My Weblog

Hurting........

When I was having such a hard time recuperating from pneumonia last spring, I did substantial research on Levaquin. One of the side effects noted, which, thankfully, I was spared last time around, was joint pain. Well, folks, I'm feeling it the last few days. 

Today my left hip is mighty uncomfortable. And my left knee kicks up a fuss when I go to stand up or sit down. And my right wrist hurts. 

It is true that is overcast and rain is likely. And that's been known to bother my left ankle, which was broken when I was in college. But, I've never had problems with my hips. And the worst of it right now is that left hip. I am having a tough time finding a comfortable way to sit. Yes, the right wrist and the left knee also hurt, but the pain there seems to relate more to usage. The pain in the left hip is just THERE. It doesn't fade based on my position or whatever. 

It's now 26 days since I last took that antibiotic. Symptoms are supposed to last only up to 60 days (according to my friend's doctor). However, some of the accounts on the 'net indicate symptoms (joint pain) lasting much longer (years). Well, I'll not have that! 

I have made good progress on the kit I've been working on. I think I'm done! Well, close. I just decided I need to put some stitching in it. Then I really AM done, except for the alphas and previews. Wahoo! It's a beauty, I tell ya!

One of the things I bought last night at the store was a pre-made pizza--the kind you bake in the oven. I made that for lunch today, figuring it would be 2 servings, one for today, one for tomorrow. Either I am off my game, or I badly underestimated. I was only able to eat 1 "slice". So, I will get 3 more meals from this $5 pizza. $1.25 per lunch isn't too bad. It's not the best pizza I've ever had, but it's not the worst either. And the pups sure do love their "pizza bones"--the bits of crust they get to munch on......

That's all for now. 

 

Phew! What a day!

I finally dragged my rusty bee-hind to the store. Went and saw a couple of former co-workers. And I learned some stuff that makes me angry. I was told by two people that the two supervisors in the department where I worked told people I was just not showing up. I don't know if they knew or not, but I wasn't "just not showing up". I called in 5 times in 3 weeks, including one time when I asked HR to be taken off the schedule because I knew I was too sick to be able to go to work. I know I spoke with people in HR twice. I also spoke with two different managers to whom I was transferred by the store operator. Why did my supervisors not know I was calling in? OR, were they just telling folks that? Well, either way, I don't appreciate it. 

I stopped first in my old department and then went on a hunt for inexpensive edibles for me and the dogs. I overspent what I'd hoped to spend. I wanted to get out of there having spent just $125. I went over that by somewhere between $25 and $30. I did get some good buys though, stuff that may well last me into next month. 

I was getting low on bread flour. I've been storing my homemade bread in the fridge lately. It still toasts up very nicely and doesn't get moldy. I was having a problem with the "moldy" thing when I wasn't refrigerating it. But, I end up making a 1.5 lb loaf of bread every 7-10 days and I knew I couldn't make it through the month on the flour I had on hand. 

I got a buy on Orowheat Whole Wheat Bread. It was on sale for almost a dollar off per loaf. I bought two. I'm gonna wrap those loaves in everything I can think of to keep them from drying out and then they are going into the freezer. I still have a few slices of store-bought bread left for sandwiches before I resort to one of the new loaves. 

I bought 2 lb of ground beef. I should have bought more. I was kicking myself about it on the way home. the 2 pounds of ground beef set me back $6. But I figure I can get 7 or so meals from it. Then, like a dummy, I went and spent $6 each on 2 different Bertolli entrees. $6 for 2 meals does not stack up well to $6 for 7 meals now does it??? Dumb.......

I found a couple of cans of beans marked down from $1.79 a can to $1.26 a can. I don't normally buy this type of bean, but I figured I could use them in 5-can soup and that would work out just fine. I managed to pick up 2 pieces of breaded Tilapia and 2 pieces of pre-sauced Salmon for decent (on sale) prices. So, I can have some reasonably healthy fish dishes once a week this month. 

I got a buy on Dorito Nacho Chips. Ordinarily, I wouldn't spend money on those, but I've been eating more snacky food since I got sick. I may have enough Doritos to last through the month........ I think they were on special for the big football weekend.......

I needed more half 'n' half to make it through the month. I like the store's house brand. The problem is I can never find the quart size containers when I want them. And the pint size are considerably more expensive per ounce. I tracked down an employee and practically had to tell her how to do her job.

Do you remember me telling you about a thing referred to in the store as a "my device"? With one of those you can scan the bar code on the item and find out if there are more in the back or in some other store (in the case of non-food items). For reasons unknown, they had reversed the labels for the fat free and regular half 'n' half. So she doesn't understand that "FF" means fat free, scans the wrong bar code and is about to wander off to the back of the store. I tell her she's scanned the wrong bar code. She argues with me. Finally, I have to decode the label for her and she figures out what she's done. Geez..........

