Where has the time gone? No seriously, where?

I said that I would try to write more often and it's not like I hadn't thought about it; I just didn't.  Life has sped up, slowed down, seemingly stopped, threw me into a tizzy and yet one thing still remains true, I like to write on occasion.  I even had a little spark of thought to write a play for church based off a song I heard. All of these thoughts in my little head waiting to come out.

The last time I wrote I had one grandchild and now I have two, both boys and both utterly adorable.  I get a little upset when I'm around them because I don't have the energy needed to play with them, because their energy seems infinite in comparison.  Then I feel older than I've ever admitted but it's okay, I grab them when I can and get all of the hugs and kisses I can before they wiggle away.  And it's an extra treat for me when they fall asleep in my arms while I'm content to just sit there and hold them.  Not daring to move because I know that moments like those are fleeting.  Before I know it they'll be much older and letting me cuddle them will be the last thing on their minds.

I used to wonder how my granny felt about me and my siblings when we were kids and I can only imagine that it had to be something like what I feel about the boys.  How awesome and delightful it is to see the products of your children, running around and speaking a language only they understand.  Especially amusing to me are the emotions, facial and verbal that my children express when the kids do something that amuses or irritates them.  Ah, the payback that I don't think I've ever verbalized to them but many times have secretly imagined.

From infants to toddlers with such strong personalities.  I love them so much.  I can't wait until they come to visit again.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I woke up late and immediately started thinking about what I would wear to work.  I really need to go shopping because my wardrobe is out-of-date and not weather appropriate but that's another topic for another day.  I decided on a gray straight cut skirt with buttons down the front of it.  I also chose one of my favorite company shirts that has a combination of white, pink and gray vertical stripes.  Add my gray fleece lined tights and I was ready to go, except I wasn't, the shirt needed a little ironing.

I set up the ironing board, filled the iron with water and commenced with ironing the shirt.  I intently tried to iron out every visible wrinkle I saw and that's when it happened.  I suddenly found myself leaning backwards so I put down the iron and felt behind me a firm spot to sit down on my bed.  For a moment I thought I was possibly dying (I don't get dizzy like that often), I always think the worse case scenario; I'm way dramatic like that.

So as I sat on the bed I took a look around the room and gauged my feelings, taking close note of my heart rate and breathing.  Nothing seemed to be wrong with my vision and soon the feeling of dizziness passed.  I looked at the iron and the shirt and chuckled to myself.

I had been flipping, tossing and running the iron back and forth across the shirt so fast that I gave myself a case of vertigo.  I told myself to slow down and assured myself that I would still get to work in time wrinkled shirt or not.  Surprisingly, even with that little setback I made it to work with 15 minutes to spare and no, I wasn't speeding.  I actually did the speed limit the whole trip.

But the relationship I now have with my iron and striped apparel has changed.  Respect the stripes people.  Take it easy when ironing.

Another Holiday Come and Gone

Whew!  I made it!

I survived Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I was almost sure that Christmas was gonna make me burst into flames but I kept calm and everything went well.  And so now we prepare for the party holiday of all times, New Years Eve.  Oh yeah, every year is something new, something excitingly different. Will we get more fireworks this year or will we hear gunshots ring out as the new year approaches?

I know it sounds like I'm all sarcasm and doom but really I'm not.  I enjoy the fact that many people get to spend time with their family and friends.  I appreciate the fact that most people are much more loving and giving towards their fellow man during this season.  I can even admit that I like some of the catchy tunes that play on the radios, in very limited doses.  What I don't like is the stress it causes some people because they feel as though they are obligated to give.  I say bump that!  You give gifts and time because you want to, not because it's a competition.  And if it's become a competition then anyone competing is losing and should just stop.

But enough of that, I've survived.  I got to spend time with my family and it's what I look forward to the most when I get the precious time off from work.  Because us adults work too hard.  Enjoy life and love my friends.  Enjoy.

