2018 - Accepting Change in a New Year

In February 2015 I received a call from my former Sunday school teacher. He and his wife owned the tutoring center where my daughter worked as an English tutor. I'd known them for years, and even though neither of us was attending the church where we'd worshipped together (this is the church that split) we remained good friends. So, while it was out of the ordinary that he would want to see me at his office, I wasn't surprised or concerned.

What he wanted was simple: his wife needed someone to help her in the office, and the Lord had impressed upon her heart that I was the one they were to hire. She refused to even interview anyone else. The job they were offering was work I had done before - answering phones, billing, receiving payments, scheduling - but the best part was the convenience. The tutoring center was 3 minutes from my house - 5 minutes if the traffic light caught me ;-). The hours were 2:00 pm - 8:15 pm, Monday thru Thursday. I would still be able to homeschool my son in the mornings, take care of anything that had to be done around the house, and I'd have some extra money. I too felt strongly in my heart that this was God's provision for me and my family, so after praying that week I accepted the job.

Little did I know how much of a blessing that job would be. During the stressful year of 2016 my employers were my family. They were my support system, my constant in a time of tremendous transition and heartache. They loved me and took care of me, and in turn I worked for them like the company was my own. The tutors were like my kids (they were all college students or recent graduates), the clients were lovely people whom we enjoyed interacting with. And when my divorce was finalized and my alimony/child support was reduced from what I'd been receiving previously, I was still able to pay my bills and provide for my family. I thanked God everyday for leading me to this perfect job.

We would close the center four times a year: the week of Spring break, the week after school ended to transition to the summer session, the week before school started to set up for the new school year, and the two weeks schools were closed for Christmas. We worked during transitions; that was when we updated our files, set up the new session, contacted parents, etc. But for Spring break and Christmas we were off, and that time was sweet. I was able to be home and enjoy the Christmas holiday with my family. Of course my bosses were family to me, so it was nice when they called just a few days before coming back to work so we could meet for lunch. However, it was not what I expected.

My boss, who is not a man to mince words, got right to the point: they'd sold the tutoring center. I was rendered speechless. I had no inkling they were even considering selling. What they explained was that the center wasn't for sale. They'd had a realtor approach them with a client that was looking for a place to purchase. At first they'd said no, but after prayerfully seeking God's will, they decided to let the client look into purchasing. After negotiating, they accepted an offer believing that if God wanted them to sell He would bring the sale through, but if it wasn't His will it wouldn't happen. They never mentioned it because everything seemed to point to a sale not going through for multiple reasons, and so they put it behind them. But during the Christmas break everything lined up and the sale went through. Now they had the difficult task of telling all their employees.

Let me make this very clear. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loved JM and his wife MM. This couple loves the Lord, they love each other, they loved their employees, the children who came to tutor and the parents that brought them. They ran their business as the Lord led them, believing it was God who gave them success. And the business was definitely successful. People came from far away because they wanted their kids to come to this tutoring center. During the recession of 2008-2010, when other tutoring centers in the area closed down, this center continued strong because the Lord was glorified by its owners. So I don't have to explain the amount of tears that were shed when they told us they would be leaving by the end of January. Even with the assurance that we were not losing our jobs, that the new owners were keeping everyone on, we were all saddened at the thought of them leaving. It was especially heartbreaking because we knew the new owners were not Christians and would not do things the way they'd been done in the past.

The new owners assured us over and over that everything would remain as it had been, and no changes would be coming anytime soon. They told the employees this. They told the parents the same thing. But within a few weeks changes came. At first they were subtle, but soon they became more and more aggressive. By the time the summer session was to start, we went from 155 students to 65. Many hoped it was because people were going away on vacation, but I knew that wasn't the reason. I'd already heard from parents. They were not happy. Prices had gone up. Most of the tutors that had been with us for several years had left. For months I watched and listened and grieved. The new boss did not like me, of that I was certain. This place, that had been such a blessing to me before, now brought me sorrow. I no longer enjoyed going to work.

One thing I know about God, He has a purpose for everything He does. I knew I had to be salt and light in this place of darkness, and I did try to be that. Therefore, it was discouraging that my boss resented my honesty. I could see the business wasn't doing well, and I tried to point out what could be done differently, but he didn't want to hear it. His pride got in the way, and I was a reminder to him that the business had been successful in the past so he would be to blame if it was no longer successful. I admit I spoke harshly at times because he lied and that really upset and annoyed me. I began to pray for God to either move me from there or strengthen me, because it was becoming unbearable. God once again showed Himself faithful.

A dear sister in Christ who'd attended my new church and led a women's bible study there, contacted me. She'd heard that the tutoring center where I worked had been sold. She too owned a tutoring center, and she needed someone at the front desk to run the business, and the Lord put me on her heart as someone she could trust. My hours would be from 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm, but I was still only about 5-7 minutes from my home. I would be working with a woman who had been an encouragement to me in the past and would be an encouragement to me again. What's more, she runs a women's ministry from her tutoring center. I would be able to help and be an encouragement to other women. It was a win-win!

I'd worked for the new boss from January to September when I left. When I let him know I was leaving, he smiled from ear to ear. The woman he'd hired in January when the previous owners left was not as happy. She and I had worked well together. She's a hard working woman, but she also knew she had much to learn. I did all I could to teach her everything she needed to know, including typing up step-by-step instructions for all procedures. I also trained a new woman that would be there to help her out. The new owner had been unkind to me on several occasions, but I chose to treat others the way I wanted to be treated, as Jesus taught.

A new chapter, and new blessings from above. The Holy Spirit had warned me it would be a rocky year, and He wasn't kidding! Yet once again I saw God's hand working, and my faith was strengthened. That's how God works. I am convinced that nothing escapes His notice, and as Romans 8:28 tells us, He works all things together for good for those who love Him.

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.

Mid-Week Update

This past Friday I purchased a weed eater/blower combo.  I needed both of these to tidy up my yard.  I know we had both a weed eater and a leaf blower, but everything points to J having taken them with him when he left, and I've been in need of both ever since.  My friend IV gave me a $10 off coupon from Lowe's, so my daughter and I trekked over to see what was available.  They had this combo by Worx on sale for $119.  It's lightweight and battery operated, which is good because the other options are electrical (power cord being dragged everywhere), or gas.  The weed eaters we've had in the past have been gas powered, and they're good, but they are a pain to get started.  This one should be much easier to use.