I hang around for what seems an inordinate amount of time and she shows up carrying a box of half 'n' half, finally. She tells me that the milk products sell out really fast. It is everything I can do to keep from asking her why, then, she is not restocking milk products before they sell out....... That makes sense to me. I swear some of these 20-year olds just do not have functional brains! Am I wrong, or is that a piss poor excuse for bad inventory management? 

I REALLY wanted a chuck roast. Something I could throw in the crockpot, cook for HOURS, and eat. You know, like pot roast. I'm quite sure that when cooked in the crockpot, that meat would come out as tender as could be even if it is a cheaper cut. I have potatoes and carrots on hand, just needed the meat. Do you think they had any there? No, of course not! Well, I happen to know Smith's (a Kroger affiliate) has chuck roast on sale this week so I just might have to pay them a visit.........I can stretch pot roast a LONG way! 

I bought a jug of Drano. That stuff doesn't come cheap! Anyway, I have hopes it will blast out whatever is clogging the pipes in my bathroom sink. I'll let you know how that goes.......

Anyway, on the way out, I passed another former co-worker. She recognized me immediately and hugged me. Then she volunteered to help me out with my groceries. I was happy for her help as I had a 50 pound bag of dog food in the cart. She is quite the pretty young thing and sweet as well. She suggested I apply for a job at Smith's--even told me which store is hiring! You bet I will. And then, she hugged me again. Imagine that! 

And now I have carried MANY bags of groceries into the house and even carried in a bucketful of dog food. Then I fed the dogs and filled up their 3 gallon jug of water. They should be happy hounds! Everything is put away except those two loaves of bread. I'll be wrapping them and wrapping them and wrapping them tomorrow for storage in the freezer. 

I'm ready to give it up for the day. Though I avoided the heavy lifting like the plague, my back is telling me it is time to be horizontal. See ya in the AM..........

 

Regrouping..........

I actually came here and started a blog post a couple of days ago. I never finished it. I guess I just didn't have anything important to say. I frequently feel as though I don't have anything important to say, LOL. But, this is my only way of having a "conversation", so I continue with it anyway.

In that I haven't posted an update in several days, I guess I need to do that now. Otherwise, some friends who check here to see if I'm still alive and kicking may get worried. I don't want that.

I have continued on with my numerous projects--trying to keep the kitchen clean and even get it cleaner. Trying to clear up the mess on my desk. Shredding and shredding and shredding some more. Laundry, and so on. I have NOT made an excursion to find food for me and the dogs and that will HAVE to change today. 

Our projected high for today is 69 degrees. You have to admit that's pretty decent as far as "winter" weather. But tomorrow it's going to rain, and Monday the projected high is 21 degrees cooler with 30 mph winds. I know 48 degrees isn't that cold, but once that wind starts up, it sure feels a lot colder! So, it's time for me to drag my butt out to obtain food. 

Beyond that, I hope to vacuum here in the house. It's time. I can always tell by the amount of dog hair that accumulates around my desk. Parker doesn't spend much time around or under my desk, but my shoes pick up the dog hair from throughout the house and it all ends up being deposited in this vicinity. And in the corners, cracks, and crevices around the house! 

It's time to go through the fridge and get rid of the science projects. I did a little bit of that last night, but I know I have more stuff to get rid of.

I have a box of clothes I need to wash. The box is full of clothes my kid left behind many years ago. I think it's safe to say she's not going to come back for it, LOL. So, I'll wash everything and it will go into the donate pile.  

My personal laundry is caught up. The surface of the desk (well about 60% of it) is visible. I feel as though there's hope for this desk yet! As I SLOWLY work my way through the guest room, I am finding a few things I am willing to part with. And, I think I have found a better way to organize the things that are stored in there. That makes me happy. Joe was always happy to just shove something somewhere out of sight. That never has worked for me. I have to have some confidence I can find whatever it is again when I need it. So, reorganizing the storage in that room is important to me.

I went without my magical homemade frappuccino for 3 days straight. Then I caved and had one. And the coughing started again and the phlegm increased. Obviously, I cannot have those on a daily basis anymore--at least not for a while. Perhaps an occasional treat?

I am still on the treadmill. I backed off for several days, which is a stupid thing to do. If you walk or run less often than every other day the lactic acid builds up in your muscles and the moment you start up again, it is a struggle. I got on the treadmill last night, thinking it would be perfectly fine if I had to back off my time goal by a few minutes. However, I actually hit my goal and could have done a few more minutes. I didn't, though. This treadmill stuff is intended to be a way to build my muscles, my heart, and my lung capacity over time. It's not intended to be a race to the finish line. So, I'll just get back on there again today and do a bit more time..........

