Evelyn's Thoughts

Grieving!

2009-10-25T23:13:00.002-05:00

I don't know if I am just the unusual one(which by the way would not surprise me), but has anyone else realized 14 years later that they have never let themselves grieve over a family member? I was going to ask this on Facebook, but I feel it is too personal. I was sitting out in the front yard yesterday in the early evening just watching the neighborhood and the sky and realized I had never let myself grieve over the loss of my dad. I know when I first heard from my oldest sister that I was just angry with him that he had shut us out for so long. But now I realize I was also caught up in my daily life of surviving my third marriage. I don't think I could totally absorb it. So I just kept on with my daily life one step at a time. I know it was the year Lisa graduated. I went up to Ghost Ranch the next year to try to be around the place that I most associated with my dad. Laura had been dating Pat for several months. They both went up with me so I didn't make the trip alone. I unfortunately wasn't able to accomplish what I hoped to at Ghost Ranch. After we left, we stopped at Abiquiu Dam. Poor Pat, that is when it hit me and all I felt was anger towards my Dad and I lashed out at Pat(quite unintentionally) because he was a man that was close by. I did apologize to Pat, but bless his heart he took it all in stride. To top it all off, I recently started a journal and I wrote quite a long entry last night in regards to my dad and I made the mistake of not saving it the correct way and I cannot find it.

Anyway, last night I did a lot of crying. For some reason while we were having a family car wash day yesterday, I started missing my dad. Last night while I was sitting outside(as I mentioned earlier) I realized that I had never let myself grieve over the loss of Dad. I know we went through a lot of tough times with him, but he really was a good person. We did have a lot of good times, along with the bad. My dad is the one that taught us girls to dance. He used to have Kathy and I stand on the toes of his shoes and dance us around. To this day I love to dance. Actually, I wish I could find a man that loved to dance. Well, I did a long time ago. Anthony enjoyed dancing with me, but he is gone also.

No matter what mistakes my dad made, I did love him a great deal. He was a very affectionate person. I do believe I got that from him because my mom wasn't. At any rate, I will post the same thing I said in my journal last night to him: "I love you Dad. I miss you a lot. Thank you for teaching me all the things that you did."

TRIP COMING UP!!!!! YEAH!!!

2009-06-06T10:14:00.002-05:00

I am so excited! I finally get to go visit Lisa and her family. I can hardly wait. I haven't seen them for two years now. That is a very long time to me to go without seeing my daughter and her family. I will be flying out in 12 1/2 days. Not that I am counting down! hehe

I will also get to visit with James, Sarah and little Noah!

So, as far as traveling is concerned, I guess you could call this a double header!!!!!

2008 Christmas Sewing Gifts

2009-01-04T16:15:00.009-05:00

Okay, I am still learning how to download and put the pictures in here right, so please bear with me. I am not going to try again because I keep losing the pictures. These are all the gifts I made for my grand kiddo's for Christmas. The blue and white snowflake pj's and matching pillow above are Maddy's. Her Aunt Laura picked out this fabric pattern for her.

Above is Isabel's nightgown and matching pillow.

On the right are Juliana's pj's and pillow.

The pj bottoms and pillow above are Damian's.

This is Cheyanne's nightgown and pillow on the right.

I really enjoyed sewing all of these. I haven't sewn since Lisa and Laura were in elementary school so you can all guess how long that has been. But it all came back to me quickly. Laura was a big help at Joann Fabrics in selecting patterns and the right fabrics for each one. Now I am ready to get going on another project. I feel like something long dormant has come alive in me again. I have come up with an idea to use the left over fabric for. After I make a couple I will post more pictures for you all to sew.

Sewing and Personality Tests!

2008-12-12T08:54:00.002-05:00

I realize these two are an odd combination. Just wanted to give an update on my sewing. I am on my second project and it is going very well. I am really enjoying sewing again. It is a great creative outlet for me.

I took the personality test that Lisa blogged about. I am ISTJ - Introverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging. It said ISTJs are "responsible, loyal and hard working. They have an acute sense of right and wrong and work hard at preserving established norms and traditions. Because of their deep sense of duty they are dedicated to everything they do and are very dependable. They care deeply for those closest to them." I think this is quite accurate for me. It also said (along with another test I took) that I am ISFJ - Introverted, Sensing, Feeling and Judging. ISFJs are "traditional, loyal, quiet and kind. They are very sensitive to other people's needs because they are very observant. They have rich inner thoughts and emotions. They value stability and cultural norms. They are very adept at giving attention to detail. They do not seek positions of authority." I would have to say this is quite accurate also. Interestingly enough, my job as an accountant is one of the career matches for this personality. Thanks for posting about this, I thought it was very interesting. I enjoyed reading about your test results also. I thought it was interesting to find that Angelina and I had one of the same results - ISFJ. For the ISTJ, it says 12% of the population have this type and for ISFJ, 10% of the population have this one.

Thanks again, Lisa. I encourage anybody to take this. You might find out more about yourself than you realize!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2008-11-27T09:03:00.005-05:00

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I wish we could be spending this day with all of our family, but I am grateful to be able to spend it with Laura and her family. I am going to do something I don't do very often. There are so many things I am grateful for this year that I decided to list some of them.

1.I have a wonderful family - That includes my husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, brothers and sisters
and their spouses, nieces and nephews and their spouses and their children. I hope I didn't leave anyone out. I am
truly blessed to have all these people in my life.
2. With today's economy, I am especially happy to have a good job with good benefits.
3. Mike has a new job (he has had it for about 4 weeks now.) So he is working full time again.
4. I am thankful we have a home.
5. I was rear-ended on the way home Monday night, but I am grateful I wasn't injured, my car didn't get a huge amount
of damage, and the woman called her insurance company and told them it was her fault, so I don't have to haggle
over getting it fixed.
6. I am grateful for all the friends I have. Two particular friends at work have become a tremendous support system for
me when I need it. We call ourselves "The Three Musketeers".
7. We have a wonderful neighbor that has become like a second mom to Mike and me. She also watches over our
home while we are at work. She is a delightful person.
8. I said for a long time that I would never have any more pets, but we have 2 cats now and I am glad we have them.
They are very entertaining to watch.
9. I am grateful to be blessed with good health.
10. I am grateful to be able to worship how I choose. I don't mean to put this at the bottom of the list, but I believe if it
weren't for God watching over me and blessing me I wouldn't have this list of things to be grateful for.

My life is truly blessed! I hope you all have a wonderful day! I send my love to all of you!

Delightful Phone call!

2008-10-28T12:25:00.003-05:00

Last night Maddy called me on her cell phone. In case there is anybody that reads this that doesn't know, Maddy is my oldest granddaughter. She said she wanted to put me on speaker phone so her and Isabel (her sister) could both talk to me. So we were talking and sharing and then Juliana(her youngest sister) came into the room. I said "Hi! Juliana!" I guess she wasn't used to the speaker phone. She told Maddy, "Maddy, your phone is talking." Then she said, "Hi phone." I thought it was really cute. It was fun talking to all three at the same time and hearing them interact with each other. I had never even thought of doing that, but I will in the future. I really enjoyed it.

Blue Skies!!!

2008-08-23T07:48:00.002-05:00

We can finally see the sky again. There are still clouds, but this morning we have some blue sky and sun for awhile. We are expected to get more rain today, but I don't how heavy a rain we are supposed to get. But for now, we are enjoying seeing the blue sky again. I don't mind the clouds, because it is considerably cooler with the clouds. The clouds this morning are just big, white, fluffy clouds. Much better than gray clouds that keep circling around the city.

Another Treat!

2008-08-15T07:52:00.002-05:00

Mike received a nice surprise in the mail yesterday. Of course, I get to share it with him. A regular customer of the company he works for always asks for Mike to do their service calls. Well, they had something larger than usual and asked Mike to come out and take a look at it and do some consulting on it. The man even gave Mike the CAD program(I believe that is the name of it) for the blueprints. So Mike got to do some different work on the side (by request of Mike's boss). Well, after helping with the drawings and then the company submitting them to the county, they were finally approved. The man asked for a quote on the job from Mike and Mike explained to them that it was just too large a job for their company to feasibly handle. The company he works for isn't set up to handle large jobs. He kept after Mike to do the job, but it just can't happen. So Mike recommended a company that is owned by someone he used to work with. They employ several guys Mike used to work with also, so Mike felt that his customer would be in good hands. This company bid on the job and got it. As a token of appreciation, the man sent Mike a $100 gift certificate to the Outback Steakhouse.

Pleasant Surprise!

2008-07-15T08:01:00.004-05:00

We had our Quarterly Employee Luncheon yesterday. It's always fun to get together with everybody and eat and chit chat for awhile. Then either our Vice-president, Steve Leary or our President, Bill Leary present the Quarterly Employee Appreciation award. I'm listening to what all Steve has to say about this employee and trying to figure out who it is. I about fell over when he said it was me. Now, it isn't because I don't think I am a good employee, but I received it about 3 or 4 years ago and I didn't know they would give it to the same person a second time. But I am the "Quarterly Employee". I have a special parking spot up front for this quarter and I received 2 - $25 gift certificates to Chili's and a $25 gift card to Walmart. I just think it is really neat receiving it again. I do believe we will be going to Chili's Friday night. Woohoo!!!!

