tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228564552024-03-23T13:58:15.058-04:00Always Faith -- The BlogAlways Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.comBlogger1555125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-56904778192217134772022-04-17T19:19:00.001-04:002022-04-17T19:19:23.075-04:00Death Is HardI know it's been forever since I wrote last. It's sure been a year...quite literally. It seems like there's been a lot of funerals just since 2022 started; we've lost several at church, some that we used to go to church with, other folks we've known a long time. <div><br /></div><div>This one hit closer to home. My aunt Eva lost her battle with cancer on Good Friday. She fought like a champ since she was diagnosed at the end of 2021, but she had a tough go of it. She was the aunt closest to my mom in age, and she was always the "cool" aunt who traveled to all kinds of places and had amazing adventures and stories to tell when she was back in for a visit. She was a strong, brave, kind, generous, and thoughtful person, who always took time to connect with the niece that was incredibly intimidated by her awesomeness. It's just hard to put together that she's gone so fast. You never know when the last time you'll see someone might have been. I don't remember if it was a funeral or a visit to her house a couple of years ago, but that last hug goodbye happened sometime and I didn't know it'd be the last when it did. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe it's the getting old in me, but life feels a whole lot more fragile than it did when I was a kid. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN0D1m6kfARjxOu6lnfeW6CMP93uVWEea4N0Hc0S-Y13hVoVz1cDSWtB3xjnVEBbwT9JCKPByRTDbCx4pe4_PMoCRMlgiES-rlSUMr6zbCvK1lro0WhIQwecP7YsbWnDWitr9jt6mFYJy7eN4eAFBRkGEDv8J6o1k3JIfdNnEFBLk199x/s2709/_MG_4151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2709" data-original-width="2649" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicN0D1m6kfARjxOu6lnfeW6CMP93uVWEea4N0Hc0S-Y13hVoVz1cDSWtB3xjnVEBbwT9JCKPByRTDbCx4pe4_PMoCRMlgiES-rlSUMr6zbCvK1lro0WhIQwecP7YsbWnDWitr9jt6mFYJy7eN4eAFBRkGEDv8J6o1k3JIfdNnEFBLk199x/w313-h320/_MG_4151.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>So I came back to the blog today, trying to figure out when I went to visit them that time I took pictures for my uncle's band. </div><div><br /></div><div>This blog is definitely a memory jogger. I really need to write more often so I can fall back on it when I need help with my memory. ANYWAY, going through my pictures looking for Aunt Eva, also brought back lots of memories, and I thought I'd jump on here real quick and post. </div><div><br /></div><div>Rest in peace, Aunt Eva, you are loved and missed. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5PeAg-3VurJx51fsJfkaP9IMe5YJsokSMl0FQ66iTCWa62udZ26zbiPnlz2NLZ9pMaQ5Uwd15nVlfAU0i10p69myjxGJiK0K3h8xTcnrJnlxcvl0vfEP74huhBgEHpQtkZ67oaTeSeEVG2FtcXuyXXzsAOasMi4ZkJpoj-Vuc47_moy-/s1780/_MG_4149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1780" data-original-width="1532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5PeAg-3VurJx51fsJfkaP9IMe5YJsokSMl0FQ66iTCWa62udZ26zbiPnlz2NLZ9pMaQ5Uwd15nVlfAU0i10p69myjxGJiK0K3h8xTcnrJnlxcvl0vfEP74huhBgEHpQtkZ67oaTeSeEVG2FtcXuyXXzsAOasMi4ZkJpoj-Vuc47_moy-/s320/_MG_4149.JPG" width="275" /></a></div></div><div></div><div><br /><h3 class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">To Laugh Often and Much</h3><p class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #676767; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 27px !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proximanovalight; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Ralph Waldo Emerson</em></p><p class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #676767; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 27px !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">To laugh often and much;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to win the respect of the intelligent people<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />and the affection of children;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to earn the appreciation of honest critics<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />and endure the betrayal of false friends;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to appreciate beauty;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to find the best in others;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to leave the world a bit better<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />whether by a healthy child,<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />to know that one life has breathed easier<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />because you lived here.