Setting Up (A New) House

Closing on my old house was on September 9. Closing on my new home didn't happen till September 25. Two weeks of preparation. I had HOA documents to fill out, meetings with management companies and homeowner's association directors, services to cancel or redirect...those two weeks were still pretty busy and filled with excitement. My daughter and son-in-law offered us a room in their home so we wouldn't have to stay in a hotel. It was a great blessing, especially since they live just three minutes away from our new house. 

Thanks to my wonderful realtor we were able to do the closing at the property immediately after doing the walk-through. My POD was delivered that very day, and the hard work began once again.

I'm so glad the new property has a one car garage, but because we were unloading the POD on my new driveway my parking spot was blocked and so was my garage. As a resident I couldn't park in the guest spots, so I had to unload the container as much as possible, then go back to my daughter's house. My daughter and son-in-law had to work, so it was up to E and me to unload everything as quickly as possible. We emptied over half our belongings just on that first day, after giving the place a good cleaning. By the 28th it was completely emptied out.

I'd begun ordering furniture for the master bedroom, starting with the nightstands which I purchased off of Walmart.com. The bed and mattress were ordered from Amazon, and they arrived on the 25th and 26th. We moved things into the garage first, then moved them up to the office, which became the staging area for the first few weeks.

The POD was picked up on September 30, and that was our official move-in date. From that moment on everything is a blur, honestly. There was unpacking, arranging, rearranging; internet set up; furniture delivery and so much more. During this time we received sad news: my children's grandfather passed away after years of struggling with COPD. It was somewhat unexpected; he'd been sick and hospitalized so many times before and had ultimately pulled through. This time he'd been sent to a rehab center, then back home. He died in his own home, in his own bed, which was what he wanted. 

But we had good news too. My son R came to visit us on October 5, less than a week after we'd moved in. Much of the house was set up by then, and he helped with some of the unpacking as well. He only stayed for the weekend but it was so nice to have him with us. 

I didn't take many pictures during that time. I was so busy I didn't think about it, but I did manage a few pics.

I decided on a queen sized bed with an upholstered headboard. I bought the bedspread at Costco for $30, and the sheet set was $16 and extremely soft and comfy. My idea was to have my clothes in the closet and just a few items in the nightstands just as I'd done with my old bedroom set, but I soon realized the nightstands were much smaller than my old ones, so I ordered the matching chest of drawers.

All the accessories were items I'd brought from my old house except for the lamps. My lovely realtor gifted me a $100 gift certificate for Home Goods/TJ Maxx/Marshalls, and since I have a TJ Maxx close to my new home I decided to use it there. I went on a Monday and found out TJ Maxx gives 10% off on Mondays to everyone 55 and older. First time I was happy to be a senior citizen!! I also went by the clearance section and picked up an artificial plant and stand.

I'd given my old patio furniture to my daughter because it wouldn't fit on my new patio, so I purchased a couple of rocking chairs and a small table from Amazon for $125.

My favorite part of the little patio is the view. Since it's completely screened in, we can enjoy it without worrying about mosquitos and bugs. I have my wire rack that was in my old garage as a plant/decor stand, making the spot homey.

There were some projects I'd planned, but that'll be in my next blog post. Stay tuned!

2019 When God Closes A Door, He Opens A Window (Part 2)

As any homeowner knows, there are always projects to do in a home. Even if the property is kept in the most pristine condition, things break, or wear out, or deteriorate, and there isn't a moment when the house is "done". Never is this more apparent than when you're thinking of putting your house on the market.

For the most part, our sweet Molly was a total and complete joy. She wasn't a destructive dog. She didn't chew up anything, not even her own toys. She stayed off the furniture because we told her to, and she knew what rooms she wasn't allowed in. The best dog in the world - but even the best dog isn't perfect. Molly was very protective of "her" backyard, and if any critters got in she meant to get them out. And she knew when they were out there! Our neighbor's cats would get in our yard, or the occasional squirrel would scamper in looking for something to eat. As soon as Molly saw them, she wanted out so she could run them out. In her excitement and enthusiasm, she would claw at the sliding glass door and the flooring right beside it, causing some pretty bad damage.

                                                 

Normally I try to fix things myself, but the laminate wood floor, baseboard and wall were beat up pretty bad. It had gotten wet too, from Molly coming in whenever it was raining. I had all the materials but I didn't have the expertise to fix the flooring, nor could I find anyone willing to do the project.

There was also the yard. Since Hurricane Irma there were trees and stumps in the backyard that I'd wanted removed but hadn't been able to get done. It wasn't that I hadn't tried; I asked several people if they knew a person or company that could do the work without my having to sell my firstborn to pay for it. My neighbor, bless his heart, told me he would do it. But he had plenty of projects of his own. I kept hearing, "Oh yes, I think I know someone," but names never materialized.  

Lastly, there was the fence. The door to the backyard had been put in by J 17 years earlier, and it had not been secured properly. Hurricane winds had done plenty of damage, and now the doors leaned and were difficult to open and close.

I spoke with my best friend, who also happens to be a realtor. I asked if she would be willing to help me sell my house. She was surprised and saddened; her house is just on the other side of the park that's across the street, and we often went there to exercise or would meet up for breakfast. Still, she was more than happy to help me when I explained the reasons why I'd come to this decision, but she also said all the pending projects would have to be finished if I was going to get top dollar. Incredibly, what hadn't been accomplished in 2 years was done in a matter of 2 months.

The flooring had to be repaired, and it was a trial finding someone willing to do it. My realtor called a couple of people, and finally found someone that said he believed it could be done. 

