Hodge Podge

1.  When were you last facing an ocean? Using just ONE word, describe how you felt as you faced that ocean. 

peaceful!

isle of Palms Charleston, SC

2. What are three sounds you hate to hear?

Hmm,  crying people. Kids having tantrums. nails on a chalk board....I think there may be more but you only asked for 3.

3. This question comes to you courtesy of some real life friends. Hi real life friends! When you shop for yourself, do you try everything on in the store before buying or do you buy, try on at home, and then return what you don't like or what doesn't fit?

Depends on my mood, sometimes I try stuff on and some times I don't.

4. February 26th is National Pistachio Day...are you a fan of the little green nut? Do you use them in cooking and baking or prefer to eat them right out of the shell?

I do love pistachio nuts! I eat them All the time!

5. When did you last have to compromise with someone?  Were you happy to reach the compromise or slightly irritated it was necessary? 

I am from a big blended family. We always have issues compromises have to be made continuously. The compromises are some times irritating for all.

6.  Have you ever written a letter to an elected official? Did you get a response?

When my daughter was trying to enlist in the army out of high school. She was denied because at one time her young life she had a diagnosis of exercise induced asthma, which she was totally  cured from when she graduated high school. So I sent a letter to our senator Strom Thurman. he helped her she did get into the army like she had dreamed.

7. We 'March' into a new month at the end of this week...what's something on your March calendar guaranteed to make you smile?

Visiting my son and daughter in law in Myrtle Beach SC. I miss their family so much. My grandsons are growing like weeds!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
My mom had surgery two days ago she is doing well. She is staying with one of my brothers. I love you MOM!!!

Hodge Podge Time

1. When were you last 'on a mountaintop'?  You may answer in the literal or figurative sense.

Figuratively I am in the valley right now...moving up very slowly. 

Actually I have been on the mountain tops in Oregon a few times; Mt Hood and Sister's Oregon are both beautiful. I was there a few years ago.

Mt Hood

2.  Do you establish and maintain a strict budget in your household?  What is one piece of financial advice you would offer someone just starting out on their own? 

I do not which is why I worry so much about this time of no pay for me. I want to start a budget I am going to need to now, then keep it when things get better.

My advise to those starting out is to start a budget and live on it, so they know what to expect when the unexpected happens.

3.  Cherries-yay or nay?  Cherry pie, cherry cola, black forest cake, or a scoop ofBen and Jerry's Cherries Garcia...pick one. 

I am really not that fond of cherries. I will eat cheese cake with cherries.

4.  Should you ever discuss religion or politics with people you don't know? 

It is hard to talk politics and religion with my own family, so yes I think its not a good idea.

5.  When you take a road trip do you prefer to be the driver or the passenger?  Where were you headed on your last road trip? 

I like to be the passenger when my hubby is driving. That way I sleep safely while he drives. If I am not with him I like to drive.

6. If we peeked inside your closet, what color would we say is most prevalent?

I am really not sure I do have a lot of blue;but I have other colors too. I am not colortyped.

7. Who's your favorite senior citizen and why are they special?

I  would have to say my dad. He is my idol, my spiritual mentor, and just my dad. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am trying to put all this in God's hands and not worry or fret about not being able to find a job;but this is not easy. Every time I turn something else comes up. Like for instance. I had asked the pay roll department to break up my pay in two payments just so there would not be so much taxes taken out and I could pay everything off.  Well, they did not, so they took a very big chink out of it for taxes.  I did pay some bills, but will not be able to make the difference I wanted too.

I am trying to focus and keep positive through it all! Every once in a while I just have to let off steam!

Weekend with Dad

 I had an absolutely wonderful weekend even though the weather was awful. We went to Pgh so I could spend time with Dad. We got in late Friday after a snow storm made our three hour drive turn into six. I was supposed to drop hubby and his dog off at his brothers house then go to Dad's. But the weather was so nasty I spent the night at my brother in laws home with his family and our dogs, five in all and one crazy cat whose name is Willy (but they call him Bin Laden because he terrorizes the house). Saturday after we all went to brunch, I went to Dad's and spent the day there. It was wonderful! My dad is terrific and so is my step-mom! We had some deep conversations and some no so deep conversations. Just spending time together was great. Sunday morning we woke up again to snow everywhere; Dad drove us to church and then I went to get hubby and we came home.