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />This is to have succeeded.</p><h3 class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">May the Road Rise Up to Meet You</h3><p class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #676767; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 27px !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proximanovalight; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Irish Blessing – Author Unknown</em></p><p class="nitro-offscreen" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #676767; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 27px !important; margin: 0px 0px 27px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">May the road rise up to meet you,<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />May the wind be always at your back,<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />May the sun shine warm upon your face,<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />May the rains fall soft upon fields<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />And until we meet again<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box;" />May God hold you in the palm of his hand.</p></div>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-83256892107827895022021-04-09T15:40:00.002-04:002021-04-09T15:40:27.095-04:00Positively PainfulStill not doing so hot at the blogging thing but I didn't get any backlash from my last rant, so I guess it's safe enough to come back and do it again. I'm also not doing so hot at being positive but I'm trying. <div><br /></div><div>Shut up, Yoda...I know there is only do or do not. I don't care. Hahah. </div><div><br /></div><div>We got a new dog...just one. She's not Obi and Ahsoka but she's sweet. She's an adult rescue named Rosie and she sheds more than our last two put together! Sheesh. LOL Lucky for me (and her) that KC didn't know she was going to shed that much when we rescued her or he would have never said yes to getting her! Hahaha! Now we're all attached, so she's staying, fur and all. LOL. We also got a black cat...it was supposed to be KC's cat, but it loves the dog, who is glued to me, therefore it has kinda ended up as my cat even though it missed the memo where I'm not the cat person in this house! I've nearly choked him several times...he really likes to climb all over us and meow and wake up the dog at 4am....and I'm pretty fond of sleeping at 4am...which is not the greatest combo. But other than that, he's not too bad. Haha! </div><div><br /></div><div>In other news, we got the Rona for my birthday...worst gift ever. Still dragging from that, although the worst part of it was just fatigue...kind of felt like having Mono again. It caused a hiccup in my cleaning job because that job requires a ton of energy and at this point (4 weeks later) I still barely have enough energy to clean my own house! But I've been able to go back to my other part time job that isn't as energy draining as the cleaning. </div><div><br /></div><div>The TDQ is driving now. She finally got enough saved to get a little older model car. Hopefully it will not get wrecked but I've rode with her a couple of times so far, and it will be a miracle if it looks as good as it does now by the time she gets done with it. I can't relate to her struggle...she can barely maneuver the car into an angled parking space...I was backing my parent's minivan out of the carport and pulling it up the driveway to the house for them when I was 11....kids these days. *insert eye roll* At least she has worked her butt off and put effort toward getting it. I'm trying to be patient and not freak out or get too annoyed with her latest obsession. LOL </div><div><br /></div><div>It is so hard sometimes. Patience is tough. Drat it. Teenagers will suck all the patience and goodness right out of you! I don't know how people do it. Two lousy teenagers and it's killing me...these people with a gazillion kids absolutely amaze me. How do they have that many teenagers and cheerfully survive? I must be doing something wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anywho...then I got volun-told into doing the youth activities at one of the campmeetings I'm planning to attend this summer in NC...and then I volunteered to take like 13 of our youth girls from church here to the camp there in NC....evidently I'm just a glutton for punishment. Hah! On that high note, I'm out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Might make it back sometime. LOL</div><div><br /></div>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-45187040692515411302020-11-10T16:54:00.000-05:002020-11-10T16:54:12.140-05:00Cranky