The gentleman pulled out the bad flooring, slid in replacement pieces, then put in a metal plate to secure and keep moisture off the floor. He also repaired the baseboard and the hole in the wall, and all that was left to do was paint.

While this was going on inside, outside my wonderful neighbor was repairing the fence door.

Much of the frame was so damaged and warped that it had to be replaced. Thankfully my neighbor got his hands on some material that's used on decks - not wood but a composite material that won't rot. Once the frame was built, the boards were put back on and, again, I got to painting.

The biggest and most time consuming project was going to be the backyard. Taking down trees that were already falling was not a simple, or inexpensive, job. I asked my neighbor if he had the number for a company that had taken out a very large palmyra palm from his front yard. He insisted it would be easy enough for him to do, and though I was hesitant I finally accepted his help. It took a whole weekend but it got done.

My neighbor, daughter, son, and myself got to work. The trees had to be chopped down, then cut into pieces to be taken to the city dump. The wood was heavy, and we had to contend with bugs and frogs, but when it was done the yard was cleared of two coconut palms that had been on the verge of falling, along with 3 stumps left over from the trees Irma took down.

All of this was going on while planning my daughter's wedding, working four days a week, and serving regularly at the church. I don't know how I did it y'all. I was exhausted, but I was on a mission. These projects would get finished because I wanted the house put on the market during the summer. Would the house be ready in time?  

What I've Been Up To

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, busy and productive weeks.  Let's see if I can remember what all I've been up to.

I'm on an organizing kick.  Spring cleaning so to speak, except in the summer.  I've been getting rid of clutter and putting things in order.  I hate clutter; I avoid having things I don't need or having things in the wrong places.  But with work and home and church and everything in between, things have fallen to the wayside and been pushed back on the priority list, until one day I looked and said, "Enough is enough!!"  It started in my bedroom closet.  I'd bought some clothes and was having trouble fitting it all into my closet.  It was starting to look messy and out of control.  One day I decided to go through my clothes and pull out anything that could be donated so that my closet wouldn't feel so cramped.  That was all that was needed to get me motivated.  I not only got a donation pile going, I organized all my clothes, shoes and purses.  I decided to take any "winter" clothes out (winter clothes in South Florida means a few long sleeve shirts) which meant I had to organize some of my dresser drawers to fit them in.  When I was done I felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders (when in fact it had been lifted out of my closet).  There's actually room to move in my closet now, and I can see the floor again!  It got my adrenaline pumping for more.

This week it's been the kitchen.  I reorganized the pantry: there are bins to put bagged items in, canisters for snacks, pastas, flours and cereals.  The slow cookers were moved to the storage cabinet in the garage to make room for food containers.

The shelves outside the pantry were organized as well.  To make it easier for us to find things, I labeled everything with chalk labels so that the information can be changed at any time.  Now we can easily see where everything is without having to move everything or having five items fall on the floor trying to reach for one item.

Today I emptied out several kitchen cabinets, then put things away so as to make the kitchen flow better.  I moved all my spices to the cabinet on the left of the stove.  This was where I used to keep my spices originally, until we remodeled the kitchen and J insisted that cabinet should have a glass door.  I didn't want to keep my spices there anymore, because I was concerned it would look messy, so I put glassware there and put my spices in the cabinet on the right of the stove.  Problem is, I was using the left side cabinet as more of a display cabinet, which ultimately meant my cabinet space was reduced.  I'd already lost cabinet space when J decided that one of my cabinets should be converted into a trash bin (why do people who never cook or spend more than 2 minutes in a kitchen think they know better than the folks who actually use the kitchen?).  My kitchen was so cramped.  I had to move so many things around just to get my spices out because of the way the cabinets were made; the right side cabinets are corner cabinets, but they were not built as corner cabinets.

The cabinet on the left goes all the way back to the wall, but the one on the right has no access to that space, so if I need something from the back of the cabinet I have to empty the entire shelf to reach it.  Many of my spices ended up back there; cooking became a hassle of moving things in and out of the cabinet, creating more of a mess.  As you can see, I took the spices out of the cabinet and put canned goods there instead.  I had some of my canned goods in my kitchen and some in the storage cabinet in the garage; again, every time I needed something I had to go out of my way to find it instead of having it nearby.  I decided to put my glasses, mugs, and all our drinking cups in the cabinet above the sink.  I've ordered a 3-tier spice shelf/rack for my spices from Amazon.  It's bamboo so it'll match the color of my cabinets, and it'll keep my spices neat so I won't worry about what my cabinet looks like.  I'll have to remember to take a picture once I've got it all done.

I also cleaned out my refrigerator and freezer.  It's amazing how many things are hidden in the back of the fridge - items that have expired but we've forgotten they're there.  I found some file folder holders at Target for $3 that work perfectly for holding onions and potatoes.  I have to keep these in the fridge because, with our heat and humidity, they would go bad in no time.  This works much better and keeps them longer.

Speaking of heat and humidity, I don't know about the rest of the country but it is H-O-T in Florida!  Granted, it isn't as hot as it was last year, but it's still sweltering, especially in the afternoons right before the thunderstorms start.  We are in the rainy season now, getting hammered with rain every afternoon for about a half hour.  I cut the grass and it grows back in no time.  Allergies are on the rampage thanks to this weather.  My boys are especially susceptible; they are sneezing all the time, and while R has the itchy, watery eyes, E has eczema.  E has an appointment to see the allergist for testing on August 3rd.  He has to be off all allergy medicines for five days before he can be tested.  I'm not looking forward to that - he's gonna be miserable.

