served basis.  I told the woman at Home Depot that I'd need the truck Friday morning, around 10 am.  See, with homeschooling and work, Fridays and Saturdays are the only days I can run all my errands, and I needed to do this on Friday because that's also my son R's day off and I was going to need his help.  She told me to call a half hour before and she'd hold the truck for me, but no more than 30 minutes.  At that point I decided, on faith, to go ahead and order the garage storage cabinets from Lowe's so they would be ready for me to pick up the next day.  I was really taking a chance, and I considered skipping my bible study group to get there early, but that didn't feel right at all.  How could I put God in second place to garage storage and furniture?  No, I was going to my bible study class, and trust that God would provide.

I was up early Friday morning.  I'm so glad I have a quick and easy makeup routine for days like these, because I didn't have the time to spend in front of the mirror.  I went to bible study and boy am I glad I did - Daniel chapter 9 is totally awe inspiring!  I left just as the video ended, ran home and called Home Depot.  To my chagrin, the truck had just been rented out, and the woman didn't know when it would be back.  She kindly took my number and said she'd call as soon as it was returned.  In the meantime I was left to wonder, now what?  My daughter suggested I check with another Home Depot, but did I really want to go to the next city north or south of us to get this truck?  I thought about heading to Costco so I could be close by when the truck showed up; then a thought occurred to me: what if they didn't have the furniture anymore?!  I grabbed the phone and called.  Good thing I did, too - they were sold out.  NO!!!!!  I asked if she could check stock in other stores.  She found 5 of them at a store two cities north of us, about a 20 minute drive.  I called that Costco to verify and they confirmed that they still had it in stock.  If I was going to do this, I'd have to act fast, but not before lifting my petition up to the Lord.  I called the Home Depot in the city north of us.  Yes, they had a truck and it was available to rent.  The clock was ticking.

I grabbed my son and we headed north to Home Depot.  Renting the truck was easy-peasy.  All I needed was my driver's license, insurance card and a credit card.  I left there and headed north on the expressway.  I took a bit longer at Costco than I thought because the boxes were so large and bulky; so large that I wondered if we'd be able to get them all in the truck.  I didn't want to have to make two trips!  I was praying that it wouldn't be necessary, and praise God it wasn't.  The young man at Costco was able to get everything on and even tied the boxes onto the truck for us - now that's great service!  R and I went straight home, unloaded the boxes into the living room, and headed out to Lowe's.  My daughter A is still nursing her leg per her doctor's orders, so she wasn't able to do any physical work, so instead she was in the kitchen making stir-fry for our lunch.  No time to stop though - we ran to Lowe's to get the storage cabinets, which by the way, weigh a ton!  Oh my gosh, it took so long for them to bring the stuff out because the girl couldn't find anyone to put them on the dolly.  R and I were trying to load them into the truck and another customer kindly helped us.  It was definitely a three person job.  I stopped off at our local Costco to fill the truck with gas - that's something to keep in mind.  If you bring the truck back to Home Depot and the tank isn't filled, they charge $6.50 per gallon to fill it up.  No thanks!  I put $20 in and made sure that was enough.

Back home we ran, left the boxes in the garage, then hauled ourselves back to Home Depot to return the truck.  By now we were both tired and hungry, and R was getting a headache.  Because of unforeseen delays we had the truck for 3 hours, so I ended up paying $62 for the rental.  With gas the total came to $82, more than I'd wanted to spend, but considering that I was able to get so much done that I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, it wasn't a bad investment.  Besides, now I'm able to enjoy this:

It looks so pretty, and is extremely comfortable!  The pillows were Christmas gifts from my son R.  He got each of us a pillow that he felt best described our interests:  A got Alice In Wonderland because of her love of Disney, E got Treasure Island, filled with adventure, and I got Sherlock Holmes.  My son knows me only too well!  Classic English literature, crime and mystery, all rolled into one.  Sherlock Holmes has been my favorite since I was a teen.  It never gets old!  Anyway, there is enough seating here for our family and then some.  I'm so in love with the look!  I would like to eventually get an area rug, but with Molly I don't know if that's the best idea.  The area rug I had in the living room had to be thrown out because Molly's nails kept getting caught in the rug and it was looking pretty shredded.  I don't think I want to do that again.

By the way, the stir-fry turned out exceptionally delicious!  It was a chicken stir-fry with lots of veggies and a spicy sauce.  It disappeared off my plate very quickly!  I'm so thankful to my son R who ran all around town with me, my son E for helping me get the furniture moved and everything put together, and my baby girl for cooking and cleaning.  I'm especially thankful to God for making it all possible - I couldn't have done it without Him!

We haven't put the garage storage cabinets together yet - that's our next project.  Can't wait to get that done as well!  Stay tuned!