A couple of people have asked about my "training" schedule. It is so low level you won't believe it. I had a heart attack almost 3 years ago. And I am still recuperating from pneumonia twice in one year. Therefore, I am going at this VERY SLOWLY. So slowly it's hard to believe. I am definitely modeling my workout after the tortoise, not the hare. But, I don't want to pass out on there and end up in a crumpled heap at the far end of the machine. I start at the lowest speed the treadmill will go which is .5 miles per hour. I walk at that speed for 25 steps. I push the speed up to .6 mph and walk at that speed for 50 steps. Then I push the speed up another .1 mph and go for 75 steps. And so on........ It's a very undemanding schedule. But I'm here alone so I don't want to engage in crazy risky behavior by jumping on there and trying to set some land speed record. 

The most important thing to me is increasing the time I'm on there. If I hit a barrier as to speed, well, I'll just stay there for a while. No big deal. My original goal was 15 minutes on the treadmill. I'm working on 30 minutes now, increasing the time by just a minute each time I climb on. I want this to be a daily part of the remainder of my life, a habit. I am not looking at competing in anything or with anyone. Just hoping to do my part in getting a little stronger every day. 

Well, I need to stop this and get ready for an expedition in search of food for me and the dogs. Money is tight this month and I figure I will be spending about 20% of my food budget on dog food! Go figure! YOU be BLESSED today.

Late to the party........

Well, I'm late to the party this morning. I went to bed around midnight as planned. I prayed, and I slept. However, I think I only slept about 20 minutes. At 12:36 I woke up, wide awake. I know I was asleep and I have no idea what woke me unless it was God. I've been awakened before when I felt like I should pray for someone. I didn't have that urgent feeling last night, so I don't know. 

Anyway, that little wake-up call resulted in me being up til sometime after 2AM. So, yes, I'm running late this morning, but I don't know what I could have done about it. 

I did not do as well around here yesterday as I did on Monday. BUT, I did finish the design work on that kit I've been working on. I still need to do the alphas and an alpha preview, but, other than that, it's done. It's stunningly beautiful and It's stuffed with goodies. It's a pretty, girly kind of kit. I really had to stretch to get it to the size I wanted without putting a lot of extraneous things in there. But, I'm proud of it!

I have cleaned up all the mess originating from the junk drawer clean out. I don't think that drawer has ever looked that good! There are still some extraneous things in there, but at least everything has a place and should be easy to find from now on. 

All in all, the kitchen is in pretty good shape. I am within a hair's breadth of being ready to run the dishwasher. I know I have a small plate, a cookie sheet, and a knife to load in there. That won't take long. 

You probably still wouldn't know it from looking, but I made progress on the desk again--fairly substantial progress. There's all sorts of paper and stuff on the desk that pretty much has to be sorted through and dealt with one item at a time. It's a slow process, but at least I'm working at it. The left side of the desk is paper-free this morning. And, thanks to Monday's efforts, the computer desk has made great strides as well. 

As I was digging through stuff on the desk, I ran into a job application I'd picked up before the call came telling me I was hired for the last job. So, I spent some time filling out the easy stuff on there. I still need to fill in the experience slots, but it's a 4 page job application and I have the bulk of 3 pages completed. 

I did a load of laundry yesterday which is now dry on the inside drying rack. I also folded and put away Monday's load. 

I started work on those turtlenecks I wanted to sort through in the guest room. First I sorted by color. I found a few that were in colors that I know are not very flattering to my skin tone. Now, I'm refolding the ones that are left, checking to make sure they are large enough to actually fit comfortably before I put them back into storage. I'm about halfway through with that. I think there are about 5 ready for donation. I had expected more, but I'm pretty sure I've sorted through these before. That's okay--I think you get a bit more ruthless on the 2nd sort......

At the moment I don't have much use for those turtlenecks. The job I worked over the holidays was perfectly fine with me wearing a sweatshirt. I usually layered up under the sweatshirt, but sometimes I just wore a tee shirt under there. It worked. However, if I end up with more of an office job or with a retail job in a slightly "classier" retail establishment, sweatshirts may not work. THAT is when I will break out those turtlenecks to layer under sweaters. (I basically think sweaters are useless--have you noticed they're full of holes and the wind whistles right through those holes????) 

I also took the time yesterday to do some straightening in the master bathroom. So far, just putting things away.

I WISH I were a neater person, always putting things away when I'm done with them. Believe me, I've tried to make that a habit, but so far, I'm a miserable failure at it. I was a particularly miserable failure at it while I was so sick (hey, I was just happy to make it through a day without coughing up a lung), so I'm paying the price for that all over the house right now.