My daughter has been busy with work and school.  She is taking online courses to get certified in pastoral counseling.  Nothing like having a child who can tell you everything that's wrong with you :P.  Actually, she's learning a lot and has a strong desire to help teenagers and young people.  Her dream is to work with the A21 Campaign, an organization that helps victims of human trafficking.  I pray God would use her to help many suffering people to know they can have hope in Christ.

Of course, I did some shopping for beauty products during Bare Escentuals' Beauty Rush sale.  I actually wasn't going to get anything, and I didn't even place my order until late that night because I kept debating whether to place an order, but ultimately I got a Complexion Superstars set containing two mineral veils (one loose and one compact), a bronzer called The High Dive which is in a compact, a gorgeous highlighter called Bare Radiance, and a blush that I've been wanting for a long time called Vintage Peach.  I like peach colors more than pinks on me, and this one is a soft peachy tone that is very feminine.  It also has a blush brush.  All for $21 - just the blush retails for $18.  I also got a brush set that contains 5 brushes (2 face and 3 eye) and a gold-toned case for $18 (original price was $49). I decided to get these because we are going to Disney World in September and I wanted makeup that would be easy to bring along.  A lot of the Bare Minerals products are loose powders which makes them a little tricky to travel with, though I still plan on taking a few items.

Those have been the highlights of the past couple of weeks.  I'm going to continue focusing on organizing and purging.  I know, I've got to blog about it!  I'll keep it in mind ;).  Have a blessed rest of your weekend.

The Week In Review

It's Friday, once again.  I take it slower on Fridays, since it's my day off from work.  I've been doing my grocery shopping every other week (because I hate going to Walmart) and this week I'm off from that as well.  Perfect time for a blog post.

I was off this Monday for July 4th weekend.  Most companies give their employees the Friday off when the holiday lands on Saturday; since we don't work Fridays our bosses decided to give us Monday instead.  My daughter still had to work at the church, and my son had to work at the store.  I waited for my daughter to come home, and we went to see Disney/Pixar's new movie Inside Out.  I don't want to give anything away, but once again Pixar hit it out of the park.  This movie is wonderful!  The story is beautiful and well developed, with its funny moments thrown into the deeper message.  But to be perfectly honest, my favorite part of the movie was the short cartoon at the beginning, called Lava.  The story of two volcanoes that fall in love was the most romantic cartoon I've ever seen - even my 15 year old son got teary-eyed!  While this movie doesn't knock The Incredibles from the top spot of my list, it's definitely in the top 5.  I recommend everyone see it at least once.

Our weather has been slightly milder than last summer.  Last year was killer; it rained almost every single day - at least 5 times a week - so that the humidity levels were off the charts.  This year has been drier, with rain a couple of times a week, or just in the afternoons for about a half hour.  There have been thunderstorms but they've been quick to pass by.  It's actually been pleasant in the shade, with warm breezes blowing.  Once you step out into the sun, though, it's like being in an oven.  I've thought that I would melt on several occasions.

I finally got the chance to use my new weed eater last weekend.  It's lightweight, so it wasn't a hassle carrying it around as I trimmed all the edges around our house and fences.  It's also fairly quiet.  I'm glad I charged both batteries, since the first one went dead with a quarter of my yard left to do.  I was really satisfied with how the yard looked; my arms, however, were not as happy.  The vibration of the weed eater is something I'm not used to, so by the time I was finished I felt like my arms were going to fall off.  It was a weird sensation that lasted several hours.  Yesterday I mowed the grass in the backyard again (that's the problem with summer, the grass kicks into high gear) but the sun was blaring on me by the time I finished so I didn't do any trim work.  Instead I pulled out the blower, and found that it too does a good job at cleaning up.  My favorite part is that they are both very light to carry around, even with the battery put in.  Assembly was easy too: for the blower I just had to attach the tube portion to the motor.  There was a small hole that I figured needed to be screwed in, but I couldn't find one in the box.  I thought, "Hmm, looks like I'm missing a screw," - then I chuckled at myself.  I figured out that the holes were just for lining up the two parts and no additional hardware was needed.  For under $120 I got a good buy, which makes me happy.

I've come to the sad realization that one of my makeup products is making me break out.  I'd purchased the Mac Face and Body foundation a couple of months ago, and was really liking it - the color match is spot on, it gives good coverage without feeling heavy, and I could use it on its own or over my Complexion Rescue.  I had noticed, however, that a couple of times after I'd used it I was broken out.  I have occasional breakouts from acne, thanks to hormones and such.  Pre-menopause = Puberty, The Sequel.  But this wasn't pimples; I was breaking out in a rash.  I tried to attribute it to other things: food allergy, hormonal acne, weather changes.  But yesterday, after cutting the grass, washing and drying my hair, and making lunch, I was running late, so I decided on using the Mac product for a quick makeup look.  Sure enough, when I got home and took off my makeup, my cheeks and chin were red and blotchy.  This morning it was no better.  Even my oldest son, who typically doesn't notice things like that, asked me what was going on with my face this morning.  The only thing different was the Mac Face and Body.  My daughter won't mind getting my almost full bottle - it works wonderfully for her.  I'm going back to my trusty mineral powder foundation.  Just not today.  Today I'm gonna run over to CVS and see if I can't find something for my blemishes.

What else is on the agenda for today?  For one thing, laundry.  Lots of laundry.  I also have to put gas in my car.  It's so great to work just three minutes from my house.  I literally put gas in my car once a month.  That saves me a ton of money.  I've also got to vacuum, and I'm hoping to take a trip to Target today.  They have shorts on sale, buy one get one 50% off.  Shorts this year are much shorter than anything I care to wear - let's face it, mini shorts don't look attractive on me anymore.  They have Bermuda shorts on sale, though, and I want to stock up for our upcoming trip to Disney World - yay!   So that's it for now.  Hope everyone has a beautiful and blessed day.

