Not So Sweet

                 

Hi again. I don`t really know why I haven`t posted an entry in so long.

Remember I said I was having headaches for like two weeks straight? I no longer have them once I figured out what was causing them >>> Aspartame - the artificial sweetener in Diet Coke! If you research aspartame online you will see that it is bad bad bad. Bad news. It`s in many products and has been known to cause severe migraines in some people. I also read where it can cause depression and mimic signs of MS and fibromyalgia! I stopped drinking the diet soda and the excruciating headaches went away.

It`s been hot here. In the 90`s kind of hot. I`m not a summer person. I`m not enjoying this. We have many festivities and concerts going on as Football Hall of Fame week is being celebrated here. I haven`t gone to any of them. Somehow the idea of strolling through a  mass of smelly bodies squashed together in 90 degree temps while smelling cotton candy and corn dogs mixed with the scent of port-a-potties just doesn`t appeal to me.

I was asked to go see fireworks tonight by an old "friend." ( I use that term very loosely here. ) Okay, we used to date. There was a lot of drama. I declined. It just didn`t feel right.

I can`t wait until Corey gets home. She`s been on the other half of the world long enough!

I`m probably a tad old to be listening to these young emo bands but I love them. My favorite is Jack`s Mannequin. Andrew is 23 or 24 and survived the same kind of leukemia as me. We were both diagnosed in 2005. We are both well now. Please donate blood - it saves lives!!!

 

I also love The Academy Is and The All-American Rejects.

                    

I have a great song of theirs playing on my Myspace page. Check it out. My page is pretty!   :)

http://www.myspace.com/pennysplace2gogh

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope to catch up with journals soon!

Tags: Aspartame, Myspace, Jack`s Mannequin, Andrew McMahon, The Academy Is, The All American Rejects, leukemia, donate blood

Big Kosher Pickle!

 

 

My friend Cathie and I had dinner tonight at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Do you have those restaurants where you live? ( Named after the Jimmy Buffet song. )

Cheeseburger in paradise (paradise)
Medium rare with mustard 'be nice (paradise)
Heaven on earth with an onion slice (paradise)
I'm just a cheeseburger in paradise

I like mine with lettuce and tomato
Heinz 57 and french fried potatoes
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer.......

Well, when this particular song started to play in the restaurant all the employees gathered round the bar to clap their hands and sing along. One brawny guy was especially fond of the BIG KOSHER PICKLE line. He just cracked me up!!

I had a festive drink with rum, fresh pineapples, and strawberries ... (Hey, keeping it healthy. Heh heh) The strawberry in my drink was wearing sunglasses. Very cool!

 

I`ve had headaches for 2 weeks now. I rarely ever get headaches until now. They feel like tension headaches, all around my head and down the back of my head into my neck. Help me!

I have some days off so I hope to catch up on journal reading. It`s been a very busy week here in my little piece of Ohio.

Thanks to Missie for the darling name tag!

Happy weekend.    :)

Tags: big kosher pickle

Blue Skies

           

        

Today was one of those beautiful summer days - blue skies, white fluffy clouds, green grass, and rows of corn dancing in the breeze. I`m happy to be off work and enjoying it.

In New Zealand it`s already tomorrow, so my daughter has some free time to shop and have some fun. It`s been a good week there, with warmer temps and no rain.

There hasn`t been much going on here lately and the things that have been going on I don`t much feel like writing about.                    

I took a couple days off to pick up Corey once she gets home next month. She will have just turned 21 so we will celebrate her birthday once she is home from NZ. Then back to college, beginning her 4th year - WOW!

I`m pretty sure I have some time off after Thanksgiving that I`m going to use to visit my brother and SIL in Indianapolis. I`m feeling the need for a little road trip.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

 

Thanks to PinkCreations for this awesome tag and

Thanks to Donna for the marina dock graphic

Touch of The Master`s Hand

Well it was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while,
To waste much time on the old violin but he held it up with a smile,
"Well it sure ain`t much but its all we got left I guess we ought to sell it too,
Oh, now who’ll start the bid on this old violin?
Just one more and we’ll be through. "

And then he cried," One  - give me one dollar,
Who`ll make it two only two dollars who`ll make it three,
Three dollars twice now that`s a good price,
Now who`s gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now don`t wait any longer the auction`s about to end,
Who`s got four- Just one dollar more - to bid on this old violin?"

Well the air was hot and the people stood around as the sun was setting low,
From the back of the crowd a gray haired man,
Came forward and picked up the bow,
He wiped the dust from the old violin then he tightened up the strings,
Then he played out a melody pure and sweet, sweeter than the Angels sing,
And then the music stopped and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low he said now what am I bid,
For this old violin and he held it up with a bow.

And then he cried out," One -  give me one thousand,
Who`ll make it two only two thousand who`ll make it three,
Three thousand twice you know that`s a good price,
C`mon, who’s gonna to bid for me?"

And the people cried out ,"What made the change? We don’t understand!"
Then the auctioneer stopped and he said with a smile,
"It was the touch of the Master’s hand."

You know there`s many a man with his life out of tune,
Battered and scarred with sin and he’s auctioned cheap,
To a thankless world much like that old violin,
Oh, but then the Master comes,
And that old foolish crowd they never understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is rought,
Just by one touch of the Masters hand.

And then he cried out," One -  give me one thousand,
Who’ll make it two only two thousand who’ll make it three,
Three thousand twice you know that’s a good price,
C`mon, who’s gonna bid for me?"

And the people cried out, "What made the change? We don’t understand!"
Then the auctioneer stopped and he said with a smile,
It was the touch, that’s all it was; it was the touch of the Master’s hand,

Tags: Touch of the Master`s Hand, Wayne Watson

To Part With A Port?

             

Greetings one and all.

Today I went to the Cleveland Clinic for my 3 - month check up and bloodwork. This was my first time going there since my meds and chemo have been completed!

The drive there takes me about an hour and I did some reflecting along the way. I`ve been there so many times I feel as though I could drive it with my eyes closed! North on the expressway to downtown Cleveland by Jacob`s Field where the Indians play, merge right; go two exits and turn right .... and so the journey goes.

When I was first diagnosed with leukemia and taken to the CC I was terrified. I knew I was in bad shape when they transported me there. It was to be my home for the next month until I was discharged and then I would spend up to 4 or 5 days a week there after that . Long days of chemotherapy. Ofcourse I couldn`t drive there myself. My brother took me.

Bone marrow tests, hair loss, chemo shot into my spine several times, wheelchairs, barf buckets, shingles, dozens of blood transfusions, pneumonia, learning to give myself shots, sores in my mouth, mouth tasting like tarnished coins, blurred vision, weight loss -- just a few of the bad things.

The love of my family and friends, visitors, cards, flowers, magazines, teddy bears, food when it tasted good, new pajamas and slippers, new friends and fellow patients, amazing doctors and nurses, lots of prayers and more prayers and an abundance of blessings -- just a few of the good things.

So I`m thinking about all this as I`m driving along. The sun is shining, my CD player  is blaring, my real hair blowing in the breeze!  :)

My bloodwrok was good. I met with my doctor. We discussed whether or not to leave the port in my chest. The port is hidden under the skin.  My blood is drawn from it and when I had chemo, that`s the way it was administered from an IV into my port. It`s a small surgical procedure to have it removed. Or it can be left in "just in case."

I told my doctor that I probably won`t be keeping it, that I didn`t plan on needing it.

He smiled and said, "That`s exactly what I was thinking. "

Tags: leukemia, prayers, Cleveland Clinic,

Too Hot

Okay, it`s over 90 degrees here today. Thankfully I went to an air conditioned church - onto an air conditioned restaurant - onto air conditioned Kohl`s and now I`m in my air conditioned home! I do step outside now and then.

Funny thing is, I never used to care or even paid any attention to the temperature. It`s 90 degrees? So what, I was ready to get a tan and then go out and have fun. There`s a blizzard? It never stopped my friends and I from going anywhere. ( We even slept in the car once in a hotel parking lot in Detroit during a snow storm. Who heads farther north in February?? )

Anyhow, on the other side of the world my daughter says it`s really cold in New Zealand and she has purchased a winter coat! She loves it there, though. I have been researching NZ quite a bit over the past couple months and it is one place I`d really love to go.

So I bought pajamas today at Kohl`s. Nothing like new pj`s. I had a gift card so that`s why I went as I`m broke otherwise! I love Sundays and going to church, but I find I do tend to get a tad lonely later in the afternoon, so I tried to stay busy today and it has helped.

I`ve been divorced now for close to 5 years, separated a year before that. I keep hoping for that nice Christian gentleman to come along and fill the gap that I sometimes feel in my life. It is something I pray about and if it`s meant to be I know God will bring him my way when the time is right.