Thoughtful Thursday

My second work week is done.  I'm really getting the hang of it.  There's plenty to do in the short amount of time I'm there.  I think I'm gonna like it.  God knew what He was doing when He put me there :-).

I'm still trying to work out my schedule and make sure everything gets done in a timely manner.  It's been working out great, which I'm thankful for.  I get up most mornings at around 6:30, wash up, get breakfast ready, wake up my son E, then sit down for my bible study in the book of Daniel.  At 9:00 we start school, and go straight through till noon or 1:00.  When it's time for my son to take his online lesson, it's time for me to get some housework done.  I do laundry, sweep, mop, dust, cook, whatever needs to get done.  At lunchtime we sit down to eat, then it's off to makeup and wardrobe to get ready for work.  Once I'm set I sit down with my son for more schoolwork before it's time for me to leave.  I pack my dinner - usually a sandwich and a box of vanilla yogurt covered raisins, along with a bottle of water - and head out the door.  It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to get there, and I work from 3:00 to 8:15pm.  Then I head home, finish cleaning up anything that didn't get cleaned up earlier, shower, and I'm ready for bed.  Sounds simple, right?  Except nothing ever goes exactly according to plan.

Wednesdays are the only day I get off work early - 6:00pm.  We agreed when I started working at the tutoring center that I would leave early on Wednesdays for church and Awana.  I love the girls I serve with, and I also love the opportunities to teach.  Our leader asked me last week if I would like to teach this week, and I said I would.  All week I wondered, "What was I thinking?!  I just started a new job!  I can't get ready to teach this Wednesday, I have too much on my plate!"  I prayed and went through the lesson book.  Only one lesson stood out to me.  It was a pretty sad story, which I don't particularly like telling, but it was the only one I could see myself teaching.  All week I wondered if this was the lesson God wanted me to teach, because I felt like I wasn't learning it the way I should.  Ultimately I just gave it to God and asked Him to speak through me.  Did He ever come through!  The kids were excited, the leaders were excited, everyone enjoyed the teaching, and I was amazed at how God put it all together!  As I told the leaders, it was definitely a God thing - no way could I have pulled that off by myself!  To God be the glory!

This morning should have been smooth sailing, but I woke up late.  Or rather, I woke up early which made me wake up late.  For some reason, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, then I can't get back to sleep.  Last night was one of those nights.  I woke up at around 3:30 in the morning and didn't fall asleep again till 5:30, so of course I didn't wake up till after 7am.  Still, I was able to get back on track quickly.  E had a few lessons to do, and he got them done in 3 hours.  After that he worked on his community service hours.  I was right on time, till I stepped out the door.  My neighbor's mother stopped me to talk.  Her daughter is selling her house, and it was supposed to be purchased by the neighbors on the other side of her house.  Turns out the deal didn't go through, and they're back to looking for a buyer.  I felt bad for them, and I especially felt bad having to cut her off (politely of course) so I could get going.  Thankfully I got to work right on time.  I hate being late anywhere.

It was a non-stop kind of day.  Phones ringing, appointments coming in, students testing...we had a little bit of everything.  I told my boss it's a good thing I only work 4 days a week - I need 3 days to recover!  Actually, it isn't that bad at all.  I like the work, I really like the people, and I feel comfortable working there.  I cannot express how blessed I feel that God would give this gift to me.  It still blows my mind!

Tomorrow is a school day but not a work day; at least not at the office.  I have grocery shopping to do, then I have to color my hair.  I can't believe how quickly my roots have sprouted!  No way do I want to get dressed up for a wedding with all these gray hairs creeping out.  Funny, I've been taking biotin pills to help strengthen my nails, but it looks more like my hair is getting stronger and growing faster.  As if it didn't grow fast before!  My hair grows like a weed, and now it's really shooting up!  I'm gonna have to buy stock in the hair colorant business.  Our women's bible study group meets tomorrow as well, at 8:00 in the morning.  That means I don't get to sleep in tomorrow either.  I guess it's true what they say, a woman's work is never done.  Off to sleep I go (or at least try to!).  Good night ya'll, pleasant dreams.  

And The Answer Is...

Yes.  The answer is yes.  I prayed about it, I have peace about it, and I can move forward in confidence.  A new season is starting.  A busy one, but I believe a happy, healthy, and productive one.

Back on Tuesday I posted about a job offer I received out of the blue.  My daughter's bosses, who are friends of mine, offered me an office assistant position at their tutoring school.  It was so unexpected that it caught me unprepared, and I told JM and MM that I needed time to pray and be sure that this was God's will for me.  That's what I've been doing, and what others have been doing for me as well.
I talked it over with my kids, breaking down the pros and cons of going back to work, even if it is part time.  To be completely honest, I was having trouble coming up with cons.  After all, the hours are from 3:00 - 8:15 pm, and since the school is 10 minutes from my house, I could leave at 2:45 and be there early. This would allow me to continue homeschooling my son E without any interruption.  The work week is Monday - Thursday, with all school holidays off.  I'd be working with my daughter and with people I've known for years and have always been close to.  They are devout Christians who don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk.  And let's face it, a little extra money coming in always helps :-).