I just love spending time with my dad. I have always been a daddy's girl at heart and even now that I am a grand ma I am still in my heart daddy's little girl!

Dad with grandson Remy this summer

Decisions to make

Some times decisions are hard to make. Like I was called from a nurse staffing agency. They told me they had positions in Oregon close to where my daughter lives. I called for the license and it is going to cost $300 to renew. I thought that meant SLAM that door closed! Today I was talking to my daughter. Her and her hubby are having babysitter troubles. The talked it over and decided that paying for my license to go there and work would be cheaper than paying a babysitter. The assignments are for 12  weeks which means I would be away from home for that long. I have done it before when my first grandson was born and she first moved to Oregon.

What I am trying to figure out now is what should I do? Let them pay for my license and go help them or continue looking for a job here?

I am at a loss???? Any suggestions? I told her to talk to her dad about it and if he was OK with it, I am too. What would you do??

Hodge Podge Time!!

1. This week marks the beginning of Lent... will you be giving something up or adding anything to your life during this season of the year?

I haven't really thought about it, to be honest. But I am doing a Bible Study right now called the Frazzled Female which encourages daily devotions. I am not very good at daily devotions. Time has always been my enemy but now in between jobs again, maybe this is the perfect time.

2. The day before Lent is Shrove Tuesday...traditionally you eat pancakes on this day. In some parts of the world Shrove Tuesday is actually known as 'pancake day'. How do you like your pancakes? Or don't you?

I have to say first I have never heard of the Tuesday before Lent to be called Shrove Tuesday or pancake day. I have heard of Fat Tuesday. 

Anyhow back to pancakes, I do like them. My favorite is from IHOP (international House of Pancakes) a, although I have not been there since moving here. The favored pancakes are honey nut with butter pecan syrup!! YUMMY!!! wish I had some now!!

3. I am sure there are many, but whats one love song you really love?

Always and Forever by Heatwave an older song but I have always loved it! I say it is mine and hubby's song. Although he does not remember it.

4. What are some things you do to let others know you love them?

I take care of them, help them. Listen when needed. Can't really think of anything else.

5.  Roses...red, pink, or do you prefer another color? Can you recall the last time someone gave you flowers? Given your choice would you like to open the door and see a dozen red roses, a dozen purple tulips, or a dozen pink peonies?

I love flowers, any kind of flowers!! Red roses are my favorite. So I would love to get a dozen red roses at my door. But the tulips sound pretty too.

6.  President's Day will be celebrated in America next Monday. Does US Presidential history and trivia interest you?  Many Presidential homes are open to the public and offer guided tours...Monticello (Jefferson's home), Mount Vernon (Washington's home), Montpelier (James Madison's home), Hyde Park(FD Roosevelt's home) and The White House (home to the sitting President) to name just a few. Of those listed which would you be most interested in touring?  Why?

I am not really a history person. I think it is cool and would go t any of the homes just to see the décor and what they looked like.

7.  Are you good at keeping secrets?

Mostly, yes. But I almost always tell my husband everything!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am going to visit my Dad this weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. It is a three hour drive. My little dog Ollie is coming too. Dad is allergic to dogs but Ollie is hypoallergenic so he can come, Belle our lab pup is not so my hubby is going to stay with his brother and bring Belle. Belle’s biological brother is there so they can reunite and have some fun. We will all be together; Belle just can’t stay at dad’s that’s all. Looking forward to some Dad time!!!

it's Friday!!!

Some of the bloggers I follow do Friday Fragments so I thought I would give it a try.