I intended to do some backyard trimming on Saturday to test the weed eater out, but it poured.  Our rainy season has begun; mornings are clear and sunny, while afternoons are torrential.  There has been some flooding in areas of South Florida already, and we're just getting started.  Sunday was church and I'd just done my hair, so I wasn't going out in the heat and humidity.  Besides, it rained again.

Monday I figured I could get my son R to help me out, since Mondays he doesn't leave for work till 4:30.  I pulled the weed eater out, easily put the parts together that needed assembling, then realized the batteries had to be charged.  Somehow I knew that would be true, but at the moment I didn't think about it.  By the time the one battery was charged it was time for me to go to work.  So it didn't happen.

I charged the second battery as well, but yesterday I got busy vacuuming, putting away laundry, cooking, and getting ready for work, so I didn't even think about doing outdoor work.  It looks like it might be today.  Let's hope that it's today.

I don't have to worry about the front yard, though.  We have new neighbors that moved in about a month ago.  As I'd been doing before, I mow the grass that is on the side of their house that's attached to mine and swept up the grass clippings for them.  In return, they trimmed all the edges in my front yard and did a beautiful job.  As I tell my kids, kindness repays kindness, and if you want good neighbors you have to be one first.  I'm so thankful to have nice people living next door.  They're a nice couple in their 30's with twin girls and a golden retriever.  My daughter likes the golden retriever best ;-).

I hope to be taking pictures of some stuff I've done to the house; not a whole lot, but I did get rugs for the family room because the room felt empty.  Work has been a bit boring; I've gotten so caught up with my work it's like I'm constantly looking for something to do.  Tonight is children's ministry night, so I leave work early.  Our children's ministry is doing Summer Avengers - Heroes of the Bible.  We've studied Noah, Abraham, and Moses last week.  It's a good series, and so encouraging to see the kids excited about learning bible stories.  It's the highlight of my week.

That's it for now.  Happy first day of July!

Another Month In Review

I'm kind of embarrassed at the fact that another month has gone by and I haven't put up a blog post.  I've thought about it several times, but always had something that needed to get done first.  Isn't life funny like that?

Let me see, what has happened in June?  For starters, my son E finished ninth grade with straight A's.  There are no words to describe how happy I am with how well he did.  I quickly signed him up for tenth grade and all the classes he'd need to take in August.  About a week after he'd finished, I got a call from the Florida Virtual School office saying that they aren't doing full-time online school anymore.  I felt my heart hit the floor.  No, don't do this!  Then the woman explained that I had to sign up for part-time homeschooling, which in essence is the same as full-time virtual school, except that I set the schedule instead of the online school.  I had to re-register him, which took a while but I was able to finish it.  We won't be using the same program as we did for ninth grade, which is kind of sad since my son enjoyed it.  But I'm relieved that we will still be doing homeschool.  My son did so much better and learned so much this year; I don't want him to have to go back to a school system he hated.

A week after E finished school, I had a week off from work.  Well, almost a week off.  My boss MM had explained that, while the tutors would have the week off, we would still have to come in and set up for summer tutoring.  I didn't mind, but she did.  She wanted a week off as much as the teachers.  So, we got to work early the previous week and did all the paperwork for the new session.  The only thing that couldn't be done was reminders - calls to the parents to remind them when their kids would start the summer session.  My bosses went out of town for the week, so I was "nominated" to make the calls.  I figured it would take me a couple of hours at most.  It took almost four hours, but it was one day and I rested that week, so I can't complain.

The following week, however, was pure insanity.  I signed up to serve at our church's vacation bible school (or VBS) in the mornings.  I had to be at the church before 8:30 in the morning to help with registration and sign ins, then I was off to the snack room, where I helped prepare snacks and clean up for the four age groups.  I was on my feet from 9am till noon.  Then I ran home, changed my clothes, ate quickly, prepared my dinner, and went to work from 1:30 till 7:30.  I'd get home, prepare the crockpot for the next day, go to bed and start the whole thing all over again the next day.  Add to that the fact that my monthly friend paid a visit on Thursday morning, and you can well imagine what my week was like.  I was thankful that I don't work Fridays, but we had our women's bible group prayer night that night.  It was close to home, which is great, but I was exhausted.  I'm surprised I didn't fall asleep during prayer time!  Actually, it was beautiful, such a lovely time with these wonderful women, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  In fact, if I had to do it again, I would do it all in a heartbeat.  Serving the kids was the highlight of my day, and I'm thankful I have the health and energy to still get it all done.

I went to NY & Co for some shopping because I had some City Cash that was about to expire.  It allowed me to get a couple of pretty necklaces that were on sale.  The original price was $25 for each; they had a buy one get one for $5 deal going on, and with my $20 in City Cash I spent $10 for the two.  I also picked up some pants for work.  I'd wanted to get some jeans but all they had was bootcut and I prefer straight leg jeans.  I also got some purses at Target.  One purse, in a pretty mint color, was $29.99; more than I usually pay for a purse but it's a lovely color and the perfect size for my wallet, umbrella, and bible.  I used it today for church and it's so springtime, I just love it.  Then my daughter and I went to Target today to return some makeup she'd bought that she didn't like, and I found a couple of purses on clearance.  One is black, the other is light green, and they were $7.48 each, reduced from $24.99.  Yeah, more my style!  I got a couple of tank tops too, at $6 each.  I like wearing a tank top with a cardigan for work because it's professional but still light.  One tank top is red and the other is purple.  I think I'll save the red one for July 4th, which is just a few days away.  Wow, the year is halfway gone!  Can you believe it?!