The cons?  1) Having to learn time management all over again.  That shouldn't be a problem.  Truthfully speaking, I've become very comfortable (read: lazy).  I get up later and start school later because I can, not because I have to.  There's no reason why I can't get my butt in gear and get organized. 2) Leaving my son E at home while I go to work for 5 hours.  Okay, even I laughed at that one.  I used to leave my two older kids alone when they were 13 years old and I was gone from 7:45 am to 5:20 pm.  E is 15 years old, and he'd be alone for far less time: not only because I'd only be gone for 5 hours, but also his brother is here part of the time, either before he goes to work or after he comes back.  And again, he's 15!!  I can't treat him like a baby just because he's the youngest.  We all need to get over that.  This is probably the best way.

What ultimately convinced me that this was coming from God was a conversation MM had with my daughter A.  She told A that for months she's been praying about needing an assistant, and each time God brought me to her mind.  She started hearing people call out my name in stores and restaurants, and let's face it, Arlene is not a common name.  She didn't say anything for a long time because, as she said to me, "I wanted a sign.  A big bright neon sign from God telling me this was what He wanted."  When she finally told her husband what she was considering and praying about, he immediately said, "Let's call her and see if she'll take the position!"  I knew God wouldn't dangle a dream job in front of me, and put this so plainly in MM's heart, if He didn't mean it.  He isn't going to play games with us.  I felt sure that God's hands were all over this, and He gave me peace about it, so I called MM today and told her yes, I wanted to give this a go.  She was so thrilled she couldn't stop talking, which is very unlike her!  She kept telling me how she'd prayed and prayed and this was an answer to prayer.  It brought joy to my heart.

A little while later I went to Winn Dixie to pick up some groceries, since this is grocery week.  I found some great deals on meats, and was picking up some canned goods, when who do I run into but MM!  I know she lives close by, but I've never, and I mean never run into her at the grocery store, even though I've lived in the neighborhood almost 15 years and they've been here even longer.  When she saw me she couldn't stop laughing, and we hugged because we both felt it was confirmation from the Lord.  She even looked up and said, "Okay, Lord, I get it, I hear you!"  We feel so blessed, and I'm looking forward to what else God has in store for me.  

Let's see, what else has been going on?  Oh, this weekend Bare Escentuals has free shipping on all orders, and 25% off their Last Chance products (items that are on clearance).  I took a quick look and about jumped out of my chair.  A skincare set I'd been eyeing for months was on the Last Chance section: a kit containing their Purifying Facial Cleanser (which I use and is phenomenal), the Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for combination skin (also a great product that doesn't cause me to break out or itch), and what I wanted most of all, their Active Cell Renewal Night Serum.  I've used this several times when I've received samples, and I could see the difference in the texture of my skin.  This product is the best I've tried, but 1 ounce of it costs $50.  Ouch!  I had seen the skincare kit and was tempted to buy it: all three products together for $58 is an incredible deal, since the facial cleanser alone is $20 and the moisturizer is $28.  I kept putting it off in favor of other deals, but today I couldn't say no anymore.  With the 25% off I was getting the kit for $43.50!  I'm so glad I waited and didn't pay the full price for the kit.

A few days ago I went to Target with my daughter and picked up some nail polishes that were on clearance.  They're Revlon Perfumerie, and it claimed the nail polishes were scented.  I sniffed one in the store; to me it just smelled like nail polish, but the colors were so pretty, and they were $3.77 each, about half the regular price, so I got 3 of them, two for myself and a deep purple one for my daughter.  She did her nails the next day, and told me that once it started to dry it definitely had a really pretty scent.  I went ahead and gave myself a mani-pedi today using the color Moonlit Woods.  It's a purple with blue undertones, almost like a dark lavender blue.  Sure enough, as I was painting my nails I started to smell the perfume.  It's actually a lovely scent.  If you like perfume scents.  My nose doesn't.  I'm so upset, because I love the color, and I really do like the smell, but it's making my nose sore.  I hate that I have these stupid allergies to perfumes.  It's so not fair.

