What Can a Cricut Do?

I promised Sarah that I would blog about my cricut, here are a few things I have done with it... This is just a page out of my scrapbook, the scrollwork was cut out with the cricut, Robert wants me to put this on vinyl so he can make a stencil to put the same scroll work on the transaxle of his truck, all I have to do is order the vinyl.

This was the wrapping for Amy's wedding shower present, I cut out the parts for the flower, the tag, and the rick-rack, all out of two sided wrapping paper.

I made Amy a cookbook, these little flowers were made with the cricut and are embellishments on one of the pages.

This is the front of the book..

I haven't bought any vinyl yet, that is my next thing, then I can do my own wall prints like the Uppercase Living stuff. I am also going to make a stencil to paint roses around the window in my guest room. I haven't tried the glass etching stuff though, they make it look incredable easy on tv. The cricut has stood up to my every expectation. I love it!

My Mom, Wonderwoman

I wanted to put this in a separate post, because I just wanted to let everyone know how wonderful my mom was for me through all of this. When I am down, I know she can always step in and fill in the gaps, I know it throws a wrench in her plans but she never seems to mind.

Tuesday afternoon, I was home alone, Andrew was at a meeting in Effingham and Robert was still at school. I went to lay down on the bed and realized I couldn't get up. I called Mom for her to stay on the phone with me while I tried to get up. I made it up even though I was screaming most of the time, as soon as I picked the phone back up, she said, "I'm on my way down, I didn't know you were by yourself". Sure enough 15 minutes later, she came through the door, she took my dogs out, waited on me hand and foot and stayed until Robert got home from school.

Yesterday, Robert had planned on Tika going to AWANA with us, Adam always spends Wednesday evening at our house and goes to AWANA with us. Mom came down to be there when they got home, then took them to Subway (her idea, not mine, there was food in the house and Robert could have fixed supper, but she thought they all needed Subway) then went to AWANA with them (new driving laws--Robert can't drive with more than one teenager in the car until next November unless there is an adult in the car also).

Thanks Mom for picking up the slack for me, you are the greatest!

Ran Through the Ringer

I have not had a good couple of days, to say I feel like I have been hit by a Mack truck would be putting it mildly, a freight train might be a little closer--worst part--it doesn't seem to be over.

Monday morning, I had a mild backache, I normally don't have backaches so it was a little odd, but it went away by noon and life was fine again.

Tuesday morning, it came back--with a vengeance. I took some Aleve and got myself to work but only to stay a couple of hours, I hurt so bad. I felt like I had on a girdle made of nine inch nails, there was pain wrapping all the way around me.

I went home convinced that there was a little something wrong with my kidneys and if I drank enough liquids, it would all feel better.

Yesterday morning, same pain, different day; I broke down and called Becky. I went to see her yesterday afternoon, she tested my urine and found that I had a large amount of blood in it and that I hadn't been drinking enough. She was pretty sure I had a kidney stone (flashback to Tuesday evening: Andrew:"I bet you have a kidney stone, lets go out in the jeep and I will shake it loose for you" Me:....Uhhhh...NO!!!!!!"-Anyway, Dr. Andrew diagnosed correctly--wish he would have pursued that profession!) Becky sent me to Effingham for 2 Cat scans and blood work, the worst part of the cat scans was getting on and off the table--until the put the contrast stuff in. I had never had that stuff, I had never had a cat scan. The tech warned me I would feel like I was having a hot flash, I would feel like I was peeing the bed, I would get a bad taste in my mouth. All I got was the bad taste, but I had drank about 24 ounces of this awful grape junk for them before hand, it mixed with the contrast made me want to puke. I thought I was going to, but I didn't. That was probably about the time I really thought you could have peeled me off the railroad tracks--I was toast.

By the time we left Effingham, it was 5 o'clock, all the test results were supposed to be back by 6, at 6:45 Becky called me with the information (bless her heart for sticking around for me). I have a nasty kidney infection and even though they couldn't find the stone, they all know it is or at least was there. I went to her office at 7 and she gave me a strong antibiotic and medicine to help me pass the stone. She threatened me about drinking enough liquids, if I can't get enough liquids, I have to go to the hospital and have an IV. I laughed and told her I had to speak at a parent fair on Friday and that I was planning on going back to work sometime Thursday. She laughed and said she hoped I felt like it. I said, I had no choice, I would feel like it.

