Busy as I can be!

I love the end of summer and beginning of fall. Especially around these parts as there are so many wonderful farm stands in our little area. I have my choice of 4 produce stands that are direct from the farm within 5 miles of home. And there are 2 wonderful orchards within 6 miles.

I have been busy with my canner. I've done my wax beans - at total of 18 pint and a half jars. And I have done strawberry freezer jam. I have done roasted tomato marinara sauce and I have frozen it in zip locks bags, done quart jars in my pressure canner and frozen even more in freezer jars by the quart. I am also dehydrating tomatoes and have one last batch in the oven roasting as I sit and type. 

I have 2 more projects to do... making raspberry peach jam and also canning homemade pork and beans. I hear that they are much better home canned than what we can buy in the store. I am willing to give it a try as my DH loves beans. I hope that when the time comes, he will enjoy the efforts I am making! He's not home much these days as the plant he works at is very busy finishing up their Christmas candies to be shipped across the country. Long 12 hour days and with a few shifts that only have 8 hours in between are the norm for this time of year.

DH also tells me that they are short handed and a few people were suspended indefinitely last week due to an issue with getting date codes changed properly. Someone was suppose to change it... thought someone else was doing it, a supervisor didn't check soon enough, product had to be pulled from shipping to be reworked. It sounds like a big mess, and they are trying to get it all figured out and place the blame on the proper person. It's all stuff that makes me feel glad I don't work there. I know those things are important, but it also affects so many people when someone doesn't do their job correctly... from other employees and their families, all the way to the consumer if things aren't caught soon enough.

I am feeling very blessed to be able to be home and do my canning projects. I am also working on doing laundry today and trying to get some weekend housework done. It seems that I am always working on cleaning the house in the midst of what ever I am trying to do. I do know that I need to get my closet sorted out and get rid of some clothing. I have way too much, and I need to let go of some of my older pieces that I no longer wear. (I always think I will wear again soon, and then I don't.) I have a huge pile of things that either need to be thrown away or have a yard sale and then donate the rest to Goodwill or Sals. What a quandary to find myself in. It takes it's toll on me both mentally and physically... more physically than anything, my hands hurt and so does my back and my knees. Time to soldier on!

Thanks for reading... have a blessed day!
~Suzanne

Things I am looking forward to....

Fall is upon us... in just a couple of days!
I am looking forward to a few of the following things:

I am looking forward to the tv show Parenthood returning next week!

I am REALLY looking forward to Million Second Quiz ending. I am sick of that thing!

I am looking forward to my DH's next day off... thinking it will likely be Oct. 5th.

I am looking forward to have a few more things crossed off the "Master Honey-Do list" that is attached to the side of our fridge. This is a long list with lots of projects, both big and small. I would so love to see a bunch of the small stuff crossed!

I am looking forward to finally getting enough money saved up to get my DH's truck back on the road.

I am looking forward to doing one or two more canning projects and then putting all the canning gear away for awhile.

I am looking forward to doing some fall baking... pumpkin bars for one... and some pumpkin scones.

I am looking forward to sitting down at my sewing machine and starting a new quilt project.

I am looking forward to starting a few more chapters to the book that is in process.

Oh... and I am really looking forward to the schedule changing for DH... we are not liking the 11-11 schedule at all!

That's a pretty good list. All realistic and attainable, don't you think?
Thanks for reading! Please have a blessed day.

~Suzanne

Still Here!

I am still here... wrapped up in my favorite blanket on the sofa. I did go to the doctor... well, actually I saw the PA. He gave me stronger anti-biotics instead of a trip to the hospital. I am still doing all my other breathing treatments and get some relief. But if I over-exert myself at all... I end up sounding like a sea lion as I cough and hack. Once that is under control, I still have the peacock sounds of wheezing and feel the pressure of trying to breathe.