My Family Extended

Oh Happy Day!  We have a new baby boy in the family. My first grandson and he's absolutely beautiful.  It seems as though I had to wait forever for him to get here over the months of her pregnancy and the approximately 18 hours of labor before my daughter delivered her first child.  Now, as the Lord provides time to us, we will love and nurture this child.

My beautiful grandson.

Mad At God?

I used to be mad at God and I wanted nothing to do with him or his church.  I thought he was cruel, unfair and uncaring.  I wondered how people could preach of a loving God who demanded worship and tormented people for an eternity, no matter what the sin.  But that was before I learned the truth.  There are still a lot of folks out there preaching that kind of God and once you study the Word for yourself you see through the lies.

Christ died for our sins and he paid the penalty for our sins which is death, not eternal torment.  And since he died for our sins, he paid the price so that we could live because of his righteousness.  But if you are preaching that folks are tortured eternally and that they never die then you are teaching two lies.

 

1) You are teaching folks that they have eternal life no matter what they do in life, which is false because the wages of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23) and not going to a place where the devil is in charge because the Word tells us that even the devil and his angels will be BURNED UP (Matthew 25:41, Malachi 4:1).  So the devil and his demons will not be in an eternal burning pit, tormenting forever those who decide not to follow God.

2) You make void Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins because he's not suffering eternal torment but he's acting as a high priest on our behalf (Hebrews 8:1) and so essentially, you are saying that we are all lost and God is a liar when you preach that.  God doesn't want for anyone to be lost (Ezekiel 33:11) and he wants you to worship him because you see that he is good, loving and only wants the best for you (Jeremiah 29:11).

With Christ's death at the cross came another promise for those who believed, that we would have eternal life with Christ in heaven.  We are told that he went to prepare our heavenly homes and that he would return to come and get us so that we would be with him forevermore (John 14:1-3).  There's one thing that's preached at so many funerals that simply isn't true but some may find comfort in it.  If you are preaching that folks die and go straight to heaven, that's not in the Bible either.  

The bible teaches that at the return of Christ the dead in Christ will rise first and then those who are alive and remain will be caught up in the air also.  Christ brings his reward with him when he returns, so teaching that you get your reward immediately after death is not biblical (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 22:12).  And that was also a relief to me because I surely didn't want some of my deceased loved ones looking down on me and being disappointed when I turned my back on God and generally when the family suffered in this life.  How could anyone look down on the mess that's happening on this planet and be happy? (Revelation 21:4)  Even God isn't happy with these things.

I encourage you to read and study the Bible for yourself.  Don't just take my word or anyone else's word on it.  Pray for understanding from the Holy Spirit and let the Lord show you his truth.  Christ died for our sins so that those who believe in him should have eternal life.

Feeling Like A Whiny Baby but...

I haven't been feeling well since Friday afternoon.  I thought that if I drank a bunch of water it would help, it didn't.  I took Tylenol, it didn't help.  I've slept for hours on end, eaten a decent meal and even had large cups of herbal teas, it hasn't helped.  And so I feel like a whiny baby.  I want attention to be paid to me, to be waited on hand and foot.  I want to rest my head on my husbands chest for a moment, maybe even be hugged.  And then again I don't want anyone close to me.  How's that for being wishy-washy?

The problem is that my body aches.  It hurts, at moments, to touch my hair.  Yes, my hair.  The same hair that needs the prompt and adept attention of a stylist.  But if I can't touch it without feeling pain then no one else will either.  One minute I'm hot, then I'm cold almost as if I were standing outside in this wonderful winter weather we are having.  My bones creak and pop when I move.  There are some spots on my skin that hurt even though there is no visible trauma.

I have peaks of energy.  I can sit up for a while and then I feel, nope, I better lay down before I fall out.  This morning I could barely walk upright but I pushed through it so that I could make sure I had something to eat.  Now these aren't complaints if you thought they were.  They are just observations because while I sit here on this laptop, fully aware of my surroundings, in my right mind and am able to communicate there are others that I know of that can't do any of this.  Some are so sick that they are literally dying as I type this.

So you know what, I can't complain.  I refuse to complain because it could be worse and there was a time when it was worse.  Even though people don't always have to be suffering from an illness before they will pass away from this earth, I would like to believe that I'll see tomorrow.  There are some who are holding on to only a few more minutes right now.

So I pray peace and comfort to anyone experiencing pains right now. Whether it be from a small injury to old age or something more serious such as recent surgeries to cancer.  I hope that you can find something pleasant and redeeming to think about in the very hour that you might feel your worse.  I hope that you have hope and I hope that you have support, love and understanding from those around you.

Peace and Blessings.

Happy New Year! ~2015~

I know.  I'm late.  More than that I've been seriously slacking on keeping my blog current even though on numerous occasions I said I would come in and write.  Not that I haven't had things to talk about, just that I haven't been diligent in talking about it here.

So everyone is now a year older.  One kid even left the country to go to Germany.  Another will be getting married in April.  One is already married and the other is in a relationship.  And that's a big deal if you know all of them personally.

Looking back on the year it was filled with big ups and big downs but the Lord saw us through it all.

My job is even more interesting than when I started, which is a good thing.  I haven't resorted to many practical jokes on my co-workers because they keep me busy.  My boss is awesome, my co-workers are awesome.  Don't get me wrong, there are still days when I'd rather sleep in than go to work, but as jobs go this one is a keeper.

I reconnected with childhood friends on Facebook, got to see friends that I hadn't seen in a while and I'm making new friends, which I didn't think that kind of thing happened at my age.  I'll be 45 in April.  Whoa, typing that out is shocking because I still can't believe that I'm already 44.  I'm still insisting that my loved ones buy me that Mustang I've wanted since I was 18 yrs. old.  Not holding my breath that I'll get it but the very obvious hint has been dropped.

Anyways, I hope that your new year has started out well and I hope that as you read this things are good for you now.  Peace and Blessings to you.

~Suhga

One Dollar and Eighty-three cents

That's how much money I had in my change purse this morning and I was grateful for it.

It may not seem like much but I remember a time in my life, more than a few times actually, that I didn't have a nickel, nay, a penny to my name.  I was far away from home, far away from family and friends (sometimes even near family and friends but too proud to ask for help) and I was living off the good grace of God or as some would say, the kindness of strangers. It was even more stressful because, at the time, I had four small children and they needed to eat, have clean clothes and other essentials.  So $1.83 would have bought a meal of hot dogs and a box of Jiffy mix to help us make it through the night.  Folks, the struggle was REAL.

You see, remembering those times when I had nothing made me realize how blessed I am today.  There was a time when I couldn't keep change in my purse no longer than I had just broken the dollar bill it had come from.  And if I had change it would be a couple of pennies that I would soon be scraping together with other change I searched around for.  I would look in the couch cushions, every pocket of every coat or outfit I had worn, the car, and even walking down the street I would look down to see if someone had dropped something.  Poor?  Yes, we were poor and the really sad part is that I was working two jobs at one point in time.  I worked at a place where people spent ridiculous amounts of money on things I would probably never be able to afford but it was my job to sell it to them.  At this particular job a co-worker of mine took a bite of a sandwich and didn't like it so she threw it away.  It was in one of those clear plastic carry-out containers and it was sitting on top of the bin.  I was hungry, no money and soon I was eating that sandwich.  Yes, I ate out of the trash.  Like I said...the struggle was REAL.

So while I was counting the change in my purse this morning I was soon overcome with gratefulness and amazement.  I thought about the last time I had put change into my purse and it had been a while.  I was actually searching for something else when I realized that it was there.  I was amazed because I recognized that every single need of mine had been met and that I wasn't desperately in need of anything.  I'm not rich by any means but comparing where I was to where I am now, the Lord be praised!