Wednesday night was movie night at Awana.  Pastor G brought the movie The Perfect Game, a true story set in the 1950's about racial discrimination.  Pastor said the movie was an hour and 17 minutes long, which was perfect.  We sat the kids down, gave them chips and Capri Suns, and sat down to watch the movie with them.  We were all getting into the story (once all the adults got over the fact that Cheech Marin plays a priest in the film), when parents started coming in to pick up the kids.  I was surprised; it was obvious the movie was not finishing any time soon.  Then we looked at the movie sleeve: the movie length was 117 minutes, not an hour and 17 minutes!  We all had a good laugh, even though we felt bad for the kids.  They didn't get to see the ending.  Sorry kids.  Just for reference: the Mexican kids won!

I want to say that yes, I kept away from my blog for the past few days as I meditated and prayed and waited on God's answer.  It was the right thing to do, but I do hope to continue updating my blog as this new adventure starts.  It's gonna be hectic at first, I'm sure, but I'm really looking forward to it.  And guess what?  My first day is Tuesday, because Monday is President's Day which is a school holiday!  It doesn't get much better than that!  Good night ya'll, and God bless.

Monday, Monday

The problem with a busy weekend, is getting back into the swing of things.  Maybe that's why everyone hates Mondays so much.  It's hard to recover from a weekend of non-stop fun.

I did try to get up early today.  I tried to get school started on time.  But it was like we were all running low on gas.  There was so much I needed to get done that didn't get done over the weekend and certainly didn't all get done today.  How does one get caught up?  How does one eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  That's the way it's gonna be this week.  I hope.

The only housework I managed to get done was laundry, and I'm not done.  I got everything into the washer and dryer, but nothing is folded or put away.  I sat and did school with my son for most of the day, and he finished 3 out of 4 assignments that were due.  Algebra is giving him a run for his money.  He's still working on statistics, and today it was all about correlation and causation.  It gave him a headache.  That's what happens when he's trying to understand something and it doesn't click.  I finally said he needed to walk away, and we'd work on it again tomorrow.  I think there's a lot he gets, but the actual process he's not fully understanding, and he gets frustrated.  Thankfully he has 2 live lessons tomorrow and one assignment to do, so there'll be plenty of time to work on algebra.

I got an interesting phone call today.  It was from my daughter's boss.  Typically that wouldn't happen, but her bosses are friends of mine from church.  MM called and asked if I would be willing to meet with her husband JM this week.  I agreed to see him tomorrow at 4:00.  At no time did she tell me what it was about, and I didn't ask.  Like I said, they're friends.  If they want to see me, I'm happy to oblige.  But when my daughter came home she was all questions, and wanted to know if they'd told me anything.  I calmly said no, just to go and meet with JM.  Then she said, "Would you like to know what it's about?"  I'll admit I was somewhat curious, but not enough to beg and plead with her to tell me.  I'm quite patient; I can wait till tomorrow to find out.  She, on the other hand, couldn't wait to let me know what she knows.  She told me JM asked if I was looking for work.  I'm not, but who knows?  The school where she works is an after school tutoring school.  It would mean working in the afternoons/evenings.  I'm gonna have to pray about this tonight, and ask for guidance.  God provides in the most unexpected ways.

That's it for today.  It's been all about school, a pretty ordinary day, except for that one minor detail.  Tomorrow is another day.  Let's see what God has in store.  Good night everybody.

Wednesday's Post, A Day Late

It's funny how yesterday was such a hectic and busy day, yet there isn't all that much to write about.  Ever have a day like that?  Wednesday was my hectic quiet day.

It started off early with school, since E had 3 live lessons to do.  He had music first, so he did the reading for that before going to class.  He is currently studying the music of the Baroque period (and if it's not Baroque, don't fix it).  After that was science, with an assignment that he finished and turned in.  Then he had algebra class.  He hasn't done that assignment because a) he didn't fully understand it, and b) he didn't have enough time.  There was a Hope assignment he had to do (he got 100% on it) and an English assignment (another 100%).  His science teacher checked his portfolio and gave him 100% on that too.  So it was a busy but very productive school day.

I got my package from Ulta yesterday, and tried out the Complexion Rescue, but I have to honestly say I didn't pay much attention to it, other than the fact that my face felt very hydrated.  I had too much other stuff to focus on.  I couldn't spend much time looking at my face.

I made my turkey and quinoa chili which we love.  After lunch I showered and did my hair and makeup.  This is the second time I use the Pretty Wild kit from Bare Minerals on a Wednesday, and the second time I get complimented on my looks.  Obviously, this choice was a hit!

Awana was great.  The boys and girls had game time together, so they were pretty riled up, but my girls were focused on getting their work done.  One of my girls had me chuckling.  She is an overachiever in every sense - she's ahead of all the girls except one, who is tied with her in her book.  The assignment was to make at least 3 drawings of 3 separate times when she was afraid, and how God helped her through it.  She got one picture done, then said she couldn't think of any others because "she's never afraid of anything".  She claims she always knows what to do so she has no reason to be afraid.  While I applaud her bravery and positive outlook, I don't believe her for a minute.  So I said we'd ask Mom to help us.  She didn't think that was even necessary because Mom wouldn't be able to think of any times either.  I asked Mom anyways.  She gave me that, "Are you kidding me?" look and said, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll remember some episodes before we get home."  I couldn't help but laugh at my new Merida (I told her we'd have to change her name because she's so Brave).  These girls give me life, I'm not even joking.  They make me smile from the inside out.