Yesterday we had a heating oil delivery. The driver needed help with the doors so I was required to get down stairs to get him inside the garage. It was cold, snowing and windy. Between the activity of the stairs and getting the door open and the weather... I thought I was a goner! I made it inside to the staircase and sat on the 2nd step to try and catch my breath. I sat there until the delivery driver was done and he brought our receipt. He looked at me and asked if I needed medical assistance... he was concerned. I told him I would be ok in a minute or two. He asked again if he needed to get me some help... poor guy. I told him I would be ok and to have a nice day. I made it upstairs and took a hit on my rescue inhaler and rested. I felt that exertion in my chest the rest of the day.

I can't seem to stay in bed all night... I end up going back to the sofa to sit up for sleep. Getting good rest is important to getting better. I hope I can get some good rest soon.

Oh. Happy News too! DH has a lovely 4 day weekend coming up! He has Good Friday and Easter as paid holidays this year. We are grateful for needed time off. He needs rest and I also need some help with the basics of housework right now.

Thanks for reading! Have a blessed day!
~Suzanne

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Top o' the Irish to you!

I'm not Irish... for years I thought we were. Until my brother and I actually met our half sisters and learned of our actual heritage. It's been 8 years since we each got an email and made the trip to Texas to meet the girls. It's been something that has been wonderful in my life... to have such wonderful big sisters who are so loving and care so much. They might not have been raised with us... but we are all so much alike that it's just uncanny sometimes!

Not much is new here around this little cottage. DH has been working some crazy long hours. I have been to see a pulmonologist. I will be going for lung function studies and blood gas work in the near future. He changed my inhaler and also gave me a rescue inhaler for the Spring. I will also be going for another CT scan with contrast in June to check the size of calcification's on both of my lungs. It seems that my body grows these things... I have one at 4 cm on my right lung and one at 5 cm on my left lung.

Along with the above mentioned calcification's... I also have one on my heart and one on my spleen. Anyone see any kind of correlation, since I have had cancer twice and the Pulmonologist also was concerned about a mass I have on the left side of my neck where my thyroid used to be. He was very emphatic that I mention it my Endo Dr. when I see her to double check my last ultrasound results.

Thursday was an errand day for me... did some grocery shopping. It was so beautiful out... 54 degrees! Mild and sunny... when I walked Punky before going into the house, I saw 4 robins having a feast on the lawn. I was so excited by that little notion of Spring! And then it snowed yesterday... all day! We got over 2 inches. DH just left for work and said that it had started snowing again! When will all this snow end and bring Spring in bloom??? I am so ready!

In fact, I am going to start doing some tole-painting on some clay pots to go out by our front door. I have done this style of painting in the past... and I am looking forward to doing a little collection of them for our side yard area. It will keep me busy during the snowy and rainy season ahead.

That's all I really have to share for now... I need to get some laundry done and a little house work as I have a technician coming in the morning to set up a lovely CPAP machine for my bedside. (Oh... how glamorous is that???)

Thanks for reading. Have a blest day!
~Suzanne

Changing the View

We have had some delightful Springtime weather the last few days. It's been warm and sunny and quite therapeutic for me. I love feeling the sun on my shoulders... and it's been very needed!

DH has been very busy with work. He's been doing a ton of overtime... and working a double shift here and there. He's missed some of the sunshine trying to catch up on his sleep. We finally went and did a get-away day yesterday. We took a slow, meandering drive... and landed down near Reading.

DH took me shopping at a fabric store... and let me kind of go crazy inside. I did splurge on a few wonderful things, but really kept myself in check. There were so many wonderful kinds of fabrics and patterns and I wanted it all. I did get a cute pattern for a dress... but was so overwhelmed with one project I have wanted to do, that I didn't buy any dress yardage! (Silly me!)

It was a fun trip to the city... and included dinner at one of our favorite places to eat... Chipotle! I adore mexican food and love the simplicity of the menu and how healthy it is. I did indulge in guacamole... and loved every bite. We had such a nice time together... laughing and talking and sharing in the day. It was exactly what I needed after spending so much time at home in the last 3 months. I really have been housebound through the winter. I can't wait for better and warmer weather... to be able to work in the flowers of the yard and sit outside with a nice cold drink and play with Punky-dog.

Speaking of Punky... she had a much needed grooming session on Friday. The groomer did such a fabulous job on removing her undercoat... she looks and feels like such a different dog! She knows hows how nice she looks and enjoys all the praise and attention we give her as we tell her how pretty she is! She smells so wonderful... and her mani/pedi turned out lovely. She is such a pretty Pom!