Week in Review - It's Been A Difficult Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Have I Been?

I just realized I haven't blogged in over a week.  What the heck?! I was supposed to be blogging more often, not less!  I've got some catching up to do.

The reason I didn't blog last weekend was because I was barely home.  Saturday was grocery shopping day.  It was also fair/concert day.  One of the local county fairs in South Florida had Danny Gokey and Brandon Heath in concert, and my best friend IV was dying to go.  She's a concert junkie more so than I am - I usually tag along with her, though I have to admit I love the Christian concert scene myself.  She'd gotten some really cheap tickets too: $5 per person, when the regular price is $18.  That's to get into the fair, but both concerts are free once you're inside, so we got to enjoy a really great evening.  The weather was perfect too, neither too hot nor cold.  There was a nice breeze, and a chill was in the air but nothing uncomfortable.  That's a big change from the fair concert last year.  We went to see Matthew West and SonicFlood.  We got a sonic flood all right: it poured like crazy!  We were thankful that didn't repeat itself this year!  Our kids went on a gazillion rides while we sang and worshiped with these two incredible artists and lovers of God.  We got home at midnight but we had a blast.

Then Sunday I got up early for church - barely got any sleep - and my friend DS asked me if I had any plans for the afternoon.  "Yeah," I said, "sleep."  She quickly protested and explained why: she managed to get tickets to see Third Day that evening, and the tickets were $15!  We hadn't planned on going because ticket prices were $45 and up, and the $45 tickets were not very good seats.  I was sure we were getting lousy seats at such a low price, but DS insisted we should go and make a girl's night out of it, her, IV and myself.  We agreed.  I went home, took a 15 minute power nap, then got ready.  When we got there we were all shocked: third row seats!  I couldn't believe it!  None of us could, really.  And who opened for Third Day?  Brandon Heath!  We got to see him two nights in a row!  We were so tired, but so incredibly blessed by the worship, that it didn't matter if I didn't sleep for another two nights!

Monday started our school week again, along with preparations for spring break for work.  There was plenty to do and finish up, so it was a crazy hectic week.  I'm glad to have this week off, so E and I can get caught up on some of his school assignments - not that he's far behind, but especially his PE class has been put on the back burner in an effort to get all his other assignments in on time.  We'll be focusing on that.

Wednesday our Awana group was blessed with a visit from a missionary!  This young lady is 20 years old and attended the school that is affiliated with our church.  She is now a missionary in Argentina, and she talked to the kids about her experience.  They were really interested and asked lots of questions, though the boys were mostly concerned with what kind of food is served in Argentina, LOL!

We had our Good Friday service at 2:00 in the afternoon.  I don't know why we continue to have Good Friday services so early.  Unfortunately, gone are the days when folks had Good Friday off from work.  We had a good amount of people show up, though, and I was thankful.  We had communion, then Pastor gave a lovely sermon based on Isaiah 53:1-6 and how Jesus was misidentified and misunderstood.  He did an awesome job; we left feeling grateful for the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us.

Friday morning I got an email from New York and Company, my favorite clothing store.  They were having a huge sale, but we had school to do, and Good Friday service to attend in the afternoon.  I went ahead and took a look online, and found some cardigans on sale for $15.  I have one of their cardigans, and the quality is outstanding, so I ordered 3 more, along with a couple of tank tops ($7 each) and a pretty top ($15).  I don't mind buying from New York and Company because everything I buy from them lasts me a good long time, but I especially like getting stuff cheap!

Today was designated Floor Cleaning Day.  I love our dog Molly, but she is a slobberer and a shedder.  I cleaned the floors recently, and they looked like I hadn't touched them in months.  I got to work mopping the hallway and living room, then looked at the red wall in my living room.

Don't get me wrong, I love the red wall.  It's a great accent wall.  Except for one thing.  My living room faces west.  I get no morning sunlight in this room, and in the afternoon I only get sunlight for a short amount of time while the sun is going down.  With dark brown floors and dark green furniture, the room looked dark.  And I don't like dark.

I'd been thinking about changing the wall for some time, painting it the same color as the rest of the walls to brighten up the room.  There's a red wall in the dining room and another in the family room, but those aren't anywhere near as dark looking because the back of the house faces east, and these rooms get lots of sunlight.  I decided to check and see if I had any paint left; after all, I'd painted the house back in 2010.  Lo and behold, there was a little less than half a can of paint left.  I made up my mind and got to work.  Here is the end result:

That is one bright room!  It's much more cheerful, and that's what I wanted.  Now I'll have to schedule a trip to Kirkland's to get some artwork for that wall.  It'll have to wait, though.  I have to take my car to the dealership on Monday to have it checked out.  The steering wheel is making a rattling sound, and it kind of sticks.  I hate car problems.

That's it for now.  I pray everyone has a blessed Resurrection Day.  He is Risen!  Glory To God!

Monday, Monday

How quickly our time off ends, how slowly our work week progresses...

It's back to school today, and no, my son isn't looking forward to it.  While he much prefers homeschooling, he hates the fact that his friends are off from school this week for spring break.  I'm sure it won't be as bad as he thinks; thanks to technology, he's able to play games and chat with his buddies without having to leave the house.  Boy, it sure was different when I was growing up!  The most I could do was talk on the phone, and since there was only one line (no call waiting back then) my dad would get mad if we were on the phone more than 10 minutes.  His logic was, phones should only be used in emergencies.  If you want to talk to people, go see them in person.  I don't think my dad would approve of the texting generation.