Pants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lh8c8P0wCTD5C714zX8jRlSfV453fLTApZ9dWTvffOqs4Hp7UVSE9WDdPwMCXKILvkir28j7eOUkiQ7yL-2VY8EfV2cb031_JEr8Moz4SsMUBxJaTokUH9XesseLJD319H0r/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="346" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Lh8c8P0wCTD5C714zX8jRlSfV453fLTApZ9dWTvffOqs4Hp7UVSE9WDdPwMCXKILvkir28j7eOUkiQ7yL-2VY8EfV2cb031_JEr8Moz4SsMUBxJaTokUH9XesseLJD319H0r/" width="191" /></a></div>Blast it. I am in a fine, feathered mood. Clearly, it's not been a mood for blogging...as I have been absent for what feels like decades. <script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script><div><br /></div><div>2020 is getting on my last nerve. This year is so not my favorite. I was working on Christmas cards and I usually put a family update on the back for anyone who cares to know what we've been up to each year. This year I wrote about three sentences and then scratched off the idea of an update. </div><div><br /></div><div>No one wants to be depressed like that. Our senior dogs got sick and crossed the rainbow bridge this year. I've cried for months. No way to put a positive spin on that. Stinkin' virus shut-downs and quarantines delivered way too much time stuck at home with the terrible teens. Nope, that doesn't sound very nice. I am now working several part time jobs just to get out of my house and away from previously mentioned beings. Yeah, that's bad...oops. I feel like one of the rare few that disagrees with the logic of mask mandates...for multiple reasons, and yet I'm outnumbered even in my own house....which makes me question my own sanity. Am I really the crazy one? Don't want to talk about that. Politics...well that's really gone bonkers this year. Definitely better leave THAT alone. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sufferin' succotash. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also...I jumped off the "quit drinking soda" wagon. Three years of separation between me and my beloved Dr. Pepper. No more of that mess...we best buddies again. I'm literally a pepperholic. Hi, my name is Faith...</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, this year's Christmas update consists of our new address and best wishes for a huge improvement of events in 2021. Best I could do. I'm a glowing ray of sunshine these days...NOT. I probably shouldn't blog either, but since the blog has been virtually abandoned and no one will see it, it feels like a fairly safe place to vent a bit of my cranky pant frustration. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lord help. I need it. </div>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-92193913938795760242020-05-18T11:53:00.000-04:002020-05-18T11:53:21.662-04:00Tickin AwayMerciful heavens. <script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
February to May...my poor habit tracker has had a blank spot in the blog category for wayyyyy too long! In my defense, I have been quite busy. But then again, we've had a stupid stay at home order for a couple of months now so you'd think I'd have had a chance to blog somewhere in there. Poor blog. So neglected. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, I've been very quiet about the junk that's going on in the universe right now. This whole sickness thing has been so overblown, in my opinion, but that doesn't fit the fear narrative and everyone poo-poos on people who don't go along with it, so I've kept my opinions to myself. It's really driving me nuts though...I'm ready to go back to living. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGXHICZNVbZEfzVo8RhBuZM5aCPl2BwIXyS24tpo-KqiVPgINUJAGKVjCbRNWwIbNl294VDzh70OCfq960wTaON6e4xtABk9YmDApzrR7Hag3rruqQkz4C7GPfNsp9Wpq67mp/s1600/20200510_192439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIGXHICZNVbZEfzVo8RhBuZM5aCPl2BwIXyS24tpo-KqiVPgINUJAGKVjCbRNWwIbNl294VDzh70OCfq960wTaON6e4xtABk9YmDApzrR7Hag3rruqQkz4C7GPfNsp9Wpq67mp/s320/20200510_192439.jpg" width="240" /></a>Well, after my foot goes back to normal that is....I had foot surgery to remove a cyst that decided randomly to show up a few months ago and has been causing pain and making it difficult to wear shoes. It's enough to make me realize I'm not going to be good at getting old. I've been off it for a week and trying to stay off it like I'm supposed to when there's so much to do....totally difficult.<br />
<br />
Mom and Dad came up to visit this week, they wanted to help me get some stuff done so I'd stay off my foot but I had a really hard time sitting down and watching them work...it's not my style. LOL. It was really good to have them up though...quarantine made it a really long time in between visits.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNF8BsY5Any922QrcTizNFn82EhBGPoOBkQnNaFj3mesw7kaKTou5bBvStpO3m6m54qXjPSDOEm2cKloYGwHXuChiRWQ7EzofyFyukPpzlhCHqHrxFk9bqDtgJR7RWNRoHVe9P/s1600/20200518_075243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNF8BsY5Any922QrcTizNFn82EhBGPoOBkQnNaFj3mesw7kaKTou5bBvStpO3m6m54qXjPSDOEm2cKloYGwHXuChiRWQ7EzofyFyukPpzlhCHqHrxFk9bqDtgJR7RWNRoHVe9P/s320/20200518_075243.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