I also spent time with one of my best friends from work... having dinner and a nice long talk while I waited for Punky to be groomed. It was a delight to be able to visit with her. It made me feels so good to share and laugh and feel normal for a change!

That's what is new... what's been happening here for the last few days.
Thanks for reading...

~Suzanne

Randomness... Again... (sigh.)

I am once again a second shift widow. This time I am now home instead of working full-time, so it's going a little bit better. At least I get to see my husband everyday for more than 5 minutes.

Although, my husband has been working very hard... 12 hour days all last week. Plus he's worked the weekends since the beginning of the year. He's so strong and loves the extra work. I worry... but he's insistent on signing up... plus his company does require some voluntary overtime. It's complicated, but if you don't sign up for it, it will count against you in a review.

I've been dealing with health issues again. I have been having issues with my back and my knee. And for the last two weeks, I've been having pain in my side. I went for an ultrasound which revealed that I do have an issue with my liver... Oh, goodie! Time to change up my diet and really work at getting things back to a more normal kind of life. (Whatever that is!)

Life has become a little more quiet now that we are back to one dog. And our little Pumpkin is revelling in all the attention. She is snuggled, carried, given treats, sang to and pampered beyond belief. She's had such a tough life in her first 6 years that she deserves all the love we can give her now. She loves it and is very contented.

The weather has also played a huge factor in my lack of blogging as I haven't really been anywhere except for buying groceries. Really... I don't leave the house except to take the dog out. I have done some work in my craft room... but nothing that is shareable. It's more practice work rather than a project to rebuild my skills.

We had a pretty intense ice storm last night... and it had a lot of wind with it. I had a hard time sleeping with the sound of ice hitting the windows. I did make a nice pot of chicken soup for dinner last night... the perfect thing for DH to come home to after a tough day at work.

DH just called me and he has to work until 3:00 am... he said he was covered in chocolate... even had it in his hair. Poor guy. He was just getting his lunch break at 10:00 when he called me. He didn't say what he was working on... but it sounds like a long night at the plant for everyone.

Thanks for reading... please stay blessed!
~Suzanne

A Little Bit "Trying"

I am happy to say that I am once again a stay at home wife. DH has begged me for the last 8 or so months to stop working because of the stress level of the job. I finally listened when I had used up all of my sick leave and then used a week of vacation time while I was on bed rest for a relapse on a medical procedure that was done in April.

Now that I am home...  it's been a little crazy around here. I seem to have a never ending honey-do list and seem to drive DH just a little nutso with wanting to get things done. Things are starting to get done and I am happy to report that I have a crafting area set up in the guest room. I haven't had a designated craft area for over 10 years. I am quite excited about it. And I can't wait to share some of my upcoming projects.

I am also working on my health... and it seems to be taking a toll. I have finally seen an endocrinologist and she is treating both my thyroid issues (and possible recurrence of my cancer) and my diabetes. Dealing with both of these issues at the same time has thrown me for a loop. Changes in medications have left me with extreme fatigue and extreme coldness. I find that I only have just so much energy and require a huge amount of sleep. I have more tests this week and labs next week. I can't wait to go back on thyroid meds and start feeling good again.

Thanks for reading! Please stay blessed!
~Suzanne

Whoa... Wait a minute...

Where did that week go that just passed???? I swear that I just wrote something for this blog, and now here we are...with another week gone past!

I don't have much to share with you, as my life has been centered on work mainly. My hard working
DH has been doing just that as well... working. He's on a 3 week stint and so far, he hasn't been scheduled for the upcoming weekend. (let's all keep our fingers crossed that he actually has some time off.) He called me a little while ago and said he's heard a rumor that he going back to first shift starting Monday! If that's true... I may be able to keep working a while longer to have some what of a normal life again. That has me thinking of having regular meals again, I miss having great food because I won't make it just for myself.