I'm still around!

2008-06-03T07:55:00.002-05:00

I just thought I would let everyone know I am still alive and kicking. I haven't posted anything for awhile because I really don't have anything to post about. I have been fighting depression a lot during the past couple of months and I really don't want to let that spill over into my blog if I can help it. It is a very wearing thing, as any of you that have that problem know. I do much better at it now though. I can generally catch myself before I go down into and pull myself up by the bootstraps and level out. But it is still very tiring. I actually haven't really fallen down into an actual depression for a number of years, so I give myself a lot of credit for that. Whew, I actually feel better now just blogging about it. It is much better than pretending it is something I don't have to deal with.

Well, we are officially 3 days into the hurricane season. Oh yeah! hehe Please pray that we don't get hit with any of them. I know we need the rain from the hurricanes, but if they will just stay out over the water and send the rain over the land, that would be super.

Hope you all have a good day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL!

2008-05-11T07:23:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Mother's Day. Laura and I celebrated last night since Pat works on Sundays. Laura grilled burgers and corn on the cob and fixed a caesar salad. It was yummy!

Today Laura, Cheyanne, Damian and I are making our 2nd trip to a Farmer's Market near downtown. Laura went on line and found some for us to check out, but this is the only one that makes sense for us due to the distance. They have in in one corner of a very nice park so that is nice. We tried it last Sunday but didn't get to check it out alot. We want to spend more time looking today and seeing what all they have.

Anniversary Celebrated!

2008-04-08T08:47:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Mike and I celebrated our 7th anniversay on the 7th. We had a wonderful evening. We stayed at home due to finances, but I have to say this was much better than going out and spending alot of money. We had a very relaxed evening. Both of us love racing games so we raced using a game Pat loaned us and shared some very good wine. Then we fixed a recipe I found on Kraft website "Country Dijon Shrimp Saute" and had a very good loaf of bread to go with it "Rosemary Peppercorn and Corn". We made it with peel and eat shrimp and used the bread to sop up the sauce instead of serving it over rice. We had a bottle of wine from Napa Valley that a co-worker had brought back as a gift to me. I think this was the best celebration we have had. We calculated that it probaby cost less than $25. Going out would have cost a lot more for what we had. It was absolutely delicious. Of course, the fact that I was sharing it with the man I love made it taste so much better. Plus I was able to just relax in lounging pj's.

Maintaining!!

2008-02-29T09:08:00.002-05:00

I would rather lose than maintain. But considering Wednesday was my birthday(I did very well actually) I can't really complain. I did have ice cream earlier in the week and that is something I just really need to stay away from because the only one I really like is Ben & Jerry's. I treated myself to a blueberry scone for breakfast on my birthday and Dirty Chips Salt N Vinegar chips later in the day. Last night even though I ate before Laura and I went grocery shopping I had a snack and wine around 10pm which I know is not good for me. So I am really surprised I didn't gain this week. But I gave myself an even better birthday present before breakfast. I decided that was a good day to get started back on my gazelle. So, all in all, I would have to say I am pretty satisfied with myself this week. I am still starting to feel better and that is really the main goal! Lisa, I totally agree with your comment on your other site and I think you are making tremendous progress. Stressing out makes it worse and changing our habits is what is important. So I say, let's all keep up the good work. Laura I know you have started back on the treadmill, so congrats and keep it up.

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-02-27T16:05:00.005-05:00

Well, another year! I decided to do something nice for myself and took the day off from work. I think this is the first time I have ever taken my birthday off. It has been a very relaxed day. Laura, Cheyanne and I went to Starbucks this morning. I figured I would splurge for my birthday and have a blueberry scone with my iced latte. It was yummy. Then we went to just look around at one of my favorite stores "Whole Foods". I finally have the ingredients now to make the olive oil crackers. Lisa, when you made the garlic crackers, did you just sprinkle garlic powder on them? I bought some flax seed to put on some of them. Mike is taking me out to dinner tonight. I haven't decided where I want to go yet. I was planning on fixing dinner at home, but he insists, so we will go out! What a nice guy! I am so glad I have him.

I just can't believe I am already 57 years old. It just doesn't seem possible, the time has gone by so fast. Also, I just don't feel like I should be yet. I guess that is a good thing! I hear a lot of people say they feel a lot older than they are. I feel a lot younger than I am.

This is the new addition to our family that I said I would post about a week ago. Sorry for the delay. His name is Buddy. He really is adorable. I will have to say, after being adamant about not having another pet, I am enjoying him much more than I thought I would. Most cats pick one person they really like, but he seems to be equally happy with Mike and me. Mike continues to claim he is not a cat person, but I think the picture above says it all. he he. He really has quite a personality already. He loves to play but he also likes to cuddle with Mike. He doesn't care much for me holding him, but he snuggles up with me on the couch and our bed.

Friday's weigh-in

2008-02-25T09:44:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post Friday about my weigh-in. I lost only 1/4 lb, it's not much but it's better than gaining. I was consistent all week with my morning exercises and keeping track of my calories most of the week. I kept my calories between 1530 to 1928 per day. Now, if I could just get myself back on my gazelle. I don't know why I have been avoiding it so much. I feel better when I use it so you would think that would be enough motivation!

Seven Weird Things About Me

2008-02-17T09:17:00.006-05:00

Oh my, do I have to limit it to 7 things? hehe Lisa tagged me to do this, so here it goes. Also, I have gotten to where I don't care if people think I am weird anymore. Growing up people used to think I was weird just because I was part of the "Philhower" clan. In my forties looking back, I think kthey were just jealous because no matter what problems our family had, we stuck together and we did alot of things as a family. So here goes!

*I keep a regular plate, saucer, bowl and a set of utensils at work to eat my lunch on. I don't like to waste paper or styrofoam plates.

*I don't like to sit around and watch a lot of TV. It doesn't relax me, it bores me and I get fidgety. I prefer just to watch the programs I enjoy and then do something else.

*When I run errands on weekends, I don't care if I don't wear powder and blush, but I have to put on earrings or I feel "naked".

*I like to eat leftover steak cold. Sometimes I prefer it over eating it when it is freshly grilled. I don't think this is weird but alot of people think eating cold steak is weird for some reason.

*I don't dry most of my clothes all the way. I dry them enough to fluff them to get the wrinkles out and then I hang them up to finish drying.

*Living in a hurricane state hasn't gotten me used to them, instead I get freaked out about getting separated from Mike or Laura, Pat and the kiddos.

*I prefer the looks of a hard working, calloused hand man over a pretty boy manicured hand looks.

Well, I did it. I had to do more thinking on it than I thought I would. Given time, I am sure I could come up with alot more weird things abou me. Now I am going to tag
Laura and Cathy.

More progress

2008-02-15T09:16:00.004-05:00

I did my Friday morning weigh in this morning and was very pleased. I have dropped two more pounds. Last week I didn't lose any but at least kept stable. I have gotten back into my calorie counting this week and that helps alot. Mainly it helps me in being accountable for what I am eating. When I was calorie counting before the holidays it was working great and then I started feeling tired after about two months and wasn't losing weight as easily. Looking back, I realize that is when I got the "brilliant" idea that if I was cutting back on calories maybe I should cut back a little more. I think for my build and weight I was cutting back too far. I am keeping my calories between 1400-1800 a day and I feel great. I noticed the change is when I decided "Oh, let's see if I can keep them down to 1100-1200 a day." Not a good idea for me. Watching "Biggest Loser" has made me more aware of how important it is to keep the calorie count at a good level.

I brought my kitty, Buddy, home Sunday evening. He is settling in very well and likes to play and snuggle with both Mike and me. He likes to sleep snuggled somewhere between Mike and me. I will try to post a picture of him sometime this weekend. He is really cute!

I Have My Car Back!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have been without my car since January 9th. The oil light kept coming on so Mike replaced a number of things. Since this engine is so difficult to get to things(as are most of the newer engines) he wanted to go ahead and replace the oil pump, water pump(which in the process of disassembling the motor found out it was bad anyway), main bearings, rod bearings and bolts, and the front motor mount(again because he found it was broken in two). We don't have a garage, so he had to work around the weather, his job and throwing his lower back out of place working on the car. But once again, he did it. I am so blessed having a husband that is so handy. My car is up and running.

Thank you Laura for getting Cheyanne up early every morning and you two taking me to work. I also have a very nice friend at work that went out of her way to take me home almost every day. My supervisor helped me out with a ride a few times also. I am grateful to all of them.

Good Weigh-in Day!

2008-02-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

I weighed in this morning and was very pleased. I lost 1 1/4 lbs of my "holiday and stress" weight! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like I am getting back on track finally. I am starting to feel better too. I always do when I am eating healthier and exericising more, so it is beyond me that I think other stuff is worth it so much! hehe

It's A Small World!