ASIDE: I actually laid down last night and my chest didn't hurt. That's the first time that's happened in more than a month! 

Uncle Sam has shown up on time in my bank account. Glory be to God! I am going to have to prioritize where that money goes. I can't estimate what God will do, but til He does His thing, there won't be enough to get through February. There SHOULD be some tax income once February gets here. 

So, about today.........

I had hoped to go to the grocery store today. That still may happen, but my late start is a problem. 

I think I will finally finish with the deep cleaning of the kitchen. Not too much left to do out there.

I absolutely will be putting time in on this desk. First, I want to prioritize who gets paid what from the money that just hit my bank account. And then I do need to pay some of it right away. Then, more pitching, sorting, filing of stray stuff on my desk. If I get the chance, I want to go through my monthly budget accounting for 2015 and come up with totals. I always use my own tax return as the "guinea pig" for each new year's tax software. I know I won't owe, but I still need to get very familiar with the software. 

I found a few more things to shred yesterday, just going through the stuff on the desk. It's not enough, in my mind, to justify a shredding session. Perhaps I will find time to dig in the file cabinets some more. That's sure to yield results! Also, I did not work anymore on cleaning up that shred area, and I need to do that. 

And, of course, I will go back in the guest room and try to do some damage in there. Also, there are some dark clothes that are dry and need to be folded and put away. I'm considering what I should wash next. I KNOW the white shower curtain in my master bath needs washed. But, darn it all, that thing has to be starched and ironed when it's clean. I'm not looking forward to doing that so I may put that off til some other day. 

Well, that's it for what I hope will happen today. But, FIRST, time with the Lord is called for. It's hard to set aside the time for that, but it's important to my mental, physical AND spiritual health! It's even harder in trying times which is where I am right now. But it's even more important in those trying times. YOU be BLESSED today. 

 

God speaks.........

I have puzzled over the loss of the job I had when I got sick. I have mourned over it too. Here I had a job that allowed me to meditate the word and pray as I worked. I had the option to work more hours if I felt like it or just work my little part time hours assigned. I had a better hourly wage than I had had at my previous little part time job. I had extra benefits that were of great value to me. And the last day I worked, I felt better physically than I'd felt on any day but the first day I worked. 

I was thanking God many times a day for the blessing that was this job. I was singing God's praises to anyone who would listen with regard to this wonderful blessing that had come into my life.

And, suddenly........

I got sick. Pneumonia. Not only a deadly disease but a communicable disease. I wouldn't have taken those germs in to share with my co-workers even if I'd been physically able to get to the store, which I was not. 

And, what happened? When the end of the holiday season rolled around, I was cut from the "team". And believe it or not, the reason given was "excessive absences". Well, yes, I was absent excessively. I was absent a whole LOT more than I wanted to be. I didn't want to be absent even a single day! 

And, since, I have been tossing around in my mind questions about what happened. Was God upset with me for something and "punishing" me? No matter what, I don't want God mad at me. I need His faithful companionship and support and wisdom and power and strength and love and mercy and............every day! What could be going on?

Well, today I think I got the answer. In I Chronicles 14: 2-8, David had been anointed by Samuel to become King of Israel. And he has just ascended to the throne. And the Philistines set out to kill him. They are coming to wipe out his blessing. And what happens? David attacks them and beats them soundly with the help of God. It is such a thorough victory that the place where it occurred is called the Place of the Breakthrough! And, of course, David went on to reign for many years and to be called "a man after God's own heart" in scripture. 

I'm sure Jesus was hurting after John the Baptist was beheaded. I'm also sure Jesus recognized this as an attack from Satan against one of the few people who really KNEW (at that point) who Jesus was. And, Jesus and John the Baptist were lifelong friends, playmates as children.....Surely Jesus was hurting. So, He went out and healed everyone He could find (and He always found plenty because they followed Him everywhere, even when He tried to get away from them to mourn). He took back from satan all those folks he'd afflicted for years! 

So, I've concluded Satan stole my job. And, now God and I need to march out together and trounce ole slewfoot roundly. I believe this means God has something bigger and better for me. I don't think anything is ever taken by satan that God doesn't replace with interest. I've been reminding my Daddy that He gave Job "double for his trouble" and that He "is no respecter of persons"--in other words, what He's done for one, He'll do for ANYONE. I'm ready for my double......... I'm ready to be in the place of the Breakthrough!

 

Tomorrow, tomorrow, you're only a day away!