My face was still broken out on Saturday despite taking Benadryl the night before, which was weird, but it wasn't spreading or getting worse, so I did my normal morning routine.  The only thing I left out was the Mineralixer oil from Bare Minerals I've been trying out; I figured it was the newest thing I'd added to my skincare regimen so I should leave it out.

I woke up with a ton of energy.  I started cleaning the hallway bathroom and looked at the walls.  When we remodeled the bathrooms back in 2009, I'd painted the hall bathroom in an olive-y kind of green.  I love color, and I'm not afraid to use darker tones on the walls.  It looked pretty when I first did it, but after 6 years the paint was looking dull and dirty.  Add to that the fact that this is the room where my daughter does her makeup, and she complains that there isn't enough light in the bathroom.  I tried doing my makeup in there, and I had to agree.  So I looked through the paints I had in the garage, and found some leftover tan color paint from my bedroom.  It's a color I like to call "cafe con leche" (coffee with milk).  While it isn't necessarily a light color, it is lighter than the green, and any amount of lightness would help.  It's a tiny bathroom, so it neither needed much paint nor time, but it's hard to paint because it is so small a space.  Getting the ladder around was tricky, and the paint tray had to stay in the hallway because it wouldn't fit in the bathroom.  Still, it got done in about an hour, and it looks nice and clean.  The color isn't bold like the green was, but I think my daughter will appreciate the brightness a lighter color brings.

I got both bathrooms cleaned, then went back to Pep Boys to get my tires balanced.  I'd gotten new tires last Sunday, and when I got on the expressway Thursday for my hair appointment, the car was shaking like there was an earthquake.  Scared me a bit, I've got to say.  So I had that taken care of, then headed over to Payless Shoe Source.  I had a 15% off coupon so I figured it wouldn't hurt to see what they had.  Lately I'd been disappointed with the selection at Payless; the shoes were overpriced knock-offs that weren't comfortable or even pretty.  This time I had a much better experience.  They've got their summer sandals and shoes, and I found two pairs of wedges that are not only cute but very comfy to walk around in!  The selection at this particular Payless was slim - I don't know if they haven't received the newer stock or if they sold out - but I got a pair in black with brown straps and a pair in a nice cream color with espadrille heels.

  
I especially love the black ones!  I wore them to church yesterday and they are super comfortable to walk in!

Sunday morning, very first thing in the morning, I got a visit from my monthly friend.  There went my energy level, down the drain.  I was dragging my feet all day yesterday.  My stomach felt like it had rocks in it, my back was achy and I sat around doing nothing - well no, not exactly nothing; I did a bunch of laundry.  I still have to fold it, though.  But at least the day wasn't a total waste.

One thing I did notice this morning - the breakout on my face has almost completely disappeared, which means it wasn't an allergy like I'd thought.  It was purely hormonal.  It's rough being a girl, let me tell you.

It's just about time to start school, so I say farewell for now, and to all, have a blessed week.

My Week In Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's Been Going On

I really did want to post about my wildly wonderful weekend, but it was nonstop every minute of every day, and I just wasn't able to sit down long enough to post.  Even yesterday and today have been busy, but I figured if I didn't post now I might forget everything I want to include.

Thursday night our church started its yearly carnival, but none of us went.  It was in the 30's - yes, here in South Florida! - with winds making it even colder.  Floridians don't do well in 35 degree weather.  We weren't even going to take a chance.

Friday morning I went to the women's bible study group at church.  I'd been attending on Thursday nights, but with my new job there's no way I can make it there on time.  Thankfully there's a group that meets Friday mornings, but they're a week ahead of the Thursday group, which means I missed chapter 6!  I'm hoping there will be a makeup class like they've done before, so I can watch the classes I missed.  My youngest son went to the carnival that night while my daughter, best friend and I headed to the Chris Tomlin concert.  It was the first stop on the Love Ran Red tour, and we were excited to be there!  Unfortunately we missed the first act, Rend Collective, thanks to the insane traffic (which is why I make it a point to never go into Miami).  When we finally made it to the venue, Tenth Avenue North was on.  They're a local band, from West Palm Beach, so they're always enthusiastically welcomed back home to South Florida!  We had floor seats so we were able to watch up close and personal.  It was totally amazing!  I love the idea of spending eternity in heaven worshiping God with Chris Tomlin leading worship!

My son went back to the carnival on Saturday, but I took that time to get some housework caught up and run some errands.  I went to Target to find myself a belt for my jeans, and some ballet flats like a pair I'd gotten a couple weeks ago that were really comfortable.  I got 3 belts, 2 pairs of shoes, 4 tops that were on sale, a wallet, and a nail polish.  That's the problem with Target.  It's like Lay's Potato Chips: you can't get just one (item).

Then Sunday, after church, we ran home and got ready to see Tim Hawkins.  He is my all-time favorite comedian, the funniest man on earth in my opinion.  I would highly recommend anyone who hasn't heard Tim Hawkins to check him out on YouTube.  I love the fact that he's a Christian so none of his comedy is raunchy or inappropriate.  My son was happy to miss the last day of the carnival for Tim Hawkins!  I'm thankful that I can cross that off my bucket list - though I wouldn't hesitate to see him live again!

Work is going really well.  I'm slowly getting the hang of how everything works, though I still get some of the teacher's names confused and I don't know most of the students.  Everyone is being patient and helpful, which helps me feel more relaxed.  Today I was brought in to see a couple of students being tested.  The school director/owner wants me to become familiarized with the testing procedure so that I can administer tests in the future.  Tests are given to new students to determine their grade levels and choose the appropriate curriculum to work with.  There's reading and math tests; the reading test shows whether the child can read and what their level of comprehension is, while the math test is very detailed and intricate.  Most kids who come into the center are having trouble with math, so that is a big focus.  There are students as young as kindergarteners, all the way up to college and everything in between.  I'm enjoying the kids as well as the environment.

My dress arrived today!  I ordered a gorgeous little black velvet dress from New York and Company last week for a wedding my daughter and I are attending on Saturday.  I wasn't sure how it would fit, even though all the dresses I've bought from NY&Co. lately have been size 10.  I don't like ordering clothes online because I hate the hassle of having to ship it back if it doesn't fit, especially after waiting a week for it to arrive, but this dress was only available online.  It was on clearance too - originally $79.99, I paid $23.98 for it, a deal I wasn't going to find at the actual store.  I nervously tried it on, and I'm thrilled to say it fits perfectly!  It's the right length, right on the knee.  It's also my favorite style, fit and flare.  I'm so relieved it fits, because I couldn't find anything at the stores, and there's no time to go out looking for another dress.  This one worked out splendidly!

Homeschooling is also going well.  My son is working on polynomials, ocean currents, and learning all about classical music.  It's diverse and interesting.  He's also working on his community project hours by preparing plastic eggs for the church's Easter Egg Hunt.  They put out thousands of eggs, some with prizes inside, and they also give out candy to all the children.  We're probably going to help with the candy bags as well, when Easter gets a bit closer.

That's my recap for the weekend.  Tomorrow I'm teaching at Awana.  I'm kind of nervous, because I don't feel like I've prepared enough, but Lord willing everything will go smoothly.  I've been keeping to my schedule and managing my time wisely, so that, even though I'm busy, I'm able to get everything done.  Until next time, good night and God bless.

Thoughtful Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, Monday

Happy President's Day!  Or as we used to say when I was a kid, George Washington's birthday.  It used to be specifically about George Washington, then about Washington and Lincoln, then about all the presidents.  Our poor first president has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy.  I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye.  Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners.  When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it.  Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous.  The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time.  I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture.  I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.

After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day.  I did do my Bible study, but that was it.  I didn't even put the laundry away.  As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time.  I've become an expert at wasting it.  This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten.  Well, that's gonna have to change.  And fast.

I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza.  Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy.  The first two are young girls.  I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy.  Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age.  I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed.  Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show.  I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow.  MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking.  I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school.  I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.

I did go online for something else: dress shopping.  I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing.  Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's.  I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do.  I decided to check out New York and Company again.  Score!  They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98!  It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion.  I know I'll get some use out it.  It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it.  I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses.  I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect.  I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!

Our temperatures are going haywire again.  Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56.  Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight.  It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots!  Yes, South Floridians wear boots.  It's quite comical.

I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed.  Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too.  I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope).  Good night, ya'll.  

Monday, Monday

The problem with a busy weekend, is getting back into the swing of things.  Maybe that's why everyone hates Mondays so much.  It's hard to recover from a weekend of non-stop fun.

I did try to get up early today.  I tried to get school started on time.  But it was like we were all running low on gas.  There was so much I needed to get done that didn't get done over the weekend and certainly didn't all get done today.  How does one get caught up?  How does one eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  That's the way it's gonna be this week.  I hope.

The only housework I managed to get done was laundry, and I'm not done.  I got everything into the washer and dryer, but nothing is folded or put away.  I sat and did school with my son for most of the day, and he finished 3 out of 4 assignments that were due.  Algebra is giving him a run for his money.  He's still working on statistics, and today it was all about correlation and causation.  It gave him a headache.  That's what happens when he's trying to understand something and it doesn't click.  I finally said he needed to walk away, and we'd work on it again tomorrow.  I think there's a lot he gets, but the actual process he's not fully understanding, and he gets frustrated.  Thankfully he has 2 live lessons tomorrow and one assignment to do, so there'll be plenty of time to work on algebra.

I got an interesting phone call today.  It was from my daughter's boss.  Typically that wouldn't happen, but her bosses are friends of mine from church.  MM called and asked if I would be willing to meet with her husband JM this week.  I agreed to see him tomorrow at 4:00.  At no time did she tell me what it was about, and I didn't ask.  Like I said, they're friends.  If they want to see me, I'm happy to oblige.  But when my daughter came home she was all questions, and wanted to know if they'd told me anything.  I calmly said no, just to go and meet with JM.  Then she said, "Would you like to know what it's about?"  I'll admit I was somewhat curious, but not enough to beg and plead with her to tell me.  I'm quite patient; I can wait till tomorrow to find out.  She, on the other hand, couldn't wait to let me know what she knows.  She told me JM asked if I was looking for work.  I'm not, but who knows?  The school where she works is an after school tutoring school.  It would mean working in the afternoons/evenings.  I'm gonna have to pray about this tonight, and ask for guidance.  God provides in the most unexpected ways.

That's it for today.  It's been all about school, a pretty ordinary day, except for that one minor detail.  Tomorrow is another day.  Let's see what God has in store.  Good night everybody.

Sweet Saturday

What a gorgeous day today has been!  If the weather were like this all year long, I would be very happy :-).  I believe the high today was 73 degrees.  Humidity was low, breeze was cool but not cold, the air smelled sweet...it was the perfect day to be outdoors.  I wanted to be outdoors.  Alas, I never got further than the mailbox.

I had a load of laundry in the dryer since Thursday, and floors that had only gotten Swiffered a few times during the week.  I was so absorbed in school and meals and grocery planning/shopping, that I didn't give a whole lot of attention to the condition of the house.  It was dirty, ya'll.  There was doggy drool marks on the floors, all kinds of fingerprints on the glass tables, and dust piling up on the furniture.  I could not let this continue.  I had my breakfast, did my study in Daniel, then got to work.  I cleaned, dusted, vacuumed and mopped for 3 hours straight.  I even told my kids (the two younger ones; my oldest was at work) that they were in charge of lunch.  My daughter was not in the mood to be in the kitchen while I was whipping through the house like a white tornado, so she and my youngest son ran over to Publix and picked up some hot wings and frozen pizza.  You'd think today was Superbowl Sunday.  I didn't care: I was hungry and tired.  So long as I didn't have to prepare anything, I'd eat anything.  I had a great feeling of satisfaction, till I looked out at the patio.  It's gross.  And it's gonna have to wait.  I need the pressure cleaner for that, and my oldest son has to set it up for me - it's heavy and hard to start up.  I may get to it this week, otherwise it'll have to wait till next weekend.  Hey, at least the inside of my house looks fabulous.

After lunch I put away the laundry (finally!), then gave myself a manicure and pedicure.  I did my pedicure in a glittery bronze, then I did my manicure with the milky matte beige I bought at Target yesterday, with only the ring fingers in the glittery bronze like my toenails.  I like it, but I don't love it.  I think because the beige color is so similar to my skin tone, it looks like I've only done one nail on each hand.  It's not ugly; it's just not the best combination I've done.  I'm gonna keep it, but I think next time I'll just do the beige and leave the accent nail for when I use darker colors.

I'm pleased to say that this morning when I woke up, I could barely feel the pain in my eye.  The stye is almost completely gone, Hallelujah praise the Lord!  It itched terribly this morning, though.  That was bad, because obviously I couldn't scratch it.  Thankfully the ointment did stop the itching, and now the swelling has gone almost completely down and my eye feels normal again.  Thank You Jesus!

So even though it was a beautiful winter day in South Florida, I kept busy indoors.  Tomorrow is church.  I'm hoping it's equally as beautiful so I can enjoy being outdoors!  Hope everyone has a blessed evening.  Good night, sleep tight, pleasant dreams.

Monday, Monday

The cold weather continues here in South Florida.  It didn't get above 67 degrees today.  (I can just imagine my sister's face as she reads this; it's 25 degrees in New York where she lives, and there is a snow blizzard coming through).  We should be having this kind of weather all week.

Today was the start of the second semester of homeschooling.  My son has a new teacher for his Hope class, and a new teacher in Algebra.  His previous algebra teacher is still his "official" teacher, but she has a new teacher that she tag-teams with to do live lessons.  It was a pretty easy day today; he had his Algebra lesson along with a couple of videos, music, Hope, and science.  Music and Hope were both intros, and science was a pretest which doesn't count towards his grade.  He did some reading as well.  We were sitting in the dining room going over his Hope lesson, when E says, "Oh look, it's raining."  I looked out the window but I thought he was joking.  It was kind of cloudy but I couldn't see any rain.  Then he said, "I think you should close the windows, Mom, it's raining."  I looked again but couldn't really see anything.  Then I got up and noticed that it was indeed drizzling, and the wind was picking up, so he and I went around closing windows.  We got done just in time - it started to downpour with a vengeance!  The wind was blowing hard, too; a couple of palm fronds came crashing down from being blown off the trees.  It lasted not more than 15 minutes, then stopped as quickly as it started.  Within a half hour the sun was out, the sky was baby blue and all the clouds were gone.  It did its job, though; it was cool and windy the rest of the day.

While my son watched his videos and did his live lesson, I folded laundry, tidied up the house, then made some spicy beef and black bean chili with cornbread.  Those types of hearty comfort foods are perfect on days like today!  E finished with his schoolwork at 3:30, and I took myself out to the jungle known as our backyard.  It doesn't take a whole lot of rain to get the yard overgrown.  I had cleaned up the garden area, but I hadn't had a chance to mow the lawn or get rid of some of the branches.  I didn't even think I'd get a chance to do it today, what with that sudden rainstorm, but everything dried up pretty quick.  The weather was perfect for being outside.  I cut up a few palm fronds and put them in the trash bin, then moved the remaining ones behind the shed.  After that I got to mowing, then sweeping up some of the leaves in the front yard.  All in all it took me 2 hours to get all the yardwork done, but it looks a thousand times better.  There's still some trimming that has to get done, but I was tired, dirty, and hungry.  Besides, two hours of cardio is enough exercise for this lady for one day :-).

I got myself cleaned up, then decided to give myself a manicure.  My nails grow, but they are so thin and fragile that they break constantly.  Even with me taking vitamins everyday, they still chip and break easily.  I'm thinking I have to look for something that will strengthen them good.  I've tried Sally Hansen but those products tend to make my nails brittle, which in turn makes them break even faster.  Maybe what I need is a nail oil or something.  I'm gonna have to look into that.  Anybody got any suggestions?

The day is just about done; well, not quite, it's only 8:30.  I've cleaned up and all, so I think I'll take it easy the rest of the evening.  Goodnight ya'll.  Pleasant dreams.

How Quickly Things Change

Hello, and welcome to another installment of, "Where the heck am I?!"  Yesterday temperatures were in the low 80's, and I had the air conditioning on because it was so stuffy and humid out.  Today the morning started out cloudy; not just regular clouds, but big, ominous clouds that threatened rain, and lots of it.  I checked the weather channel, and sure enough, they promised lots of rain and thunderstorms.  We braced ourselves for what was to come.  It didn't.  We got a drizzle, with no thunder whatsoever, no even in the distance.  Then the temperatures started to drop.  The humidity was replaced by a chilly breeze.  Right now it's in the low 60's, and we might get into the upper 40's by tomorrow morning.  My kids say that Florida is the Bi-Polar State.  It can be hot and sunny one minute, cold and rainy the next.  It's amazing how quickly things can change.