One of these days I'll get around to doing before and after pictures of our house, but since everything virtually shut down right about the time we were able to move into our house, we've been unable to get things finished and buy furniture and stuff like we would normally have been able to do. We've been working on what we can though...there are still things to paint (like half the kitchen cabinets), and still things that need to be fixed (like the water damage in the basement from the flood that happened right after we moved in), but we're chipping away little by little.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOiXkemzhFjs3C635E4eiKQpfmCEI0jWQSZ5jA4KRdzZFlRIRu0fSKUzDf0RACByDqt95dUjogQDkHOAnVG_wa3YrVYsFAaWLbw9ZwfU3-dD308vavyuIAQN8KmR7upNaHwCf/s1600/20200507_141236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOiXkemzhFjs3C635E4eiKQpfmCEI0jWQSZ5jA4KRdzZFlRIRu0fSKUzDf0RACByDqt95dUjogQDkHOAnVG_wa3YrVYsFAaWLbw9ZwfU3-dD308vavyuIAQN8KmR7upNaHwCf/s320/20200507_141236.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsiFMv3beI0EMAeRf_skhBgu6BK72XB94COOO6hm9G_d3ZyIWy7BBW-bWDbXmdUzqousZB-NmwhY0L2Cq7JHgtEJKuF6pkm_a3pYHfnQv9rlM2TytGB9eAxYeQ6PuIPH_cH2X/s1600/20200507_141103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsiFMv3beI0EMAeRf_skhBgu6BK72XB94COOO6hm9G_d3ZyIWy7BBW-bWDbXmdUzqousZB-NmwhY0L2Cq7JHgtEJKuF6pkm_a3pYHfnQv9rlM2TytGB9eAxYeQ6PuIPH_cH2X/s200/20200507_141103.jpg" width="150" /></a>The inside is coming along, but what I'm really excited about my secret garden...well, it'll stay secret as long as KC doesn't read this....hahahaha. I'm pretty sure he doesn't, so I should be safe. I don't have a garden plot ready for this year, but I really wanted some edible things growing, so I'm using the centers of some of the flower beds for my garden and planting tall flowers around the outsides to hide the garden in the middle. LOL. I also have a not so secret garden area in the back...it was all weeds, and no one sees it, so I weeded it out and planted all edibles in those...I'm so excited. The top section is lily of the valley...they are really pretty and weren't super weedy, so I left them alone!<br />
<br />
We have a lot of property to maintain, which is awesome and also a lot of work. I think it will be more manageable after we get all of the years of neglect caught up, but getting there is tough. Especially when you have a gimpy foot that is holding you back from all the things you want to do!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-54055231983014753362020-02-25T08:05:00.000-05:002020-02-25T08:05:36.692-05:00Like An Old LadyI feel like I can relate a little better to crotchety old people right now. Everything hurts, I can't get enough rest so the bags under my eyes would exceed carry-on restrictions if I were to take them on a plane, and my brain is so tired I'm making weird comparisons. Also, I'm grouchy and impatient. Still.<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On the bright side, we have a house now! We still can't move in yet, because we bought a fixer upper and it needs fixered up. Which is also the explanation for my complete exhaustion...I've been painting about 12 hours a day for the last 2 weeks. And THAT could potentially explain the brain. Maybe it's not exhaustion but too many paint fumes. LOL. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's 8am, and the only reason I'm not already working is because I actually have a housecleaning job this morning that I have to go do before I can go over to the house. I am totally not making any sense but I had 5 minutes before I needed to leave, so I thought I'd pop in an blog since I've not had a chance to check it off on my bullet journal tracker since the last time I posted almost a month ago. (YIKES...I'm not doing very good with that. LOL) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So here...a post, rambling, run-on as it is, I'm still alive, but ready to die. Like an old lady. </div>
Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-89264245982672341442020-01-16T20:50:00.000-05:002020-01-16T20:52:26.320-05:00PatienceA virtue of which I am evidently lacking. Otherwise, I don’t think mine would be tested quite this often. <br />
<br />
Life in the basement is getting to me. Actually, it’s not the basement at all. It’s the under 18 people that occupy said basement with me. This basement isn’t big enough for that. I don’t know how previous generations survived to adulthood living in much smaller houses with much larger families. Seriously! <br />
<br />
