Alphabet Soup

Time to close up shop....

2011-07-13T21:35:00.003-06:00

It's been a very long time since my last post, but it's not been for lack of things going on. Over the last year I've practically lived in doctor's offices, hospital rooms, emergency rooms, a rehabilitation center, MRI and CT rooms, labs and the pharmacy, not to mention dealing with my mother's unwillingness to participate in her own well being.

It's been physically and mentally exhausting and I've discovered that it's also taken a toll on my own health. I've lost contact with all my friends and even my family to some degree. I actually hit a wall a few weeks ago and broke down and until this moment the only person that knew was an acqaintence from work. Although I've shared a few frustrations or some bumps in the road, I've kept most of it hidden in the proverbial closet. Everyone is busy and have good things going on so I just hated to dump "stuff" on anyone else (my decision), but why make others feel bad or uncomfortable. So to anyone I've neglected or hurt by not being there for them, I'm sorry. It was never my intention to push anyone away or not be supportive.

Things have finally settled down with my mother's health and I'm trying to regain control of my life and hopefully get myself back to a healthy, happy place and find some balance. At least that's my hope.

After giving the few people that have followed this blog a chance to check in one last time ;-) I will be taking down this site. Know that I wish you God's richest blessings and I love you all.

Wishful thinking....

2010-07-11T19:06:00.002-06:00

If Calgon could take me away I would have bought a case of it long ago. Funny, the commercials never mentioned being able to come back, but in my case that might not have been a bad idea. LOL

Winter hat....

2010-03-10T23:14:00.005-07:00

This is my Landen....I love the way he looks in his winter hat.

This and that...

2010-03-05T17:20:00.007-07:00

I have a habit of checking my friends and family's blogs, but I don't spend any time sharing on my own blog. I'm not sure that it really matters much. I think the only people "following" are my family and they already know anything I would write. LOL But.... on the off chance that someone other than my family actually stops by here's the news.

I've been at my job with the hospital for several months now and I'm actually feeling pretty comfortable. I still learn something new every day and I hope that never changes. I don't relish the idea of becoming stagnant on the job. The staff are, for the most part, helpful and encouraging, which I appreciate so much. I think I'm the only one that has no medical training and/or experience, but I think I'm quickly getting past that "small" handicap.

I'm still working on my special project, but still don't feel ready to share what it is. I don't work on it every day, but I'm plugging away and really enjoy having this opportunity. It's impacted my life more than I would have thought.

My granddaughter Emerson got her first pair of glasses this week and she looks so cute in them. She got to pick her frames and I think she did a super job.

My oldest granddaughter, McKenna, is headed to Washington (state) with All City Children's Chorus next week. I'm so excited for her. She loves to sing and this is a great opportunity to share with other vocal groups and learn new things. I hope she takes lots of pictures so we can see some of the things she will experience.

My mother bought me a Kindle a few weeks ago and I'm loving it. It's so much more convenient than carrying around a book. I'm working on my fourth book already. I got about 16 free books from Amazon to get me started, but if you know me at all you know which books I'm looking forward to downloading. What can I say....I'm a Twi-hard through and through.

There's plenty more going on around here, but this should at least get me current. In the meantime....take care of each other, do something fun just for yourself and go see Remember Me at the movies next weekend. Some good things are being said about it.

Time change....

2009-11-21T22:48:00.004-07:00

Now that New Moon has hit the theaters I thought I should change the count down clock in anticipation of the next sequel. (not that I'm anxious)

The job.......

2009-11-11T20:15:00.003-07:00

My mind seems a bit muddle from all the things I'm learning on the job. You just don't realize how much paperwork there is for labor and delivery, mother and baby, nursery and ped's. It feels like it's slow coming, but with having worked only 4 - 12 hour shifts I guess I'm hanging in there. This is the first job I've had that I felt like I was learning at a snails pace and I'm not used to that, nor do I like it. I have to find a way to step it up.

On a more exciting note......New Moon is only days away.

F@#&ing Stupid.....

2009-11-04T18:40:00.009-07:00

Got your attention with that title, didn't I?

Day after day I read and/or hear people use the crudest language and I'm really sick of it. Are we so lacking in our child rearing skills or is our education system so terrible that people can't think of any way to express themselves without throwing in a few "F" words or any of the other crude words they know? Surely people are smart enough to know that using "garbage" words doesn't make them look good, fit in better, appear intelligent, or make them more interesting.

Hollywood feeds this senseless use of unintelligent words. Contrary to what they say it's really not the norm. I've been around drug dealers and users, alcoholics, homeless, rich, poor, bikers, military, even felons, and most don't spout this stuff anything like they portray in the movies. Hollywood has said that they don't set the tone or standards for anyone, but look around when the next big movie comes out and see if the kids aren't mimicking the actors in their dress and their speech.

Come on people. Surely we're better than this. Would you really look your grandmother in the face and say "what the f---?"

Just a decoration...not a way of life

2009-10-30T08:19:00.002-06:00

With only three weeks left until the release of New Moon I thought it was time to "decorate" my little corner of the world. For those thinking I'm obsessed....relax, I'm just having a bit of fun.

Thoughts of McKenna...

2009-10-10T14:35:00.003-06:00

I've always enjoyed time with my oldest granddaughter McKenna, but lately it's been a whole new experience. She has always been her own person, but it seems like that "person" is starting to really mature and stretch in a variety of different ways. She is no longer a little girl, but fast becoming a young woman and the way she expresses herself can be quite entertaining. I love the changes, but it makes me a little sad to realize that she is just around the corner from her teen years and all the pressures that will entail. I hope she knows that no matter what may happen in her life she can always depend on me. If she can just remember that dancing is fun, trust and respect are essential, singing is more than just a song, and that boys are best as friends she shouldn't have any trouble making it through to adulthood. In the meantime, I hope she knows how proud of her I am and how much she is loved.

Moving along...

2009-09-25T21:59:00.002-06:00

Still progressing.....albeit slowly. Anyone speculating about what I'm actually doing? Kind of doubting it, but I'm having fun all the same.

Try something new and see what happens!

What a day....

2009-09-16T15:48:00.004-06:00

Hard as you try, some day's it's impossible to not let things get to you. It's tiring trying to carry the load with no help, no one to lean on or anyone to really talk to when it all gets to be too much. To make things worse there's still no job in site and no ideas as to what to do when the options run out.

I spent some time today at the park with a good book hoping that it would pull me out of my funk, but I got home and my mother, with her "I want to rip your head off" voice, accused me of being mean to one of my grandchildren. The worse thing I said to the child was for her and her sister to stop grouching at each other. I didn't even raise my voice when I said it. Gez Louise.....I can't ever win!

Lord willing someone will call tomorrow for an interview and the door will be opened for that much needed job. I also have my special project to try to keep my mind occupied. :-)

Reflection......

2009-09-13T10:25:00.005-06:00

Reflecting on ones life can prove to be quite interesting. I've always thought that I had some pretty good accomplishments, but maybe not overly exciting by world standards. The truth of the matter is that for the most part my life has been mediocre with reasonable accomplishments with nothing to write home about. It's funny actually. In my quest to change the direction of my life I've found that I actually stopped "living" years ago. I've been doing the expected and not many of the things I wanted to do. It doesn't make me mad or anything, but I much prefer the way things are going now, not the lack of a job of course, but all the rest. I actually feel awake and alive for the first time in a very, very long time. I don't think anyone around me sees anything going on yet, but I do and it's such an amazing feeling. Sometimes I actually sit and chuckle, thinking if they only knew.......it's still not time to share, but soon.

Have a great day everyone! I know I am....

Back to school...

2009-08-31T18:11:00.003-06:00

A new school year has begun and the kids seem to have settle into their routines. All are excited about getting teachers they wanted and finding that they have some new students to make friends with. Peyton is now in kindergarten and is so trilled that they have a pirate theme. Just ask her and she'll demonstrate "pirate talk" for you and Braeden apparently was so excited to be in pre-school he was giving mom and dad their instructions to go home. He's definitely ready to demonstrate his independence.

Personally I'm a little sad that everyone is back in school. It's just another reminder that the kids are growing up fast. It would be so nice to slow down time just a bit so we can enjoy our families just a bit longer.

What's new...

2009-08-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

I hate to say it, but after 7 months searching for a new job I'm starting to freak out. I'm pretty sure I've hit the wall and am starting to waiver and the stress is really taking it's toll. All I can do is ask that you please continue to pray for the situation.

Fact or fiction update: I've had a few people ask about this tiny blog and although I appreciate the interest it's just not time to say more. I am starting to move ahead with a little "experimenting" and hopefully I will be able to share something a little more concrete soon. Stepping out of your comfort zone is not always easy so encouragement and prayers are always appreciated.

Fact or fiction....

2009-07-30T13:46:00.003-06:00

Is it possible to completely change the course of your life? I'm thinking it might be time to experiment a bit and find out.

Crossed over.......

2009-07-28T02:01:00.005-06:00

If you haven't figured it out, either by talking with me or by the addition of the countdown clock on my blog, I've official crossed over to what some refer to as the dark side.....I have become a serious Twilighter. I needed something to help fill some free time, something other than the day to day mundane tasks, and broke down and bought the first book of the series. I got so engrossed I finished it that day. The following evening I ran back to the store and purchased the remainder of the books. I not only finished them, but also reread book one, all in about 4 days. My eyes were burning from staring at the pages, but I was afraid that I would end up starting a new job before I could finish them and I didn't want to drag it out. For the rest of you Twilghter's, let's not kid ourselves, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Ready for the sequel.......

2009-07-07T19:47:00.009-06:00

For anyone that doesn't already know it I'm a Harry Potter fan. Thanks to my son and grandson, I've read the books through twice and have watched the movies 3 or 4 times. To say I'm excited about the next movie sequel to be released next week would be an understatement. My daughter and I have our tickets so all we need now is the popcorn and soda. First showing is Tuesday at midnight. Any of you plan on joining us there? Give a shout out if you are.

Thank you!

2009-07-01T22:24:00.003-06:00

As another 4th of July comes along I wanted to take a moment to thank our military men and woman that have or are serving our country so that we may enjoy the freedoms we have. For those families that have lost a loved one in the name of freedom, no words can take away your pain and sorrow, but know how very much I appreciate your sacrifice. May you all be richly blessed for serving as you do.

Probably not your typical mood....

2009-06-30T23:16:00.003-06:00

I had a great time today with one of my granddaughters, but tonight the mood has changed. Tonight I'm in a missing mood. Have any of you ever had one of those days? I miss my best friend. I miss my daughter. I miss my grandkids, all of them and not just the ones away for the summer. I miss working and I miss having something to do besides doctor appointments and picking up prescriptions. I miss having people to talk to and fellowship with and I miss feeling alive and like I'm contributing. I'm not sad or mad or even overwhelmed. I'm just in a missing mood. I wonder what tomorrow's mood will be? With my luck it will be a cleaning mood.

Where is your heart?

2009-06-23T20:37:00.011-06:00

If you are a Christian....
Why does it appear that you are serving yourself and that nothing else matters?
Why do you become angry so easily?
Why are the only people you socialize with non-Christians?
Why are you rationalizing everything you do and everywhere you go?
Why do you keep your Christian friends at arms length.
Why do you lie about the smallest of things?
Why do you try to hide what you are doing?
If you have kids, why can't you see that they are beginning to mimic you and no longer speak of the Lord?
Why are the people you are supposed to love the most suddenly of no consequence to you?
Why don't the Christians around you hear joy in your voice or hear you speak openly about the Lord and how He's working in your life or the lives of your loved ones?
Why have you walked away from the ONE that has loved you no matter what?

You once believed that the Lord would provide everything you needed as well as the strength to accomplish anything. Isn't it time to turn back to Him and find that peace and joy you once had? Isn't it time to stop being a stumbling block, not only to yourself, but to everyone around you whether lost or saved? Surely a moments pleasure is not worth sacrificing yourself or your loved ones.

I pray for you and I hope that if any of this has made an impact you will get on your knees and give Him back your heart. You and I both know that life was never as good as when you were living for Him. If you need help or want someone to talk to about getting your life back on track, please contact me. I will do whatever I can or put you in contact with someone that can help.

Joshua 24:15 (King James Version)
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

"A rose by any other name..."

2009-06-22T22:13:00.009-06:00

8 weeks old

Contrary to what had been briefly posted the other day, the new puppy has been named Harry. Apologies to anyone confused by the switch, but rest assured the name won't change again. (It's a long story.) For anyone not able to figure it out, Harry is for my favorite fictional character...Harry Potter. What can I say...I'm just a kid at heart.

Puppy update...

2009-06-03T12:26:00.005-06:00

For all parties interested (or not), here are the latest pictures of the new puppy. I would love to tell you he has a name, but alas he does not. :-( I believe this is the first time I've gotten a pet and wasn't able to pick a name pretty quickly. At this point, "puppy" will be coming home June 19th.

For the moms...

2009-05-26T11:27:00.005-06:00

While studying this morning I found this on a site called Got Questions.org. As a mother I thought it was well worth sharing.

Question: "What does the Bible say about Christian mothers?"

Answer: Being a mother is a very important role that the Lord chooses to give to many women. A Christian mother is told to love her children (Titus 2:4-5), in part so that she does not bring reproach on the Lord and on the Savior whose name she bears.

Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). In Titus 2:4, the Greek word phileoteknos appears in reference to mothers loving their children. This word represents a special kind of “mother love.” The idea that flows out of this word is that of caring for our children, nurturing them, affectionately embracing them, meeting their needs, and tenderly befriending each one as a unique gift from the hand of God.

Several things are commanded of Christian mothers in God’s Word:

Availability – morning, noon, and night (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Involvement – interacting, discussing, thinking, and processing life together (Ephesians 6:4)

Teaching – the Scriptures and a biblical worldview (Psalm 78:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:10; Ephesians 6:4)
Training – helping a child to develop skills and discover his/her strengths (Proverbs 22:6) and spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12)

Discipline – teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, lovingly, firmly (Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17)

Nurture – providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Titus 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 4:29-32; 5:1-2; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:8-9)

Modeling with Integrity – living what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9, 15, 23; Proverbs 10:9; 11:3; Psalm 37:18, 37).

The Bible never states that every woman should be a mother. However, it does say that those whom the Lord blesses to be mothers should take the responsibility seriously. Mothers have a unique and crucial role in the lives of their children. Motherhood is not a chore or unpleasant task. Just as a mother bears a child during pregnancy, and just as a mother feeds and cares for a child during infancy, so mothers also play an ongoing role in the lives of their children, whether they are adolescents, teenagers, young adults, or even adults with children of their own. While the role of motherhood must change and develop, the love, care, nurture, and encouragement a mother gives should never cease.

Praying

2009-04-16T21:58:00.003-06:00

It seems I'm not the only one that is struggling with some kind of difficulty at the moment. Today I've had a number of people request prayer for their family and/or friends. All were very serious situations and made my needs seem so small and insignificant in comparison. So tonight I am here to say I'm sorry I've fretted over my "stuff" when instead I should have been looking to focus my on the needs of others. I guess this is just another reminder from the Lord to "let go and let Him."

In case you want to help pray for some of these people's needs, they're listed below.

6 month baby girl with serious help problems; has already had several operations and CPR several times.
An mother expecting her 2nd child - admitted to the hospital with very high blood pressure
a friend with a unspoken request - identified as urgent.
2 friends with health issues
salvation for a friend

I'd rather be singing

2009-04-15T21:28:00.004-06:00

I have so many emotions going through me these days. Being unemployed is awful and every day that passes makes me that much more anxious. The unemployment rate continues to climb everywhere and now we're beginning to feel the pinch here in Cheyenne. There aren't that many jobs available and now the state has a hiring freeze. The Lord has provided for me time after time and I KNOW He will now, but we all know nothing is in our time, but His. It's so easy to encourage others to sit quietly and wait, but when it's our turn we're always babies. Why is that? I think that's where our faith waivers the most. I'm just glad that His grace is sufficient and He will forgive me where I fail Him.

During trying times my very favorite verse, Isaiah 41:10, always seems to come to mind at just the right moment and I know it's not by accident. It's just another example of how He takes care of me.

If you've been praying for me and my job situation, I thank you sooooo much and ask you to please continue. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Easter weekend...

2009-04-13T08:25:00.007-06:00

I'm happy to say that my sweet McKenna made it back from Tennessee early Saturday morning. After picking her up at the airport we made a day of it and went for everyone's favorite Krispy Kreme donuts and then shopped for what turned out to be McKenna's first pair of "heels." Technically they were wedged heels and only about an inch high, but it was the greatest thing since sliced bread for her. She had a grand time going through all the ladies shoes and I had just as good a time watching her.

Sunday afternoon we all got together at Jon and Sandra's for dinner and had such a good time. I hope your Easter weekend was as much fun! Praise the Lord for family....I don't know what I would do without mine. :-)

Just a note....

2009-04-10T21:08:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone I know feels happy and loved. Happy Easter!

Waiting...

2009-03-31T17:47:00.003-06:00

I've been out of work since the end of January and I've applied for several jobs every week since then to no avail. In fact I got another "sorry, we chose someone else" letter this afternoon. I believe the Lord will provide, but at this moment with all the prayers being offered I can't help but wonder what's going on. I'm trying hard to keep in mind that everything is always in His time and not mine, but when you have to work His time can feel like forever. I don't want to worry (or panic for that matter), but some days waiting gets pretty hard. Unfortunately, today is one of those days.

Help Lord....I really need a good job. :-)

and how's your day?

2009-03-27T15:50:00.004-06:00

I've been wanting to write something new (and hopefully interesting), but I have nothing. Everything I have on my mind sounds sad and/or depressing, such as my daughter and her girls just moved out, I still haven't found a job, my house is still a wreck and everyone I know is busy. Gez Louise, I think this is one of those "such is life" moments. The problem is this is always my life. Somehow I've got to find one.....a life that is!

Happy Friday everyone!

He's here.....

2009-02-20T21:23:00.006-07:00

Landen Reese, the newest member of our family, arrived today at 8:02 this morning weighing in at 8.8 lbs, 20 1/4 inches, strong and healthy. His mom and dad are also doing well and big sister Emerson and big brother Braeden are thrilled to finally meet their little brother. It's been quite a day and we're all feeling very blessed.

Tucker......

2009-02-17T11:30:00.004-07:00

Tucker survived his first ordeal with the vet only to succumb to Lord only knows what. After spending the weekend with the vet so he could figure out what was wrong with Tucker, he called Monday morning to let me know that we had lost him. The vet is truly stumped and with my permission is doing a necropsy to try to figure out what happened. I have to say that in spite of having 4 cats, I really miss having Tucker bound around and demand attention from everyone. He really was a spirited and loving puppy.

We cried when we got the news, but I was surprised by my mother when she cried. This is a woman from the "old school" that a pet is just a pet and they come and go, but somehow she got attached to Tucker. I think his size was the hook. :-)

Bad day...

2009-02-02T16:04:00.003-07:00

Today turned into a bad day for my puppy Tucker. I took him to be neutered today and to get his shots and instead he had an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. As the vet put it "he just about tanked on us." He gave him the shots, but we will have to try again in another 2-3 weeks for the neutering. The vet said they have some extra precautions they can take and Tucker should be fine. He was going to send him home and gave me some instructions for tonight, but when he came back with Tucker he had changed his mind and wanted to keep him overnight. He was still pretty out of it and he wanted to get some fluids into him and monitor him a bit more. Geez Louise, you worry that everything is going to be okay when you take them and you get there to pick them up thinking everything is fine and you get hit with something like this. Maybe if I hadn't worried he would have been fine.

Vacuum Saga

2009-01-31T14:57:00.002-07:00

Vacuums...great inventions if you could just find one that actually works more than 6 months. I wonder how many of us have bought 3 or 4 over the last several years and have had no luck at all. Thats been my story. So today I happened upon a Dyson on clearance and decided that now was as good a time as any to invest. As I got to the counter to pay, the customer ahead of me looked at the box and told me that she l-o-v-e-s her Dyson and that she's had it for 4 years. I sure hope its an indications that this will finally be the last vacuum I have to buy.

2009-01-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new home. I know I seem to jump around a lot, but I feel like I have more options here on Blogspot. Guess we'll see how it goes. I suppose the next option would be a website. :-)

With the business officially closed I've managed to get all my "closing" tasks done this week. I really thought this would be so much more emotional, but that's not the case. Maybe it's because I have nothing left to give on this one. I do wonder what I'm going to do next, but I haven't come close to worrying about it. I know it's because the Lord is in control. I must say I'm looking forward to having regular hours and being able to do something fun once in a while. Please keep my in your prayers as the search for a "new" life begins. :-)