Years ago, when I lived in St. Louis, the musical "Annie" was coming to the St. Louis Municipal Opera. It was advertised non-stop on TV. I got to where I wanted to cover each ear with a pillow, just to block out the soundtrack. It featured a kid soprano singing that song. It was, to my ears, shrill and made me uncomfortable. But, today, I could break out and sing it myself. It seems I've been fighting to get through January finances FOREVAH. I'll be grateful when tomorrow gets here because for a few short minutes, there'll be a bit of excess money. 

I will need a grocery store trip. I'm almost out of dog food, half n half for my coffee, butter for my toast...... I want to pick up some Drano. It seems my bathroom sink is draining very slowly. I blame it on being extra careful with the amount of water I use and toothpaste that has dried and turned to concrete in the pipes. I will need some staples--pasta in particular. I don't think I can make it through the month (til the next SSI check arrives) on my current stash of bread flour. This round of pneumonia, I've run through 2 full boxes of Kleenex--my entire "stash". I'd also like to pick up some kind of meat. This week Smart & Final had pork roasts on sale but my pockets didn't contain much more than change, so that was out. I'll be anxiously awaiting the week's sale ad for the coming week!

I'm pretty low on the stuff I use to make my mocha frappuccinos as well. I don't know what I'm going to do about that. I've forced myself to skip those for 3 days running now. Staying away from all that milk has definitely reduced the amount of phlegm I'm coughing up. But, oh, do I miss those daily treats...... Should I buy more, anticipating that I WILL go back to them, but maybe less than daily? Or should I try to make myself believe I won't be doing those anymore? I'll have to think about that......

BUT, that's tomorrow. What about today? 

There are just a few little things left on my kitchen counter from the "junk" drawer clean out. I need to figure out what to do with those. That junk drawer looks so organized it floors me! And, I still have some surfaces in the kitchen that I'd like to scrub/wipe down. 

I was VERY happy about the progress I made on the desk yesterday. If I could make that kind of progress every day this week, I'd have one very neat and clean desk with just one pile of stuff to put away/file. I'll be working on that today.

I have a bunch of clothes on the indoor drying rack that should be dry. Overnight in the desert ought to do it, LOL. So, those need folded and I think I most likely have enough dark clothes to make another load for the washer. 

And, since I made some progress in the guest room, I think I'll try to do some more work in there as well. 

I eradicated my current shred pile last night. However, the area around the shredder is AWFUL. I think maybe I can spend a bit of time working on that. I'll need the tools on my vacuum cleaner to pick up all the bits of paper. There is a mountain of paper clips and binder clips to pick through and put away. Lots of stray used staples to sort out from the "good" stuff and get rid of. All that stuff is sort of mixed together so it will take a few minutes to sort it all out. And, most likely some more filing that needs done. I'd feel pretty happy to have that little corner straightened out, I think.

I don't know what got into me yesterday, but I went after one of the file cabinets with some spray cleaner and a microfiber rag. It looks SO MUCH better. I think maybe I can do some more scrubbing on the remaining file cabinets. 

Do you remember me telling you that the turkey I bought for Christmas and to have in leftovers for months to come actually fell out of the freezer. I don't know how long the freezer door was open, but I do know the turkey, found on the garage floor was completely defrosted.......... I have not been able to force myself to go out there and clean out the freezer. It will break my heart to throw out a whole lot of meat. So, I've decided that I can throw away one item a day til I get it done. I think that is less likely to depress me. But I also know myself well enough to know that there will be days when I obsess and throw out more. I think some things will be salvageable. For example I had some frozen fruit in there. I think that will be safe to eat. Primarily, I'm concerned about the meat........... Ptomaine is not on my list of must haves.

I have backed up most of the smaller files on my EHD. I still have a bunch of the biggies with which to deal. I will plow into that today. I'm sure by now my recycle bin needs emptying as well. I have only 5 days to complete January's backups. Got to hustle.

And, there's all the usual computer maintenance stuff--deleting e-mails, unzipping and organizing files, reading blogs before my blog reader takes over the world......... 

And, finally, as if that weren't enough, I want to work in some design time. MAYBE today I can finish the kit I've been plugging away on...........

But, first, I'll be doing an hour of church on the internet. My time with Jesus for today. 

Today is day 21 of 60 on purging the leftover poison from my body and day 2 of 21 in the effort to increase the thyroid hormone in my body by finally taking the correct dose. It should be a better day, right? 

What are YOUR plans for today? Well, no matter what, may YOU be BLESSED in all that you put your hand to today. 

4 hours isn't long enough..........

Well, that 4 hour time frame that was left in my "day"--it's gone now. And I'm doing this hurriedly because I don't want to be up much later than I am right now. In fact, if I had any sense, I'd be on my way to bed right now, LOL.