Take me, for instance.  I felt awful yesterday; I spent the day doing absolutely nothing.  I had no energy and no desire to do a single thing.  This morning I got up feeling way better.  So much so, that I dusted the furniture, vacuumed and mopped the floors in the family room, dining room and kitchen.  I was on a roll!  It was like my battery had been recharged, and I could keep going, and going, and going...till my kid's father came over.  It's amazing how that man can drain all the happiness out of whatever place he steps into.  He was bringing some papers over, and I thought he was picking up E to spend the afternoon with him, but he about a half hour later.  I think he was wanting me to feed him, since he got here as I was whipping up some mashed potatoes.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  It's like he still doesn't get it; we've been separated for 3+ years, and it hasn't been pleasant.  To this day he has not admitted that he's done anything wrong, or that he is sorry.  I'm not going to pretend it's okay, like his family has done.  What's wrong is wrong, and he's gonna have to face that reality, here on earth or before the Judgment throne.  For his sake, I hope he does it here.

I finished week one of my Beth Moore study, so now I'm kind of caught up with the class.  This study is different than any other video bible study I've done.  Usually we study the material, then watch the corresponding video and discuss it that week.  With the Daniel study, we watch the video first, then do the daily workbook assignments.  Since I'd missed the first week I had to get caught up.  I was there for week two's video, so now I can start doing the homework for it.  I have Sunday - Thursday to work on it, but Monday starts a new school semester, and Wednesday we have Awana, so I'm going to have to take that into account and make sure I do my workbook assignments in the mornings.  It's a really interesting study; I won't have any problem picking up the book and getting into it.

It's my turn to bring breakfast for my Sunday school class tomorrow, so I decided to bake a cake.  It's an applesauce spice cake, one of my favorites.  The house smells of cinnamon and nutmeg and absolute yumminess.  I won't frost it till tomorrow morning, but I did my hair today because I won't have time to do it in the morning.  Sunday mornings are busy enough; I don't want to have to get up at 5am just to blow dry my hair.  I'll still have to stop off at Winn-Dixie to buy rolls and probably some ham spread, so we can have a complete breakfast.  What, you don't consider rolls and cake to be a complete breakfast?  Don't worry, there'll be coffee too ;-).

It's Saturday, so I'm going to go exfoliate and moisturize my face so it's squeaky clean and beautiful for church tomorrow.  I like looking my best for worshiping my King.  Oh, I should mention, I've continued with my water drinking experiment.  My skin is most definitely more hydrated; I've always suffered from dry skin, but now I notice it's become more normal to dry.  Actually, my t-zone has become slightly oily, an oddity now that the humidity has gone down.  It might be hormonal, of course.  I'm going to keep drinking and increasing my water intake to see how my skin is affected.  Obviously I don't want oily skin either; no one wants break-outs at my age.  But it sure is nice not to have skin as dry as the desert either.  This is one change I'm enjoying.

So, that's it for today.  I'm hoping this change in the weather will last.  I'm hoping the change in my skin will be for the better.  Mostly, I hope the changes in my life will only improve me daily.  Good night folks.

Wednesday Mid-Week

Today was a slightly more relaxed day than yesterday.  I like days that are even the slightest bit more relaxed.  I'm a relaxation loving gal.

I awoke to the sounds of my daughter coughing up all the nastiness that has been plaguing her the past few days.  It reminded me of her brother just last week.  That Mucinex-DM really does work, let me tell you.  Her voice is slowly returning though she whispers most of the time just so she doesn't strain her throat.  That's been the hardest part for her: my daughter the chatterbox doesn't know how to "not speak".  She went back to work today because she had to, not because she wanted to.  Her boss at the tutoring place told her that she'd had to cancel two of her students because there was no one to replace her.  My daughter felt bad, even though this is the first time in a year and a half that she's missed a day of work.

Since today was the last day of the semester and my son is completely done with all his work, I just asked him to do some reading for the day.  It made no sense to try and figure out something for him to do.  I did a bunch of cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, laundry...basically kept busy with all the inside housework.  I'm thinking tomorrow I'll work outside; there's plenty to be done, and the weather has been nice, though today it was pretty hot out.  Apparently it's supposed to cool down over the weekend again.  We've had temps in the upper 50's and lower 60's during the night and in the mornings, and 70's in the afternoon.  Today actually got up to about 80, but that's not supposed to last.  I'm glad; it's much easier to do yardwork when it isn't too hot outside.

We had Awana tonight.  One of the leaders told me my makeup looked really nice, which made me happy :).  I'd taken my time fixing my makeup and hair, and it was nice that she noticed.  When I got home I cleaned up the kitchen, then prepared the jambalaya for tomorrow.  I prep everything and put it inside the crock pot, then leave it in the fridge till tomorrow morning when I set it on high for about 5 hours.  That's why I love the crock pot so much: it takes about 10 minutes to prepare everything, and the crock pot does the rest.

So that was pretty much my day.  Nothing exciting, no big adventures, just a quiet, ordinary day.  Well, quiet when my daughter wasn't coughing :( .  I'm desperately hoping I don't catch this cold; she hangs around me a lot, and I hate telling her to keep away, but I really, really don't want to get sick.  Here's to hoping!  Have a blessed, restful night everybody.