So take it how you will, $1.83 is a lot of money for some and I don't take it for granted.  And I don't look down on or think too highly of anyone who may only work in a convenience store, janitorial services, fast food restaurant or even if you work in a posh retail store because I know that looks can be deceiving.  If I can help out I will and if not, I'll try to find someone who can.  And if you know someone who is too proud to accept help, you can always help anonymously and sometimes it's better that way.

Just sharing my thoughts today folks.  Have a pleasant and productive day my friends.  :-)

Let the Words of My Mouth...

Today I want to to talk about something that I'm familiar with but it baffling at the same time.  Please note that this post is referring to those who claim to be followers of Christ, more so than a person who claims no religious affiliation.  As Christians we are admonished to minister to one another, especially to those who are new to the faith, that if we see something that is amiss we should address it.  And this is why I'm writing, it's not to bash anyone with my beliefs but to help my sisters and brothers in Christ to do well in the Lord because it gets hard sometimes.  Especially if you are the only believer in your family or in your social circles.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.   James 3:9-10

A lot of people say one thing and do another.  And then there are a lot of people who speak in one manner and then the next they speak in another which is unbecoming.  For example, a friend makes a Facebook status about how the Lord has blessed them and that they aren't worried about the people that are trying to bring them down.  And in that same status they will call family, friends, loved ones and perfect strangers every foul name in the book and end it with..."But I'm not worried because God has my back."  Really?

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.  Psalms 19:14

I hear a lot of people say that swearing isn't a bad thing and we even have television shows where even the priests curse and accepted.  Yet, if a small child were out in public and they began to use the same language it would be embarrassing or mortifying to most of us.  Why?  Because for a Christian, cursing/cussing is out of character.  A perfect example is found in Mark 14:70-71 when Peter was found out to be one of Jesus' disciples.  He was told that his very speech betrayed him and proved that he was a follow of Christ so what did he do to try and change the minds of the people around him?  He started to curse and to swear.  See, the truth of the matter is the more time you spend with Jesus, the less you want to and find yourself using foul language.  Does that mean that you aren't a Christian anymore?  No, it just means that you have something that needs to be worked on and fortunately for you, you know exactly who can help you with it.  Because as long as you stayed close to Him, you didn't have that problem.  It only became a problem when you took matters into your own hands.  When you decided that you'd had enough and you were going to give so and so a piece of your mind or that you would no longer hold your tongue.  And that he/she said something nasty to you and you were going to say something just as nasty, if not worse, to them.  For the tongue to be such a little part of the body it can cause a world of trouble, hurt and pain.  And we ought to be more careful of the words we use when we speak.  Leave that in the hands of Jesus.  Take a deep breath and if you have to, walk away.

Are You for Real?

So how can you tell is someone is sincere and just had a "slip of the tongue" or if they are only pretending to be Christlike because it suits their needs at the time?  We are told that we will know them by their works.  Romans 3:13-18 also paints us a picture of the type of person who lets their mouth rule over them.  It says, "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes."  So when you find yourself around people like that then you need to separate yourself or else you'll find that you get caught up in all kinds of drama, losing your religion and, yep.  Cussing somebody out.  It's a shame, but it happens.  "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." I Corinthians 15:33

Seek Peace and Pursue It

So I leave you with this, let's strive to follow the example of our Lord and Savior, able to accept his robe of righteousness, so that we can be found blameless when that time comes. "And finally, all be of one mind, having compassion on one another, loving the brothers, tenderhearted, friendly. Never give back evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, giving blessing, knowing that you are called to this so that you might inherit blessing. For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile. Let him turn aside from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayers. But the Lord's face is against those who do evil. And who is the one who will harm you if you become imitators of the good?  I Peter 3:8-13

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Time Flies

There are times when I feel down and times when I feel sad so I sing a lovely song in my head.  Or I'll hum it out loud.  There's not much I want to say right now although I have many thoughts in my mind.  I'd love to be able to share all the things I know and am continuing to learn.  And hopefully, as time goes on, I'll be able to do just that with this blog. :-D

So glad it's the Sabbath!