I got the kitchen 90% cleaned up. I'm going to feed some human food to the dogs. It has bits of ham and lots of cheese (too much, maybe??) in it. I made this stuff last night. Kinda like mac and cheese but stovetop and with ham. It's really not very good. Last night it was too salty. I kinda fixed that problem by adding more milk tonight, but it's still kind of yucky. I think I'd like it better with less cheese, but it's too late for that now, LOL. Seems to me to be better to feed it to the dogs than to just throw it away. 

I got most of the stuff from the "junk" drawer sorted and back in the drawer in some reasonable manner. I still have some odds and ends to go through. I ended up throwing several hands full of stuff in the trash which is a good thing.

I made real progress on the desk. I actually surprised myself! 

I didn't do any more shredding. Nor did I dig through the file cabinets. Instead, I had bazillion empty hanging file folders strewn all over the table where I'm shredding. I decided to gather those up, and get them put away with other empty file folders. The table is still a mess (I can't seem to empty this shredder without dumping bits of cross cut paper all over the floor and the table) but better than it was. 

So, that's it for today. You might wonder why I'm doing this when I should be on my way to bed. Well, I started backing up a file quite a while ago. And, it's 86% done. I was hoping to stretch this til it was done, then get another file underway and then head down the hall. Well, I am headed to bed and I'll just have to worry about backups tomorrow! 

Hey! Here's some progress for ya--only 2 hot flashes today. They were heavy duty ones, but still, only 2!

Good night, all. May the angels watch over you..........

So far, so good........

I have about 4 more hours in my "day". But, I thought I'd stop and take stock with regard to what's been accomplished.

Not a lot in the kitchen. But, I'm due for another round out there momentarily. I did get some space cleared on the counters and I have a sink full of dishes waiting to be rinsed out and loaded in the dishwasher which I emptied. 

I actually shredded every last piece of paper I'd pulled out to shred. However, that's not as good as it might sound. I'm sure there's more--I just haven't pulled it out yet. However, it IS progress.

I did a fair amount of damage to the surface of the desk and I paid a couple of bills.  There's another bill waiting to process later tonight, and when that's paid, I'll be down to double digits in the checking account. Obama/SSI had better not be late with their pittance! 

I also made some progress in the guest room. I had thought I might find a lot more to donate than I ended up with. However, I have a box full of slacks that, at the moment, are too small for me. I did decide to donate 5 pairs of slacks. I decided to keep the remaining pairs because I am now at about my slimmest since graduating from high school. And, I am coming very close to my goal of walking every day which just might knock some inches off. I know that muscle weighs more than fat but it also takes up less space on my body. Hope springs eternal........ Besides, these are all classically styled slacks which aren't likely to go out of style. I did find several pairs that I think will fit me now. I need to try them on, but, maybe...........

The next thing I'm going to attack in that room is a box full of turtlenecks. These are not fancy "sweaters" but simple little cotton layering pieces that I used to wear ALL the time under sweaters, sweatshirts, etc. However, I've decided the turtlenecks really bother me these days. I find the necklines uncomfortable. I think I can count on getting rid of quite a few of those........It's hard to give them up when they color-coordinate with so much else in my closet, but I'm not wearing them anyway. The least I can do is thin them out!

I also did a load of laundry. It's about 90% on the hanging rack. I let a few of the light weight items go round in the dryer for the shortest possible period, primarily because I ran out of room on the drying rack. 

I have been turning the heat off at 1PM the last few days. I do need to turn it back on for a little while in the evening til I go to bed. But, I can get by with less heat when I'm up and moving around, and in the afternoons, if there's sun (which happens often in Vegas), the house stays pretty warm. At night, I burrow down under the covers and stay pretty warm that way. 

I have added elements and added elements to that kit I'm working on. I'm having trouble getting the MB count up where I like to see it. I'm running out of ideas for what I can add next, LOL. It seems like it's all in there but the kitchen sink! 

I've also backed up a lot of smaller files today. These take constant attention. At bedtime tonight, I'll start one of the big ones going.........

So, all in all, not too bad today. I can do better. I have 4 hours to do that! 

20 days

Today is the 20th day since, thanks to a forgetful doctor, I was able to stop taking a poisonous antibiotic. Theoretically, I am 1/3 rid of the after effects of that thing. Hard to believe I have another 40 days of this.....

I did finally get the new prescription for thyroid meds from the drugstore. These pills are 25mcg stronger than the ones I've been surviving on (which I had laying around from when a previous dosage change rendered them useless). This will help a little. It will only be a little, though. First, under the best of circumstances, it takes 21 days for thyroid levels to fully react to a change in dosage. Second, this is not the best of circumstances as the thyroid/hormone receptors in my body are still 2/3's blocked with poison. However, I am hereby adopting the "one step at a time" philosophy with regard to this issue. So, today will be a little better and this is good.