I also purchased some stuff from Bare Escentuals during their Friends and Family sale.  I had a $20 off coupon and they were offering 20% off and free shipping.  Works for me!  I got a cream concealer which I'd been wanting to get, a neutral eye kit with a 5 in 1 cream eye shadow primer, an eye shadow duo in brown and champagne (love!!) and a brown eye liner pencil (double love!!), and a sample Mineralixers kit.  Mineralixers is Bare Escentuals oil skincare line.  This kit brings the oil based cleanser, an eye balm and the 5 in 1 oil/moisturizer.  The 5 in 1 is my favorite; my dry skin appreciates it greatly.  It's not a greasy oil by any means.  I can use it in place of my moisturizer and it leaves my skin feeling smooth and silky.  The cleanser is good as a makeup remover - it melts the makeup off my face - but I don't feel like my skin is completely cleaned after I use it.  The eye balm is very nourishing to the delicate skin under my eyes, but so is their eye cream.  I'm not sure I like the balm more than the cream.  I'm glad I got the kit, though.  I've used it and my skin has responded well to it, which is good considering I'm struggling with adult acne.  It comes and goes; I can have days when my skin is perfectly clear, then all of a sudden I start breaking out.  It might be hormonal.  It might be my age.  Or... It might be that I've been having chocolate, which has always made me break out.  Which is terribly unfair.

I've been watching Poirot on Netflix.  A few seasons that hadn't been on Netflix before are on now, and I have been enjoying my favorite Agatha Christie sleuth.  I try to watch one episode a day.  It's about all I have time for.  It's a struggle not to fall asleep because it's late at night when I finally can sit down to watch.

Oh!  One more thing!  I've booked our hotel for our mini vacation in September!  We will be going to Night of Joy again this year, my son E, my daughter A and myself.  My oldest son R has to work, so he stays behind and takes care of Molly.  We will be staying at the Pop Century resort at Disney World, which is so cool because we've never stayed there before!  We got a great deal, $108 a night, which for Disney is a steal.  Just 2 days after I'd booked the room the prices had gone up to $114, so I'm glad I got it when I did.  We are soooo looking forward to Night of Joy - Skillet will be performing again, along with several bands we're eager to see.  I'm so excited!!

I think that's all the updates for this month.  I could say that I'm going to post more often, but...I'll say that I will try.  I really do enjoy recording our days and weeks.  I have to make an effort to keep my blog up to date.  Here's to hoping!  God bless.

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.

Week in Review - It's Been A Difficult Week

I've wanted to post a few times this week, but time kept getting away from me.  How I would love a day when I can do absolutely nothing.  Just sit around watching TV, which I haven't done in awhile.  Some days I miss that.

Molly is scheduled for her surgery tomorrow.  She has been getting steadily worse this week, though you wouldn't know it from her demeanor.  She is still as loving and affectionate as ever, even if she doesn't have the same amount of energy or spunk.

The surgery can't come soon enough.  The tumor on her belly appears infected, and I mean badly infected.  It oozes, and has turned dark, almost green, and it smells awful.  I discussed with my daughter today that I'm concerned it might become gangrenous, which would be devastating.  Even if she comes out of the surgery well, which of course is our hope, there is no guarantee we will have her with us for very long.  We are both convinced this is a cancerous tumor, and more than likely it has spread, though we don't know to what extent.  We have to wait for the surgery, then make a decision as to her future.  It's not something any of us is looking forward to.

My son E had a very busy school week.  He had an English paper and presentation to finish and send in.  He started quadratic formulas in algebra which were complicated to learn.  There was a science quiz and a review portfolio which he just finished today.  Music history is usually just reading, but this week he had a review and critical thinking paper, class discussion, and lab to complete.  Usually he doesn't have to work on the weekends, but this time he worked both yesterday and today, with a Hope assignment still not completed - it should be done by tomorrow.  There's about 8 weeks of school left so of course it gets hectic as we approach the final stretch.

Work was also really busy this week.  Many of the students we tutor took their ACT exams this weekend, so they're done with tutoring.  New students that have been on a waiting list are now starting this week, which meant lots of paperwork had to be completed.  As busy as we were, I had to help with tutoring a few kids.  Two of our teachers were sick - one had kidney surgery and the other had a kidney infection, so both were in the hospital at the same time.  MM arranged their students as best she could, but there simply weren't enough teachers to go around, so I was assigned homework help students.  Since they were all elementary school age it wasn't a problem, but I felt like I would never get my work done.  Thankfully everything fell into place and I think we're back on track, but I have to say it was pretty stressful.

Then Friday, my "day off", started off at 6:00am.  I went to bible study where we finished studying the book Daniel by Beth Moore.  It was such a great study that I'm actually sorry it's over!  Afterwards I came home to do schoolwork with my son, make lunch, then take him to the doctor.  He has a rash on his left hand, a very itchy rash.  When it first appeared I thought it was ant bites.  As more bumps appeared in clusters, I thought it was similar to what he'd had on his eye, so I had him put on the cream they'd given him for his hand.  It did nothing.  It kind of looked like eczema, which he's had before, so I got him eczema cream.  It got worse.  The skin around his thumb was cracking, and it was very painful.  So I took him to his regular doctor, who believes this is a fungus based on the fact that it's only on his hand and the hydrocortisone made it worse.  He prescribed a cream, and antibiotics because of the cracked skin.  I'm keeping an eye on it; it seems better, but if I don't see enough improvement by Tuesday I'm gonna have to take him to see a dermatologist.

As exhausting as my week had been, I was looking forward to cleaning my home on Saturday and then relaxing.  That wasn't meant to be.  My kid's father showed up after two weeks of not seeing or calling any of his children.  He put on a show of concern for E's hand, and suggested yet again that we get rid of Molly because he blames her for E's allergies and anything else that happens to him.  He actually asked if any of us could catch what Molly has.  Since when is cancer contagious?  He finally left without E, because he didn't think E should go out with his hand looking the way it did.  Meanwhile, once again, I was left feeling angry and resentful and bitter, which I absolutely hate feeling, but he brings out the worst in me.  It is so frustrating that he acts like he's so concerned about his kids, then he disappears for a week or two.  It took several hours before I was able to calm down - that, and a trip to Target ;-).  I looked through the tops for clearance items, and found 3 tank tops and a v-neck, each under $10.  I don't usually recommend retail therapy, but I needed to get out of my house and focus on something else.

This week our Sunday school class was challenged to learn Psalm 23 by hard.  And let me tell you, it was hard!  I know bits and pieces of it, but I've never learned it straight through.  For some crazy reason, I thought I'd learn it in the King James Version.  It sounds so beautiful with all the thee's and thou's, but honestly, what was I thinking?!  I actually made it harder on myself.  I was relieved to find out everyone else had a hard time learning it as well ;-).  We are gonna continue working on it this week.  I printed it and put it up on my fridge to help me remember it.