My week this week has been chaotic to say the least. Monday was the last day of my class on Nursing research. I had to drop it before and retake it because I was failing it the first time so I was a little bit worried about it. Monday I turned in my final project and waited to see what my grade would be....I got an A-. I don't care about the MINUS it is an A! I am over the moon about that. I was so worried I would not pass it a second time! This time was a different teacher so the vibe of the class was different and it must have worked with me.
Earlier in the week I was talking about how I was trusting God and everything was wonderful. Well it is crazy because one day off track and I feel like a mountain has grown in front of me for me to climb. I am excited about the things the Lord has done for me even in these past two weeks but it is funny how taking your eyes off Him for a minute can send you right back to the darkness.
I had a bad morning. I was doing my best to focus on God but one thing after another kept jumping in my face. Then to make matters worse on my way to my last day with my clinical group with my cake and body parts (the body parts are for the students to practice procedures like catherization) I was driving down the long country road when I started to day dream about something, I have no idea what now, I saw a police car coming the opposite way. I looked at my speed I was going 70. I slowed down but as I did I saw him turn around in my rear view mirror. My stomach sank into my toes He got me! I got a speeding ticket! The police officer was nice and talked very pleasantly to me but he still gave me a TICKET!!!! I was BUMMED!!!
The girls in my clinical group made me feel better with a card and conversations that boosted my spirits.
Tomorrow is another day....and I plan to KEEP my EYES on my Jesus so no matter what comes my way mountain, speeding ticket I can handle it cause He is helping me handle it! I plan on having a great weekend!

Its Wednesday and that means Hodge Podge!

Its that wonderful time of the week where we get to learn just a little bit more about each other. It's Hodge Podge Wednesday!! Join us!

1.  Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 10th, and 2013 is the year of the snake. When did you last see a snake?  Are you okay around snakes or do they give you the shivers? 

The last time that sticks out in my mind was years ago at Magnolia Garden's in Charleston, SC. My sister in law and I were on a stroll down the garden path when all the sudden came the biggest snake I had ever seen in my life! And he just slid across the path! I was TERRIFIED!! It was inches from me!!!! it went across the path and up a tree on the other side almost like he was saying excuse me while I cross this path to go to my tree. We almost ran out of the gardens and I never went back! that should tell you how I feel about snakes.

2. The color red in Chinese culture usually means good luck.  Do you believe in luck? 

No, I do not believe in luck but that does not mean I will not buy a lottery ticket every once in a while. 

3. sledding-ice skating-building a snowman...if given a choice, which activity would you choose?  Which of the three have you done most recently?  

None actually; I lived in South Carolina for 15 years! It does not snow there. With that being said every  time it snows now I want to run around in it and fall to the ground and make snow angles. Maybe my daughter when my daughter moves back home and my grandsons are close I can do those things. O, and I will!!All of them!!

4.  Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited as saying, "The years teach much which the days never knew."  Where have you seen this quote played out in your own life?  

I have been working as a nurse educator of first year nursing students since August of last year. I see it every day in their faces as they try to grasp the idea of nursing. It is not all book smarts there are many other aspects to it. I have tried to make them understand that because I know from experience. In school you learn the techniques and knowledge base but you can not fully know how to be a good nurse until you are a nurse.

5. When was the last time you ate a cupcake?  

A few months ago. 

6. What's something you can't say no to?  

Chocolate!!! I love it!! I crave it and then I HAVE to HAVE IT!

7.  Are you a doodler?  

Nope, I do doodle at times but mostly I am a writer. I write all kinds of stuff. I have another blog where I write short stories and poems. I have note books aroound the house with writings. Maybe someday I will write a whole book. I have thought about it many times!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  

Last week on Tuesday I found out I will only have my job until the end of next week. They may need me in the fall but as now they do not need me any more. With that being said God has done amazing things for me in this past week. if I have peaked your interest read my last blog for details...... Praise the Lord for He is in control!!!!

God does amazing things....If we let Him

Yes that is right I said God does amazing things if WE let him. God is mighty, all powerful, loving. He can do all things do not get me wrong. But, He has given the freedom of choice. Choice of what we want to do. Do we want to follow Him? or not? Do we let Him be in control of our lives? Or do we just give Him so much and control the rest ourselves? I think many of us know this in our head, but do we practice it?