So, here I sit, I haven't sit in a straight up chair since Tuesday, I have to admit, it isn't comfy, but I will survive it, I have every intention of spending the afternoon at work, for one thing, I need handouts for tomorrow for the workshop.

I will start working diligently on "ways to prevent a kidney stone" I never want another week like this one!

How to Dance in the Rain

Every once in a while, I get an email with a story that really touches me, my friend Tina sent this to me and it is definately one of those stories.

I wish for you all this kind of love....



How to Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?' He smiled as he patted my hand and said,
'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arms, and thought,'That is the kind of love I want in my life.' True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
but how to dance in the rain.

Our "Date Day"

As obvious in the previous post, Andrew and I took off yesterday and went shopping, destination: Evansville.

We went downtown for lunch, there is a little place we found years ago that is an "authentic" deli--Emge's Deli. There are so many choices to pick from that I get overwhelmed but we both chose these mile-high reubens and ice tea--total lunch= $10.80. The place is always packed and just has that really neat atmosphere about it.

After lunch, we decided to check out the Walmart Neighborhood Market that was in the area. When they first came out with these, they told us they would be in downtown locations, and toward residential areas that were closer to downtown. Okay, I had it in my head that it would be in a storefront on mainstreet, I was a bit disappointed, it was more like our neighborhood IGA, which when I really thought about it, was exactly what it was supposed to be, it did sit in the middle of a community, people could walk from the apartment buildings next door to get their groceries. It was basically a Walmart that was all groceries.

We had decided earlier in the day that we would trek to Owensboro KY for dinner. Moonlite Bar-B-Q is a downright institution in Kentucky. They have a barbecue buffet that is to die for, sliced mutton, chopped mutton, sliced beef, chopped beef, sliced pork, pork ribs and chicken are all on the buffet (as is fried chicken, fried shrimp and catfish), along with okra and tomatoes, navy beans, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, corn muffins, and so on and on...then there is about 10 different pies and cobblers and oh my...it's just a great place to go. If you ever get down that way, check it out, it is really less than 45 minutes from Evansville and I feel it is well worth the trip.

It was great to get away for the day and I didn't even think about work (okay, the thought entered my mind a couple of times, but left quickly). It was a great day off and good to get to spend some time with Andrew. It seems like here lately we have been meeting each other as the other one is walking out the door. Glad to have some "reconnect" time!

At Last...

Today was the day, I finally brought home my KitchenAid Bowl-Lift Professional Heavy Duty mixer that I have been wanting, well, forever but badly since a year ago last Christmas.

As always, there is a story. Andrew was 27 when we got married, he was (and is) quite a cook and baker, he actually used to decorate cakes for some of the other associate's showers, special occasions, etc. Anyway, when we got married, he had a very nice, Sunbeam stand mixer. It was very truly a great stand mixer, it's only problem was...it wasn't a KitchenAid. When I worked at Richard's Farm, we had a KitchenAid Bowl-Lift mixer, and I loved it and I wanted one, even back then.

A year ago last Christmas Eve, Robert and I were making homemade marshmallows, I had JUST made the statement (in front of Andrew) that if we could ever kill the old Sunbeam (at the time going on 20 years old), I would buy me a KitchenAid. Well, Andrew went to bed because he had worked all night and Robert and I proceeded with the marshmallows. All of a sudden, the marshmallows got huge and before I knew it, they had ran up the beaters into the actual housing of the mixer--I had successful put old Sunbeam to it's death. Robert just HAD to run in our bedroom and tell Andrew I killed his mixer--his sleepy reply--"she did it on purpose". Premeditated wasn't really the word I would have used, any way it wasn't "consciously premeditated".

From that point forward it was "I want a KitchenAid" but I couldn't handle just getting the $189 special at Walmart, no, the more I thought about it, the more I knew this was my one chance to get THE very mixer I had wanted all my life. My mom pulled an old antique mixer out of her closet and I have used it for the past year and a half, counting my pennies and waiting patiently.

The only problem with me counting my pennies is everytime I would have a good grip on saving for the mixer, something came along that needed my savings worse. So, Andrew's bonus came yesterday, he told me I had sacrificed long enough and we were going to get my mixer. Funny, how I took the day off on the very day that bonus came, huh??

So, last night at 8:30, my new mixer found it's home, hopefully, for the rest of my life. It is actually 3 and a half inches taller than a regular KitchenAid tilt-head so I have to move my shelves up just a bit, that's okay, they needed a good cleaning anyway.

Just glad it's home and I can't wait until tonight when I actually get to use it (I beat water with it last night just so I could watch it work). Andrew said I was worse than a little kid getting a new bike at Christmas, eventhough there is snow on the ground, the kid is going to find a way to ride.

Anyone need a job?

Hey, if you know of anybody that is looking for work, they might want to check out our website:
http://www.erbainc.org and go to Job Openings on the left hand side, we currently have NINE openings, all full time and with benefits. Please pass it on!

The Big Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

It is 3 A.M. and here I sit, I have laid in bed for a half hour and finally decided it was time to bite the bullet and get up. I am a little aggravated at myself, or at my body at least for thinking too much-- too many things running through my mind and too many things going on.

I start another set of classes tonight. I always get so nervous on this day. Who will my students be? Where are they at in the world of computers? Will we all get along? Will I truly be able to teach them anything that they can walk away with and make a better life for themselves? Am I going to be ready?

See what I mean? No room for sleep in there.

There are so many things going on at work right now, a lot of excitement, but a lot of stress at the same time. This class is just one of the many things.

Ameren will start shutting off again on April 1, you have no idea how many of our clients this affects. I am trying to come up with the best way to make the transition so we can try to keep them from being shut off. I was trying to get my work done yesterday (my helper made it in for half the day at least) and field questions about the shut offs and I may have made an unwise decision--that is floating around in the back of my mind too (and is probably, if I would admit it, the real reason for my sleeplessness), eventhough I have said I would worry about a retraction on Wednesday, I am worrying about that too. ARGH!!!

Then there is the laundry....I am STILL playing catch-up from being gone last week. My weekend was just as crazy as the week. Friday, Mom and I went to do some grocery shopping, Saturday was the Grand Prix at our church, which Andrew and I have ran since the very first race, Sunday was our day to go to Simple Blessings at Casey and sing, so our evening services basically started at 3 for me and the choir because as soon as we got back to Hidalgo, we practiced for the cantata until 6.

To top it off, I have promised myself a day off since Christmas--the day is supposed to be Thursday, but only if I can get everything done by then which makes Wednesday more like a Friday.

I am truly not complaining, just trying to get to the root of the frustrations. I honestly think if, in the next 4 hours, I can get the laundry completely finished and my kitchen floor mopped, life will be better. Is that crazy? Don't know but I probably better stop writing and start doing.

Again, Happy St. Patrick's Day (I think that means I will need to change my blog layout tonight-let's see if THAT happens!)

Maybe I'm a grown up

I was one of those kids that could never be put in anything white and expect it to stay that way more than 20 minutes. I bit the bullet though a few weeks ago and bought a pair of beautiful winter white slacks. Today was the first time I have had the nerve to where them--my main thought was, more than likely, I wouldn't be leaving the building today which at least increased my odds (a little) of them not getting muddy.

I tried to chicken out two or three times, knowing that if I didn't wear them today, I would have to put them on tomorrow and I WOULD be leaving the building, so after much debate with myself, I put them on. I went and got a cup of coffee, almost, but didn't slop it on me. Then came lunch, I was doing great, made sure my pants were safely under my napkin as well as the table cloth. THEN, Ed, one of our weatherization guys, was sitting next to me and dropped a fork. He leaned over to pick it up and almost fell out of his chair, I had just put my hand on a freshly poured cup of coffee, I would have been the target had Ed completely slid out of his chair. We were listening to a speaker so I had already scooted away from the table a bit, my pants exposed. Ed said, "I had visions of me pulling the whole table down!" I said, "Ed, I only had visions of me pouring the coffee on my pants when you hit me on your way down".

Then to finish off the evening, we are at a "networking" reception, where they are serving
hor'dourves, egg rolls with sweet and sour sauce and chicken strips with honey mustard sauce.
This is one of those cash bar situations and since I don't drink, I usually get some kind of juice, tonight, I got cranberry juice. Would you believe the bartender bumped the glass as she was putting it on the counter and it went all over the counter- but it didn't touch the pants! I ate an egg roll and a chicken strip, with sauce on both and successfully protected the pants.

Then my boss and two of the other ladies that we are with decided to go across the street to Bennigan's for dinner--we were leaving the building, it was 7:00 and my white pants were still spotless, I would call it a good day even if I got something on them there.

Deal is, I just got "home" and changed into my pj's. After careful inspection I am thoroughly convinced...my white pants are still white, not one drip of anything.....I am almost 42 years old and will honestly tell you, this is the first time in my life that has ever happened.

As the title says: Maybe, just maybe, I'm finally a grown up!


Disclaimer: sorry if this post bored you to tears--I am at that point myself, Idol is on, I am homesick and decided telling the world that I am a klutz at heart was just the perfect thing to do to kill time.

My Surreal Life

A friend of mine sent me an email the other day about thanking God for the thorns in life, in part of it, it stated "isn't it funny that when everything is going right in your life, you don't say "Why me, God?" Well, I am at the point.

10 years ago, I was a stay-at-home Mom whose world revolved around my husband and my son. When Robert was in first grade, he would come home and tell me how great his day was, then Andrew would come home and tell me how great his day was, then I would proceed to tell them how many loads of laundry I had done. That was when I knew, I needed to get a life.

Last Thursday, I was sitting in a conference room with these 2 guys from the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, the one that always dresses like a million bucks would look at me and say, "If that's okay with you". I was giggling to myself...I find it funny that it mattered if it was okay with me, I even laughed outloud a little one time when he said it.

Yesterday, the Governor was standing within 5 feet of me, and I was where I was supposed to be and deeply excited about what he was doing there.

This morning, I get a message on my cellphone from one of our field offices, "PLEASE CALL ME!!" I told my boss, "there is exclamation points, I think she means NOW!"

When I started back to working outside the home, I told Andrew, my main goal was to do something that could make a difference in more lives than just mine. Today, I am totally over-the-top emotional about the fact that I get to do just that--Why me God? and while I am at it, THANK YOU Lord for letting me have this job!

O Happy Day!!!!

Okay, you all remember just how excited I was about our new Governor, Pat Quinn, well take a look at this...

The Governor came to lunch today with glorious news! He signed an executive order moving LIHEAP and WEATHERIZATION back to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, where we were before the Blago days.

We have so many exciting times ahead and Governor Quinn supporting what we want is just a wonderful way to start! You have had to live under a rock not to hear that Weatherization has lots of money, I mean LOTS of money earmarked in the stimulus and LIHEAP has more money on the way also. It is also in the works to raise the income guidelines so that more two-income family who are really trying but can't keep up with the demands of the utility bills, groceries, gas to work, etc, can get some help to dig themselves out and make better lives for themselves. I am so excited that I get to be a part of this. I think whether you are Democrat or Republican you will appreciate what the Governor told us he expected of us: if you are abled-bodied and can breathe and you live in Illinois, we want you working! That is our goal and I feel like we were just given a better position to make it happen. It was really great to get to be up close and personal to the Governor, I may not agree with him on every topic, but I was definately proud of what he did today.

The pictures are in: 1. The Governor when he first entered. 2. The Governor addressing us. 3. The Governor actually signing our order (he really had to do it 4 times, but I stood right there and watched every single one). 4. The press conference outside the ballroom after the signing.

My newest gadget

I am totally in love with my new pocket pc. My 5 year old Palm Pilot bit the dust and though I was sick at the thought of having to learn a new OS, this one is so incredably easy! It has a transcriber even in Word, which means I can write in cursive on the screen and it types what I write. My palm wasn't that simple, it had a program called grafiti, and if you were lucky, you could make the shapes of each letter correctly to get the Palm to realize what you are saying- one letter at a time, this one, you write an entire sentance and it just pops it up already typed.

It also has Wi-fi, my Palm missed that by about 6 months, oh and it has bluetooth, which so does my printer at work, which means once I type up all my notes from the conference I am going to this week, I can print it right from my handheld, with no wires! And loading pictures??? Totally easy!! I am hooked!

Normal crazy days

Andrew's going to get on to me for not blogging if I don't post SOMETHING. Seems we have started out this week with a bang.

Robert has been having problems with a place right under his left shoulderblade. Monday, it got the best of him and he called me to come take him to the doctor. A doctor visit (to his girlfriend's mom), and 7 x-rays later, it is confirmed that he is having muscle spasms and is taking a session of prednisone (Yes, Mr. Buettemeyer told him this Sunday night too, but Monday he thought it was worse). True to the rumors about prednisone, my skinny kid who never wants to eat is eating the house down. He will be through the last dose next Monday.

I swear we are getting a new jeep one piece at a time, this week it is new brake line. Two weeks ago, it was a new manifold. I think it would have been cheaper to have bought a brand new one. The guys inform me "what fun would that be??" At least they have a good time replacing all these things. The brake line wasn't so bad ($15.00) the manifold--lets just say it took a chunk out of the budget. I do not want to have to put a line in my budget for "jeep parts" but one more month of this and I may!

My help that was back to work last week is out again, I feel so bad for her, she can't seem to kick this, first she was having severe pain, which ended up linked to a change in medicines, then she had the flu and now she has an UT infection. I MISS her! I am very spoiled when she is around as she has been doing about half the work I used to have to do all by myself, of course, when she is gone, I am back to doing it so as I said--I MISS HER!!

I also mentioned I am heading for Springfield next week. We leave Monday, get back Thursday, 3 day LIHEAP conference. My Palm Pilot is biting the dust so this morning I ordered a new one, I paid extra for overnight delivery but I have this strange feeling I won't get the thing until Monday, it's a lot different than my current one so I probably will have to take a notebook and paper and run up to my room to check email (or go through the pain of checking it on my phone). I'm complaining, and I don't mean to be--enough of that. Everything will be fine. I don't know how I got so dependent on my gadgets but when one goes, I feel like someone has cut off one of my arms.

I start teaching classes again on the 17th, I love teaching these. This one in particular is an Employment Resource class, where I not only teach computers, but resume writing, job search skills and interviewing skills. Andrew volunteers one night and comes up and does interviews, just like he would if they were interviewing at Walmart.

On April 15th, I start taking a class on networking, the post the beginning of the year about the Charleston office and the problems with the modems and the routers have inspired me and the fact my boss said no problem when I asked her to pay for it made it all that much easier. They are internet based and historically with me, that means harder but it's what I have time for so it will be great.

Well, that's the update... Life as normal.....Happy Wednesday!

The World Has a New Blogger!!

I have to say, this is one of the last people I thought I would ever see blogging, although, once I realized what she was up to, it made perfect sense. My sister, the writer, has now started her own blog. I am looking forward to her posts as some days I am sure they will be pure fiction. She also has links to some of her favorite articles she has written for the Lincoln Daily News (some of which I have posted on my blog). One of the funniest articles she ever wrote, she sold to Country Woman magazine, they bought and paid for it, but as far as I know, they never published it. She probably can't even put it on her blog if they own it. I do also remember one of my mom and dad's anniversary that she had collected a penny from every year they had been married and each of the pennies talked. It was cute too.

We're funny as sisters go, there are days I would swear we are as different as night and day, but we spend an awful lot of our time agreeing so we must have more in common than meets the eye. It is also funny how in different times in our lives, we have been doing very similar things--although I never worked in a feed store, I did work in a restaurant--same concept, different animals (anyone taking offense, sorry, I see the humor in it). We have both worked for Walmart, we have both worked for Community Action...we both found our husbands through our work.... you get the picture.


So, without further ado, join me in welcoming her to our blogging world!
http://nilasmith.blogspot.com/