That's my recap for the week.  It has been rough, and I don't think the coming week will be much easier, especially with Molly recovering from surgery.  If you think of her during the day, please say a prayer for our puppy.  We love her dearly, and just want to see her get better.  Thanks y'all.  Goodnight, and God bless.

The Week In Review - Birthday Week

It's a special day today.  My oldest son R turns twenty-something.  I don't want to think of the number too much.  It reminds me of my own age, something I've been trying to ignore lately.

It's been a pretty good week, as weeks go.  Public schools were off, so traffic was a bit lighter.  So was work.  There were lots of kids that didn't come for tutoring because they've gone out of town for spring break.  It was a bit unnerving, trying to figure out things to do when there was nothing to do.  My boss gave me a list of parents he wants to meet with in the next month, so I called a bunch of them to make appointments.  I couldn't call all of them; making appointments too far in advance means parents forget and reschedule, and I didn't want that to happen, so I made appointments for next week.  That means I had to stretch out the list to make it last as long as possible.

My boss's wife, MM, has again made comments leading me to believe that she wants to spend less time at the office.  It bothers me, not because of the work, but because she won't just come out and say it.  I was hired, supposedly, to assist her with her work because the workload was overwhelming.  What I'm seeing, is that she wants to walk away and leave me in charge.

Honestly, as I observe and learn more, I find that a lot of the workload could easily be lightened by changing some procedures.  MM is very set in her ways; she's been doing things a certain way for the past 11 years, and she isn't about to change them, no matter how much better another method might be.  I've tried showing her different things she can do to reduce her workload, but she looks at it with total disbelief and shrugs it off.  It became a bit frustrating for me this week, especially.  We bill our customers once a month for the next month's tutoring sessions.  It takes a long time to do, because MM wants all the invoices done by hand, then entered into the computer.  The system could easily print off the invoices - I even showed her how simple it is - but she refuses.  The part-printed/part-handwritten invoices are so sloppy looking and unprofessional, yet she won't look at any other option.  I worked the entire time on that yesterday, and I'm still not finished writing out the invoices.  I tried entering the invoices into the computer as I wrote them to show her how much more effective that would be, but she wouldn't accept that either.  I wrote them by hand, she checked what I wrote and entered the information into the computer.  I just shook my head; she creates more work for herself, but as my daughter wisely pointed out, it's her business.  She's the boss.  She decides how she wants things done, and I have to do them.  But it's no wonder she's burned out, with the amount of extra work she makes for herself.

We had no Awana this Wednesday because of Spring Break, but my son told me there would be youth group.  I got out of work, rushed to the house and went to church.  Turned out youth group had been cancelled, but my son never got the text message from his youth pastor.  Poor Pastor D, he was so apologetic.  It was for the best, though.  E got some schoolwork caught up.  It's been a busy school week but E's done really well.  He took his science exam this morning and got a 94%.  I was pleasantly surprised; it was a tricky test, and though he studied for it for two days I didn't know if he'd do well.  Praise God, he aced the test and we breathed a sigh of relief that it's over!

We had a mini celebration for R's birthday.  We gave him his gifts this morning: his sister A got him volume 3 of the cartoon Animaniacs, E got him the game Vanquish for the X-Box, and I got him the complete set of Megaman cartoons on DVD along with the new Kirby game for the WiiU.  He was all smiles.  Then we went out for lunch to a nice restaurant in town.  For dessert, my daughter made these incredible cupcakes.  They're dark chocolate with a Nutella frosting.  The best part was inside the cupcake - she filled them with an Oreo creme filling she made from a recipe she found on Pinterest.  It was like eating an Oreo cookie, but in cupcake form.  Oh my word, they are beyond delicious!!  She stayed up till late last night after work baking and decorating them, and her brother appreciated it.  He even took some to his friends for them to try.  I think he was proud of his little sister for the yummy treat she baked, and she was beaming because we couldn't stop raving about them!

It's a gorgeous day out - hot but not humid, sunny and breezy.  That may change, as the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms this afternoon, but we're really hoping that won't happen.  My daughter is going to an outdoor wedding this afternoon, and no one wants to go to an outdoor wedding under the rain.

That's it for this week - so far anyway.  Here's to wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.  God bless!

My Week In Review

It was my intention to post more frequently this week, since it was spring break for my son.  So much for good intentions...

For some reason (that no one seems to understand), schools in South Florida all have different weeks for their Spring Break.  Homeschool students were off this past week, while public school students are off next week.  Since many students have dual enrollment, taking certain honors classes online while still attending traditional school, I have to wonder why they couldn't come together and agree on having Spring Break at the same time?  While it's true that homeschooling is flexible, Florida Virtual School has changes to the curriculum that often don't happen till the day before an assignment is due, or at the beginning of the school week.  Trying to get ahead can be tricky; an assignment might be cancelled or an alternate given, in which case the student would have worked for nothing.  I just think it would have made more sense to have both take their breaks at the same time.

Now add to that the fact that private schools don't have the same Spring Break as public schools.  Some private schools will be closed next week, same as public schools, but Catholic schools are off the week after Holy Week.  That's another change I don't understand; traditionally, Catholic schools were closed during Holy Week.  Anyway, our tutoring center decided to close during the time the Catholic schools close since we have so many students from Catholic schools, and because some of the Protestant private schools will be open but the kids will be taking their SAT's so they won't be coming to tutoring.  That would have meant way too many absences, so it's better to close.

This week I spent a good amount of time adjusting next week's schedule.  With public schools being closed next week, we've had dozens of parents calling in to let us know their kids won't be coming to tutoring because they're going out of town for Spring Break.  Unfortunately it's not possible for the center to be closed for two separate weeks, so we'll be open next week even though it might resemble a bit of a ghost town.

I've also been doing a lot of work on my own.  Tuesday marked my one month anniversary working at the center, but I've already been left to take care of the front desk by myself twice.  I've come to the realization that my boss, MM, is burned out.  She and her husband have owned the tutoring center for over 11 years, and in that time she's take one break.  She's run the front desk on her own for a long time; she's had people working there with her, but they've been tutors, who have to leave as soon as their students arrive.  I think she wants to be able to take some time off once in awhile, without worrying about whether everything is being taken care of.  She wants to walk away and spend time with her kids, with her mom who is getting up in years, with friends she doesn't see too often.  I totally get it, and I'm honored that she trusts me enough to leave me in charge, though I know she's a bit of a control freak and won't let go completely.  She still looks over my shoulders a lot, which I have to get used to.