One of my dearest friends is having surgery today for a bad varicose vein and blood clot removal. She's been waiting for this surgery for over 10 weeks and it's been because of her health insurance not being willing to approve her procedure. I can say that I am blessed to never have had an issue with my insurance not approving any procedures. In fact, I just received a summary report  from my last 4 day hospital stay from June... a nice little $75,000.00 stay... and I don't think I will have to pay for any of it... and there were no qualms about any of the procedures or tests I had. I'm keeping her in my prayers and my advice to her was to listen to her doctors and to take her pain meds... no being a hero, take the pills and rest, and you'll usually feel better sooner.

Another one of my friends... that is on the west coast, announced a huge surprise to everyone yesterday. She got married outside at the courthouse yesterday. We are all so happy for her and her new husband.... and all the adventure they have coming up in the next year. How about going on a delayed honeymoon to Dubai???? That is wonderful and amazing! So happy for them and for her 4 kids.

I am very tired tonite... I've been staying up too late the last couple of nights, hoping to see DH before I go to sleep. Needless to say, he's been working over each evening to cover the line he's working... they run until they are out of product which can be anywhere between midnight and one thirty or three am. So, I haven't been going to bed on time and waking up when he gets home. If I don't, we only really see each other in the morning as I get dressed for work. That's it... that's all the time there is during the week. On the weekends, it's more like 4 1/2 hours in the beginning of the day before he heads to work. It's a tough schedule and not one that I really care for.

Oh... we had huge thunderstorms on Sunday... ugly cloud to ground lightening strikes. We had a few strikes over head that caused the house to rattle. Poor Pumpkin was so frightened... she's was in my lap and cuddled under my arms with her head against my chest to seek comfort from her fright. The power went out twice... I hate when we have storms like that.

Thanks for reading... stay blessed!
~Suzanne

Tuesday... Catch Up Time!

It's Tuesday night.... and I am exhausted. As many of you know (from Facebook) I have had more than my share of health issues in the past few years. I am quickly learning my limitations of living with aortic stenosis and an ascending aortic aneurysm along with a few other things... like the after effects of Thyroid cancer, and insulin dependent type 2 diabetes... and osteoarthritis and needing my right knee replaced - 3 years ago! (They did the left knee 3 years ago instead cuz that was the one that hurt!)

I state all of the information only to say... that I went grocery shopping on Saturday... and it kicked my butt!!! I went to the store and usually find a electric riding shopping cart. Not that day, so I ended up having to walk through my shopping trip. In my defense, I did do a few errands and get a mani/pedi before I hit the store. Anyway... I was so tired from all the walking and loading and unloading and carry up the stairs and putting away all the groceries, I didn't do much on Sunday. And I was still feeling it on Monday. More than one coworker told me that I looked pretty tired on Monday.

I managed to feel pretty good during my work day today. I worked hard and covered alot of ground for the start of my next month which accounting wise, will start on the 3rd of August. So... I went to see my hair dresser tonight after work. We always have such a great time when we get together. She does an amazing job with my hair... making sure that I get to be as blond as I want to be without having my very black hair not be brassy or become damaged. It's always so good to get my hair cut and colored... it helps to camouflage my gray hair and the amount of hair I have lost from being sick and medications.

That being said... I was hoping to share that DH and I were planning a get away. But, sadly, that won't be happening anytime soon. His work schedule has been changed to 7 days a week and included lots and lots of overtime. I feel as tho I am living with a mouse... I buy food and put it in the fridge and it disappears! I feel bad for him... and if I didn't get to call him on my lunch or him calling me on his breaktime... we would live on notes for communication. I appreciate how hard he works and it's very hard for him to always be at work.

It's bed time for me and for Punky. I don't have any idea what time DH will be home tonight.
Thanks for reading.... keep us in your prayers!

~Suzanne

Taking a Breather...

I don't know where the time gets to... one day it's September 16th (the last time I posted) and now is the 26th of November! No one really lets you know that the older you get, the faster the time flies! So much has happened in the last 2 months, I don't know where to begin!

DH has been blessed to land a job that took him 4 months to get. He's working as a maintenance mechanic for a major chocolate company. It's a super fabulous job and has so many benefits. We are very blessed and excited about this turn of events. He also starts school this next week at a top ten university and the company is picking up the tab for his classes.