Anyone here ever read Joyce Meyer's "The Battleground of the Mind"? I had quite the battle on my hands last night--all in my mind. It was a case of being fearful over finances. I can muster a fair amount of faith in most areas of my life. I can live above circumstances when it comes to healing, for example. I went to work at that store over the holidays, knowing that I was subjecting my body to more than it could handle every single day, but believing that God would get me through it. However, it is in the area of finances that I really struggle. I truly believe that having been trained as an accountant and working in that field all these years,has helped make this a real area of weakness for me. 

I am trained to look at FACTS. But there are FACTS and there is TRUTH. And so, there was a battle yesterday between FACTS and TRUTH. My bank account says one thing; my Bible says another. And I am fighting to think about, say, do, according to TRUTH. And my human nature says "But, wait a minute, look at this. This'll scare the pants off you!" I truly wondered how in the world I would ever get to sleep last night. 

But I made up my mind that I WOULD sleep! I had to tell myself (and whatever evil spirits were lurking around) that I was casting all my cares on Jesus. I had to quote to myself (and whatever evil spirits were lurking around) that "My God will supply all my needs, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus". I repeated that and any other "blessing"/"prosperity" scripture I could think of numerous times before I went to bed. Then, thank you, Jesus, I laid down and went to sleep. God is good! 

And I woke up with two scriptures floating around in my head. Literally woke up with them. Crawled out of bed, walked to the bathroom, sat down and the scriptures were there in my head. "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). And "I shall restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten"(Joel 2:25)...........

That first verse is the verse God gave me the day my husband died. The second verse is the verse He gave me the day I moved into this house. I don't see "hope and a future" in the natural, but God sees that and has promised it in His word. And He's had plans for me for today and tomorrow and next week and next month since before the beginning of the world. I'll take His side on this, no matter what my eyes, training, and experience tell me. So, those are my verses for today and I intend to quote them MANY times today to keep away the bad thoughts.

I didn't do great in the house yesterday. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not just fighting to set this house straight but I am doing it with physical limitations. I did work in the kitchen and get a few more areas cleaned up. I did get the glass doors on the wall units in the living room cleaned. I did do the dusting that has so needed to be done in the dining room. I also got some shredding done and finally convinced myself to make a "field trip" to the bank, then to the pharmacy. I also worked on backups a good bit. Still a LONG way to go......... I'm sure I did some other stuff too, but those were the primary accomplishments. Not enough, but what I could muster the energy to do..... And, I did climb on the treadmill for 14 minutes. I also spent time with the Lord.

Today, I am working on filling up a kit I've been working on. 

I'll also finally be able to wipe out that "junk drawer" and begin filling it up again in a more organized fashion. And, of course, kitchen cleaning. There's always kitchen cleaning.......... It occurred to me yesterday that I've avoided cleaning out that drawer for a LOT of years. Well, no more avoidance.....

As always, this desk needs work. I slacked off yesterday, so I must hit it today.......... Because of that itty bitty deposit I made yesterday, I can pay another little bill or two...... Praise God, just 2 days til the SSI check arrives. However, just 2 days after that, I have to ante up the final payment on repairing the broken water pipe. Now that's a chunk..........

MUST do more backups and more shredding. The shredding will drown me if I don't get it out of the way before clients start calling and appearing at my door......... 

I abhor dusting out here. It is terribly cluttered in spite of my efforts. It would really help if I had a strong man around to help me get rid of some stuff. I will however work on this and work on finding surfaces as I go along.......... Maybe I'll see if the Lord wants to give me strength to lift heavier stuff than I think I can lift.......

I think I'll also try to do some more work in the guest room. I have several boxes into which I've sorted clothes which I can try to fill up and put away. It's not likely I'll have any guests in the foreseeable future, but the mess in there really bothers me.

BOMBSHELL IN MY WORLD: Yet another scrapbooking store has closed. There was only one designer I really followed there as I don't buy stuff for personal use--I can create my own stuff to scrap with, so why would I buy someone else's? But, I did follow that one designer for design stuff. It's no big deal for me as she has another store and I know where it is. However, my heart goes out to the designers that were selling their stuff in that store. I've been where they are and I feel for them. I know they are probably hurting and I need to pray for them. The cited problem is some sort of issue with the site's web host. Geez......

So that's a summary of yesterday and my hopes for today. YOU be BLESSED today.

 

The Impossible Dream............