After that we came home, and I got ready for bed.  Here I was, in my jammies, and my oldest son comes home with his best friend.  I was not about to go out into the living area in my jammies, so I stayed in my room.  My computer was in the dining room, which is why this post had to wait till today.  And now today is gonna be another busy day, so let's see if I have a chance to report today's activities tonight!  Have a blessed day ya'll.

Tackling Tuesday

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine...I'm sure Mr. Rogers would have loved to be my neighbor on a beautiful day like today.  The high today was 69 degrees.  The sun was shining and the sky was the perfect shade of blue.  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Living in South Florida means we don't get to be a part of the severe winter weather hitting the rest of the country.  And that's okay with me.  But it doesn't mean we don't get our share of cold.  Homes in South Florida aren't built for cold, or even cool, temperatures.  Our homes are built of concrete block and stucco.  They're made to hold in the coolness from the air conditioner.  There's very little insulation in our walls because for most of the year, we don't need it.  That means that whenever it's cold outside, it's even colder inside.  My house felt like an icebox today.  The windows were open so the air would circulate and the breeze would keep the house feeling nice.  I stepped outside a couple of times and it was warmer outside than in my home.  My hands were cold, my feet were cold, even my nose was freezing.  It was a reminder of why I love living in Florida, and why I would never want to live up north again.  Ever.

Both my son and daughter got up early today to get ready for work, which meant both bathrooms were occupied at the same time.  I could have gotten up and started breakfast, but it was cold in the house.  At least that's the excuse I'm using for having gotten up late.  E had his English class and collaboration at 10:00, so that's when his school day started.  It was nice to have that done and out of the way.  Afterwards he had his leadership class.  They went over one of his assignments for next week, so he's a bit ahead of the game.  He was able to get all the work for school done in 3 hours.  Thankfully we went for our evening exercise, which also counts for schoolwork.  One thing I'm also working on is finding a place where he can get CPR certified, since that's a requirement for his Hope class.  I found one city north of us that has the classes at the fire department, but I'm going to keep looking for something even closer.  I'm really glad he gets to learn CPR; it's one of those things you hope you'll never need but should always be prepared for.

I received my order of eyeliner pencils from Bare Minerals today.  I really like the colors, especially the green pencil.  The colors are not very pigmented, but that's fine for me.  I don't want anything that is too harsh or too bright; it doesn't work for me at this season of my life.  What I was really excited about was the samples of Complexion Rescue that were included with my order.  They sent 4 samples in 4 different colors: vanilla, natural, tan, and chestnut.  I didn't even look at chestnut - that one was clearly too dark for me.  Vanilla is probably too light, but my daughter wanted to try it out.  She uses a lighter shade than me in the liquid foundation.  She also needs something with a yellow undertone to offset the rosacea, and it looks like vanilla has that.  I tried both the natural and tan shades; tan is a bit darker but not so dark that I can't wear it.  Natural, however, looks perfect.  I put it on and found that it's light but also hydrating.  It feels really nice on my skin, and while it doesn't provide a whole lot of coverage, it does seem to be buildable.  It gave me light coverage which is what I need on days like today when I want something that I can put on quick.  I went ahead and added a little bronzer, and it went on smoothly.  I didn't put any blush or powder on; frankly, I didn't need it.  I'm gonna try tan tomorrow before I make my final decision.  I'm sure I want to use my 20% off coupon to get this wonderful tinted moisturizer, but I want to be absolutely sure of the color before I place my order.

Our running group was dressed warmly tonight; I myself was wearing sweatpants and a hoodie over a long sleeved shirt.  My son, on the other hand, wore a light hoodie and a t-shirt and insisted it was hot out.  And I thought I was supposed to be having hot flashes!  Anyway, we were out about an hour and a half.  It was fun, even when we walked past the cow pasture and "enjoyed" the smells (yuck).  All part of life in a small town.

That's it for today.  I'm gonna clean up the kitchen, then get ready for bed.  Goodnight ya'll.

How Quickly Things Change

Hello, and welcome to another installment of, "Where the heck am I?!"  Yesterday temperatures were in the low 80's, and I had the air conditioning on because it was so stuffy and humid out.  Today the morning started out cloudy; not just regular clouds, but big, ominous clouds that threatened rain, and lots of it.  I checked the weather channel, and sure enough, they promised lots of rain and thunderstorms.  We braced ourselves for what was to come.  It didn't.  We got a drizzle, with no thunder whatsoever, no even in the distance.  Then the temperatures started to drop.  The humidity was replaced by a chilly breeze.  Right now it's in the low 60's, and we might get into the upper 40's by tomorrow morning.  My kids say that Florida is the Bi-Polar State.  It can be hot and sunny one minute, cold and rainy the next.  It's amazing how quickly things can change.

Take me, for instance.  I felt awful yesterday; I spent the day doing absolutely nothing.  I had no energy and no desire to do a single thing.  This morning I got up feeling way better.  So much so, that I dusted the furniture, vacuumed and mopped the floors in the family room, dining room and kitchen.  I was on a roll!  It was like my battery had been recharged, and I could keep going, and going, and going...till my kid's father came over.  It's amazing how that man can drain all the happiness out of whatever place he steps into.  He was bringing some papers over, and I thought he was picking up E to spend the afternoon with him, but he about a half hour later.  I think he was wanting me to feed him, since he got here as I was whipping up some mashed potatoes.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  It's like he still doesn't get it; we've been separated for 3+ years, and it hasn't been pleasant.  To this day he has not admitted that he's done anything wrong, or that he is sorry.  I'm not going to pretend it's okay, like his family has done.  What's wrong is wrong, and he's gonna have to face that reality, here on earth or before the Judgment throne.  For his sake, I hope he does it here.

I finished week one of my Beth Moore study, so now I'm kind of caught up with the class.  This study is different than any other video bible study I've done.  Usually we study the material, then watch the corresponding video and discuss it that week.  With the Daniel study, we watch the video first, then do the daily workbook assignments.  Since I'd missed the first week I had to get caught up.  I was there for week two's video, so now I can start doing the homework for it.  I have Sunday - Thursday to work on it, but Monday starts a new school semester, and Wednesday we have Awana, so I'm going to have to take that into account and make sure I do my workbook assignments in the mornings.  It's a really interesting study; I won't have any problem picking up the book and getting into it.

It's my turn to bring breakfast for my Sunday school class tomorrow, so I decided to bake a cake.  It's an applesauce spice cake, one of my favorites.  The house smells of cinnamon and nutmeg and absolute yumminess.  I won't frost it till tomorrow morning, but I did my hair today because I won't have time to do it in the morning.  Sunday mornings are busy enough; I don't want to have to get up at 5am just to blow dry my hair.  I'll still have to stop off at Winn-Dixie to buy rolls and probably some ham spread, so we can have a complete breakfast.  What, you don't consider rolls and cake to be a complete breakfast?  Don't worry, there'll be coffee too ;-).

It's Saturday, so I'm going to go exfoliate and moisturize my face so it's squeaky clean and beautiful for church tomorrow.  I like looking my best for worshiping my King.  Oh, I should mention, I've continued with my water drinking experiment.  My skin is most definitely more hydrated; I've always suffered from dry skin, but now I notice it's become more normal to dry.  Actually, my t-zone has become slightly oily, an oddity now that the humidity has gone down.  It might be hormonal, of course.  I'm going to keep drinking and increasing my water intake to see how my skin is affected.  Obviously I don't want oily skin either; no one wants break-outs at my age.  But it sure is nice not to have skin as dry as the desert either.  This is one change I'm enjoying.

So, that's it for today.  I'm hoping this change in the weather will last.  I'm hoping the change in my skin will be for the better.  Mostly, I hope the changes in my life will only improve me daily.  Good night folks.

Tackling Tuesday

It's late.  Like past 11:00 pm late.  Like, I'd already gone to bed and remembered I hadn't posted, late.  It's been one of those days, to be sure.

I'm not going to go into a whole lot of detail (at least I hope not) because I'm pretty tired.  I got a text from my daughter this morning (who was in her bedroom) asking me to take her to the doctor because she hadn't gotten any sleep all night due to the pressure in her head and how miserable she felt.  So I got up early, ready to take her to urgent care because I figured she was in that much pain.  When I asked if she wanted to go to urgent care, she indicated that I should try the regular doctor first and see if they had any available appointments.  They did - at 1:15 pm.  She chose to wait and go to the doctor, since urgent care has a much higher deductible.

I took advantage and made food early, bourbon chicken with rice, so that we could eat before going to the doctor.  I was sure we'd be there for hours because that's how it always is with doctors, but I was pleasantly surprised.  We were called in right away, and within about 20 minutes the doctor was there to see her.  They took blood, did a strep test, and a nasal test too.  No infections, but she has a lot of fluid in her left ear, which explains her earache and all the pressure in her head.  Her sinuses are pretty swollen and congested as well.  The doctor says she's pretty much headed towards an infection in that ear, so she went ahead and prescribed antibiotics and a host of other stuff to help her feel better.  We were home by 3:00, which in doctor's terms is record time.

I didn't really do much else today.  Since my daughter's voice is gone, I had to go with her to the doctor to explain what she had, then to the pharmacy to pick up her meds.  At 7:30 my running buddy, son and I went for our evening exercise with our running group.  We didn't actually run; we walked for 2 1/2 miles, but it's exercise all the same.  Once I got home I took a shower, then gave myself a manicure and pedicure.  And that's pretty much it, in a nutshell.  I could go into more detail, but I'm too tired.  Maybe tomorrow.  Good night ya'll.

It's Sunday

A "good" day is classified as a day when all news is good news.  A "not so good" day is one where the news is bad, sad, or anything other than "good".  So what do you call a day with a little of both?  I call it, Everyday.

I got to Sunday school late.  That's because I got up late.  I got up late because I kept waking up last night.  I don't get it; I went to bed at my regular time, and I was tired.  Why did I have such a hard time sleeping?  I've never had trouble sleeping unless I have something on my mind, but that wasn't the case last night.  I just kept randomly waking up.  Is it the whole pre-menopause thing?  'Cause if it is, I ain't liking it.

Anyway, I got to Sunday school late, and it was almost a cheer-fest.  I'm usually the first or second person in class, making coffee and setting up.  They all figured I must be sick or something because I'm rarely ever late.  It felt really good to know my church family cares that much about me.

We're looking into a curriculum for our Sunday school class.  Last week we finished an intense study into the book of James, and now we're looking for something topical, something about living out our Christian life.  I'm hoping we can find something on discipleship, which is what the pastor has been teaching on since the beginning of the year.  If a curriculum can be found it would be great, so we can tie everything in, but we're trusting God to lead in what He wants us to study.

We went to service, and Pastor Ralph was teaching today.  He talked about what it means to be a real man.  It was a great teaching, but it's what happened afterwards that really moved me to tears.  For the past few weeks we've been praying for a sweet lady in our church.  LS has had cancer twice in the past, has had to go through chemo and all the ugliness that comes with it.  Recently she went to the doctor and was told her levels were high and she'd have to go in for more tests.  This was presented to the whole church so that we could all pray for her.  Today she announced, citing Psalm 115:3, that it pleased the Lord to keep her cancer free.  The joy in my heart was overwhelming!  I'm not a crier; I personally hate to cry in public, but I could feel my eyes well up with joy and happiness knowing our prayers had been answered.  Before I left I found LS and gave her a huge hug.  She is one of the most loving, kind, humble human beings on the face of this earth, and she prays for everyone.  It was a most satisfying feeling to know that I had the privilege to pray for her and have my prayers answered in such a wonderful way.

My son E and I left church quickly; E was complaining of a stomachache.  We ate leftovers for lunch, then my oldest son R's friends came over to play video games.  My daughter A got home shortly thereafter, not looking good at all.  I don't know how she was able to lead worship today - her voice is shot.  She's obviously caught her brother's nasty cold, and she's feeling pretty miserable.  She's also being very clingy.  My daughter is not a small child; she is a 25 year old adult.  But when she is sick, she wants hugs from mom.  Mom, on the other hand, wants to stay clear and NOT catch what she's got.  I don't know how we're gonna manage that.  She's pretty whiny too; all she's had to eat is soup, but she's complaining that she's got too much liquid in her stomach, making her stomach hurt.  Her throat is sore, her ears are hurting, but when I told her to go to bed and get some rest she gave me the "I don't wanna go to bed" look.  *Ugh*  Just when her brother was feeling better, and I thought we'd gotten through this with only one person catching it.  Yeah right.  I'm not getting off that easy.

I happened to go to the school's website to see if any of my son's teachers had posted his final semester grades.  I almost fell out of my chair.  My son's English grade had gone from a 96% to an 87%.  What?!  How could that be?!  She hadn't graded his thesis or his final exam the day before; had he done that poorly?!?!  I checked the grade book and saw the grade he'd gotten on his thesis.  1%.  When I clicked on it, I saw the note the teacher had left for him: he was supposed to have sent in his thesis with a Turn It In report.  Turn It In is a website that checks their work for plagiarism.  Without that report, the highest grade he can get is 1%.  Thankfully, his teacher was kind enough to let him submit the thesis to TII and email her the report, so that's what we did.  The actual grade she gave him is 100%, so that should bring his grade back up.  I'm glad I went in to check that; the semester ends on Wednesday and that's when the final grades go in.  It would have been the difference between getting an A and getting a B.