I am still working and driving a crazy commute each day. I love what I do... but can't wait for the day that we have enough money saved that I am able to look for something part time or stop working all together. My right knee is still giving me fits... and I don't think I can go for another set of injections. Last time, she (the p/a) thought it would be the last set of shots as there isn't any room for anything in between that joint. It's too close together to even get a small needle in between! (Yeah... that even hurts as I type this.)

We are trying to get things ready for Christmas. DH has the house lights up and on a remote switch... he is loving that! We were going to put our tree up yesterday, but DH was working on the windows and discovered that one window that has been wrapped in aluminum has totally rotted out at the top... so we spent the day doing repairs and finding a glass shop to replace a pane of glass. That all started because he decided to put lights in the windows before the tree goes up. I am hoping to get it up be the end of the weekend.

DH is working overtime this weekend. (It's not really over time as much as making up for holiday hours that he won't get paid for this year as he hasn't been there long enough.) It feels kind of strange to be home on a Saturday all by myself. It's kind of nice since I rarely get time to myself these days. I hope to have a little bit more time to write as I am missing being creative these days. I am doing what I can on crocheting for the local prayer shawl ministry. It goes slow because of all the work I do, and having to deal with the pain in my hands and wrists... no one said getting old was for sissies!

And my newest addiction is Pintrest! Oh... that is total fun for me. I can't tell you often I wished I could pin something that was wonderful or a good idea... and now I have pintrest! If you need an invite, please let me know.

Thanks for reading... be blessed~!
Suzanne

How Did It Get to be August???

I cannot begin to fathom that it's August 3rd! How did that happen? I haven't posted as I've been busy with work and trying to keep up with everything. Fatigue regularly kicks my tail... and before I know it, another week has passed with stuff getting piled up to do!

We really haven't done too much this summer with DH being out of work. We've done one fun day trip to the west... one day of yard sales... and we went out to a minor league ballgame with a wonderful luxury box on my company. We had a ball!

We've spent time at home... enjoying our flowers and working around here. DH has spent time working on his truck... but that's about it. We've really had a very uneventful Summer so far. We kind of "hid out" during some of the heat waves we have had...  I still don't adjust well to high temperatures or humidity... one of those "great" side effect hold overs from thyroid cancer.

I can't tell you when I will be back to blog again. It depends on my energy level and time available. Punky is doing well and thriving with being an only dog. We are still grieving the loss of Nolli-dog. I guess the most exciting around here lately besides going to the ball game, is that I backed into a low sign and scraped the right rear quarter panel of my new car from the bumper to the back door! Ouch!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Well... What Do You Know!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... just into a huge pit of work, and trying to keep up with everything else. I have also been fighting a double ear infection, sore throat and bronchitis. I've been on lots of antibiotics and have 2 new medications added to my regular regimen, one being a bronchial inhaler. I've been working through all of it... and it makes me extremely tired by the end of the day.

I've also been dealing with DH traveling more. He's was gone all of last week, and worked yesterday. We have spent most of today getting him repacked to be gone this week as well. It makes for a tough week for me with extra trips up and down the stairs to walk to the dog (which is fabulous when you can't breathe!)

I did manage to get lots of work done in getting my closet organized while DH was gone. And I did get a little bit of shopping and found some great maxi-dresses for work this summer.

We have yet to get all the flowers planted that we usually do... I don't seem to have the stamina to do all the watering that I did last year. I am not doing nearly as much as I did last year now that I am working full time. I am hoping to add having a weekly housekeeper this summer so that I have more time for the things we want to do. We shall see if the does infact happen, as it depends on how much travel DH will have this summer.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Friday List

1. It's officially the last day of the month at work... I didn't quite make my goal... but I did beat last month by 2 points!

2. The dreaded Nor'easter we suppose to get last night... ended up going farther east! Yay! No snow to plow!

3. I started working this morning and started to get a panic attack. Luckily, my friend Janie had a xanax as I had left mine at home. (Holy Cow!)

4. I was able to go to lunch with my "condo-buddy" and my friend Tammy today. We went to the sweetest little diner... and the food was to "die for!" And they had a "pickle bar"... with lots of different kinds of pickled things and it comes as a side for your meal!