Did all I could do today, which wasn't much because I had cleaned like a maniac earlier in the week.  So glad that I can rest.  Enjoying a program with the hubby right now called Revelation Today (http://www.itiswritten.com/television/episodes/7871).  I've looked at most of the series twice, yes, it's that interesting.  :-D

I hope that all who reads this has a good night or morning depending on what time zone you're in.  God Bless.

Not Much Longer

I have this week to sleep in late and not do much, but next week I'll be back into the grind of college classes.  Yay?  Part of me is excited and ready to go.  The other part of me questions whether I really want to continue on the path I'm taking.  The thought that I could just go back to what I was doing before (office work) sometimes crosses my mind.  But then I remember what it was like to be an admin assistant and how I hated it.  It proved that just because you can do something well, it doesn't mean that you're meant to do it for life.  I loved the people I worked with, I thoroughly enjoy using office supplies (really I do) but I felt boxed in, trapped and in the end I became miserable.

I'm going to seriously have to look into some options for employment in the field I plan to enter, which will be a challenge because experience and knowing someone is what gets your foot in the door of the medical industry.  I'll have to pray on it and my level of enthusiasm for classes this semester.  And in the meantime, I'll go and practice on my guitar.  I have songs to learn and to teach others.  And maybe a little breakfast would help my outlook too.

New Beginnings

It's been a while since I last blogged anything. Time has flown past and so many things have happened, good and bad. I happened to read someone else's blog and it inspired me to update my own. I can't promise I'll stick with it daily, weekly or monthly, but I'm here for now.

So, my kids are all grown up. They will all be in their 20's this year, God willing. I still remember the first day I took the oldest to kindergarten, and when the twins went also. I remember thinking, I have just a little more time before I could also have the youngest in school too and then I'd have a little more time to myself. Those years flew past, mercifully, and now they're all in college. They're getting old.

I couldn't take classes this past semester due to some financial setbacks but I plan to go this summer. Funny enough, my son is taking a class with me this summer. That should be interesting. The previous semester I had a class with my oldest daughter, she didn't finish the course. I don't know if I felt a little betrayed by that at first. I mean, her not finishing somehow, in my mind, reflected on my character. The professor never asked why she didn't continue but he knew she was my daughter and I imagined in my mind that somehow I had failed to teach her to stick with things even when they seemed a little rough at the moment. But in her defense, she was going through a very hard and emotional time. I might be able to talk about that later in more detail but not right now. My youngest has struggled this semester also...I attribute it to burn out. Not everyone can push through a full load during back to back semesters. They aren't me, I have to come to that realization sometimes that they aren't clones of myself. We handle stress differently.

I would like to share that the best decision I made was in October 2011 to renew my faith in Jesus and get back involved in church. Honestly, I've never been at more peace and happier in life. I've been going to a church for the majority of my life. Out of 40+ years, I can say I've probably not faithfully attending services for maybe 12 of them and those were some of the darkest days of my life, literally. Devoid of any true connection with God, life was as hopeless as having a glazed doughnut for a lifesaver in the middle of the ocean. I went through depressions, I had thoughts of suicide, my relationships with spouses, family and friends were tense and some were non-existent. I had nothing to look forward to but my eventual demise and who would miss me?

Looking back on events, I can see how God was working with me, setting events and people into my life that would call me back to the joy and love that I knew as a child, when I wasn't so caught up in what the world had to offer (illusions of wealth, fun and love). There's not enough praise I can give the Lord for taking me out of the world I once lived in. And as a bonus, me and my husband were baptized on the same day so me and my best friend can truly share everything with one another. Our hopes, our dreams and our faith. When people aren't really practicing their faith they sometimes think nothing of attaching to someone who has little to nothing in common with it. I've been there and done that. It's hard when you try to get back into it and you don't have that support from the person who's supposed to be the closest to you. Not that it can't be done, it's just harder. So I thank God for a husband who has a common belief as mine. And to make the prize even sweeter, my children are also more involved in church so we can now worship as a family.

I had to add this to my blog because it's an important part of who I am and my growth as a person. I don't plan to preach but I will share what I learn and know. Hopefully someone will get something positive out of reading about my life experiences. I hope that it will bring them some happiness, laughter or peace in their lives. I hope that it will give someone hope that life does get better and to hang in there. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. God bless.

Crying with Laughter

Nobody warns you that when you become a parent your sense of humor might become a little "off". And despite the fact that we're human, proven by the fact that we have human offspring, the look a child will give you when you find something so hilarious that it makes you cry, well, it makes you cry even harder because that makes it even more hilarious.

There have been at least two occasion in which my children have witnessed me laughing until I cried. Once was when we were looking at a Pippy Longstockings movie and just recently it was while we were looking at an episode of the The Amazing World of Gumball (TM-Cartoon Network) . In this particular episode Gumball neglected to return a DVD that his mom had rented and instead of taking responsibility for his actions he tried to hide the many overdue notices from the rental store, despite his little brother's pleading that they just fess up.

The episode was hilarious because it reminded me of one or all of my wonderful children. I remember how they would try and scheme when they were little to either get something or hide something. And then too, it also reminded me of myself and my siblings growing up. Usually I was the culprit and least likely to take responsibility for things that went awry.

I needed the laughter yesterday. It wasn't that I felt bad or even that I felt good. I was in a blah zone, if there is such a thing. Laughing woke me up, brought back fond memories and I now have a new favorite cartoon to watch, with or without my kids and without fear of possibly crying with laughter.

Not For The Faint of Heart (graphic pics)

The events herein described happened on Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I don't think I will ever forget that morning. I might forget the exact date as time goes on but I won't readily forget the events that unfolded. I woke up in good spirits because I had gotten a good night's rest. I woke up with the intentions of spending some time with my oldest daughter. Getting some exercise and going to the library to play on the computer for a while and also to

handle some business. One thing I wanted to do at the library was to get a pass to the museum. The passes allow you to visit certain museums and the admission fee is free. I wanted to go with my daughter and my sisters on that following Wednesday.

So I got up, took my shower, made some coffee and urged my daughter to do the same because it

was getting close to the time to go to the library. But I was hungry and wanted us to eat first. So I took some chicken tenderloins from the freezer and set them out to thaw in water while I did some other things. I figured we could have chicken and pancakes (waffles would have worked better but we had none) but then realized we had no syrup. But that didn't matter much. I could still use the pancakes as I would bread for a sandwich.

And so once the chicken was thawed, I seasoned it and put the oil on to heat up. All is still well at this point. The oil was heated at the optimal temperature, I delicately placed the four chicken tenderloins in the hot oil. No splatters, the chicken was frying beautifully. I had accomplished to fry the chicken to a lovely golden brown and had taken all but one from the oil when it slipped from my handling utensil and plopped back into the hot oil.

Now I'm not sure how to describe what happened next but I will try. When you know that you

are dealing with something extremely hot with the ability to cause serious harm you do as much as you can to get away from it. But in the case of cooking and splattering hot oil with a very limited range in which to run, you have to decide pretty quickly what your exit strategy will be. Well, I knew for a fact that I did not want the oil to splash in my face so my first reaction was to turn away from it. Unfortunately, I couldn't turn or move away from the stove fast enough and I ended up with hot oil being showered onto my exposed left arm and also on my t-shirt and the floor where I stood some six inches away. I'm thankful that the oil didn't get into my eyes or on my face or neck. The pictures below show the full gravity of the experience more than my words can tell.

I told my daughter to get dressed quickly as we had to walk to the nearest clinic which was about a mile or so down the road. I took pictures along the way, I'm thinking out of curiosity of my own injuries and I'll admit, to share with others and gross a few out. Yes, I'm mean like that sometimes. ;-) The pain from the oil on my skin was as if a handful of bees had stung me. My reaction was to wipe the excess oil off myself and access the damage done. In hind sight, I probably shouldn't have wiped it with my hand as I did, but rather have dabbed the excess away. At first glance I could see where the oil had burned me, it stung and so I had to figure out what to put on it. I gingerly removed the remaining offending piece of chicken from the pot and turned off the burner. The sting intensified and so I turn on some cool water and gently splashed it over my forearm. As I did this I could see where the oil had melted my skin. With no butter (butter not margarine), cocoa butter, aloe vera or any other type of ointment, I assessed that I needed to get to a clinic as quickly as possible. Having been burned before I knew that this one was more serious than any others I had experienced.

To shorten this tale a bit, we made it to the clinic. I was questioned several times and looked at quite strangely when I had to tell how I got my burns. After all, how many people want fried chicken for breakfast. I was admonished to stay away from frying anything and to possibly consider cereal for breakfast. They couldn't have known that I prefer cereal as a late night snack. The nurse slathered my arm with ointment & wrapped it, then I was given a tetanus shot and given my return appointment date and a prescription for antibiotics & more ointment. We get back home and I don't try to go back into the kitchen right away. After all, I'm traumatized but when I decided to I could see oil splatters on the floor and over the stove. I had to clean that up before another incident occurred, like me slipping and breaking something.

Unknowingly, on our way home, my prescription had fallen out of my back pocket nearby the rail road tracks we had to cross along the way. I was informed of this the following morning when I called the docs office to tell them I had lost my script. Another patient of the same clinic had turned it in for me. That was very nice of them. I don't like to even, unintentionally litter. And so the story ends with me all bandaged up. Arm sore from the burns and a shot. And like the menace to society that I am, I sent picture messages from my phone and the next day posted pics of my battle scars on FB for friends and family to see so that they would take pity on me.

My sister and friends have offered to fry me chicken the next time I'm in the mood for eating some. You can believe that I will take them up on their offers. I never could fry foods that well. I've been warned to stay out of the kitchen. My dear husband asked me if I could get him a glass of water. Of course, I love him and want him to stay hydrated, but he had jokes. While I'm on my way to get water for us both he says to me, "Be careful. Don't burn yourself getting the water." And so many other comments from family and friends. I have a good sense of humor and have even poked fun at myself.

I've tried many times over the years to make the perfect fried foods. I was proud of how my chicken looked that morning and for all the trouble it caused me it still wasn't seasoned that well. I ended up adding BBQ sauce to it because there's no way I was going through all that pain and not eating it. My husband will have to forgive me because if we don't buy chicken already fried from some place else, he'll have to cook it for us. My frying days are done!

That Didn't Last Long

Eighteen days. That's how long it took before I decided that I wouldn't survive the whole summer without some kind of schedule. I had all kinds of good intentions. Ideas ran through my mind of what I could accomplish during a whole summer but in the end, I decided that I'm going to take some summer classes after all. What changed my mind you ask? Well...

• I can and will sleep most of the day if I don't have a plan. --Not good
• I procrastinate in making plans because I figure I have enough time later. --Not good
• The plans I made still left me with too much time on my hands. --Not good & asking for trouble.

So taking classes this summer will allow me to

• Pursue some of my summer interests and all are at the same location! --Very good (saves gas & travel time)
• I will be active (getting exercise)
• I will learn something new and also improve skills I already have! --Very, very good

So now I'm just waiting for all the financial details to be settled so that I can start in July. Once again I'm excited about my summer plans.

Rain. Again. But it's May...