Silly me.......... I got it into my head I wanted to/needed to do a new kit for Valentine's Day. I plugged away at it for the greater part of the day and really didn't do too bad with it. I got all the patterned papers done, and 27 elements. And, it's really pretty. However, by nightfall sanity had returned. I began to wonder if I could really finish the kit by Valentine's Day, and if I really needed to. I have several nice kits with this theme archived. I went exploring among my various files and folders to see what I had and, sure enough, I bumped into a kit I REALLY like that I put together a while back. I opened every element and checked for texture and size and got all that fixed to my satisfaction. Then I added in new elements and worked on getting the working preview up to snuff so that it could be used to create kit previews. I have to tell you, I fell in love with this kit all over again! Two of the previews (alphas and papers) didn't change, but the other two (elements and kit) are substantially different and so they've been put together in proper format and they're on their way to my design assistant. Yay, me! 

So, this week's kit went up yesterday and I have kits for the next 2 weeks ready to go! It's been a while since I've been ahead of the game and it's such a great feeling. Hey! Want a peek at this week's kit? I think this kit is pretty versatile. You can scrap so many different things with it. You could scrap a layout about a little guy who plays with trucks. Or, the mess that happened when you painted your living room, or how far overdue you went on your expected completion date for your kitchen remodel. Or, how about how snarled traffic gets on your daily commute, due to construction zones (that's a biggie where I live. You can't drive 5 miles in any direction without hitting construction of some sort.) Anyway, I think, when you look at it, you'll see the possibilities too. 

Isn't that a cute kit? You can find it at Scrapbird. Look around while you're there. Lots of beautiful goodies to use for those layouts you haven't gotten to yet...........

I had an idea in 2014. I wanted to create an afghan for each of my grandchildren. Something for the to hold onto to help them remember they have a Grandma that loves them. Something they could keep for a long time to come, if they choose. I don't get to see them often at all, but if they had an afghan lying around to snuggle under, perhaps it would serve as a reminder.

The oldest grandson is 7 years older than his next oldest sibling. I needed to get going on that one. I picked out a pattern on the internet that I really thought was unusual and interesting. Translated (not too well) from Italian. Surely not something you'd see on every street corner, right? Yeah, well, those instructions left something to be desired in English. And, there were constant color changes with way too many threads to weave in. And, it was hole-y. I wanted to make a WARM afghan, not one with a thousand air holes which let a person's body warmth seep away. And I could see that putting any sort of edge on that thing was going to be a bugger!

So, this past week I ripped apart what I had created and started over. I gave up on some of my fancy ideas and went with a good old-fashioned ripple design. I have two rounds of the full color pattern completed and I'm liking it a lot. AND, it's single crochet so it's not hole-y. A person wrapped in THIS afghan will STAY warm! That's what I intended in the first place! I feel good about what I'm creating and I think it will serve the purpose well. Of course, being a boy, it's likely my grandson will be totally mystified as to why he's getting such a gift when finally it's complete and he receives it. But, I'll give him some ideas and hopefully the sentiment intended will reach him in time..........

So what to do with today? Well, it's not as though there's a shortage of things to do, LOL. On the design side, I need to get this week's kit uploaded to my file sharing site so the CT can dig in with it. I work hard at being a considerate designer and giving them plenty of time to pull their layouts together. 

I'm knee deep in backups. I got a very late start on these, woe is me. I don't know if I can finish them all this month or not, but I'm gonna give it the ole college try.

I can finish up in the kitchen today--I think. If I can't, it will be because of the junk drawer! But, I've been stacking like items together as I dig through it and I have it almost emptied. I just need to find suitable containers to hold the bits and pieces I'm keeping. I want to give the kitchen table a good wipe-down and I also want to clean the window that is next to the front entrance. The other window is a bay window. On the outside, I can't reach the top of it without climbing on something. There are shelves across it on the inside and the shelves are filled with cups and glassware. A TOTAL pain to clear. AND, to clean the inside of that window, I pretty much have to stand in the sink. I don't relish that prospect at all so I probably won't do it, LOL.

I have a bunch of electric blankets stacked on my dining room table. I also have a bunch of controls for said blankets. The puzzle comes in when you try to figure out which control goes to which blanket. Most of these will be donated. Maybe even all. But, I want to make sure they all have working controls with them. 

The desk out here is not much better today than it was yesterday. So, I'll work on that. And, I talked about needing to do shredding days ago and haven't done any. I just do not like doing that. I think the thing that gets me is the need to dump the shredder bin fairly often. It seems to be impossible to do that without watching dozens of little bits of shredded paper hit the floor. What a mess it makes. But, I need to make progress with this before clients start pounding on my door and I have even more shredding to do! 

So, there are a few of the projects I want to tackle today. I think I'd better work in some prayer time as well as most of what's on that list is stuff I don't enjoy doing. I'll need help to stay on course. YOU be BLESSED today!