5. DH is not feeling all that well... but it also means that I don't have to cook anything for dinner.

6. I got good news from my auto insurance this week... they are covering me on my uninsured motorist coverage for all my lost work while being off from my car accident.

7. The house is fairly picked up... so cleaning will be a breeze this weekend.

8. I discovered a mexican eatery north of where I work... and it's a grill type restaurant, much like my so-beloved Chipotle... can't wait to eat there! (I crave good guacamole all the time!)

9. My Darling Husband gave me a wonderful gift this last week... he bought me a Kindle... with a great cover! My first book was "Water for Elephants"... and I loved it! Finished it in 2 days.

10. I am still deciding if I am going to keep XM radio on my car... I only really listen to just a few stations. I have to make that decision soon!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

5.

Weary... Bone Weary.

This past couple of weeks has gone by in a blur. My DH traveled out of town last week, so the week before was spent getting ready for that trip. Making sure that all the needed laundry was done, all the snacks and lunch staples were acquired along with things like gatorade and iced tea. Making sure that all prescriptions were filled for the trip as well.

Then it was all assembled and packed, lists crossed off, and he was on his way in the midst of an pretty good "winter snow event." I was left at home to take care of the dogs and keep the home fires burning in between working. Work it's self has been quite stressful for me, with numbers not moving in the proper direction and the pressure to "work my magic" as I have in the past was intensified.

We spent a busy last weekend doing things like getting Nolli-dog groomed and spending a little bit of money at the "electronics store"... and getting everything charged up and set up. I've been trying to grocery shop, get my own prescriptions, get some cooking done... and still get to work on time and find time for all the things that need to be done around here.

Tonite... I am very bone-weary tired. While at the pharmacy, the clerk asked me my birthday... and I gave her my best friend Lizzy's birthday instead of my own! (Her's is the day before mine!) DH was laughing at me and told the clerk that I was really quite tired... that I was not my usual self! So, here I sit after running errands tonite, having dinner at the Chinese buffet.... and I still need to make lunches for tomorrow. I think I will fall into bed now and make lunches when I get up in the morning. It's been over 5 years... and I still have the same fatigue... oh, how I miss my thyroid!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

It was Dip Day

Today was dip day at work... it was so much fun and all the food brought was really good. There was a good variety of things to choose from... taco dip, queso blanco, red pepper relish dip, spinach dip, pepperoni dip, crab dip, and my own cream cheese, bacon and scallion dip. It was fun to visit and eat with my coworkers that are always so busy during the day that we don't get that opportunity often.

Tonight, DH was tired and wanted to go out to eat. We went to a local coffee shop/ice cream shop for dinner. It was really good food as well. The only draw back of the entire evening was some guy who was seated behind me who whistled through his entire meal. I was so distracted by his endless chirping, I thought I was going to go ever the edge and go "ballistic" on him. Luckily, DH and I chatted and enjoyed our dinner that once he left, it felt positively wonderful!

After dinner, we hit the Wal*mart to pick up DH's medication... and ended up doing some shopping for his trip for work next week. We stayed out much longer than we anticiapated and we are both really tired. The upside is that we won't need to do any running this weekend... we can stay home and relax!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Tired Beyond Words...

This past week has been kicking my tail... and DH's tail as well. We're up early... and running all day long. I have still been feeling the after effects of having the flu... and being out of one of my maintenance medications. I tried to to errands and shopping on Saturday and ended up getting ill in the middle of it all... and had to come and sleep. I was gone for most of Sunday, attending a baby shower, which involved a drive and then having to be "entertaining" while feeling puny.

I've also tried to cook ahead and make things for dinner during this week. I've been made some good things to reheat... but it hasn't made any difference as DH has been working overtime and had night calls 2 out of 3 nights so far. He's tired... and I've been having to pick up the slack where he usually helps me. It's been making us both very weary. Running errands after work, shopping, and cooking and cleaning have tuckered me out... and tonite I voted for eating take-out. (So much for reheating what I made!)