One thing that unnerved me this week, though, was having to tutor a couple of kids.  There's a stomach flu going around, and one of our teachers had to go to the hospital because she became so sick.  She had some students that needed homework help, and there was no one else available to tutor them.  I was "volunteered", which I didn't mind since they were both elementary school students.  What upset me was that I was pretty much thrown to the lions, so to speak: I received no training on any of the programs, no instruction on what to do, and I had no clue what I was supposed to be doing.  Thankfully the first student was eager to explain everything his teacher does with him, and another teacher (who is an absolute doll) showed me where the material was, and I was able to work with the two boys.  They assigned another teacher (she's a wonderful young lady as well) to train me, but that wasn't until the next day.  I think in their minds tutoring would be a no-brainer for a homeschooling mom.  I had to explain what the big difference is: when I homeschool, it's my kid.  If I mess up I don't have to answer to anyone, I just have to fix it.  The kids that come to the tutoring center are paying customers.  Their parents expect a certain level of instruction that I am not qualified to give.  I'm all about being a team player and helping out whenever I'm needed, so long as I'm properly prepared to do the task.  I didn't feel that I was at that time, and it made me feel uncomfortable, which I let them know.

The rest of the week went smoother.  Since I didn't have to homeschool, I polished some of the floors that had gotten dulled from moving furniture boxes around.  Thursday I got a haircut - I went back to the short bob I'd gotten back in October.  My hair had been chin length at that time, and it had grown past my shoulders.  I debated whether to cut it short or not, but since my hair grows so much as so quickly, I decided to go for it and had it cut chin length again.  This way all the dull and damaged ends are gone, and I'm left with healthier hair to grow out.        

I've been having some breakouts this week.  I hadn't had pimples like this in ages, but Wednesday I had three - THREE! - on my face, two of them plainly on my chin.  I scrubbed them good, and two of them actually popped.  Then yesterday after lunch I started noticing a different kind of breakout.  I have several spots on my face that are not zits.  These look like hives, like when I have allergies.  My allergies have been running rampant lately thanks to the warmer weather, but I suspect this may have been from the fish I had for lunch yesterday.  I made it myself, and I've had tilapia before, but reactions can happen at any time.  I took a Benadryl last night but this morning they're still there.  At least there aren't more, nor has it spread to any other part of my body.  Not that I like having them on my face :P.  Yesterday they were a bit itchy; that isn't the case today.

That was my week, in a nutshell.  I'm off to clean bathrooms now - thrilling, huh?  Have a blessed weekend everyone!

The Week In Review

It's Friday, and this is the first chance I have to sit down at my computer to do something other than schoolwork.  Yes, it's been a crazy busy week.  Let me tell you all about it.

This week was my son E's last week of school before spring break, so I knew we'd have a lot of work to do before he could sit back and relax.  His allergies have been acting up lately, what with the weather being wacky, and he'd been scratching his eyes quite a bit, especially at church on Sunday.  His left eye looked irritated, so I did most of the reading to him so he could rest his eyes.  He had portfolios due this week for science, hope, music, and English, plus he had his unit test in algebra.  I worked with him and he got quite a bit done, but not everything.  I came home from work and we did some more school, but he wasn't feeling well due to his eye bothering him, so he went to bed.

Tuesday morning we got up early to work some more, but his eye was looking pretty bad.  It wasn't red but it was crusty.  He said it hurt, only not his eye.  What hurt was his eyelid, the outer part of the eye.  I found some eye ointment and put it on him, and we continued doing school.  I have to admit, I was starting to get stressed.  My son was falling behind in his schoolwork, his eye was getting more swollen, and my boss told me she'd be taking the day off on Thursday.  I was praying the ointment would alleviate the irritation in my son's eye; if it didn't I'd have to seek medical attention, and quick.

Wednesday morning, it became clear that my son needed a doctor.  His eye looked positively awful, and he wasn't able to sleep because his eye kept crusting over all night.  Thankfully I was able to get him an appointment for 10:30 am.  We did an hour and a half of school before we left.  Wednesday is his busiest school day, because he has 3 live lessons to attend.  I knew he'd miss his science class, but at least he could attend music.  I was so glad the doctor was able to see him.  The office was so packed, but there are several doctors at this practice, and I wasn't going to be picky.  His regular doctor didn't see him, but the one that did is great.  She examined him thoroughly, then said he had an eye infection, most probably due to all the scratching he'd been doing.  The eye is so delicate, and scratching it (especially with dirty hands) can easily bring on an infection.  She was concerned, however, that he might possibly have eczema on that eyelid as well.  E had eczema as a small child but never on his face; it was always in the back of his elbows and knees.  She gave me an appointment to come back today (Friday) to have it looked at again.  Meanwhile she sent him some eye drops, an ointment, and Zyrtec for the allergies in addition to Allegra.  I about passed out when I saw the pharmacy bill for the meds:  $130!  And I have insurance!!  So much for affordable healthcare :P.  It took an hour waiting at the pharmacy for the medicines, which got me to work late.  Talk about really stressing out!  Good thing I only work 3 hours on Wednesdays, because I go to church and serve in Awana.  This Wednesday, however, we didn't go to church.  E didn't have youth group anyway (they'd gone on a trip the day before) and I wasn't going to take him with me to be around the little kids with his eye all swollen.  Besides, there was lots of schoolwork to catch up on, so that's what we did.  I missed my girls, but I'm glad I stayed and took care of my son who needed me more.