Anyway, KC told me to find a hobby, so I’ve dragged out and re-subscribed to the ol Photoshop, and today I was blissfully engaged in redesigning a friend’s blog for practice. Oh my goodness. SO FUN! Made me want to redesign mine even though I like how it is now. HAHA. At the very least though, I’ve got to get back to blogging. I put it back on my habit tracker in my bullet journal in hopes that it will inspire me to do it more often. LOL. <br />
<br />
I like how my long abandonment has led to zero site traffic here. I am way more comfortable spilling my guts. Okay, not entirely. My personality doesn’t allow me to be entirely comfortable with that. Hahah. <br />
<br />
I’ll wrap up this post with a Thursday Thirteen, I haven’t done one of THOSE in forever! <br />
<br />
Thirteen Current Things:<br />
1. Praying for: a house<br />
2. Listening to: the dog breathing, my in-laws conversing upstairs (can’t hear the conversation, just the murmur of voices), K-man’s music from the back corner of the basement (again, can’t hear clearly, just enough to be annoying – like everything he does these days)<br />
3. Reading: Misleading Miss Verity by Carolyn Miller <br />
4. Eating: too much junk food (I’m definitely eating my feelings…I should probably add that to the things I need to pray about)<br />
5. Working on: <a href="http://alittlebitofinsulin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Little Bit of Insulin</a><br />
6. Missing: the hubby (he’s traveling for work *sigh*)<br />
7. Wishing for: a bigger kitchen<br />
8. Needing: A bigger house (see a theme?)<br />
9. Singing: Blessings by Laura Story<br />
10. Digging: my amazing hair products that knock shampoo days down to 2-3 times a week (usually 2…I LOVE IT)<br />
11. Watching: realtor.com like it’s the hottest reality show…seriously…I check it like every 20 minutes. *eye roll* reality is, it’s more like watching paint dry than an exciting tv show, but I can’t stop myself. lol<br />
12. Playing: Toy Blast and Scrabble <br />
13. Need to Stop: worrying =) <br />
<br />
So what’s on your list?<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-23796371984410497072019-12-02T13:21:00.001-05:002019-12-02T13:21:15.478-05:00Adulting Angst<p>angst<p>/äNG(k)st/<p><p><p><i>noun</i><p><b></b><p>a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.<p>…<p>Really I just wanted to use this word today. LOL. <p>HOWEVER….<p>I feel like it might be a fitting word for my life right now….the overwhelming-ness of life is getting under my skin. <p>Life is good. I’m not complaining. But I would positively love it if the to-do list would stop multiplying and burying me in self-imposed guilt when I can’t get everything done. <p>Grr. <p>Adulting stinks. Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-40730412831238628712019-11-23T12:04:00.001-05:002019-11-23T12:04:28.925-05:00Moving AdventuresYeah, we're moving again. Lol! We just don't seem capable of staying in one place. We've technically been in the process of moving for like six months but I've been so busy, I haven't really had the energy to talk about it. <div><br></div><div>Anyway, today we're in the moving truck (second trip/last load, praise Jesus) and I've got 4 hours on this leg of the trip so hello blog world. 😂 </div><div><br></div><div>Home base is now Ohio, and we are in a 26ft massive truck, so we are breaking up the trip into bite sized pieces. 4 hours last night, 8 total today, pausing in the middle to visit our NC family, then another 8.5 on Monday. </div><div><br></div><div>Last night was ROUGH. But that's the kinda night that makes great memories to laugh about later. I wasn't laughing in the moment because I had just finished sprinting a quarter of a mile, after working all day to load the truck, after only getting about 2 hours of sleep the night before because we stayed up loading the truck til 2 am, plus having a massive headache from extreme exhaustion. Yeah, I was just trying to keep my head from exploding and catch my breath in that moment. But now I'm laughing. </div><div><br></div><div>So let me just summarize yesterday: 2 hours of sleep, up at the crack of dawn, finishing the last bits of packing (the annoying things like bubble wrapping pictures and cleaning out the random left behind stuff), loading the spare bed we had been using and the rest of the boxes, 9 am appt at the dealership to sell KC's baby (bye sweet F-150 that was our longest owned vehicle 😢), 11 am bank and tag office to finish the transation, chick-fil-a food (praise break again lol), back to the house to keep loading (snap, we forgot the stuff on the rack above the garage door), 2-3:30 pm signing at the lawyer's office for next weekend's closing, back to the house to clean up and shower, quick bite to eat, and off to return rental car so we can hit the road in the moving truck. </div><div><br></div><div>Whew...are you tired yet? I was! At this point, I'm at like 18000 steps. This is where it got a little interesting. Now I'm dropping the rental car at the airport, but we weren't sure what kind of clearance was available at the airport for KC to pick me up. So we determine that he will wait for me at the hotel just outside the airport and I will walk out of the airport to meet him. It's probably a half mile...in the dark. I'm speed walking, there's a sidewalk, a little bit of lighting, but I'm feeling kinda rough from lack of sleep, severe headache, sore feet, achy back, you know I'm thinking sheesh...it didnt seem this far in the car! </div><div><br></div><div>So I'm walking...finally I see the big yellow truck way down there at the end of the sidewalk. Then....</div><div><br></div><div>Rut-Roh. </div><div><br></div><div>Blue lights across the intersection just flipped on and pulled across the street. </div><div><br></div><div>No no no....ain't nobody got time for that.</div><div><br></div><div>And I immediately take off. Full out sprint. I have not ran that fast since childhood. </div><div><br></div><div><i>Please see me coming, please, oh please see me, he's just my ride, we have only good intentions!! Don't make him leave or give him a ticket! I'm so close! </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>At this point I'm still at least thirty feet away and the cop is pulling away slowly. </div><div><br></div><div>KC sees me, and hasn't started moving yet.</div><div><br></div><div>I, for 2 seconds, think it's ok, then I hear the cop yelling back at him..."I SAID, MOVE!....MOVE!!!!!!!!" </div><div><br></div><div><i>NOOOOO! </i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>So KC starts to pull away. I gun it! Adrenalin super kick. That moment where you suddenly become superhuman! </div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully the truck is so heavy and slow that it takes a solid minute to go from zero to 55, so it wasnt going too fast as I reached it, grabbed the handle, yanked open the door, and scurried up the ladder into the truck as he rolled away. </div><div><br></div><div>Sheesh!!! </div><div><br></div><div>Thought I might die. My head, my heart, couldn't breathe. </div><div><br></div><div>Might sign up to be a stunt woman next. NOT! 😂😂😂</div><div><br></div><div>The good news is that we didn't get a ticket, only a lecture about blocking traffic (in a not busy little side road...really?!) And a yell. And mild heart failure, but I caught my ride. 😂😂 </div><div><br></div><div>The next four hours were miserable and we gave up the idea of driving all night so today we're paying for that with all the traffic delays, but at least we're a little rested, showered, and breakfasted (Thank you, Hampton Inn). </div><div><br></div><div>So here we are. My awesome hubby doing a great job over there and me being the chief navigator, radio operator, snack handler, and selfie taker. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAhOS-MwCVJzemxkcnWvM95XGz-623bLX9N7Tjn6iAr7ylQqEcp6tef4S8kzXUZE8CULBU8P5Fj70MJP_HCtS24T-xc1zDjp3SmKsB_lSNYf6fgwQSZwRvW7U4_ivuB5DWMay/s1600/1574528661877556-0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAhOS-MwCVJzemxkcnWvM95XGz-623bLX9N7Tjn6iAr7ylQqEcp6tef4S8kzXUZE8CULBU8P5Fj70MJP_HCtS24T-xc1zDjp3SmKsB_lSNYf6fgwQSZwRvW7U4_ivuB5DWMay/s1600/1574528661877556-0.png" width="400">
</a>
</div></div><div><br></div><div>LoL </div><div><br></div><div>Good times! </div><div><br></div><div>Next stop North Carolina...well...maybe a bathroom break first. </div><div><br></div><div>If we ever get there...currently we are on I-26 following about a hundred cars behind some kind of escorted envoy that is taking up both lanes and no one can go around. And max speed is around 45...but at least we're moving...and this truck barely moves faster than that anyway 😂😂😂</div>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-57441854740350811452019-11-20T07:53:00.001-05:002019-11-20T09:54:22.650-05:00Just A Test<p>Does this thing still work? Well, yes. Amazingly enough. If only all tests were this easy! </p><p>So I don’t blog much anymore (obviously), and as I came back for this quick and easy little test, I looked around my dear blog for a few minutes and realized I’m not the only one who doesn’t blog much anymore. Only a few of my “blogs I read” are kept updated, although the ones that have been updated are enough to inspire me to continue, since as I clicked through and read a few minutes, I remembered how much I loved blogs and blogging. </p><p>HOWEVER. <—that’s a big however! There’s a lot of stuff that is killing the wonderful creature that is blogging. When you post life updates to facebook and instagram, then jot down all your innermost feelings in a bullet journal, and everything you could ever want to know is already on pinterest or in podcasts, on top of being so busy in real life that you barely get any of those things squeezed into it…it’s hard to find time to do it or topics that haven’t already been covered. For the record, that kills the mojo. </p><p>Anyway. Test Passed. Something Posted. Now we’ll just see if I can do it again next time I get a minute. LOL. That might be the truer test. =) </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-41190937007582825342019-06-18T09:53:00.000-04:002019-06-18T10:00:42.070-04:00Remembering WallyI got really sad news this past week. One of my favorite co-worker/friends moved on from this world to the next. Time and distance somewhat hindered that friendship the last few years, but we stayed in occasional contact through Facebook. I tried to get with him in person last year when I was in town, but our schedules never worked out, and I was going to try again this summer when I came up. I had no idea his health had gotten so bad that I wouldn’t have another chance, and that breaks my heart, even though I know he’s much better off. Another mutual friend posted, “now he has all the answers.” I’m truly happy for Wally (his nickname on this blog), that he’s got the ultimate healing, but so sad that he’s not just a phone call away anymore. <br />
<br />
So, since he was one of my biggest encouragers to start this blog (and to keep it going), I thought I would post one more in his memory. <br />
<br />
I keep starting and deleting paragraphs. This is really hard. I’m not great with words, and I’m horrible with feelings. Everything I start to write, I hear Wally saying, stop that and just remember the laughter. And boy howdy, did we ever laugh. He made tough workdays bearable just by making me laugh. It wasn’t part of my original job to help him in Studio B, but when he lost one of his assistants to budget cuts, I gladly picked up the slack. Those ended up being some of my favorite memories of working with Wally. He would talk about what I said on my blog, we would chat about microphones (he had some cool ones!), he would tell me stories from his California days, he talked about his family and asked about mine, and just random conversations while we worked on getting the studio set up for his sessions. He showed me how to set up the microphones, where to put the wires…every setup was a little different, but he eventually got me trained…through a lot of laughter when I got it wrong. The gaffe tape especially…I would try to get the gaffe tape over the wires just right…he was very particular about that, but he NEVER got mad, just laughingly ragged me and made me redo it…again and again…lol…I was so happy when I finally learned the way he wanted it and would get it right on the first try. <br />
<br />
He would tell you exactly how it was, and he pulled no punches, but when you were his friend, you knew he had your back. He loved God, he loved his family, and he loved his friends. It was my honor and utter privilege to have been one of the latter. <br />
<br />
In conclusion, I’ve never been more grateful that he pushed me to keep blogging, because I was able today to go back through and pull out a few specific mentions of him that brought back memories I had forgotten. So I will close with these blog post bits. <br />
<blockquote>
<em>Thats about all the interesting news I have for the day. I only got hit on by Wally today....and he only did that b/c he was making fun of me for that last blog entry....and b/c it bugs me. LOL....and he was actually literally punching me in the shoulder. Like I said, he was laughing at me and poking fun. Isn't that sweet? LOL...I guess I can take it from him....but he's only one of the select few allowed to poke fun. *grin* Shhhh...don't tell him. LOL.</em> (August 16, 2006)</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>I had a duh moment today. (act surprised, will ya?) I got to work and Wally mentioned to me that the Flickr account that I've been using for my blog pics is linked to my main yahoo mail, not my blog yahoo mail....the main yahoo mail has my name on it. Ooops. I've created a flickr under my blog yahoo now, so all I have to do is go back and figure out which ones are where in my blog and re-upload them all under the new name. URGH. What a pain. I can't believe I missed that.</em> (February 15, 2007)</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>…And Wally.....who asked if the foot in my mouth was the one with the ingrown toenail......<br />Pause for a moment while I laugh out loud......<br />Okay.....anyways, Wally.....I think I'll have to draw the line on answering that question. Ya know....I wouldn't want to give TOO much information out on here. ROFL!!! There are some things that should just remain a secret forever. Like whether or not I've got an ingrown toenail on the foot that was in my mouth. LOL.