I hate to whine or complain when I am so blessed. And one thing I don`t do very often is make myself vulnerable or express myself emotionally in this journal. There are some things going on that I just don`t discuss here. But I`m definitely "the glass is half full" kind of a person. I`m learning more and more each day to truly trust in the Lord in all matters and it keeps me even.

Well, I`m off to read some journals and shower and have a big glass of cold Pepsi.   :)

 

The latest good book I`m reading is River Angel by A. Manette Ansay.

Tags: New Zealand, God, blessed, Christian gentleman where are you!

Morning Aerobics

At the start of your morning when the first alarm goes off, sit up in bed stretching right arm out to hit snooze. Relax. When it goes off again 9 minutes later, repeat process.

When cell phone alarm goes off extend left arm as far as possible and bob it up and down several times while searching for phone. Flex fingers over the dials until snooze setting is activated. Relax.

Repeat process for 30 minutes.

 

........ So my morning goes.

It`s rough when you`re not a morning person.

 

Today Mandy went to the groomers for a haircut. This morning I told her to hurry and go potty because we were going >>>>> (magic words) >>>>> BYE BYES.  Wow, did she do her business fast and run for the car!

After dropping her off, it was on to McDonald`s for my morning unsweetened iced tea.   :)  Then I washed and dried my car. By 10 am it was already 80 degrees. I filled up my car with gas. It`s $2.93 a gallon but with my Speedway rewards card I get 5 cents off per gallon, so make that $2.88.

Later my mom and I are going out to lunch and picking up Mandy. Speaking of my mom, she fell again the other day. I cannot get her up when this happens. She wasn`t hurt. So we called 911 and 3 guys came and lifted her right up. I never saw such nice looking rescue guys in my life! Wowza! One of them actually made friends with my dog, which is no easy feat.

Corey, as you know, is in New Zealand. They flew to a different part recently and now they have access to phones and computers. I like hearing from her more often. :) They are helping to establish ministries at the schools while they are there. Much work to be done and it`s very exciting for her.

I do indeed have Swimmer`s Ear. Not that I swim, but whatever. The doc gave me ear drops and they are helping.

I just can`t quite get over my feeling of Blah-ness. Not sure what exactly that`s all about and it`s not like me. I feel like sleeping and it`s hard to get motivated lately. Maybe because I`m not on any specific routine in my life right now. Also, I know this sounds weird, but summer is not my season. If it could be like autumn year `round I`d love it!

I hope you have a wonderful day.

thanks, Donna!

Who Could It Be?

               

            Anyone you know?

 

              

 She takes pictures of her feet

 

              

              And reads a lot

 

              

    ..... And lives in Ohio .....

Happy 4th

       

Happy 4th of July!

Independence Day is truly worth celebrating. How blessed we are to live in the United States!

 

 

 

Today`s a restful day for me. I didn`t have any plans so I slept in really ( really ) late. My mom wanted to go out to eat so we had dinner at Bob Evan`s. Later I went to Walmart to get a few groceries.

Today was cloudy and cool. We had a bit of hard rain in the early evening but it didn`t last long. So everyone who went out to enjoy fireworks shouldn`t be disappointed. I can hear then beginning now, but I can`t see them from my house for all the trees.

 

 

I logged onto the blog about the New Zealand trip and was thrilled to see that they had updated it.... and with pictures of my daughter, too!  :)

Tomorrow I will be going to the doc. I`ve diagnosed myself with Swimmer`s Ear - which you don`t have to go swimming to get, by the way. Then I`ll be meeting a friend for lunch. And I hope to walk at the park again.

I hope you`ve all had a happy and safe holiday.

 

 

Tags: Independence Day

Tagged

I`ve been seeing a lot of these tags in journals today and then lo and behold I go over to visit one of my favorite journals Good Morning Sunshine ! and find I`ve been tagged too! Thank you, my dear and fellow Ohioan. Your journal is so encouraging and uplifting. I look forward to reading it every day!

According to the Rules of the Award, I'm to pass the Award on to 5 other "girls" whose blogs I read and enjoy.  And they, in turn, pass it on to 5 girls blogs that they enjoy.

That`s a tough one, I think. There are so many good journals out there worth reading.

I`m not sure who`s been tagged and who hasn`t but here`s my 5 girls >>>>

Good Morning Sunshine !  ( listed above )

Cab's Creations   This is Chris` tag journal which has somewhat turned into her personal journal as well. Chris was one of my very first J-Land friends and I`ve also met her personally. She`s on a bit of a computer hiatus at the moment due to some personal stuff. Hey Chris, we miss ya!

visions  This is a fairly new journal started by my friend Betsy who lives in Connecticut. It`s an interesting story of how I know her. We originally met as pen pals when we were teenagers! She visited me in Ohio, I visited her in Connecticut and we would go to NYC. Then I moved to NY and we would continue to get together. Then growing up and busy lives lead us apart and we have recently been in touch again over the past year or so. She is a wonderful photographer. I hope you`ll check her out! Maybe her and I will even get together again sometime! :0)

Damaged Goods Too  Lisa Jo has gone private, but I have to include her in my list. Also a fellow Ohioan, she writes one of my favorite journals! It`s an honest expression of her thoughts, feelings, rants , and raves. Love ya LJ!

Missie's Upside Down World Missie tells of her daily happenings with her family and let`s not forget the pets! She`s a stay at home mom who keeps pretty busy with all that she has going on. She also makes some great tags!

A LITTLE BIT OF SUGAR, PLEASE...  Stop by and say hello to Sugar, another of my favorite ladies. Her journal is full of uplifting stories, cute graphics, and prayer requests for fellow journalers. Stop by her other journals as well and shake some paws with her furr babies.  :)

 Times of My Life, One Nurse's Story  Pam`s journal is private. I love her stories about work and her friendships. There always seems to be something going on! She lives in California and posts some beautiful pictures of her day trips as well.

Please don't take life for granted. Lisa is another fellow Ohioan. She suffers with chronic pain but still manages to keep the faith and pass on some encouraging words.

Be Still...... Know that GOD has ALL the answers.... :o)

Katie is - do you believe it? Another Ohio girl! Ohio rocks! This is a happy journal filled with funny stories as only she can write them. Her sidebar pics are just awesome and very inspiring. She`s one of my newer friends who I`m so glad I met!

 

OOOooooooops, did I say tag five  people?

 

A New Me ( ...at least for today... )

Hello and happy Monday! Many of us will have a shorter work week this week. Anyone have any fun plans for the 4th? I wish I did. But I don`t. And I`m off Wed, Thurs, and Fri. I`m sure I`ll find something to do.

I do have a doctor`s appointment scheduled for Thursday. I seem to have some sort of ear infection. My ears are itchy and sore!

On Friday I`m taking Mandy to the groomers to have her fur cut off again. I had it done about 3 months ago, but it`s grown out very much since then and I know she`s hot, even though she spends most of her day laying on top of the air conditioning vent!

The "new" me got off work today, changed clothes, grabbed my iPod and went to the park to walk. There`s really NO excuse why I haven`t been! If Betsy can hike 4 miles ( gulp! ) I can get my lazy butt out and walk at least a mile at the park! I`m happy to report that I did walk one mile. It`s the first time I`ve walked that far since I finished my treatments. I don`t kid myself that I`ll do this 7 days a week, but 3 or 4 times would be nice.

Then I came home and did some laundry and vacuumed up all the little bits of papers laying about as someone knocked over my shredder. I do hate to point a paw at anyone, but I know who the culprit is!

So for now I`m taking it easy and having a delightful glass of Chardonnay.

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o`er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

             -william wordsworth

Tags: Wordsworth

Cooler Temps, Naps

               

 

Hello again! It`s a sunny and cool day here in my little piece of Ohio. Right now it`s 66 degrees. Perfect!

I did absolutely nothing today except go to church, pick up some lunch at Taco Bell, and take a nap.

I talked to my daughter for about 30 seconds yesterday. They are safely in New Zealand! The time difference is 16 hours so it`s already tomorrow there (and winter.)

Church was lovely today - very patriotic, as we sang The Star Spangled Banner and many other such songs as the 4th of July draws near.

This may come as a shock, but I`ve decided not to buy any more handbags for a while. LOL, not exactly breaking news, but what I really want is a Dooney and Bourke bag! I can`t get one now as every cent I have has been poured into Corey`s trip and rent. But maybe once school starts again and she has her college loan money I`ll be able to. I would go for a Coach bag - they seem more prestigious, but honestly I much prefer the D&B bags. I don`t normally buy according to brand names anyhow; I buy what I like.

Speaking of money, I just paid $170 to have my car serviced. It was due for an oil change and 15,000 mile maintenance. ( So many miles and I`ve only had it 10 months! ) I hated to pay all that money to have a new car maintained, but what can you do? I have to keep it running well and I want everything to stay covered under the warranty with Toyota. The dealership did give me a loaner car for the day - a very nice Corolla. ( mine`s a Yaris. ) And ofcourse washed it for me.

Did anyone see the HUGE full moon last night?? I was reading that the moon was actually just very,very low in the sky, more than at any other time of the year, thus forming an optical illusion of looking so large. It was breathtaking!

I`ve noticed that since I`ve been working part time at the bank again that my fingers are often numb - Carpal Tunnel like. Sometimes I work my hand and wrist with a one-pound weight and that helps. My toes are still slightly numb due to a certain kind of chemo that I took for so long. I love working part time. I think more than that would be a bit too much.

I hope you`re all having a happy and safe weekend.

God bless---

 

 

 

Tags: New Zealand, 4th of July, Yaris, God bless!

Mixed Emotions

    

I`m not sure how I feel about my daughter being so far away. She should be in  New Zealand by now. With the time change, they actually lost a day by flying there. Isn`t that weird? And it`s winter there, which gives you an idea of how far away it truly is!

Even once she arrived on the west coast, she still didn`t have enough money raised to get to NZ, so we had a bit of a stressful situation. I scraped together what I could and an aunt and uncle in NY very graciously helped her out as well.  She has been raising support money for this trip for 2 or 3 months and did pretty well. Thanks to a couple J-Landers who also contributed! It`s so exciting to think that because people stepped up to sponsor this trip, that lives will be forever changed; people will hear about Jesus!!

So I`m taking the advice that some of you gave me to relax now and enjoy some "me" time. I have 3 days off and boy, do I feel like I need it.

Today my friend Janice and I had lunch and ran some errands together. I got some good books at the library.  :)  I went to the bank, I paid bills, did laundry, and got through a mountain of paperwork.

I`m off to relax and enjoy my evening .......

Cheers!

ps --- don`t get me wrong, I`m happy she has this opportunity . I guess I`m just missing her.

 

And He said to them,

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

 - Mark 16:15

Tags: New Zealand, Mark 16:15

A Happy Melancholy

I know it`s a strange title for an entry, but it sums up how I`m feeling .....

My daughter has raised enough money to go on her trip, (although she still owes more and needs more sponsors.)

She left last night.

 -- Happy that she got to go on her trip ......

Melancholy now that she is gone.

I miss her and feel alone.

 

Yard Sale

It`s a pleasant day here in northeastern Ohio. It`s about 68 degrees and partly cloudy.

My neighborhood is having its annual yard sale. Corey and I ( well, mostly Corey. ) spent a lot of time last week cleaning house and going through the shed to see what items we could sell or throw away. Wow, did we throw out some junk!

Since she still owes money for her New Zealand trip, all of today`s proceeds will go toward that. We don`t have high priced items to sell - mostly books, Cd`s, beanie babies, some household items, things like that. I think she has made $45 so far.

My poor Mandy about had a fit this morning when I took her out potty as she saw all the neighbors out and people getting an early start on buying. Running in circles, barking, growling .... geez!!! Then once I brought her back in she cried for about an hour. lol. Poor baby. She`s so spoiled. No way was I letting her stay outside. I jokingly said I could put a price tag on her, but my mom brought up a good point; Mandy wouldn`t let anyone even get close enough to her to buy her!

So I have the luxury of doing what I want today on my Saturday off while my daughter tends to the sale. I was out there for a bit chatting to people and whatnot. I ran out to get some gas and a soda for myself and an iced coffee for Cor.

I`m reading a good book by Jody Shields called The Crimson Portrait. It`s a rather strange story about a doctor during WWI who collaberates with an artist in a makeshift hospital to help wounded soldiers with horrible facial wounds. One man will be made into the image of a grieving widow`s lost husband. Shields is a talented writer. This is the first book I have read by her. Somewhat in the style of Anita Shreve.

I hope you`re all having a good weekend.

Love & God bless,

Thanks to Sugar for finding Imagechef.com. Love it!

Tags: yard sale, New Zealand, Crimson Portrait, God bless!

Thursday`s Greetings

Hi again friends.

Check out the above pictures. I had story time at the library today with some "friends." They`re a bit stony and inhuman until you get to know them.

Ahem -----

The other two shots are from a little store I visited in Amish country. Antiques, gift shop, and a wine shop that sells wines from vineyards all over the state of Ohio.

The sky darkened and the rain began to fall, so we headed home. Otherwise I would have had more pictures to bore you or entertain you with. ( Depending on your point of view. )

Saturday evening I met up with my friend Cathie at a local festival - hot rod show, bands playing, lots of carnival food and fireworks. It was a good time, but I was bombarded with hot flashes! What`s the point of getting ready, doing the hair and make up, only to feel like a sweat hog all night?? LOL

I have mentioned before that my daughter is leaving for New Zealand soon. It`s a missions trip so therefor she has to raise money on her own to get there. It`s almost time to go and she is still short on the financial end. She was in tears earlier and I felt so helpless. But then we prayed and things turned around.

There`s kind of a new phrase that we`ve been hearing for the past couple years - " Think outside the box. " That`s basically what God`s been telling us for years! Lean not on our own understanding!

Where we can see no way out of a situation, God can and does make a way where there seemingly is no way.

So to those of you who have been praying and/or are donating funds ..... thank you!!  Lives are changed because of these trips .... not only the lives of those that are ministered to, but people like my daughter who watch in awe at what God does in people`s lives ( and in her own life as well!)

Anyhow, I hope this finds you all happy and well.

I`m feeling great physically.

And spiritually - I know God is in control.

Happysummer!!

thanks Jen for all the great name tags you make and find for me   :0)

Tags: Amish country, God

Beauty Routine in Progress ......

Hello and happy weekend to ye!

Thanks for your good wishes and suggestions for the minor health issues I`ve been having. The swollen ankles and feet mean that I`m getting old I think! The fluids in the body succumb to gravity and thus end up retained in my left ankle. Lovely. The doctor did prescribe a support stocking. I haven`t gotten it yet, although I`m sure it`s very attractive. I do prop my leg up when I can.  Heh, somehow that doesn`t sound quite right .......            ô¿ô 

My bloodwork was all good - cholesterol, thyroid and all that.  Yay!  The pain in my side is gone. Thank God. I can once again move and breathe which is convenient.

Anyhow, I don`t have much time to do a journal entry because tonight is All About Penny - the night that I am giving myself a pedicure, coloring my hair, filing the nails, plucking the unwanted hairs - ( Come on, ladies, you know what I`m talkin` about! Ugh. )

Tomorrow I have to work. In the evening I`m going to a local festival featuring live music, fireworks and whatnot. What`s summertime without doing that?

Have a great weekend.

God bless and be well.

Spring Cleaning and Rearranging

I wish I could tell you that I have not posted an entry in a week because I`ve been busy with so many exciting things. The truth is that while I have been busy, nothing much very exciting is happening at the moment. But sometimes I prefer it that way.

I have had a pain in my right side for a few days now. It`s right by my rib cage. The doctor didn`t seem too concerned. Actually I think I may have pulled a muscle. I also wanted my doctor to look at my swollen foot and ankle. Again, there doesn`t seem to be a reason for concern there either. I went to the hospital yesterday to have an ultra sound done on both legs just to make sure there was no blood clot lurking around. Later I called off work. I was tired and my side was bothering me. I came home and slept.

Today we had the carpets shampooed. Everything looks so much nicer! Corey has been a big help to me lately. For one thing, she loves to cook, so she`s been making dinner. She also spent several hours sorting out all the junk that is stored in the shed. I moved to my current location about 4 years ago and whatever I didn`t know what to do with then went into the shed along with other miscellaneous items since then. We have bags and bags of stuff that we`re throwing out. The rest will go toward our yard sale in a couple weeks. I told Corey that any money we make she can use for her trip to New Zealand. This will be a missions trip so she has to raise the money to get there, plus buy her own plane ticket to LA, which is where they will be departing from. Please pray that she gets everything she needs. Our church is helping, as have many others. My ex-husband`s brother and his wife contributed $500!!

Also if you wouldn`t mind praying for the people that they will be talking with and helping while they are in NZ it would be much appreciated.

Today I`m catching up on the many things I wanted to do yesterday and didn`t ..... laundry, cleaning the patio, etc. Corey and I also re-arranged one of the bedrooms -- something I have been wanting to do for a long time now. It definitely looks better and there is more room.

I hope this finds everyone doing well. I plan on visiting journals today. I`m  behind again.

The picture at the top is one I took at a nearby park. I know I`ve posted it once before, but it`s pretty and that`s how it looks here today. Beautiful weather.  :0)

 

Love to all & God bless!!

Work and Hot

Hi everyone and a very happy Thursday to you!

Are most of you having this same hot weather that we have here in Ohio? When it gets up to 90 degrees that`s way too hot for me, but it was a beautiful day. I worked all day but I did a bit of yardwork once I got home.

Speaking of work, most of us know what each other does for a living. Do you like your job? What is the hardest part about it or the area that you feel the most stress?

I`m a bank teller. I like the job. The pay and benefits are okay, and I`m in an office now where everyone gets along fairly well. Speed and accuracy is not a problem for me. I can do transactions quickly and I usually balance to the penny. ( Hence my name - lol. )

And although I do okay at getting referrals, this is the most difficult part for me. Talking up the products in order to get a customer to see a banker at the desk does not come easy for me. I`m not pushy or aggressive. If I look at it as an opportunity to help the customer get a good deal then the focus becomes easier. Anyhow, I did reach my quota in order to get a pay-out for the past two months.    :0)

I like the professional atmosphere of working in a bank. I like that it`s cool in the summer and I`m not on my feet all day. I like being off most holidays. I do NOT like when a customer goes OFF because we ask for ID if we are not familiar with them. We have to be extremely careful about who we give information to and that we get ID for people making withdrawals if we don`t know them. I don`t talk about work much but decided to for this entry and to see how you readers feel about your own jobs.

Two other subjects that I could talk a LOT about are my daughter and my mother, but believe it or not, I`m a rather private person. It never bothered me to talk about the leukemia I had, though.  I guess that was therapeutic for me and it`s my decision to tell what I want about myself. I don`t feel as comfortable writing about family or friends other than at a superficial level.

Time out .... a certain Cocker Spaniel is barking for her potty break .......

Anyhow - - - Corey and I went shopping earlier in the week looking for jeans. When she goes to New Zealand soon, it will be their winter. Mild winter, but winter nonetheless and she`s complaining she needs jeans.

I wanted her to look at Kohl`s since I had a gift card. She was skeptical but said okay. No luck. 

A store at the mall she likes - again, no luck.

Old Navy , where she always buys jeans - again, no luck!

Those were the only stores she would consent to look at since I wasn`t going anywhere that would cost me an arm and a leg.

Me : How about Target?

Corey: ( huffy sigh )  No, Mom

She loves Target, but I guess  their jeans don`t fit her right, or it`s a bad selection or who knows what.

Me: Okay then - Walmart

Corey: ( gives me the You`ve - Got -To - Be- Kidding-Me look. )

Me: Fashion Bug has cool jeans.

Corey: Ewww .......

Need I say she was getting a bit cranky? lol

She ended up getting them at Old Navy but by ordering them online. She found the same kind and style that she bought there last time and loves.

Oh yeah, while we were there at the real store, not finding any jeans, I did buy some flip flops. Lovin` me some flip flops!! They have every color and  at 2 pair for $5 !! Between the two of us we have green, yellow, light pink, dark pink, black, brown, red, tan, blue ....     Cheaper than purses that`s for sure!

Have a great weekend. I`m off tomorrow and have lots to do.

Ta - ta

God bless!

 

Thanks to my friend Chris over at  Cab's Creations for the great (and very appropriate!) name tag.  Chris visited me last summer and we had a great time. (Miss ya! I may just stop by and see you this summer sometime. )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stormy Weather

Ha Ha, you didn`t know I was on the cover of all those above magazines, now did you? What a fun new feature!

The weather here is being dished out in typical Ohio fashion; it`s bright and sunny, then it rains. Then the sun peeks out, then the dark clouds form, the wind gets fierce, thunder and lightening begins, then the downpour. Later the sun returns. And so it goes -

Yesterday my employer had a company picnic for our district. It was quite nice. The park where it was held was lovely, the food was good and the games were fun. ( water balloon toss )        :0

Later Corey and I went to Walmart where I bought a couple shirts. I love new shirts maybe even more than purses! Corey bought a set of luggage. She`s bound for New Zealand soon! Wish I was going. My baby`s going so far away for six weeks!!

I`ve been feeling great. Today I went walking. I get tired after a long day, but it`s a normal tired, not that down to the bone weariness I had during treatment.

I`m off to read journals and try to catch up some. Just been busy, don`t worry about me.   :>)

Love & Hugs,

thank you, Donna!