I am learning a valuable lesson right now. I started by kicking and screaming. I just knew I could not sit here and do nothing when I could be doing something. Let me elaborate. I am a nurse, I am a control FrEaK (your eyes are not playing games I did mess up my spelling with various types of letters). You see I am in control!! The problem with that is if I am in control where is God in my life? Do I let Him peek in here and there periodically? Do I even have time to seek him at all? In Matthew 6:33 Jesus states "Seek FIRST His Kingdom and His glory and all these things will be added to you." The verses before to put this into context talks about how anxious we are; God takes care of the birds and even the flowers. Then He tells us we are much more important than those and He will surely take care of us.
SO, when we moved across country, had to sell one house, buy another house, and I had to find a job to pay all the bills so we could live in the standard we were accustomed to living I knew exactly what to do. I emailed a friend in a city close to where we were moving (I thought) to get a job. We put the house up for sale. My hubby moved up first, he had the job that moved us. I moved up about a month later which would give me a little bit of a vacation before starting a new job which I got without much problem. Everything sounds perfect right? 
Well now it is a Jan 2013 that was July 2011; the house in SC is still for sale possibly going into a short sale or foreclosure, the perfect job I had was more than an hour away from where we were living and because of their union status I could be mandated to work over time which would make me work 16 hours in one day, drive home over an hour go to sleep then drive back to work that night. (I did get mandated once and refused because I had an appointment and was written up.) So since the job was not working I starting looking for another job closer to home. I got one, and I lost it two months later because I failed a test, basically it is a long story but the unemployment trail that happened after which it was decided I would not be eligible for unemployment because I failed that test, so... That was the end of May 2012. I was unemployed until August of 2012 and got the job I have now at a local College teaching first year nursing students. I thought this was permanent but on Feb 14 I will be done. Although I am working on my Master's degree in nursing, I do not have it yet so the state says I can not teach with out it unless there is one Masters degree nurse teaching for every Bachelors. They don't have that here, I was hired last. I also found out from my school because I was $200 short on my tuition I was being forced to take a break until I could pay the balance. I got this information last week on Tuesday. I was a total MESS!!! I did not want to talk to any one.......but my daughter called and God used her as my voice of wisdom. She said things like "things happen for a reason" and maybe this is not the path for you". Then she told me something remarkable ( remarkable to me because I would have never expected my daughter to tell me this) She said when you get off this phone go to a quiet place and do your devotion, meditate, or pray and let all the stress go and listen...  WOW!!! I did exactly what she said!
That was Tuesday, let me tell what happened Wednesday. I have always had a heart for crisis pregnancy ministries which help those who think they want to get an abortion; the new church I had started going to a few weeks before partnered with one. I called to volunteer. So Wednesday morning I went for an interview and orientation meeting. It was great! I am going to go at least once a week maybe more if they need me. After the meeting I went to the grocery store as I pulled into the parking lot I got a call from my school, where I am a student. My advisor told me my financial aid was due to come in and it would pay the balance in my tuition and also give me a refund! YEAH! but I am not done yet....  I need to take medication for a chronic illness I have and at the first of the year I was told because of my insurance and it was the first of the year I had a deductible to meet and my medication would be over $100 a month until I met it. I called that day to find out exactly how much I needed to drain from my minimal savings to pay for this medication, they told me the medication was free! That is right FREE!!!!!!

I have been singing God's praises since then!!! The next day while doing my devotion and quiet time a verse came to my mind. It is a Bible verse everyone has heard, but I heard it in my head in a completely different way that day. The verse is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that who so ever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." This is the way I heard it.... "For God so loved ME that He sent his only begotten SON.....because He loved ME...enough to die for ME".... WOW!!!!

At this moment I have no idea what is going to happen on February 15 and beyond.... I have no idea how my bills are going to get paid.... I have no idea if I will get a job.... BUT I do know that if I put God FIRST and let Him be in control...He is going to take care of me (of us).