Tomorrow I have an appointment after work... the upholstery guy is coming to do repair work on my sofa. We had seam failure on one of the back cushions and it's under warranty. He's coming around 6 pm... and so I have been picking things up and straightening and dusting. I hope I can convince DH to run the vacuum for me... I still can't do the push and pull of the vacuum cleaner.

Work is going well for me... my month turned out better for February than I first thought. I had lots of "old money" come in and it shows that I worked very hard last month. I am running hard to get a good start to this month... not too certain just what my goal will be for March. I do know that my location has lots of work to do to keep up with me... I keep finding problems and issues and I know that they are sick of getting my emails asking for them to do what needs to be done and my checking for accountability. They are not used to having someone hold them accountable for issues that have a way of being swept under the rug... guess who keeps looking under the rug and showing them what needs to be cleaned up!

I've got wrap this up and get busy so the house is a little more under control... still need to pack lunches for tomorrow and get the dishwasher unloaded. I think I hate house work!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Work Week Wrapped Up

Well... I went back to work this week. After being home for 3 weeks healing my brain and my body, I hit the ground running at full speed on Monday. It felt good to get back into the groove and do my thing. It felt good to have support from other team members... even as I struggled to grasp what they had accomplished in my absence and how the work was divided up. Now... at the end of the week, we have done some good work and I think we shall see our goals met for the end of the month.

I have to admit, my energy and stamina were taxed that first day. But as I look back on the week, I paced myself, dug in my heels when I needed to, and got it done. It's been a bit taxing on me as I drive past the accident scene every day, and see where my car went over... but I calm myself with deep breathing and focusing on where the cars are and listen to music... and get myself through it.

I've had some help medically... or chemically as it were. My doctor and I agreed to put myself back on a very low dose of anti-depressant medication to help me cope with post traumatic stress syndrome. It has been a very trying time to get my mental health back on track after surviving what could have been a very traumatic accident. (It still is traumatic, but not in a horrible traumatic injury way... make sense?) I try not to fixate on the what if... or the why... cause it can only me feel crazy after awhile. So... instead both DH and I focus on feel grateful, feeling blessed and knowing that God truly does have it all under control while my scrambled brain still heals. It's good to see my progress and it's good to see laughter and joy return to our home after such a stressful event.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Dreaming of Days Gone-by

Last night, both DH and I went to bed at a reasonable hour. We had gotten our lunch bags prepped and we both feel asleep right away. I slept fairly well last night... but early this morning, I kept having a continuing dream... I kept dreaming about my old job from 10 years ago.

I used to work at a small community college... doing support services for 2 different programs. I totally loved my job and often think about what my life would be like if I still worked there. (Of course I wouldn't have met DH and married him if I were still there.) I worked with a drop-out retrieval program and also an early childhood education assistance program that was state funded. I loved my teen moms and their babies... and I adored my pre-schoolers. My assistant and I had developed an extensive read-along books on tape library... and I had such a great time with leading songs and buying small manipulative's and stickers and soft toys for my little kids.

I don't remember all the books we had... but sometimes, some of those animated stories will have lines that stick inside your brain... and pop out at some of the silliest times... like when I'm sleeping. I woke up this morning thinking about my little office, tucked into the end of the hall of a house we used as an office. I mainly used my desk to stash stuff I needed quickly... and I used the basement of the house the other program owned for their office to store some of the bigger things we had and our many storage totes for books. My day was spent going all over campus... accessing 7 different buildings during my day and having to park at each of them... in a 12 passenger van. I amaze myself when I think about driving that monster sized van and getting in and out of all kinds of crowded spaces... always with someone inside, needing to get somewhere, and I had a certain amount of time to get there and back again. It was a challenge and I loved it.

Back to those books on tape... again, I don't know the name of the book or the what it was about... I just remember a line... that will come to me in stressful times... a pouty, scared voice that says, "I don't want to do this.... " I had that voice in my head as I went to work today. It came into my head again when I printed the book for my new location and saw just how much money I have to collect this month... and I can't even touch $200,000 of it. With that kind of number... I'll never hit 8%, no matter how good I am.