2008-01-31T09:49:00.000-05:00

Or a confirmation of sorts to encourage me that no matter what has happened so far to further delay our plans of moving, that it will happen! I picked up one of the many, many books that my next door neighbor gave me called "The Sweetest Thing". I was reading it again in bed last night and a receipt for it fell out of it. It was purchased on May 14, 1999 at the PDX airport(in case you don't know where that is, it is the airport in Portland, Oregon.) I know, I get pleasure out of some of the smallest things, but I just thought that was neat.

Time to get back in touch with some things!

2008-01-27T09:01:00.000-05:00

I have a very bad habit of getting so focused on stress and what needs to be done that I do believe I hamper a good many things. I am trying to change this. It keeps me from enjoying a lot of things. So I did something yesterday that I hadn't done in a long time. I put on a pot of beans to cook instead of buying canned beans. It is the first time I have cooked black beans though. I had forgotten the simple pleasure of the smell of them cooking as you walk back in the front door after being outside for a bit. I can come up with all kinds of reasons why I haven't done things like this, but when it comes right down to it they are only excuses not valid reasons. Then I made my homemade red chili for burritos. This time I put the chili on then topped it with freshly cooked black beans(w/sea salt) and topped that off with shredded cheese and sour cream. Oh boy, was it good. Mike told me a number of times how good the burrito was and that I had outdone myself this time. Reading Lisa's posts and some of her friends post made me realize how much I really do want to get back to basics. I kept telling myself how hard it sounded and how time consuming it seemed to be. But really, how hard was it to cook beans? Yes, it takes a while, but the only thing I have to do is check on them and stir them. hehe Then the best part is I made up four bowls of black beans and topped them off with the leftover chili and froze them. Now I have also started another thing I have wanted to do. Freezing up portion sizes for my lunches or quick evening meals when I don't want to cook. This is so much cheaper and better for us than ordering in. I think my next thing is going to be homemade chicken noodle soup. I don't like canned soup for a number of reasons. Here are the main 3 reasons: 1. Way too much sodium. 2. Not enough protein in it for me. 3. I don't like the vegetables they put in it. So, I am going to make it like I did in Clovis when the girls were little. It turned out really thick, almost like stew instead of soup, but oh was it good. I used broccoli in it. So, I may make that next Saturday. Mike doesn't like soup, but this way I can make it up and freeze it for myself. Who knows, maybe he will try some. I just found out last night that he likes posole though. So guess what else I will make?

I haven't wanted pets for a long time. I have used excuses for this too! They are too much trouble, who will care for them if we aren't at home, I am allergic to their dander(which is true, but I am allergic to alot of other things I can't get away from) and on and on. Deep down I have known the reason for a long time. I have lost so many pets over the years, dealt with dogs and cats of the girls getting run over, wounded in fights with other animals and so on. The last pet I lost though we believe was from someone being vindicive. Lisa and Laura, I am sure you know I am referring to Midnight. Laura gave me this black lab mix because she didn't want me to be lonely since Lisa was already gone and Laura was gone alot of the time. Midnight mysteriously got off our property(which he didn't even like to do when I would try to get him to.)Lisa, Lawrence, Laura and I kept looking for him and Lisa and Lawrence found him just off the main highway. He had been struck by a vehicle and died. We will leave it at that, other than I am still grateful for Lawrence's help in taking care of the matter and Lisa, Lawrence, and Laura's support in dealing with the loss. It still makes me cry as I am typing this blog. But it is time to move on. Loss is a part of life and I can't avoid that without losing pleasure in other areas. So, I will be coming the owner of a cute little kitty named Buddy. He is the runt of the litter that Laura & Pat's cats had. They are keeping him for another week or so then Mike and I will bring him home. I have always preferred cats over dogs. When we bring him here, I will have Mike take a picture of Buddy and I and I will post it for you to see.

What Kind Of Christmas Tree I Am

2007-12-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

You Are a Traditional Christmas Tree

For a good Christmas, you don't have to re-invent the wheel.
You already have traditions, foods, and special things you bring out every year.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

New Shoes!

2007-12-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

These shoes are a Christmas present to myself from my Christmas bonus! (The picture only shows one, but rest assured that I did get both shoes. hee hee!) I have never had a pair of clogs so I have been wanting to try them. Of course, for some reason, I thought all clogs were open at the back. I didn't realize it was the style of the shoe. This pair is the Wanda style from the Dansko line of Sanita. I got them for a really good price. I wanted to try this style with the open back because I have a problem with my feet getting hot very quickly. I thought since they aren't totally enclosed it might work better. I got them in a week ago Monday and couldn't wear them until this Monday because it was up in the 80's again last week. I got to wear them Monday and Tuesday and I just love them. They seem to be the thing for me because my feet didn't get too hot. Of course today I am back in sandals because it will be in the mid 70's today.

My next pair of shoes I am going to try will be a pair of clogs that are a full shoe. Maybe I can use them on my gazelle. I love Dankso shoes now because my feet don't hurt after wearing them all day. It is the bottoms of my feet that start hurting and they hurt in tennis shoes too. That is why I am going to try to use the enclosed pair when I get them to use my gazelle. Maybe the bottoms of my feet won't hurt.

Weekly Weigh In News

2007-12-07T08:42:00.000-05:00

First of all, I would like to thank Lisa for the christmas tree picture so my blog fits the season.

Next I want to report my progress. I have lost another pound for a total for 9 1/2 lost pounds that I don't ever want to find again. I am now down to 213 3/4 from 223 1/4. I am soooooooo happy. I am feeling much better already. I even bought a new pair of jeans last Saturday. I didn't have any good jeans that weren't getting pretty baggy. So this pair and some older ones the same size will get me by until I drop down another size. It is so great when people actually comment that I am slimming down. Not only is the calorie counting paying off, but so are my daily exercises!!!!

Changing My Outlook on Weightloss

2007-11-28T08:56:00.000-05:00

For those people that know me well, you know how I have struggled with my weight over the years. Here is the kicker though! I have finally come to realize that up until the past 10 years, the struggle has been with my mental image not my physical body. I have looked back at pictures of myself and can see that most of time I wasn't overweight. In fact in a lot of the pictures I have I am downright slim. Imagine that!!!!! Unfortunately during my high school years I took to heart a few careless comments made by my dad and a very close friend. Now that I can "hear" those comments with a different perspective, I realize they were only teasing. The problem was as a teenager I didn't realize that.

Now I am overweight and I am not happy about it, but I am not so hard on myself when I take backward steps. I have more reasons to want to get back into shape now. I want to be around (in good health) to enjoy more outside activities with Mike, I want to have enough energy to play with my grandkids, and I want to be able to spend a lot more years with my wonderful daughters and their hubbies and enjoy seeing them raise their children.

Up until recently, nothing I tried worked because I got bored with it to quickly. Well, Laura and I have been watching Biggest Losers on TV. I didn't really care for it at first, but then I started thinking that if these people that needed to lose a lot more weight than I do could stick with it then maybe I could. Also Laura suggested I try counting calories like they do. I always thought that would be too much trouble, but I decided to try it. Since I tend to think things out logically and it is very basic logic that in order to lose weight you have to take in fewer calories than you burn off, it is working for me. "Thank you Laura!!!" I stick to a pretty healthy diet(I hate that word) but I am learning that doesn't always mean it is low in calories. I feel much better when I eat well, so that helps too. I am smart enough to know you need a little of everything in your daily diet. I have never been one to follow fad diets. But now that I am getting the hang of calorie counting, I am finding some of the things I would think would be low in calories aren't and vice versa. So some things I thought I would have to limit more I don't and some things I don't want to waste my calories on are things I don't enjoy as much anyway. So as you can see this seems to be a win win situation for me. I am getting pretty good at guessing the amount of calories now too. I am losing the weight slowing, but I would rather do that because your body adjusts to it and it's easier to keep it off also. I didn't go overboard for Thanksgiving, but I did indulge a little more than usual, but I was surprised at how easy it was to get right back at it on Monday. So here is what I have lost so far. I started at 223 1/4 lbs and I am down to 214 3/4 lbs. Yea, 8 1/2 lbs lost so far. I didn't want to post this until I got under 215 because no matter what I have tried I couldn't seem to get below 215. I know a 1/4 lb isn't a lot, but it is still under 215. My clothes are already fitting quite a bit looser too! Mike keeps telling me all the time how much better I am looking. Also, I started out just with stretching exercises, but as I have gotten more energy and more motivation, I have started adding a few more extra exercises here and there that I do daily. And I alternate daily with and without small weights. I also bought new tubes and brake pads for out bikes so Mike can get our bikes up and going so we can start bike riding again.

It feels so good to finally have found something that is working for me and even better that I it doesn't seem a big chore to follow it. I am already feeling quite a bit better physically and have more energy. I also am enjoying seeing the physical changes in my body. You are never too old to change things!!!!!

