Changed it! FIxed it???

Hey Angie! I did this all by myself! (I think?)

Whatever the problem with the picture showing up, by changing the background it seemed to disappear!

Whatcha think of the new background?

Retirement process, step 1

In preparation for "the Retirement", I have been scaling down and pushing things out! Our plan is to move to a smaller house. Which also means, less junk! So, looking around, we have LOTS and LOTS of junk!

I was blessed to be home 3 days this week and my goal, other than prepare a sign language talk and study for our sign language meeting (that was 1/2 of 2 of the days) was to clean out a couple closets. What is left here is amazing compared to what it was before!

And if you knew that most of that will also be gone by then, well, I did pretty awesome, right!
One thing in the closet is a pair of my hubby's pants that he bought last Jan and I "promised!" to alter for him. I can hear my voice now, "Oh, honey, don't you pay to have them altered! I can do it for you...free!"

Well, the 1st step to that would also be to get out the sewing machine. And you see, the desk that was originally for my sewing machine has been loaded with .....junk also. So, I am so excited now! After years! My sewing machine is back on the desk!!!

One step closer to pants altered!

Retirement? For Who?

275 days

39 weekends

6596 hours

395,795 minutes

23,747,758 seconds

9 months, 1 day, 20 hour, 36 minutes, 23 seconds

For my hubby, it's all about the countdown.

For me it's

"What in the world will I do with that man when he retires????

We are trying to figure out, what and where after he retires. (Notice it's "He" retires! Don't think it will ever happen for me-I don't get a retirement check) We know we want a change, we drive about 1/2 hour to the hall 7 days a week and it would be nice to be closer.

I also desperately want to be closer to my kids and my grandkids.

So, I asked them, "What's your best offer?"

My youngest said, "When you move here....". She wants some of her own family nearby. Can't blame her, I feel the same way!

My oldest son says, "When you move there, you will see us more often!" Wait a minute?!? Was that a promise or was that a "Don't move here!!!!" Not sure about that one.

My other daughter is in the process of making a life changing decision to live in Ecuador for the rest of her life. That story another day. She would also like to have family near by....in Ecuador!

Her offer is Ecuador with all it's peaceful simple life.

Then there is my younger son and his wife. They have 4 children and gave the most fun offer yet. "Unlimited evenings and weekends with no roaming charges!" Wow! Don't even get that with my cell phone!

Tough decisions. Mainly we just want a simpler life. Less house to take care of. Less stuff. Any and all offers will be considered!

Speaking of less stuff.
Put 3 bags on the back porch last Monday to be picked up for charity. Different charity called the next day. I always agree to donate, that way I am motivated to clean out!

I have FIVE more bags!!

They are reproducing in my house!

Scary!

I know, I know.

I really have been wondering if everyone has just given up on me posting! Probably should have.
My summer has been CRAZY!
~Working everyday
~ASL Assembly in Michigan
~ Visit with family in the states
~Service, Service-LONGGGGG Days! Finished the year with 841!!!! Yipee!
~C.O. last visit (that was a week we loved!)
~Courtney had surgery so her family stayed with us for a week. (Same week as C.O. visit, and finishing my time for the year!)
~Anniversary trip to Jessica Lake in the White Shell!!!! YIPPEE that was a de-stresser.
~Breathe (had to be scheduled or I'd forget!)
~Clean, cook very badly, and try to keep on truckin!

So, now after next Tues, things will slow down to a quiet riot, hopefully!
We are now down to 2 in the house, which helps to slow my life down as well.
So this is my official effort to get back on track.

Have 30 minutes to get ready for work.
Hope to see you next week!

Books movies and life

I have been on a role lately with reading books. My problem is, once I start a book I can't seem to focus on anything else until the book is finished! So, many things are put off and late!

I grew up reading books and loving it! I even worked in a book store for my 2nd job and it was very distracting! I was able to take any book home, read it and return it! As good as a library! But all the new books and magazines were at my disposal. I took my kids to the library each week and we would check out books by the dozens so that they could read or I could read to them.

When we lived in California, I didn't always have a car. So, on the bus we would go-my 5 kids and me! They had a weekly goal for the kids in their book club and if they met the weekly reading goal, they could get a prize like lunch at Burger King. Now that was awesome for the mom because it was "Take the kids to lunch, FREE!" time! Loved that one!

I volunteered at the school in the library so that the kids could check out books. I always wanted to encourage the kids to read!

I haven't been reading much the last few years until recently. I thought I need to focus first on my spritual reading, then I can read the others. But, I am doing okay with that, so I wanted some new reading.

So, where to start. I always liked Nicholas Sparks books. I bought "The Last Song." SAD! Then I read "Dear John" Sad again! Then "The Choice" and last one "The Bend in the Road." I think my all time favorite though is "The Wedding. I won't give away the endings but that one is awesome. We discussed his books this week and some said, someone always dies in his books! Well, true. But there are some really happy endings, too.

My last book was Still Life. WOW! Now, here I was in deep anticipation of the ending on Monday night. Only a little left to finish but I need to go to bed. But here I was up Tues morning at 5:30 reading, trying to get ready to leave by 8:30. I did finish the book at 7:30-which made me late getting ready for service.

I'm a little afraid to get my new books from the library because I get SO distracted! This is one very busy month and it does help me find some relief from the day-to-day stress. I always want books that other people I trust have read because then you don't get deep into them only to find junk you don't want to read about! So, then I don't finish them and I'm really frustrated!

I don't like books or movies that hit home too close. I remember growing up thinking "Dr Zhivago was the most awesome movie! Even wanted to name my 1st child "Lara". Then I realized, HE WAS CHEATING ON AN AWESOME WIFE! O My! Or the same thing with "Bridges over Madison County" Like YIKES! Her husband was working so hard for the family and she just wanted fun! With another man!!!! Or, Mrs Doubtfire. That is too close to my life with my Mom not wanting my Dad to see us.

We went to see "Bounty Hunter" last night. Not the most intriguing move. And there was the gambling problem that was obvious.
I think too many times I let my brain think too much. I mean really, after all, it's just a movie or a book! But, I want a release from the day-to-day stress and not think about things that really are happening. Books are a great way to do that.

wassup? where ya been? and an announcement!!!!

Okay, so where have I been lately? I know, it's been awhile. But I have barely had time to sleep! As we speak, I should be in bed. It may only be 8 PM but I will be up at 5AM and on my way out the door by 6:30. Yes, this is my life.

I do have this genetic defect. At least that's what the Prevention magazine called it. It's when people wake up at the SAME time EVERYDAY without an alarm clock! Sound like me! YUP! Drives a LOT of people nuts, including me! You know those days off when you think, AHHH! I can sleep in tomorrow!!! Well, not me!

But actually tomorrow, it's on purpose because I am meeting a friend at 7 for service for an hour. Trying to finish off the service year and it's a REAL challenge this year!! Then off to work.

Work lately has been REALLY boring!

I work when people are on holidays. That means less people are at work. That means there is less for me to do!!! There's only so much organizing you can do of other people's desks. I have this STRONG desire to re-arrange everything, put things in folders, etc, etc. But then when the regular person comes back, well, she needs to know where her stuff is! So, I dust and straighten all their stuff. And sit and do my crossword puzzles.

But, my family has been busy! AWESOME JOB GUYS!!!!

And the announcement..........................

It's a NEW GRANDPUPPY!!!

What a cutie! Hopefully, I will meet her next month!

Here she is!

Here she is! That's my Granddaughter in the middle with her parents.

Isn't she adorable?!?!?

So, she was the reason for our trip to California. Here's the group picture.

I hadn't been to California for about 14 years! Can't honestly remember the last time I was there, but not since I moved to Canada.
And, so you know, some of us got older. I don't know how she went from 5 to 17 so fast! I honestly think the rest of us are all the same age, though, right?

I also got to see these awesome amazing friends! We go back to when our kids were quite a bit younger and stealing all of the teriyaki chicken out of the kitchen. The story goes like this. We had some really good Teriyaki chicken and decided to leave the dish in the kitchen so the adults could be alone in the other room. Well, the 7 kids decided it was time to devour and thus they did, leaving none for the adults.

These friends never change! They will always be the kind of friends that anyone would LOVE to have. I am so greatful they wanted to see me. The responsiblity to keep in touch better now.

And here she is again with her two beautiful aunts!

The trip was AMAZING!

I honestly have to say, you can keep those freeways, though! And those parking lots! A scrape on the side of the rental car put quite a damper on an otherwise AWESOME trip! That and the flood in my basement at home. But I will always remember that I actually got to be there for another big event in her life! The first being her birth!!!!