I dreamt about some of the people I worked with... dreaming about funny situations and all the laughter we shared over the course of each day and some of the situations we'd find ourselves in. Sometimes, you couldn't help but laugh at what our kids would do... or laugh so we wouldn't cry at other situations. I would love to go back and work that job... even though my knees would kill me for all the climbing in and out of the huge van everyday. (Actually, the van is no more... we had to upgrade our vehicle to meet federal standards and we bought a 24 passenger bus... that meant I needed a CDL with 2 years of experience, which I didn't have.) When I shared my dream with DH, he said we could move back there someday! By then, everyone I  knew will have retired~lol.

Thanks for reading about good memories... be blessed!
~Suzanne

A Slow-Down...

This week is usually one of the hardest of the year in what I do for work. Not too many people have money, and the rest of those who do have money, or do the doling out, are on vacation until after the first of the year. It makes collecting a very hard thing to do. It doesn't help that I have a brand new location in our system... and that the in-house A/R person is also doing my work. Tuesday was really bad... as I worked through part of my aging report, she was also working the same section. It became a race to see who could contact the most customers... she was told that I would be handling all accounts from now on... and I will make certain that's the case at the beginning of the month. For now, I will take the help.

Anyway... because it was so slow, I did some training, and I got to leave work early because the phones were so quiet. My boss asked me if I was interested in taking today off... and I of course said Yes! So, I get to enjoy 4 days off... and it won't involve going to a hospital or having a medical procedure. Today... I tried to be lazy in the morning... and then I needed to run a few errands and needed to go north. So I packed Punky up in her pink Rock Star coat and took her with me... stopping into my office on the way, to introduce her to my office mates. She was a huge hit... everyone needs to have a little "puppy break" during the day. (Of course, everyone was leaving at noon today anyway due to mandatory shut-down. I told you, it's been slow!) It was fun for me to share my Punky with the people I work with... and everyone was so happy and smiling when I was done. How fun is that?

I am also beginning to take down my Christmas decorations. I am so going to miss our Christmas tree this year. We both have enjoyed it so much... watching it evolve as we shopped for new decorations and we now have our own family tree instead of just all my decorations from years past. It's been fun to collaborate with DH and get his ideas of what he likes... he really enjoys being able to have a say about things like that... he always tells me that the decision is up to me... but he has a pretty good eye for design! I think the tree will come down on Saturday... that's usually when my Mom did it. But it was always after we watched the Rose Parade and had a good breakfast.

Oh... and speaking of breakfast, I had breakfast for dinner last night. We stopped into Cracker Barrel, and I ordered the cinnamon french toast... and oh my! It was so delicious. I only ate half of it, and enjoyed the second half for breakfast this morning. I will be having that again soon!

Thanks for reading... Have a Happy New Year... and be blessed!
~Suzanne

A Fast Update...

Because I am suppose to be on my way to bed right now! My back is killing me... because I managed to get a huge burst of energy tonight! I stopped at the store on my way home for a couple of ingredients and then came home to get busy. Along with cooking dinner... I whipped up some peppermint bark (thanks to DH for getting the peppermint crushed!) and made chili cheese dip for work tomorrow. I bagged up the bark for gifts for a few of my coworkers (friends!) and baked some toll house cookies without chocolate chipd for another coworker that sits right next to me.

I've cleaned and loaded the dishwasher, and washed the rest of the stuff that won't fit into it.... and I'm more than a little tired. I also managed to write a few more Christmas cards. Whew..... that's enough for tonite... as I still need to lay out what I am wearing tomorrow. We do have an early release... but haven't been told what time we will be done. It makes for a long day... because I am pretty much done with my work for the week. I did have my weekly one on one with my regional manager... and she is very happy with my work. She loves that I have answers and have already been through my book twice since getting it on Friday. (I have lots and lots of issues... but I look forward to dealing with all those challenges and seeing good results.)

It's still bitter cold here and I just heard the wind rattling the windows facing the south. We're looking forward to some time off and just being home. We don't have any big Christmas surprises for each other... we decided that we want to do some electrical work in the kitchen so I can move a few things around and then add a small flat screen tv to one wall. That's my present and one I really wanted! lol

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne