The Way Life Should Be

I have had an absolutely wonderful past couple of weeks. If life could roll along like this all the time, I would be one happy camper. Oh heck, I am one happy camper most of the time anyway but let me tell you, it has been great to just singing Showers of Blessings in the last couple of weeks instead of Praise You in This Storm. I am actually trying to work on a special for Praise You in This Storm. My problem is not signing it at all, it's singing it without crying and I refuse to stand in front of people and cry through a song. Cherilea and I had to sing at a funeral one time and it took everything in our power to keep from crying, but we did. We have definitely had some storms the last couple of years but God's hands over our heads made it feel like we were being sheltered from what could have been so much worse. This month we are celebrating the anniversary of Andrew going to work for Goodwill. He actually started the 6th of May but he was told he had the job in April. We are also celebrating the 2 year anniversary of Robert being spared when he totaled his car. That was within a week before Andrew got fired from Walmart. That week will never be forgotten but as I said, God took such good and loving care of us. We needed to go through all if it. Andrew's, we understand as God moved him out of a bad situation that Andrew was never going to have the courage to get out of himself. Robert and the car, we don't understand as much but I do believe it taught Robert he was definitely not invincible. We have so much to be thankful for, that is for sure.

 So, on April 12th, Sis and Richard came for a visit. Great day at my moms and a great evening at our house. We don't get together nearly often enough. And we didn't take any pictures! Grr.... During that week Robert found out he was going to have to run a new line from the well to the house, they had seen on the news where New York was running new pipe inside the old pipe. It was a brilliant idea and it worked, until they got to where the pipe was actually broke. All the way across the driveway, where digging entailed more rock that dirt. Garrett Birch volunteered to help dig the hole and today, Andrew is off and Robert gets off at noon, they hope to have new line ran by this evening, AND the drive filled back in. It is definitely taking more on the house than they imagined, but knowing everything is new, and they are using the newest stuff, like the PEX for the waterline, is going to prove invaluable down the road.


 Of course, April 15th came and with all the money moving we did last year, we ended up owing a sickening amount to the IRS. Funny thing was though, on April 21st, we received an inheritance check from one of Andrew's uncles. Did it really surprise me that it covered all the taxes we owed plus enough left over to get me and Andrew new tires, which we needed? No, not really, God is Good, All the Time.

 So, then there is everything that has been going on at work. Of course, we have several computers that were Windows XP that are going to need changed to Windows 7. On the 15th, I started working on the Weatherization building at Olney. I am actually trying to bring those guys into the 21st century and since several of them travel the state on a weekly basis, wanted to set up their toughbooks as their main office system too. We found them docks and 2 of them are now completely finished. I added one laptop that I updated from XP to 7 and installed two new computers for the actual office staff girls. I have the Director's computer yet to do. Hopefully that office will be 100% Windows7 by next Thursday.  An added bonus to the time spent in Olney-- I got to have lunch with my friend Patty, someone else I don't get to see nearly as much as I would like, but glad to have the chances when they come. We ate at the Roll With It Bakery, oh my goodness, what a place!  Great atmosphere and absolutely wonderful food that you just can't get everywhere. That in itself was a good day!

We are also getting a new accounting system for our office, that entailed me doing a lot of things I had never done before too. I am seriously thinking I want to take a Windows Server class, I understand the concepts fine, I just need to know some of these things without so much trial and error. Anyway, after some sessions with the IT guy I go to when I can't figure something out (happily, he couldn't find the problem easily either and we brought in yet another guy), everyone is ready to start setting up their parts of the new system.

The biggest win on the IT front this week though was figuring out how to download one of our volume licensed Office disc onto Cathy's tablet that had no USB port. I was able to share my d drive on our network, and load her tablet from my d drive. Yes, I would have been scary had I started playing with computers when I was about 6 because that totally gave me an adrenaline rush when I figured it out. It was a day I missed Brenda at work, she would have told me I should have been Penelope Garcia. Some of you real computer geeks are probably laughing at me but it was a big deal to me.

 On the LIHEAP front, we are getting ready for PIPP recertification. I was really disappointed that we are having to do it the same way as always. I had been on a committee that a year ago, we were told it would take a year for the programs to be written, we said great, we will plan on it; only to find out a few months ago it wasn't going to happen. I am still hopeful it will someday though. I got to help another PIPP coordinator this week learn how to do her mail merges, she is new and I am looking really forward to meeting her at the conference this summer. I really do like helping others understand the PIPP part of our program. It truly is a good program, it just takes a lot of daily work. Anyway, I have 1216 letters ready to go out Tuesday as well as all our staff coming in for a refresher on doing the recert itself.

I am going to leave you with pictures from our Easter dinner. My mom came down for lunch, you would think we would do that all the time, we just don't so I was really glad she came. We even made plans to come down for Mother's Day and have the guys cook steaks on the grill for us. Looking forward to that too! Anyway....

What's on my bookshelf, er, ipad

So, it's been a while since I have shared what I am reading. I have a lot on my ipad right now and let me tell you; going from a nook to an ipad was a great idea! I love having both the kindle and the nook apps. One of my friends, who is a writer, often has special offers only on kindle. I always had to read her books on my phone. Now, that is solved. I have my head in several things but just finished a Love Inspired Series that was really cute. I like cute, not too deep, yet uplifiting fiction, especially to read before I go to sleep of an evening. It gives my mind a chance to get off all the things that need done at work and/or home. I love the Love Inspired books. They are wholesome, faith-based, and sometimes even thought provoking. Here are the books:

This series is complete, it was published from July to November of last year so NO WAITING on the next book (which drives me nuts!). I loved this whole series and the premise behind the story--saving a small town in Kansas. The town really reminded me of Newton. Just good, light, Christian reads. I have now moved on to my friend, Rhonda Gibson's latest read" Bluebells and Shotgun Shells. I haven't gotten far into it but Rhonda's last mystery book, Lethal Lasagna was a hoot, and just a fun, mystery read. I expect nothing less of this one. Rhonda normally writes historicals. I read hers because I want to see what she is doing and support her journey and I really enjoy every one of them but mysteries are my absolute favorite genre so I get really excited when she brings out a new one.

Then there is the devotional I am reading right now. I have had this and the companion book on my nook for almost a year, but had never started it. My cousin asked if I had read it recently and I had to admit, no. I am probably going to read it again, and again, and again. I started doing the companion daily devotional with it and decided to wait until I was finished with the book. I will guarantee it won't be the last time I read this. I need reminded of too many things in the book.

Then there is the "serious" book I am reading right now. I save this for lunch hours, evenings alone, and just times I get the chance. I am normally reading something historical, work related, or political with this one. I have read both Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly. I'm not a huge fan of Mr. O'Reilly personally. I think he is way too much, "I know everything and if you don't agree with me, you're stupid" but I do enjoy the books. He basically lays all the facts out there, historically. I feel like I learned a lot through Killing Lincoln and honestly, I learned even much more through Killing Kennedy. I'm going to back up here and state that you all know I work daily on the War on Poverty, and you probably also know that Lyndon Johnson is the one who actually declared the War on Poverty, however, it was truly near and dear to John F. Kennedy's heart. Sargent Shriver (Kennedy's uncle) is actually considered the "architect" of Johnson's War on Poverty, so anyway.....there is a lot there that is professionally personal (just found out that Sargent Shriver's son is speaking at a conference I am going to in May--VERY exciting!) Oh, I'm off on a huge rabbit trail....ANYWAY, O'Reilly's latest book is Killing Jesus. I had mentioned it to Andrew and he had already started reading it, so now I am reading it too and yes, I am learning a lot once again. Very good, but honestly, it is taken from History books instead of the Bible, so the is lots of very gory parts, even as the book begins.

So that's it for right now, lots of good reads, I wish I had all the time in the world to read....

Starting April

Hello friends, it seems once again I am behind on my blogging. That seems to be a never ending story nowadays and it is sad because I probably have more to say than ever. I am seriously considering blogging MORE. Yeah, I'm always seriously considering blogging more.....doing it is a different story. I was intrigued by a devotional I am reading, Made to Crave. It is a devo centered around weight loss and I so have needed every word in this book. If I could write, I could have written this book! Thing is, it has opened my eyes many times just this week. Things I think, things I do, and things that I think and do that the author has proven to me is wrong....ANYWAY, she was talking about a friend sharing on her Weight Loss Wednesday Blog post. I probably do have enough to say to have a different post for every day of the week.....Weight Loss Wednesday, Farmhouse Friday ( for Robert's house), Testimony Thursday, Sermon Sunday (oh, we KNOW that one would be good, lol). Anyway, I'm kinda on vacation this week so I might seriously think about it. I think back when I used to blog more, when Robert was in school, it was easier because I didn't have all this stuff bolixed up in my head of what I needed to say. I could probably actually do a blogpost over my lunch hour a lot. That is all still in the thinking stages though.

So, what has happened in our world lately. Last weekend, I had a horrible sinus infection. I went to see Melissa Kuenstler, the new PA in town. I'm glad I did, I like her and she fixed me. Sunday, I was feeling better as well as guilty that the guys had ate out every meal since Thursday so I fixed lunch. I had an ordeal with a dish of scalloped potato and the oven. I dropped the potatoes taking them out of the oven. They flew in my face, immediately burning the skin off my nose as well as burning patches all over the left side of my face. Anytime I have trauma to my face, I get a cold sore, it's supposed to be a fever blister, but seeing as how even when I had the infection, my temp was 98.2°, I just call it a cold sore, just to add insult to injury.  None of it is completely well but it is getting closer.

Tuesday, my friend (except for the 6 days a year she has to come do her job at my place--just kidding), Leslie Ann came and did my monitoring, second one of the program year. As far as actual LIHEAP stuff, everything was good. I'm still learning the in's and out's of the furnace part and learned I have more to learn there. Anyway, nothing huge, just something that we didn't do that had we done, it would have been better. The worst part is we DID do it, we just didn't document that we did it......anyway, that is over until October or November. Time to breathe!

Tuesday evening, we went to a visitation for a friend of mine's mom. This brings up one of those subjects I would like to explore more one of these days. I have admitted it to this particular friend and so now I will admit it here. Patty Corcoran will tell you, she knows this about me firsthand. She gets aggravated with me about it and I have probably gotten a little better at it since she found out she has cancer. I'm not as good at it as I would like to be and the main thing is I'm still scared to death. I went at that backwards. What I am talking about is being able to say the right thing to people going through rough times. I didn't text my friend whose mom was dying because I was afraid she would text back and say, "she just now passed away" and I wouldn't know what to text back. "I'm sorry", I know that would be enough for my friend, but it feels so not enough. I pray for God to give me the right words and I would ten times rather be there for my friend than not, but seriously fear keeps me from it. I have another friend who is going through a terrible time after a breakup. I try to say the right thing there too, but am really afraid of saying the wrong thing. Part of me hears, "It's easy for you to say all of this as your life is rolling along just as planned". Yep, I hear that alot. I look back at the few other relationships I had before my Mr. Right came along. I always was the heartbreaker, I was the one who called it quits, so I have never been in this situation. I try to fathom how I would handle if Andrew came home and told me to leave......I can't even imagine, so let's face it, when I am trying to be a comfort, I have no clue what I'm talking about. The closest I can come is when Andrew lost his job and the world felt upside down.....for a few minutes. It isn't the same and I know it. So that's that. It's out there and if you have any ultimate words of wisdom for that leave me a comment. I have heard the story that I am sure we all have where the king asked for words of comfort for any situation. The answer was, "this too will pass" and I agree, nice sentiment and I say it to myself constantly, but I am still not sure it's the words I want to hear from someone else.

Last night Andrew and I had date night, we went to see God's NOT Dead, awesome, awesome movie. We went and ate at Backporch Smokehouse beforehand. I just love that Robinson theater and the fact that the restaurant is right there with it just makes it even better. Nice evening, but seriously, if you have a chance, go see that movie!

So now we get to today. Busy day, I need to straighten the house, make a grocery list, (gotta make the meal list for the month first--I'm a little behind), go get groceries, go have my hair done and then this afternoon, meet Robert to go get my dishwasher. I am really excited. Since November of 2012, I have purchased all new appliances; washer and dryer, stove, fridge and today I will get the last piece, a new dishwasher. I have paid for these all myself with saving from my own paycheck. Andrew and I have all of our money together and granted, he has already made more that I will be able to make before I retire but when knowing, it is more because of his income that we have done things like sided and roofed the house, I like the fact that I really concentrated on pulling this off out of my income. Because of the size of my kitchen, I have an 18" dishwasher. When we moved in, our kitchen didn't have a dishwasher and it is a must with the lives we lead. I started looking and realized an 18" one would fit without sacrificing near as much cabinet space. The stupid thing is the 18" dishwashers cost a lot more than a regular one. Last time, I bought the cheapest name brand I could get by with, a GE Profile. This time, I have done the consumer reports and the whole 9 yards. My new Whirlpool is coming home this afternoon and Andrew should be able to put it in tomorrow afternoon. That along with the heat pump we got last summer as well as the windows and roof, our house should be about as energy efficient as possible.

I technically started vacation at 4 pm yesterday evening. It is a "working" vacation as I am totally planning on doing all my spring cleaning this week. I go to work for 3 hours Wednesday morning but other than that, my mind is going to be on this house. My mom is spending the day with me Tuesday. She has a doctor's appointment and needs to get her car worked on so she is going to help me with some projects that day and then we will go out for dinner and some shopping that evening. Looking very forward to that.

So, time to get this show on the road.....Happy Saturday everyone!