Already Thursday he was feeling better, even though the Zyrtec made him sleepy.  We got lots of schoolwork done in the morning, then I went off to work.  I wasn't sure if my boss would be there or not; she wanted the day off, but I don't think her husband knows what to do without her there.  He really depends on her a lot!  I walked into the office, and MM was nowhere to be found.  I said a short prayer, then got to work.  It actually went pretty well!  My daughter said I looked like I had it all together and was more relaxed than I'd been all week.  The other teachers were so helpful, too.  They pitched in if I asked them for help or if I had any questions.  MM did finally show up about an hour before closing; I think when you've been at the helm for so many years it's hard to let go, or believe someone else can do the work.  I hope that, as she sees the work I do and that things are running smoothly, she can trust me to work on my own without having to check on me constantly.  I have always worked independently, so it's weird for me to have someone looking over my shoulder, but I also recognize I've been there for less than a month.  Obviously there's still much I don't know, and much I need to learn.  With God's help I'll manage, I'm sure.  After work I sat down with E and told him we would finish school.  Spring break would begin on Friday, and he needed to have all his work turned in by Thursday night.  I'm pleased to say, he did it!  The only thing left was a report on Beethoven's symphony Eroica, and he sent it in at 10:30 at night.  We won't have to think about school till March 23rd.  Hallelujah!

This morning (my "day off") found me back at the doctor's office with my son.  He had to be there at 8:00 for his recheck.  When I woke him up in the morning, he let out a yell and said, "My eye isn't stuck together!"  Poor kid, he'd been waking up to an eye that was sealed shut every morning, and now the medicine was doing its work and he was looking considerably better.  There's flaking around the eye where the rash is drying up, but the swelling is almost completely gone.  Praise the Lord!  The doctor was pleased to see how much his eye had improved in such a short amount of time.  It was a huge relief for me as well.  I trust God, and I know He will always do what is right and best for me and my family, but I won't deny, when one of my children is sick it's like the life is drained out of me.  All I want is for them to get better.  I guess I'm no different from every other mom in the world.

After we'd finished at the doctor's office, I dropped him off at the house and began my journey into grocery shopping.  I started off at Winn-Dixie, hoping to find some good deals on meats.  I got a package of steak and a London broil that were on sale, but the ground beef was ridiculous.  $4.53 a pound?!  Gimme a break people!  I skipped on that, but did get my canned goods, pastas, breads, those sorts of things, spending a total of $93.18.  Not bad, considering my total budget is $300.  I dropped that food off at the house, then headed out to Walmart.  I picked up whatever I hadn't gotten at Winn-Dixie, like dog food and breakfast foods, plus I got some ham steaks and frozen foods, and spent $97.70.  I left there and stopped off at Pep Boys.  I was in need of tires - bad - but I'd had to wait till I had my income tax return.  Now that I had the money (and the time) I went and scheduled my tire replacement appointment for 4:00.  From there I went to Costco to get my bulk items, including ground beef.  I don't particularly care for the ground beef at Costco (it's very fatty IMO) but it's $3.79 a pound, a large cry from the $4.53/lb at Winn-Dixie.  My total at Costco was $70.87, bringing my total to $261.75, $38.25 under budget.  That's great, because this week I bought pizza from Little Caesars and KFC on Wednesday when I was running around with my son, so I'm still within my budget.

I got all the groceries home and put away with my daughter's help.  After lunch we made a trip to the bank so I could finish opening a checking account.  I wanted a separate account for myself now that I'm working, and I'd tried doing it online so I wouldn't have to visit the branch.  It worked - but when I tried using online banking, I found out I'd have to go to the bank to get a special pin number.  So much for not having to make the trip :P.  To give you an idea how crazy our weather is in Florida, we got to the bank as it was starting to look like rain.  We were there for about 20 minutes, in which time it rained pretty heavy and steady, but by the time we were done the sun was out and it didn't look like it had rained at all.  That is so typical in Florida, it surprises none of the locals.

I came back home to drop my daughter off (she'd gone with me to the bank), then went to get my new tires.  While I was there my daughter made one of my all-time favorites, spaghetti carbonara.  Boy was I thankful for that!  After a non-stop day it's really nice to come home to a delicious meal.  I'm so blessed.

Bare Escentuals had another Beauty Rush on Wednesday (my very insane day), and I was gonna skip it because I didn't think I'd have time to even look at what they had.  But while we were having lunch I took a peek to see if they had any skincare on sale, and they did.  I went ahead and placed an order for a kit containing neck cream, toner pads and body lotion; then I found an eyeshadow duo for $7 and another kit for $21 and I snatched them both up.  That was before I found out that my son's medicines were $130.  Part of me wishes I'd waited and not placed the order; part of me can't wait till it gets here!

There's more to add to my "fun" week, but I'll leave it for the weekend.  Right now I think I'll take a shower, then relax a bit before bed.  I think I've earned it.  Good night ya'll.  Pleasant dreams.

Mid Week Recap

Is the week over yet?  No?  Ugh.  I was kinda hoping it would be.

Ever have one of those weeks?  Yeah, me too.

I've been battling this cold and congestion for several days now.  Tuesday I went in to work with absolutely no voice.  At all.  I didn't feel so poorly that I couldn't work, I just couldn't help answer the phones, which is a primary reason I'm there.  That made me feel a bit useless, but I made sure I got the filing cabinet in order (MM is so grateful for that) and made up some of the reading books for students.  Whatever I could do, I would do, and I felt appreciated for the effort.

My voice is slowly coming back, but not without this annoying cough, and now my nose is drippy.  What I want is a good night's sleep.  I took Benadryl last night and it did help, but of course my days are packed with activities and I don't get to slow down much.  Just yesterday we had school, then I went off to work for 3 hours, only to run home, change, eat something quick, and run off to Awana.  I love being busy - it beats being bored - but when you aren't feeling 100% (or even 80%) it's rough on the body.  I'm looking forward to (hopefully) getting some extra sleep this weekend.

Wait, what am I saying?!  I've got the garage to organize, meaning I'm planning on getting the storage cabinets and finishing that job up.  And to top it off, our clocks have to spring forward this weekend!  Yikes!  That means getting up a whole hour earlier for church!!  I hate Daylight Savings Time with a passion!

In other news, I placed an order with New York and Company for another couple pairs of pants and a pretty top I'd seen at the store.  I had some City Cash to spend ($30 worth) but no time to get to the store.  Thankfully I've tried on the clothes and I pretty much know my size.  Besides, if the clothes don't fit I can go to the store and exchange them.  If they do fit, I've avoided a trip to the mall.  Here's to hoping!

That's it so far.  My week has been a cycle of homeschooling and work, with a side order of I-feel-yucky.  Here's to praying for a better rest of the week, and God's provision which is always much needed.  Have a blessed day!

Monday, Monday

I'm sitting here enjoying a piping hot bowl of chicken and dumplings in hopes that it will counteract the cold that wants to take over my chest.  How it invaded my body I don't know, but I will do whatever it takes to defeat it.

A quick recap of my goings-on:  Saturday's wedding was absolutely gorgeous (as weddings typically are).  The theme of the wedding was taken from the Disney Pixar movie Up.  The bridesmaids were dressed in '40's style dresses and hairdo's, and the groomsmen wore tan pants and suspenders.  They used the music from the movie to walk down the aisle which was precious.  The table centerpieces were hot air balloons with flowers in the baskets.  I really should have taken pictures, but as usual I didn't think of it.  My daughter took some, though.  She was enthralled with the decor and the theme.  The only drawback was the weather.  It was supposed to be an outdoor wedding, but we had the worst rainstorm I've seen all winter.  It wasn't raining, it was monsooning.  The Lord protected us, because the rain didn't start till about 15 minutes after we arrived.  You couldn't see outside it was coming down so hard.  The poor bride was in tears; it was her dream to have an outdoor wedding, and it was just impossible to do.  What's surprising is that we hadn't gotten much rain the entire month of February, yet it rained on and off all day long with such a vengeance.  Still, the wedding went off beautifully despite the little setback, and now the bride and groom are in Tokyo for their honeymoon.  I don't think I've ever seen the groom so happy, and I've known him for years.  What a joy to be able to share such an important day with the family.

I was already starting to feel the effects of a cold coming on, but it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I was uncomfortable enough to take some Mucinex.  I've started the next big project here at the house: organizing the garage.  I threw out a bunch of stuff already, and my son R took 2/3 of the rotted wall unit to the dump.  I spent several hours cleaning, moving, trashing and taking the wall unit apart.  I left only the section with the food.  Although I have a little pantry in the kitchen, it's just that: a little pantry.  Some of the food has been moved out to the garage, and the storage is not right for what we need.  My plan, Lord willing, is to rent a pick-up truck from Lowe's and get the storage units from there as well.  That will have to be done Friday, since we have school and work all week.  The garage looks neater already, and it's still a mess!  I'm really looking forward to having everything in its proper place.  The other thing I'm planning on getting is a small freezer, so that I can buy meats on sale and have a place to put them.  Back in 2000 when we moved to this house, it seemed so enormous.  Now we're busting at the seams.  Even with all the junk I threw out there's still a ton of stuff in the garage.  Time to purge, purge, purge!

That's it for this edition of My Life.  I'll try to get a more detailed post in later.  For now, God bless and have a lovely day :-).

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.  

Thoughtful Thursday

What a week it has been!  I didn't realize how "out of it" I was in respect to being in the work force.  So much I've forgotten, so much I need to relearn!

I began working again this week after 6 1/2 years of being a stay-at-home mom.  I knew it would be different, but I didn't realize how different.  I felt a little like a fish out of water, even though my bosses are dear friends of mine who love the Lord and have great patience and understanding.  I had to admit to MM today that I had to get used to the phone.  I haven't had a land line in 3 years.  I haven't answered a work phone in twice that.  So the phone rings, and I honestly don't hear it!  I try to pay attention to it, but I get busy doing something and my mind blocks out all other sounds.  I have to make a conscious effort to listen for the phone so I can help get it answered.

It's also a very different industry than anything I've worked in.  For my last two jobs, in which I worked a total of 20 years, I worked in manufacturing.  I was a purchasing manager for 10 of those years.  Yes, it was office work, but extremely different from the service-type of industry I'm in now.  I didn't have to deal with customers.  I was the customer.  People came to me offering me products and prices, and I got to shop and get paid for it (every woman's dream job).  Now I have to work with the public, learning the names of the teachers and the students, their curriculum and needs, and it's gonna take me a while to get everything straight!  I pray each day that I would please my Heavenly Father by doing the best job I can while treating others the way I'd like to be treated.

The perks of this job are simple: I work 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday.  I work from 3:00 to 8:15, which gives me plenty of time to homeschool, take care of the house, and make food.  I've timed my drive to work:  3 minutes, unless I get caught by the traffic light, in which case it takes 4 minutes.  All the teachers have been super nice to me - they all like my daughter, so it's easy to see why they'd be that way, but I do believe they're just all really nice.  Most of the teachers are college students, though one is in high school and another is an older guy that's been there for years.  They're very professional and polite.  It's a great environment to work in.

Of course I've had to really buckle down and keep my commitment to managing my time efficiently.  It hasn't been nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, though.  In the mornings I make breakfast, then I have my bible study time while eating.  I make sure E gets up early as well; no more starting school at 10 am I'm afraid!  We start school at 9:00 and go straight till either noon or 1:00, depending on what classes he has.  I've used the crock pot to help me, so I don't have to stop and cook, though I have done that as well.  Today for instance, I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  Meatloaf is a quick prep, then it goes in the oven.  The potatoes take longer because I make them from scratch, but I didn't make a huge batch so I was able to get them in the pot fairly quickly.  Recipes that are quick and simple are my go-to's now (think: 30 minute meals).  After lunch I get dressed and put on my makeup, so that we can get some more schoolwork done before I have to leave.  While E is doing an online class, I'm doing laundry, preparing the meal, sweeping up dog hair, whatever needs to get done.  After work I come home and finish anything that didn't get done earlier, including any pending schoolwork.  All in all it has worked out quite smoothly, I'm glad to say.  I think I can relax a bit now.

I got a couple of shipments in from Bare Escentuals this week.  The palette arrived yesterday and I immediately started to use it.  I'm in love!  The palette has 4 color groups: pinks, plums, golds and greens.  The pinks are a nice neutral, with a brown shade that is really pretty.  I used that one yesterday, and the plum colors today.  They go on smoothly, blend really well, and last the whole time I'm wearing them.  I'm dying to try the greens!

I also received my skincare order, with the Active Cell Renewal Night Serum.  I'd used several samples the company had sent me on previous orders, and I could clearly see and feel a difference in my skin.  I've also been using the Purifying Facial Cleanser which is gentle on my sensitive skin, and the moisturizer that accompanies it.  I love the mild smell; I can't use products with fragrances because they make me break out.  This moisturizer doesn't irritate my skin at all.  It's been nice using products that are helping my skin rather than harming it.