Updated Blog Site!!! YEA!!!

2007-11-17T13:32:00.000-05:00

So, how do you all like the new look of my blog? I picked the template and then Lisa modified it for me and put the picture in. Lisa, there is just one problem. I can't go to your link from here. Also, I forgot to ask you if you could put in a link to The Urban Homesteader also. It would be much appreciated if you could do this for me! I really like this look much better.

New Coffee Shop

2007-10-09T07:59:00.000-05:00

For those that know me very well, you will understand why I am writing a blog about a new coffee shop. The importance of a coffee shop that I feel comfortable just hanging out relaxing started when Lisa & Laura were in high school. This was my opportunity to sit and relax and just visit with my daughters. I think they both know how important that was to me and it still is. I know it's a bit more difficult now with them having little ones of their own to go and just hang out at the coffee shop. But the significance of it is probably why I still love the atmosphere of a coffee shop. But it can't be just any coffee shop, it has to have the right atmosphere. I had been going to Scupa's(sometimes with Laura, Laura, Pat and the kiddos, and sometimes with Mike) for about 4 years if I remember correctly. Earlier this year, due to family member health problems, Johnny sold Scupa's and the new owner is strictly in it for the money. Yes, I know people go into business to make money, but Johnny loved visiting with his customers and treated them like family. He is an older Italian guy and is just a great person. He loved seeing all of us come in together, because he really enjoyed seeing families spend time together. So I think you can see why I have missed that so much. About a week ago one of my co-workers was googling something and asked me to come see a website she ran across. Yeah, it was for a coffee shop she thought I might be interested in. It has an unusual name "The Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar". I think I have found my coffee shop again. It just opened up the day she found it on the internet. Not only is it a relaxing place, but their coffee drinks(except for soymilk, etc) are made with organic milk. They serve veggie, vegan and organic foods. I am not into the first two, but the organic part I do like. So I have finally found another place I can take a book, have a latte and sit and relax. Finally!!!!!!!!!! LOL

8th Annniversary at my job!!!!

2007-09-08T07:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it: 8 years with this company. I would never have envisioned being with them that long, but I have been. I have seen alot of changes take place and I have seen alot of people come and go over the past 8 years. I was going over some of the things that have happened during those 8 years. Here are a few.

1. I have gained 3 more grandchildren
2. Mike and I got married
3. I have obtained my Associates Degree in Accounting
4. Went thru 9/11 with the rest of our country
5. I have lost 4 family members, 2 very dear long-time friends and several other friends
6. I have met alot of wonderful people at work and away from work. I am fortunate to have
a number of great relationships with people I work with.
7. Mike and I have paid for our trailer and have purchased the land it is on(still paying for it
of course. lol)
8. I have my dream car; a 2001 Sebring convertible, gold w/black cloth top. We are both
really enjoying it.
9. We just got Mike a good truck this year. 1996, red, F-350 Ford, turbo diesel with dual
cab and utility bed.
10. I have been thru a lot of personal growth and have much more confidence in myself than
I used to have. I have also learned to be much more accepting of myself.
11. I have done a lot of traveling. Numerous cross-country trips to see Lisa and her family. A
number of trips to New Mexico to see my mom while she was still living.
12. Our family held it's first Family Reunion.

I could go on and on, but I think I hit the major points.

I received a very good evaluation this year. My supervisor took me to lunch(we always get an
anniversary lunch) and it was very enjoyable. Mike and I went out to celebrate last night and had a wonderful, relaxing evening.

I would like to thank everyone that has been part of my life, especially these past 8 years, since that what this post is about.

Now, on with the next 8 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY VISIT!!!

2007-07-08T07:28:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful visit with Lisa, Lawrence and the girls. It was so wonderful being able to celebrate Lisa's birthday with her.

It was a very, very busy week. We went to my favorite breakfast place there, which is The Wildwood Cafe. They have fabulous french toast. I got to find a tanglebox with Lisa and the girls. (You can check out her blog to see what that is.) I wish there had been time to look for more of them. Friday morning Maddy and I walked downtown and had breakfast together at Cornerstone Coffee. Then she helped me find Lisa's birthday presents. We did a lot of walking to get them, alot of it in the rain. I enjoyed this time with Maddy and it was nice to be able to walk in the rain without worrying about lightening like you have to in Orlando. Friday night we went to the exhibition from Art Conspiracy that Maddy was in. Her watercolor pictures were great! She did a watercolor of chili peppers for Lisa's birthday that was really good. You should see the house she made a model for in her architecture class. I had alot of fun playing Quiddler with Maddy and Maddy and Lisa. Isabel and I had fun while we played Crazy Faces(a child's version of crazy eights.) I finally watched the new "Phantom of the Opera" with Isabel. This is her favorite movie. Juliana is a riot. She repeats everything the other two girls say and mimics what they do. Not that she doesn't have her own personality. She is very much her own person. I had fun just watching all three of the girls together.

Lisa's birthday party was a great success! She is a wonderful hostess and as we all know a fabulous cook! I helped with what I could, but she gets all of the kuddos for the success of her birthday party! It was great and the weather held up nicely for it. You should try the Frozen Honeydew Mojitos she made. Yummy! and very refreshing too! I want the recipe for her Herb Potato Salad. I am not big on potato salad anymore, but this is fantastic.

I didn't get to spend much time with Lawrence this year, but the reason for it is a very good reason and I am extremely happy for them. Their business is doing very well and he was very busy. This is a very good thing!

I had a very good time with all of them! Of course, as always, it was very hard to say goodbye! If all goes as planned though, Laura, Damian, Cheyanne and I will be up there in May for James and Sarah's wedding.

Another Step Towards Our Goal!!!

2007-06-12T07:57:00.000-05:00

We paid off another credit card this weekend. That makes two paid off so far. On to the next! It feels so good to be making this progress.

Two weeks from today at this time, I will be in the air on the way to see Lisa and her family. I can hardly wait. It will be so nice to spend her birthday with her.

Yeah! I have my tickets!

2007-06-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

I am so excited. I finally purchased my airline tickets yesterday for my trip up to Oregon. Lisa and I have been keeping an eye on prices. They were up to +/- $500. Yesterday, Southwest prices dropped and I got mine for $335. A whole lot better!

I am going up to spend Lisa's "30th" birthday with her. I am soooooooo excited. I haven't gotten to spend her birthday with her since 1998. She gave me some gift ideas but said Maddy is the one to ask. So, I'm thinking Maddy and Nana may be going on a little shopping trip up there.

WE NEED LOTS OF RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-09T07:40:00.000-05:00

Firefighters are fighting over 210 brush fires in Florida. It is so dry here. They say this is the worst drought since 1932, if I remember correctly. There were ashes on the top of my car this morning that had blown in from the fires. The sky looks horrible. Please pray we get rain here!

Blasted Insurane Companies!!!!!!!!

2007-05-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

I would like to call them something else, but I will be nice. I realized Sunday morning that we hadn't gotten our bill for our homeowners insurance yet. So I looked at the letter I received from them way back on March 5th and realized our policy expired on April 27th. Now if that wasn't bad enough, our insurance company has no grace period. This is a state funded insurance company(and if it's state funded, why do I have to pay premiums!!!!!! It may be run by the state, but I guarantee they don't fund it in any way!) Anyway, this is the only company that will insure us since the 3 hurricanes in 1 season hit here because we have an old mobile home that was built in 1972. So we are pretty much !&@#* I think you get the picture. Our insurance more than doubled since last year because we have to carry different coverage than we had because they somehow failed to realize we live in an old subdivision rather than on a piece of land away from everything. So, we can no longer carry insurance just on the structure and general liability(to satisfy the requirements on the contract on our land purchase).

Sorry, I just needed to vent. I have an appointment this afternoon with them, so at least we will be meeting the agreement we made with the man we are purchasing the land from and our house and contents will once again be insured. For a hefty sum of course! lol

Productive Weekend!!!!

2007-04-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we got new tires put on my car. We both feel a lot safer now, because one of the tires was pretty bad. It had been wearing unevenly due to a bent rim. It was that way when we bought the car. Mike bought a replacement rim on E-Bay. A lot cheaper than the dealer wanted, about 1/3 of the dealer price.

Also, I finally got our income tax return submitted online yesterday and mailing the check today. It feels good to get that out of the way.

We finally got some much needed rain this weekend. We have been under a "fire watch" for awhile now. We still need a lot more rain, but this helped and the grass looks better all around here.

Celebration!

2007-04-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

Talk about time going by fast! Mike and I just celebrated our 6th anniversary Saturday, April 7th. We had a wonderful day together. We drove up to St. Augustine. While we were there we toured San Sebastian Winery and sampled their wine. We also bought some as an anniversary present to ourselves. We found a cute little coffee shop after that and sat out on their patio and enjoyed our coffee drinks. Then we had a wonderful Seafood Paella at A1A Ale House. We even got to sit at the same table we sat at when we spent the weekend there 5 years ago, with a wonderful view looking out at the ocean. It was a very good day and very relaxing. We enjoyed it very much!

Good & Bad

2007-03-20T12:04:00.000-05:00

The good part is we finally got our property taxes paid this past weekend. Almost a thousand dollars. Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The bad part is a telephone call I received Saturday night from a longtime friend, Susie. She called to tell me her brother died on February 6th and her mom died just last Monday, March 12th. This news hit me pretty hard. I can't even imagine what it must be like for her losing her brother and mother so close together. I hadn't seen either of them for quite a while, but in high school most of the time I was at their house or she was at our house. Her parents were like another set of parents to me.

SETTING THINGS INTO MOTION!

2007-02-19T08:57:00.000-05:00

In January I went over a plan with Mike to get our bills paid off, especially credit cards. So I started on it last month and yesterday I paid off our first credit card! What a tremendous feeling. It is amazing what you can do once you set up a plan and decide to stick to it. So we plan to keep the ball rolling.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2007-01-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

This will be a very short entry because this month is the busiest month for me at work; closing out the previous year. I would just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I am claiming this year as a wonderful year for us! I am finally ready to accept all the good God wants to give us. Took me a long time to figure it out, but I say "Better late than never". I pray for good health and prosperity for all of you!

GOAL SETTING IS GREAT!!!!!!

2006-12-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

I am so glad I am learning to set goals. I have reached one of my goals. This particular goal was to have a Sebring convertible by the end of this year and we did it. Mike kept checking on E-Bay and he found a great one. So we now have a 2001 Chrsyler Sebring Convertible. It's beige with black pin striping and a black cloth top. I am enjoying it so much. We picked it up last Tuesday. Saturday we went out for a day trip with the top down and had a great time. I set a goal for this and I also prayed for it! God led us to a wonderful car! He is truly awesome!!!! And I am learning to accept that I deserve good things!

Where does the time go?????

2006-12-05T09:02:00.000-05:00

I have been reminded by my older daughter to update my blog! Thank you Lisa. I just keep putting it off for some reason. I intended to use this as a journal as well as keep people updated, so I guess I should blog more often.
I had alot of time to think about things during my two trips with Lisa and the girls. I came to the realization that what I need most at this time in my life(after finally finishing my degree) is to take some time just for myself. So I started a schedule on October 19th to use my Gazelle exercise machine 3xweek. Yeah, I have been consistent with it for a month and a half. To some that might not mean much, but for me it has been a long time coming. I have found a schedule works great, because the other nights I don't feel guilty that I am not exercising. I also work out to music and since I love music with a good beat that makes it so much more enjoyable. It is paying off in numerous ways. I feel so much better physically, I have a more positive attitude, my clothes are already fitting looser and I went for my annual checkup on November 8th and had the best checkup in five years! That was such a great thing for a change. No more extra tests!! I haven't been letting things stress me out at work like I used to. I am also spending time just reading for enjoyment and playing computer games.
On to the next big thing going on. After having my little Nissan Sentra for 12 years, I am finally going to have to look for another car. Mike has already replaced the engine in it, but it is time to retire it. I have a pretty long commute and he is worrying everytime I leave for work that something might give out in it. So, we are looking for my dream car. I have been wanting a Chrysler Sebring convertible. That is one reason we didn't just buy an older used car and replaced the engine instead. I didn't want to settle for something I didn't really want. We are looking for a good used model so please say some prayers for us. Even though I am so excited, I still have to keep reminding myself that I deserve to get a car I really want instead of just settling for whatever comes along.

Flying out Wednesday!!!

2006-08-25T10:13:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! I fly out Wednesday morning to meet Lisa and the girls. We are heading to the family reunion straight from the airport. I will get to see alot of the country I have never seen before. That will be interesting for me. I have found out how much I really enjoy traveling and seeing new places over the past 6 or 7 years. I am looking forward to seeing alot of my family again.

Laura and I are going to be doing some brainstorming tomorrow to get Jafra up and running when I get back. We both have alot of good ideas. Mike and Pat are both very encouraging and supportive. We just have to find something that works for us. We are also going to enlist Pat in helping us. Mike helps with what he can too. He talks to people he goes on service calls to and gives out catalogs to those that want them.

I will update after the reunion.

I'm Still Alive!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-02T07:31:00.000-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize just how long it's been since I have entered anything. Lisa reminded me a couple of weeks ago. I will give a short update to all. My son-in-law (Pat)had back surgery(actually on his neck, but that's what they call it). He had a disc in his neck replaced with a piece of bone taken from his hip and attached with a strip of titatium. His surgery went very well and his coloring returned to a healthy color immediately after the surgery. I must say, he has alot of moxy, I think is the right word. As soon as they brought him up to his room he asked the nurse if he could sit up. The dr told him he probably wouldn't want to sit up or get out of bed the first day. About 4 hours after surgery he called his dr and asked if he could get up and walk to the bathroom because he couldn't just lay down all the time. So he let him get up. Laura and I were even allowed to take the kiddos up to see him the afternoon of his surgery. He is looking so much better. He was released to drive July 13th. Since he can watch the kids and drive, Laura and I returned to our regular schedules. Pretty much! He still isn't allowed to lift over 10 lbs. His xray showed the discs were starting to fuse together, which is a good thing. He was also allowed to start working out on an exercise machine so he can start building up his neck and back muscles again. So he is definitely on the mend. Laura just has to make sure he doesn't try to overdo it. He should be able to start back to work by the first of the year! I almost forgot, he had to sit out two semesters of school, but he started back July 18th.

I am looking forward to the Family Reunion. I am flying up to meet Lisa and the girls and drive down with her. This will be the first time I will get to spend this much time in one year with them since they moved. So you can imagine how happy I am. I won't get to see Lawrence this time. That's the only downer to the trip. We were hoping Laura, Pat and the kids would be able to go. I would have been in seventh heaven being able to be with both of the girls and their families. But, the time will come. God has brought everything else to pass, he will bring that to pass too.

I would like to thank everyone for their prayers during Pat's surgery and healing process.

HOW TIME FLIES!!!!

2006-05-07T10:18:00.000-05:00

I meant to post this sooner, but you know how it goes when you get back from vacation! I enjoyed my time with Lisa, Lawrence and the girls immensely. Of course it went by too fast, but I treasure all of it. We didn't do any sightseeing this time. I just wanted to spend time with them. I really needed it, especially this year. Lisa, I really did enjoy helping you weed your garden. It's work, but it's different when you are sharing that time with a loved one. When we all get moved up there, I will happily volunteer to help you!!

Yeah! Lisa time!!!!

2006-04-18T07:54:00.000-05:00

It's time for my yearly trip to see Lisa, Lawrence and the girls. I am so excited. I can hardly wait to see them. I fly up this Friday and get to spend the whole week and fly back on Sat the 29th.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! RING THE BELLS!!!

2006-04-06T05:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I finished school. I proved to myself I could do it and I carried straight A's thru the whole 20 courses of my studies. I now hold an Associates Degree in Accounting. I am so glad it's over. Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement! All I can say is it's never to late to go back to school.

Fourth Semester Exmas

2006-03-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I have my fourth semester exams out of the way. The college finally sent them and they arrived Wed. night. I was going to wait till the weekend to take them, but I was so hyped up about getting it over I decided to take them last light. I am glad I did! Now I don't have that looming ahead of me for the weekend. I feel very positive about them too! I will post the results as soon as I get them back. Thanks again for everyone's support.
Our Jafra business is starting to pick up. We held A Spa Pampering session 2 weeks ago and booked another from that for next Saturday. We have also had leads passed to us from our manager and another client from my Jafra website. We each have a website with Jafra. Mine is www.myjafra.com/eenz and Laura's is www.myjafra.com/lgeraghty . It is thru the main Jafra website so all of them are alike except our names and information, of course.
I hope you all have a good weekend! I certainly intend to!!!!!

ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS THE END!!!

2006-02-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

WOO HOO!!! I have finally done it! I finished my last course in obtaining my associates degree in accounting. All I have left to do is take my fourth semester exam as soon as they send it to me. I completed this course in record time and with 6 straight 100's on my tests. I cannot begin to tell you what a relief it is to be done finally! I find it necessary to put this in my blog(taking into account of how I used to feel about myself). 'I AM VERY PROUD OF MYSELF!!!! And I know now I'm a lot smarter than I spent most of my life thinking I was. With all that has gone on in the past 4 1/2 years, I have still maintained A's all along. I was looking at my grades Thursday after I finished. I didn't realize that I had 4 courses out of 20 with straight 100's on all my tests. Only one course was a 90 and the rest were in between, of course.
I am going to chill out for about a week and then I am going to put my extra time and energy into Laura's and my Jafra business. I set my goals for the year, and I already met that in finishing my last course. Now I am on to bigger and better (and a lot more fun than studying) things!

Almost there!

2006-01-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update! I just started my very last course Wed and I already submitted my Lesson 1 exam during my lunch period. I aced it!! 5 more lessons to go and counting down. I can hardly believe it will be over soon.
Also dealing with the stress of closing out the year. Oh the fun of being an accountant!! Yeah, right! I am almost done with that too though, so that's a good thing!

Finally an update!!!

2006-01-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I updated my blog! I have been super busy. Last night I finished my next to last course in my endeavor to get my Associate's Degree in Accounting. I have managed to still maintain my straight A status! I am sooooooooo happy about that. I am so excited to be getting close to the end.
Now let me back track and fill in the last two months. In December Laura and I participated in a Winter Festival at a private school. Our Jafra manager asked us to help her with a booth for Jafra. We had a good time and made a couple of sales. It was a good experience. We learned alot from it , had a lot of fun and gained more confidence. We held a couple of Jafra Holiday Open Houses at our house in December. Didn't have alot of people show, but once again it was a good experience. We had alot of fun creating invitations, raffle tickets and a poster board for the display table. I am learning I am alot more creative than I thought I was. Of course Mike has been trying to tell me that for a long time. Maybe I should start listening! lol We already have a couple parties set up for January and have lots of ideas for scheduling incentives. Mike said he is really glad I got back into it. He said even though we aren't making alot of profit on it, he can see how much happier I already am. The last weekend in February Jafra is partnering with the Mrs. Florida, America Pageant that will be held here in Orlando. Once again our Jafra manager has asked us to join her. We both are really looking forward to it. Cheryl said it is really alot of fun. We will be spending the night before the pageant at The Gaylord Palms(I believe that's the correct name) and giving contestants mini foot spa sessions. Then the day of the pageant we will be helping with anything that needs to be done. All the consultants that participate will be sharing all the leads from it also!
We had a wonderful visit with Rhoda and Al in December. It was so good to see them and be able to take time off from work to spend with them. Damian still says he misses his Uncle Al.
I think I have about covered everything! I wish you all a wonderful 2006!

Busy, busy, busy!!!!!!!!!

2005-11-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

I finally got my first lesson done on my new course "Intermediate Accountting II". I got a 95%. This is another hard course, but I only have five more lessons to go now.
Laura is an official Jafra Skincare Consultant now. We got her signed up Saturday night. We have a Spa Pamper Session set up for Sunday afternoon. We let everyone do mini-pedicures to try out the spa products. We are preparing for a 2 day Holiday Open House, so please keep us in your prayers that it is prosperous in leads and $$. We would appreciate it very much!
Laura and I are so excited. Lisa fashioned "Mama" bags for us with a divider in the middle so we have a purse and mini Jafra office. She is so creative. She has already finished them and they are on their way to us. Please check out her business site: www.mymorningglory.com.

ANOTHER ONE DOWN!

2005-10-26T09:50:00.000-05:00

I have finished my "Accounting Spreadsheet Fundamentals" course with a 93%. I only have two more courses left for my degree. I am going to get started on my first lesson today!

Laura & I held our first Jafra Skincare Party a week ago. We had so much fun! Only a couple of people ended up making it but we still had almost $200 in sales. I thought that was pretty good for our first class with just a couple people. It was a very good training session for us too. The party we had booked for this past Sunday got rescheduled. It was probably for the best since we started getting bad weather due to Hurricane Wilma. We have another party this Saturday. We are really looking forward to it! Thanks so much again for everybody's support.

I am having Lisa make us mama bags. It will be a divided bag for a dual purpose of purse & mini-office for Jafra calendar, catalogs and brochures. I am so excited about it. I am enjoying working with her figuring out exactly how we want it and she searched for material for us. That was so helpful because I just don't have the patience for that. I don't know if you have checked out her website for her mama bags, but she does a wonderful job with them. She is so talented! I can hardly wait to show them off to people. And of course I will keep some of her business cards with me so people can order from her.

I almost forgot to say how well Mike's job is going. He is so much happier and looks like he will actually be making more money at this job! That is always a nice bonus! The fact that he is happier and more relaxed is the most important part to me!

Moving Right Along!

2005-10-10T15:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I have made an entry. I was working on my "Intermediate Accounting I(Financial Analysis) course. It required a lot of work and concentration, but I finished it last Thursday! I finished it with a 95% for the course. Now I am already on Lesson 2 of my "Fundamentals of Spreadsheets" course. This is an easy course and I should be done in about a week.
Another reason I didn't update my blog is Mike lost his job the middle of September. I didn't want to be entering a depressed blog entry. He had another job before the end of the month. It has been tough financially because he has to pay for supplies and then get reimbursed for them. We will get his first paycheck this Friday, so things will ease up now. Friday night he said he really enjoys what he is doing. I haven't heard him say that in a long, long time. So, with the old saying "One door closes and another opens". That seems to be the case here. He is much less stressed with this job.
Another bright note! With the end nearing on obtaining my degree, I knew I needed to do something or get really bored. I don't want to take any more courses right now either. Also, I would like to make some extra money to help get bills paid off so we can eventually move up to Oregon. I thought about it for quite awhile. The thing I thought I could make the most at is, of course, a bookkeeping or accounting job on the side. That doesn't appeal to me, since I really don't like it that much all week long. I would like to do something I can have fun doing. Mike has asked me a number of times why I don't get back in with Jafra Cosmetics since I talk about it so much. He also asked me what job I have enjoyed the most over the years. I was with Jafra about 21 years ago, but that sticks in my mind more than anything else. I loved what I did and interacting with other people. Laura needs to make extra money too, so we got together and discussed going into business together. We enjoy doing things together and thought it would be much easier if we had each other's support and help. Both Mike and Pat are completely supportive on this venture for us. We also thought it would be much safer if we hold night skincare sessions. I am now an official Jafra Skincare Consultant. Laura and I went to a Jafra meeting in Vero Beach called a W.O.W. meeting. It stands for "Wonder of Women". I had forgotten how good it felt to be in a room with so much positive energy. We both just loved it. We have our first skincare class scheduled for this coming Saturday and another on Sunday night of the following week. It is such a joy to watch someone open up as Laura has been doing with Jafra. She thought she would have a hard time, but when you believe in what you are doing, it comes so easily. She has already been telling alot of people at her work place and has already sold some Jafra products and she isn't even signed up yet. I think that is great. We are going to get her signed up with proceeds from our classes. We both have set a goal of becoming managers and replacing our present jobs with Jafra. I did it 21 years ago, so I know I can do it again. We are both very excited and ready to get going. Mike and I fixed up the extra bedroom for my "Jafra" office. I am prepared for it to take off running for us. I told Mike once I decided to get back into Jafra that I felt like I had "come back home". In fact I have a separate hotmail address now for my Jafra business. It is "jafraimback@hotmail.com. We set up separate e-mail accounts since we know we will have to split off after we get going with our own consultants. I will keep you all posted on our success! There are very few consultants in Orlando so we have a wide open market! Orlando, watch out cuz here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Relaxed!

2005-08-22T07:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I actually made myself stay away from the study books for a whole week to give myself a chance to pull my self back together. It did help. We rented a couple of movies Saturday night and bought some sub sandwiches. We haven't done that for a long time. Sat. night we watched "Finding Neverland". I haven't seen a movie yet with Johnny Depp that I haven't liked. Not only is he good looking, but I think he is a terrific actor and very versatile. Last night we watched "Hildalgo". I also love movies about horses. So we had a pretty relaxing weekend. So today, I am going to start crackin the books again and move forward.

Coping!

2005-08-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

I am sure everyone that reads my blog already knows that Orlie passed on a week ago today. It has taken me this long to be able to enter a blog about it. I am so thankful for Mike. He spent several hours Saturday night listening to me while I was dealing with it. I have found these things bring up other things that you have to keep sorting thru in order to deal with things. I told him I felt sad and joyous at the same time and he understood. I am sad for losing just a wonderful person in my life but at the same time joyous , because he is no longer suffering. I have wonderful memories of Orlie though! I doubt if he had any idea how much of an impact he had on other people's lives, because he wasn't trying to, he was just being Orlie. I am so thankful he was a part of my life.
I haven't made any progress on my studies. I decided it would be better if I gave myself a break this week. I couldn't really focus very well for a couple of weeks before he passed on and found I will have to reread most of this chapter to even be able to finish the exam for this lesson.
I have no updates on the other situation either. I still haven't heard anything.

Clearing up confusion!

2005-08-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

In case anyone was thinking they had read a blog that isn't there anymore, you are absolutely correct. Someone advised me to take it off in case someone ran across it and wanted to cause trouble. The people I put it in here for know all about it anyway, so I decided to delete it. I will still keep you updated on the situation though and your continued prayers are still welcome!
A fellow employee resigned Tuesday and I didn't even get to say goodbye. That makes me sad. She was very unhappy and it wasn't a good situation, so I completely understand. I do hope she gets in touch with me.

Update!

2005-08-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

We signed the papers for the land Friday afternoon and gave him the first 1/2 payment due Aug 1. Since the agreement starts Aug 1, that comes right off the principal. I love that.
I finished my first lesson in Intermediate Accounting I and sent in the exam yesterday morning. This one was pretty difficult. Both chapters were very long and a lot of difficult problems to work on for the 2nd chapter and I had alot on my mind. Good news, though, I only missed one question and got a 95%. On to Lesson 2.
On a sadder note! I know you all know about Orlie going thru his ordeal with cancer. I have been reflecting on how much influence he has had in my life. Much more than I had realized. He was always a steadying male influence for me when I really needed it. When I was in high school and Dad was going thru the worst part of his drinking, I used to go see Frances and Orlie alot. They were always there for me. That has always meant alot to me. I feel frustrated right now, because I wish I could be there to lend support and a helping hand to Aunt Kathy and Uncle Len. I know this is extremely difficult for them, especially Len. But since no one knows how long he will linger, it would be very impractical to go up. I think I would rather go up and spend some time with them after it's all over. They might need it even more then. They could use some happy visits too, not just funeral visits.The best thing I can do right now is keep them all in my prayers and give emotional support whenever I can. I know they appreciate that too!

Land Purchase Update!

2005-07-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

I realized I hadn't updated my blog to let you know how our meeting with Charlie went Sat. He was very fair with us. The land is valued around $41,500 and he offered it to us @ $38,750. Originally we were going to offer $40,00, then $39,000 and then we decided to offer $38,000. We went over all the details and agreed on those. We prefer to pay the taxes ourselves, rather than him escrow it. He also offered us 1/2 month payments since we have to do it that way anyway, so that is better for us. We pay interest on 15 days and lower the principal every fifteen days so we thought that was great! May not look like much at first, but every little bit helps. He also gave us no penalty for early payment. Well, everyone knows how I have always had a hard time standing up to people. Mike spoke up during the meeting, but he told Charlie that he would agree to the financial matters that I knew we could handle, since I take care of them. After we came to agreement on everything else, he handed me the 1st page of the amortization example and asked if we had anything else. I almost caved and said "No, that's all." But even though I knew he was being fair with us(he has never even charged us late payments over the past 5 years when we were late sometimes), I knew for myself I needed to speak up and say we hadn't come to an agreement on the price of the lot. He, of course, wanted to stay at $38,750 and we had already told him $38,000, so I said I would rather even it off at $38,500 and he agreed right away. I know $250 doesn't sound like much, but it wasn't really a matter of money on this issue. Most of my life I have just accepted whatever anybody was willing to give and I knew I had to make a stand sometime. Well, I did, and he agreed and I felt sooooooooo good about it. Not only does anybody that knows me well, knows I have had a hard time with that, but also to make a stand against a male figure made it doubly hard. I am so proud of myself, and it was so great when Mike told me he was very proud of me too. We will be signing the papers this week. Even though we had been purchasing the trailer and paid that off in June, we were paying lot rent on the land for the past five years. Now, we are no longer renters! That feels good!

TGIF!!!!!!

2005-07-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

I am sooooooooooo glad it's Friday. Tomorrow aft. Mike and I are meeting with Charlie. He's the man we bought our trailer from and have been paying lot rent since we didn't have a big enough down pymt for the whole thing. He has been pretty good to deal with. Please keep us in your prayers that he accepts the amount we are going to offer. He said he can set the payments at whatever we want, since he is carrying the contract. The only reason we are going to go ahead and buy the land is to build up some equity in it so we can sell the whole place hopefully by next year. This way we will have more money to move to Oregon and get a place up there. The land value continues to go up so this should help us. Even if it tops out, this is a whole neighborhood that used to be a mobile home park about 20 years ago. Housing developments have been going up all around us, so there is a possibility they will want to do the same with our area. Which will be good for Pat & Laura and for Mike & I.
Also keep praying that Tropical Storm Franklin keeps going in the direction they are hoping it will take, which is east of us and moving to the north back out into the sea! That way nobody will be hit with it. This has already been a nerve wracking summer with so much activity this early. Maybe it's just getting it out of the way early. lol The weather down here has been miserable. It is supposed to be 94 degrees today with a comfort zone of 105. Seriously people, how do you call that a "comfort zone"?
I received my new course. It's Intermediate Accounting 1, the text book is "Financial Reporting and Analysis". There is alot involved with it and I am really going to have to stay on top of it to complete a lesson a week. That's my goal though! I get to work early enough that I can study for about 15 mins or more, I study at lunch, and study some more when I get home. That's the only way I can complete a lesson a week. But it will be worth it to get it completed.

ANOTHER A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-07-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

I sent in my final exam for Microeconomics last night and I aced it! I finished the course with an A. This was a difficult course and I am really glad to have it out of the way. I only have four more courses to finish my associates degree in accounting. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Just an update!

2005-06-23T10:15:00.000-05:00

I sent in my exams for Lesson 3 & 4 this morning and got the results back.(I'm still in Microeconomics, by the way). I got an 85% on lesson 3(I missed 3), it brought my cumulative grade down to an 87%. I got a 100% on Lesson 4 thought and brought my cumulative up to a 90%. Yippee!!!
Laura & Pat had Cheyann'es 1st birthday party Sat. aft(June 18th, her BD is 6-15). She had an absolute ball with her cake. I am going to miss them all while they are in New Mexico.
I went Tuesday morning for a breast sonogram. I had my mammogram done about a month ago and they said because I have dense breast tissue they wanted to do a sonogram. The tech said everything looked fine so that was good to hear. Now, I hope the only other tests I have to have for the rest of the year are to do with my degree! lol I am about all tested out.

LOSING & GAINING AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!

2005-06-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

I am continuing to loose weight. I have now lost 7 lbs. I started using my treadmill more last week. Laura made a suggestion that I use it first thing in the morning since it helps burn more calories during the day. Last Wed. I made up my mind to get up as soon as the alarm goes off and use it while the coffee is brewing. It's so much better than coming home at night and trying to talk myself into changing and using it, still finding time for studying and also having to fix dinner. Now as soon as the alarm goes off I get up right away and use it. It is soooooooooooo much easier. THANK YOU LAURA!!!! I have so much more energy during the day and am actually handling the stress at work better. I also do my stretching exercises for my back so I actually have 30 mins of exercise the mornings I use the treadmill. Yeah for me!!!!!!
The gaining part is to do with my degree. I am about 1/2 thru the first course on my 4th, and most importantly MY LAST SEMESTER! This course is Microeconomics. I told Mike the scary part is this course is actually making more sense to me and I seem to be grasping it. lol I don't get reimbursed for this course but I still want to complete it with an A. So far, so good! This course makes more sense to me than Macroeconomics. But the instructor said both of these courses are two of the most difficult ones. I will say I have to agree with them. This one isn't as boring as Macroeconomics, thank goodness. I will keep everyone informed of my progress. The college gave me a six month extension, so at least I don't feel as pressured now.
The weather here has been horrible. It is supposed to be around 93 for the rest of the week with a comfort zone of 99. Now tell me seriously, they call that COMFORT????? lol They should call it "the humidity factor" like they refer to "the windchill factor", but definitely not a "comfort zone".

Sometimes Losing Is A Good Thing!!!

2005-05-23T14:18:00.000-05:00

I am maintaining my goal. Since April 8th, I have lost 1 lb a week for a total of 6 lbs. I am very proud of myself. Normally I give up after a few weeks. I also passed all five courses of my third semester with A's. Lisa gave me a beautiful book bag that she made herself as a congratulations present! That made me feel so good! I passed another very important test. I went in for the dual isotope stress test and they said there is nothing wrong with my heart. The practitioner said just to keep up what I'm doing(which is just changing what I am eating some, exercising and losing weight) and come back in two months for a follow up visit.

Proud of Myself!

2005-05-06T08:03:00.000-05:00

Since my annual physical on April 8th I have lost 4 lbs(1 a week). I guess it just really sunk in how necessary it is for me to get this extra weight off for my health. It really hasn't been that hard. I like food that good for me so that's a plus. I have found alot of small ways to improve my eating habits. I have really been paying close attention and it is the little things that were adding up. So any encouragement is helpful!

THIRD SEMESTER EXAMS

2005-05-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

I finally have my 3rd semester exams done and in the mail to the college! I will post the results as soon as I receive them. I feel that I did very well. Now I only have one semester left to go. I really want to buckle down and get it out of the way. Well, I saw the cardiologist Friday and wasn't real impressed with his attitude. I thought his practitioner was much easier to talk to and more understanding. They want to go ahead and have me go thru the isotope treadmill test. They really think my high blood pressure is due to stress and weight. The practitioner was impressed that I had already started on a cholesterol lowering diet and had already lost 3 lbs. since I had been in for my physical. So today I am also going to get started on a daily exercise program for overall fitness and to help take off the weight. I want to be around for a long time to spend time with my husband, daughters and their families!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vacation Is Over

2005-04-27T08:22:00.000-05:00

Well, our vacation is over and Mike & I are both back at work. We had such a wonderful time with Lisa, Lawrence and the girls. I for one did not want to come back to Orlando. Mike told me on our way to their house from the airport "Ok, you can tell me you told me so. It is beautiful up here." He couldn't get over how green everything was at this time of year. I think it was good for him to go exploring on his own for a day. He enjoyed stopping and taking pictures. I can hardly wait till we can get him a 35mm camera with a zoom lense. He used to have one and I think a friend of his dropped it in a river on a hiking trip. There are so many places we want to explore when we move up there. So many more things to do outside and better weather to do it in. It was so peaceful up there compared to down here. It is such a rat race down here. I am not sorry we moved down here(although I have to keep reassuring Mike of that). We have seen alot and done alot of things we couldn't elsewhere, but I will be so glad when we get moved. So please keep us in your prayers that both families down here will be able to move next year as we are planning.