I'm not really complaining. I know that rain serves a purpose. It's something we need to survive or plants won't grow and some places wouldn't have drinking water. But it just doesn't seem to want to stop raining. I always thought the saying that goes April showers brings May flowers, meant that it would rain like crazy in April but by May we would have sunshine. That has not been the case. A couple of nice, sunny warm days and then the rest of the week has been wet and dreary. I'm extremely grateful that we haven't had the major flooding here that some states have experienced. And also for them I pray that the rain ceases, for just a while.

Driving on the highway in the morning is the worst. The sun isn't fully risen and not only is it raining but the water spray from all the vehicles on the road sends up a fine mist of water that makes the entire area gray. The street lights don't even seem to penetrate the gloom. The anxiety of having to drive through it can sometimes be enough to make a person want a drink and/or smoke after they've gotten to their destination. You just hope and pray that the person in front of, behind, and on the sides of you value their life as much as you value yours, and that they don't try to pull an high speed stunt along the way. I personally believe that a person, intentionally, doing 75+ mph in the rain has a death wish. On dry pavement it would be hard enough to stop, let alone a road that may have puddles of standing water.

Besides all that I want to break out with the spring gear. I want to wear cute spring jackets or sweaters, Capri pants and open toe/heel shoes. I want to go outside without worrying about my hair turning into what would resemble a giant brown cotton ball (Yeah, that doesn't sound pleasant at all does it?). Having an ice cream cone or just being able to eat outside at a cafe would be a nice change of pace. So all in all. I'm ready for the rain to cease. Just for a bit. Maybe it can come back another day. Like on a sweltering June day, when it seems like water was never invented and then all of a sudden the skies burst open and everything is back in balance once again.

Day 3 -Summer Break

Not sure how I will survive a whole summer if I don't get out there and do some of the things on my list. I was so bored the first two days. Watching TV & sleeping is not enough. I still have some laundry to do but how exciting has doing laundry ever been? LOL

Anyways, now I'm hungry. What to eat, what to eat. I have a taste for some chili fries or nachos. On my way to drop sil to her appointment I'll be sure to find some. In the meantime, I need to write out my daily schedule so that when I wake up at 5:30 a.m. I know which direction my day is supposed to take. ;-)

Last Week of Semester

I took an exam on Monday and I kid you not, my head felt like it was about to fall off. I tried my best though. I answered what I could and guessed at some others but I don't know folks. I don't feel like I did well enough to pass this class...this semester. My mind seems to clutter with all kinds of information when I'm taking a test. So I'll be talking to the professor momentarily to see if I even need to attend class this afternoon and on Monday for the final exam. Because if I'm not going to pass, I really don't want to spend the rest of my day on campus even if it is raining outside. I could be cleaning my house or aggravating my sister at her house.

My grade point average will suffer slightly but I did very well in my Ceramics class and I'm on my way to a B in my Medical Terminology class so not all is lost in the way of my grades. This has been the hardest semester yet. So much has transpired within the last six months. I'm wanting this week to be over already.

Ah, laundry day.

It's not going so well right now. My sisder's basement is flooded so I can't finish my washing. I only had about three more loads of sheets and towels. I guess that's what I get for procrastinating. I should have done them last week or just went to the laundromat in the first place. But I hate sitting up there and I'd rather give the money to my sister.

So I've been sitting here for the past couple of hours playing a game on FB and making comments on Twitter. I don't know who reads what I write. I hope they get some enjoyment from all the random thoughts I have. Some days I'm chattier than others. Today is one of those days. ;-)

So now I'm trying to find a ride up to my husband's job so that I can get my own vehicle and do some errands. I should have just followed my first mind and dropped him off. Better yet, I should do what I'm supposed to be doing today which is resting and meditating. But before I do that, I have to figure out a way to drain the water from the washer and take out the comforter & sheets within it. I hope during the process I don't hurt my back because it's feeling better today. Yesterday was a rough day. The only thing stiff on me today is my upper left jaw. I don't have a clue as to why it hurts.

So that's my early morning post for today. If I'm still feeling chatty, I'll type something up later.