Of course my weekend won't be very relaxed.  My best friend IV got us tickets to see Chris Tomlin in concert tomorrow - it was her Christmas present to us.  Our church is having its annual carnival starting tonight, though we passed on it.  Our temperatures have taken a bit of a nosedive.  It was 50 degrees this morning when I got up, but thanks to the wind chill factor it felt like 43.  Tonight the temps are going into the 30's.  It was already cold and windy out there when I got off work, and I knew it wasn't going to get any better, so we chose to stay home.  Tomorrow my son and his best friend will go to the carnival while the ladies go to the concert.  I don't like going without him, but he wants to hang out with his friends, which I totally understand.  Saturday will probably be more carnival time, then Sunday we have tickets to see Tim Hawkins, my all-time favorite comedian!  My daughter got to see him live years ago, but I wasn't able to go.  I'm so excited to see him this year!  

That's my wrap up for the work week.  I'll do my best to get a post up before the weekend is over.  It's gonna be a busy one!  God bless and good night.

Tackling Tuesdays

As much as you want to plan your life, 

it has a way of surprising you with unexpected things

that will make you happier

than you originally planned.

That's what you call God's Will.

I'm still deciding if today's surprise is God's will or not.  If it's one of those unexpected blessings that you didn't even know you wanted or needed, but you have to trust God that it's perfect for this moment.

Back in 2008 the company I'd worked for for close to 12 years went bankrupt.  This was more than just a job; the people there were like my family.  Some of the folks had worked there since I'd been there, some for much longer, others had come and gone, but the finality was strange.  Not unexpected, at least not for me.  As the purchasing manager, I worked directly with accounts payable and knew the bills weren't being paid.  It was very sad to see a company that had been around since the early 60's go under the way it did, but it was happening to many businesses at the time.  As the warning signs grew clearer, I'd prepared myself for the worst and updated my resume.  I sent it out to every company, every ad that was in the newspaper, in Career Builder, Monster, anywhere and everywhere.  There was nothing.  Companies were getting hundreds of applications for each job they posted.  The competition was fierce, and even though I had experience and a great record, there simply weren't enough jobs to go around.  I was at peace, though.  I felt God acknowledge that I would be home with my family until He said otherwise, and that's what I've done.  It's been an exercise in faith, and I'm thankful to say that He has never let us go hungry, nor has He allowed us to get into debt, or lose our home, or go without electricity, or water, or anything else.  God has taken care of us and seen us through every difficulty we've faced.  I have seen His Hand in our lives and I'm extremely grateful for it.

I haven't looked for work since that time.  I've been a stay-at-home mom, caring for my kids and my home.  Even when my marriage crumbled, I felt that God wanted me here and would make sure I had everything I needed.  So when I got the call yesterday from my friend MM, and my daughter told me it looked like they were going to offer me a job, I was skeptical.  It wasn't expected.  I hadn't asked God for it.  But I was willing to go and see what it was all about.

My daughter was right.  My friends JM and MM offered me a job.  As a matter of fact, JM made it clear this wasn't an interview, it was an offer.  I would be working part-time, from 3:00 to 8:15 pm Monday - Thursday.  When I mentioned that Wednesdays is my Awana night at church, they said no problem, they'd be willing to accommodate me.  And I have to admit, it appears to be perfect.  Too good to be true.  I would be able to continue homeschooling my son, and since it's a tutoring school, my son would receive free tutoring if he needed it.  I would have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, along with any school holidays.  The pay wouldn't be much, but it would be a little extra income coming in for extras and emergencies.  Plus, it's 10 minutes from the house on heavy traffic days.  I wouldn't be spending a lot of time stuck in traffic or a lot of money on gas.  

It sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it?  Only I wasn't dreaming about this.  It truly came out of the blue.  So my answer to them was, I need to pray about it.  I have to ask God if this is right.  And they not only understood but encouraged me to pray and speak to my family about it.  I told them I'd give them an answer on Friday, so for the next few days I will be praying.  A lot.  And asking anyone and everyone to pray alongside me.  I want clarity, and I want peace.  I'm trusting God to give me both.

What else happened today?  Oh yeah, Beauty Rush!!!  I was so excited, because I'd read somewhere that Bare Minerals has their Beauty Rush sales on the third Friday of the month, so I was expecting the next one to be on the 20th.  But here it was, a whole 10 days earlier!  I didn't want to spend a lot of money, though.  I have so much stuff as it is, that adding to my makeup collection seems frivolous.  But I decided to check it out anyway.  My main intention was to look for skincare; lotions, creams, cleansers, treatments, that sort of thing.  I didn't find any that caught my attention, but another thing did:  an eye shadow palette that I've wanted ever since I first saw it.  It's called the Ready Convertible Palette, and it comes with 12 eye shadow shades.  The palette is unique in that the eye shadows pop out and can be put in the center which is detachable, making it compact and portable.  The colors range from browns to greens to purples, all colors I love.  The problem was the price: $49.  It came out just before Christmas, and I'd already spent a lot of money on makeup and presents for myself and my daughter.  I couldn't justify getting this expensive eye palette as well, so I passed on it.  Last month I saw it on sale for $25, and I thought about getting it, but there were other things I needed to get first.  By the time I went back to check on it, it had sold out.  I was bummed, because I'd gotten a $10 off coupon from Bare Minerals and had hoped to use it to get this palette.  I figured I'd save the coupon for something else that I would want or need.  Well, last week the palette was back on the website on sale for $25.  I suspect they got returns in from the stores and wanted to get rid of them.  I thought about getting it with the $10 off; that would make it $15, a real deal.  That was a few days ago.  Today the palette was on Beauty Rush for $18.  $18 dollars ya'll!!!  I snatched it up in a heartbeat.  I thought about getting some eyeliner pencils as well, but honestly, I didn't need them.  I took the eye shadow palette, used my $10 off coupon, and with tax and shipping paid $12.80 for it.  From the original price to just under $13.  Now that's what I call a blessing from above!

That's my Tuesday.  It's been quite a day!  School went well, Beauty Rush went very well, but nothing tops the unexpected surprise of a job offer.  It's time for bed now; I've got some praying to do!  Good night ya'll.

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.

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.