What A Cutie!

2005-04-19T14:22:00.000-05:00

I would have entered this post sooner, but I have been too busy spending time with Lisa, Lawrence and the girls. Juliana is such a sweetheart. I have been holding her alot of course. She is so perfectly formed. Mike & I are enjoying our stay very much; it has been so relaxing. It will be so nice when all of us are up here together and we can have a big family gathering. This will be my dream come true. Well, we are getting ready to go to the Tulip Festival. They have so many in the yards up here. They are so beautiful.

YEAH, LAST DAY BEFORE VACATION!!!!!!!!!!

2005-04-14T07:57:00.000-05:00

I am so glad my vacation starts tomorrow! I really need it! I have lots to do at home, but I will have plenty of energy from being excited to get it done.
I got my packet in yesterday for my third semester exams. I will take those after my vacation and have that semester totally out of the way! Yippee!!!

A NEW BUNDLE OF JOY!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-04-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

My granddaughter, Juliana Grace Betancourt, arrived yesterday morning at 10:40am. She weighs 8 lb 9 oz and is 20 1/2 in. I am so excited about seeing her. Needless to say, I have been a little scatterbrained at work, but I am trying to pull it together so I can get everything done before I leave for vacation. I am so glad Mike is going with me this time. It's gotten harder and harder to leave him behind each time. He is looking forward to it too. I am always so relieved when I find out my daughters have come thru childbirth safely. They mean so much to me, that it is a little nervewracking till it's over with. But Lisa & Juliana are doing well.

I am asking for prayer also for my son-in-law, Pat. He got a shot in his shoulder that numbed his right arm, shoulder, part of his face, and the right side of his back. They are hoping this will allow the muscles to relax so the disk can slip back into place. So please pray and ask anyone else to also!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!!!!

2005-04-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

Today is our 4th anniversary! We are going out to dinner to celebrate. We decided we will probably try a new place this time

Things aren't sounding real good with Pat & Laura with the insurance company. Anybody that reads this, please do some praying. Although maybe it will spur the move up for all of us. That would be a good thing! All of us can hardly wait to get out of here. Even Damian is saying he want s to go fishing in Oregon.

Good News!!!!

2005-04-05T09:20:00.000-05:00

I am at long last done with my third semester courses. I just finished course five "Business Law". I completed it with a 98%! I am so glad to have this done. I am now waiting for my semester exam papers to come in so I can get that out of the way and get started on my final semester for my accounting degree. I have carried a 4.0 thru all three semesters. I am very proud of myself!!

Mike and I took our canoe out Sunday for the first time. We went on a 4-5 hour trip. We had a great time and greatly needed the time to just relax! We saw one large alligator sunning itself. Mike saw a baby one and another adult one that I didn't see. There were alot of turtles sunning themselves on logs, beautiful wildflowers and birds. We narrowly missed running into a dead tree in the water where a water moccasin was sunning itself. I am so thankful Mike saw it and guided us around it. I will admit I was very scared, but he handled it great!

Nine more days and Mike & I are off to Oregon to see Lisa and her family. We can hardly wait. Thank goodness I am really busy at work and the time is going by very quickly.

RELIEVED! THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY

2005-03-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

My sister Kathy came thru her surgery just fine. They believe they got all the cancer. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I realized after I got the call regarding her surgery how tense I had been about whether the cancer had gone further. I honestly would fall apart if something happened to her. She has always been there for me thru everything I have gone thru. We are very close. We don't always agree on everything, but that is perfectly normal. I am just so glad she is doing so well! I know God watched over her. She had a tremendous amount of peoplel praying for her.

FEELING GOOD ABOUT MYSELF!!

2005-03-23T08:56:00.000-05:00

I am doing better about taking care of myself. My lower back has been bothering me so much that I realize for my health's sake I have really got to start exercising more and strengthening my back and stomach muscles. I bought this " Body Wedge 21" at Walmart for $20. It is a blow up plastic wedge that you lay on at different levels for more or less resistance. It looks kind of silly actually, but I tried it last night and it really does give you a good workout and it doesn't hurt my lower back like laying flat on the floor does. It shows 21 different exercises and you can't say you lost the page with them because they have them stamped right on the wedge. lol They also provide you with a large poster of them and a DVD. It's quite a challenge to stay on the wedge, but maybe that's part of the exercise. I may be able to stick with this more because I actually liked it and I like the challenge it provides. I don't like things that are too easy and boring.
My pants are starting to fit a little bit looser, YEAH!. Lisa gave me a book last year, (The Seven Secrets of Slim People". It talks about how it can take up to a year or two for your metabolism to even out after you stop dieting. I have been paying more attention to how my body reacts to things, I'm doing much better at stopping before I get full, and being more aware if I'm snacking because I really am hungry or just trying to comfort myself with food. I let myself eat things I stayed away from for a long time and then would stuff myself with at times. I don't forbid myself foods I like anymore.Instead I am eating small amounts of things I really like and allowing myself to really enjoy them. The book is right, this keeps you from going on a binge of forbidden foods.
I am also finding that since I have been staying more aware of how much I use to comfort myself with food, I am starting to get back in touch with things I enjoy doing. Those are much healthier than using food for comfort. I love to dance, fast or slow, and I don't get to very often. Mike doesn't like fast dances. The one time I can really get out and dance is at our Holiday Party, because most of the husbands won't dance, so the women will. Being a company party I don't mind getting up and dancing by myself or with the other women that are dancing. In the past I have looked forward to the party because we always have great food at our parties. This time I went with the intention of having fun dancing and only ate small portions. I hardly even touched the dessert table. It felt so good not to be concentrating on food. I had so much fun dancing. I was up on the dance floor almost all evening. I also didn't worry about whether people thought I was being foolish or not. What progress I have made! It feels great! Then I had people telling me at work that they really enjoyed seeing up there having so much fun!

Happy News!!!!!!!!!

2005-03-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

Paula, a wonderful co-worker, had her baby today. She had a very short labor. She went into the hospital this morning and delivered Kathryn Elizabeth , 5lbs 12 oz, 19 1/2 in. just after noontime. They are both doing very well. I can hardly wait to see them. She will make a wonderful mother. I don't know the dad very well, but he's very nice and I'm sure he will be a great dad.

Monday - Again

2005-03-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Another week! What can I say! The good thing is Mike & I only have 26 more days before we fly to see Lisa & her family. I can hardly wait. I miss all of them. I am so blessed to have four wonderful grandchildren, and another will be here soon. I am so grateful that I was able to spend so much time with Maddy when she was little. I am still having so much fun watching Damian and Cheyanne grow up. The only thing I regret is not having been able to spend more time around Isabel growing up. Before long though, I will get to see her much more. I have so much fun with all of them. I can be goofy with them and they don't mind. One of the things that just makes me smile so much is their smiles are just so adorable and they are so full of love. You can tell all of them are loved very much because they are all very happy kids. I enjoyed raising both of my daughters and it's just so nice to be able to experience that joy again with my grandchildren. I love to just watch the interaction between them and their parents. I may sound kind of sappy, but it just fills my heart with joy to be around any of them. This, to me, is what is important in life!

FED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-03-18T10:12:00.000-05:00

This is one of those days that I feel like if I have to follow another instruction from my immediate supervisor, I could just scream.For you that know me well, and I'm sure those are the only ones that would be reading this, you understand the whole situation. It's really hard to take orders from someone you have very little, if any, respect for. But I keep reminding myself of the goals I am working towards by staying here. That is the only thing that keeps me somewhat sane!

First Thought

2005-03-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

Here goes with the first blog that I have created. I decided I needed to try doing these things on my own.

I am on my last lesson for the final course in the third semester in obtaining my Associate's Degree in Accounting. I am very proud of myself. Along with working full time(I have a 50 minute commute to work), numerous tragedies over the past few years,and life's normal stumbling blocks, I have managed to maintain a straight A average. Yeah! for me. I am finally learning to give myself a pat on the back. I also had a lot of support from my husband, my daughters & sons(ok, technically they are my sons-in-law), and some wonderful friends at work. They all have encouraged me along the way in my determination to accomplish this goal. I only have one more semester left. After I finish with school, boy am I celebrating!!!!!!!!!