The rest of my day has been pretty ordinary.  I finished the laundry and put it away, watched an old episode of the Tonight Show, then cleaned up the kitchen.  I think I'm gonna go take a shower now and relax the rest of the night.  Maybe I'll even get some sleep :P.  I'm gonna need it - I'm babysitting tomorrow.  Board games, here we come!  Have a blessed night.

Middle of the Week

It's Wednesday.  Only Wednesday.  Why does it feel like Thursday?  Why is this week taking so long?!

I woke up at 6:00 but it was so dark out I just rolled over and went back to sleep till 7:30.  I didn't know why it was still kind of dark, then I checked the weather on my phone.  Dense fog for our area, it said.  I looked out the window; it wasn't what I would call dense, but it was foggy.  I had wait for my son to get out of the bathroom, so I spent some time in prayer.  Once he got out I went in, then I heard him leave shortly afterwards.  Turns out he did go to see the eye doctor that saw him at the store yesterday.  Pink eye, both eyes.  Who would have known?  Oh yeah, an eye doctor :P.  He still had to work, though, because there was no one to cover for him.  I don't think he even told the store manager that he had pink eye.  R is very responsible at his job and he always gets good reviews because of it.  I'm really hoping he'll get hired full-time.  It would make a world of difference for him.

I let my youngest son E sleep till 10:00.  I thought he had to report to his science class, but it was a collaboration class and he's already done the two he needs for the semester.  He started school at 11:00 with his algebra lesson.  While he did that I cleaned the master bathroom and put away laundry.  Lunchtime came and I hadn't taken anything out.  Honestly, I had nothing on the menu for today.  I guess I messed up when I did the menu planning for the two weeks, because I have nothing planned for tomorrow either.  There's stuff I can make but I'm running out of staples quick.  Friday will be a grocery day for sure.  I just have to plan out what I'm gonna need.  Anyway, I made E a frozen pizza (no problem for him, he loves them) and I had some Tyson popcorn chicken with fries.  My daughter took the leftovers from yesterday so it wasn't an issue that mom took a day off from the kitchen.

After lunch I had E watch an algebra review from last week, then he did part one of his final.  He scored a 72 so far, with a couple of questions still needing to be graded.  Two of the questions he got wrong were silly errors; not reading the question through or copying the equation wrong.  I feel bad for him because I know how hard he's trying, and because he has an 89% in that class.  He wants to get an A so badly.  I'm praying he scores higher on the next two parts of the exam.  Part 2 looks like it's gonna be the hardest part, but we'll have to see.

Oh yeah, that burn on my hand?  It blistered.  Like, ugly.  There's this big old blister on my hand that I'm afraid of popping because I know the minute it pops it's gonna hurt like crazy.

Tonight was Awana.  I love my third grade girls.  They are a bit competitive but in a good way; they want to excel, but they're willing to help each other too.  They are so sweet!  I showered but didn't blow dry my hair because according to the weather forecast it was supposed to rain and be muggy tonight.  I figured, why straighten my hair just to get the frizzies the minute I walk out the door?  So I left my hair in its natural form, curly like a rat's nest.  I stepped out the door and wouldn't you know it - it was cool and dry out :P.  As a matter of fact, it seems the temps are going down tonight.  I was so upset, because I absolutely hate wearing my hair curly.  Of course I got 100 compliments on how great my hair looked.  Go figure.

I got home and went to the bathroom to change into my jammies and wash the makeup off my face.  The minute I turned on the bathroom light I saw it.  In the sink.  A palmetto bug.  Any Floridian would immediately know what I'm talking about: they are giant cockroaches that fly.  Now, I usually take care of these myself, so long as I have a can of Raid handy.  This time, however, the odds were stacked against me.  The can of Raid was in the cabinet under the very sink where the palmetto bug was, and I was not about to take a chance at that thing flying on me.  I'm not "afraid" of them, but I am ridiculously disgusted by them, like sick to my stomach disgusted, and I was not about to have it get on me.  Ugh!!   So I called out for the boys to get the other cans of Raid from the garage and come take care of this ginormous bug.  My son R came and I told him to look in the sink while I stood outside the bathroom (where I was safe).  He didn't see anything; then I saw it on the wall inside the bathtub area.  When he saw it, even he said it was huge.  He had to stand on the bathtub rim to reach it because I have a garden tub, so the bathtub area is deep.  The moment he sprayed it, it flew towards him.  He almost fell off the tub, poor kid!  Once it landed on the floor he was able to spray it directly and it died almost instantly.  This thing was about 2 inches long, I am not even joking.  It was totally gross, and I couldn't even be in the bathroom until I knew for sure it was dead and I could sweep it out of there.  I guess I could say that was today's adventure.  I can also say I'd be happy to live the rest of my life without another similar adventure, though I'm sure that's not likely in Florida.

I finally did get ready for bed, so I bid everyone a good night, pleasant dreams, and blessings to all.