</em> (June 4, 2007)</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em><strong>What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals? </strong><br />Um, it started out as just a place to have an outlet for my thoughts and random details of my life, and it's still that, but now, one of my biggest kicks is making Wally laugh at whatever I'm blogging about at the time (hahah). And since both of those things seem to happen fairly often, then, yes, I guess that means I have been successful. =)</em> (June 11, 2007 </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>…If it ain't one thing, it's half a zillion others. *sigh*<br />Wally asked me the other day if I had a "hot key" for that *sigh* thing. No, I sure don't, but I use it so often, it would save me at least 50 keystrokes per blog entry if I did. End of sentence. Press F7. Write another paragraph, insert F7.</em> (December 7, 2007) <br />
<em></em></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>After leaving the bluegrass music this evening, sitting in the car while Daddy's pumping gas:</em><br />
<em>(a little history is that "Uncle Wally," which is what munchkin calls a guy I used to work with that I was talking to at the festival, was kidding around with the munchkin after I told him we were heading off to take our hot and grumpy kids to the air conditioned grocery store to pick up some much needed groceries and tells her, "Okay, I need toilet paper and laundry powder.....oh and FROSTED Flakes, too. Did you get all that?" Of course, she giggled, so I thought she caught on to the fact that he was kidding.....LOL.....okay so back to the car scene:)</em><br />
<em>Munchkin: "Mom, don't forget, when we get to the store, Unca Waw-we needs to'wet paper and.....um....what else?"<br />Mommy: "Frosted Flakes."<br />Munchkin: "YEAH. Fwosted Fwakes and.....um....what else?"<br />Mommy (laughing): "Honey, Uncle Wally was just playing with you. He doesn't really want you to get all those things for him."<br />Munchkin: "Nuh UH, he needs to-wet paper!!"<br />Mommy: "I'm sure if he needs it, he'll get it the next time he goes to the grocery store."<br />Munchkin (insistently): "No, he needs it NOW!"</em><br />
(July 3, 2008)<br />
<em></em></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em>Randomosity….Or as my friend, Wally says: “because you just NEVER know!” (LOL)</em> (December 19, 2010)</blockquote>
In recent years, I haven’t blogged as much, hence the lack of recent mentions, but here’s his photo of us (altered his name to what he went by on my blog) and his last birthday wish to me on Facebook that I somehow missed last year =(, (although we’ve talked since then, I only just saw this when I went looking for this picture): <br />
<blockquote>
<em>Faith.Wife.Mom.Photographer.Artist.House Painter.Dog Wrangler.Child of God.One Funny Lady.My buddy.Today is Mizz Faith's Birthday. She is sumpin' else. I bet she is at the beach with those two beast she calls dogs. God Bless you and all in your life.</em></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Nq_uwj0eC3MFD7yfDj7CSXYhda_o3Eiobr335BU3I3-jMHRWSSJR38KChT1lSGPkwbYJmA_uZfJZFArXSsGeal0-yOYybg1eKwm3_K_gnXBmQ1LIROUYyUXBbPW-4PI4rN5l/s1600/Wally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="960" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Nq_uwj0eC3MFD7yfDj7CSXYhda_o3Eiobr335BU3I3-jMHRWSSJR38KChT1lSGPkwbYJmA_uZfJZFArXSsGeal0-yOYybg1eKwm3_K_gnXBmQ1LIROUYyUXBbPW-4PI4rN5l/s320/Wally.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<em></em><br />
Farewell, my friend, until we meet again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-78022865617753257922019-01-23T13:14:00.000-05:002019-01-23T13:19:47.577-05:00It's About TimeWell, it only took three years, but I finally updated the aesthetics of the dear neglected blog. For future reference, here are the before and after images, since they’re not that much different. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9dKkAUKeYdnuAgl1OUz1tFbqdtls-6dqF0k8OrvD0H0cblXWfpDcTOqDcnXWFjVjt6uGTEy38tl5AAOVJ6v1N8k2t3qH1TxS9AnBaGgSMr1bVQUdIatyE3ixlRR4guMHyoyX/s1600/header-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="980" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9dKkAUKeYdnuAgl1OUz1tFbqdtls-6dqF0k8OrvD0H0cblXWfpDcTOqDcnXWFjVjt6uGTEy38tl5AAOVJ6v1N8k2t3qH1TxS9AnBaGgSMr1bVQUdIatyE3ixlRR4guMHyoyX/s400/header-blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5h54d2uHEIVPCd73VRfqmLZaUfO0AKskxa349DkL3Bm9jxPig-wLmNq_xb84Rs14dFr9UJoaeCcjv7BBPQsa3gV8Q4AWa0huy-YqoXpBfaLgBhP9bDddDPTdc4bTbPx2o77W/s1600/header-blog2019jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="980" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5h54d2uHEIVPCd73VRfqmLZaUfO0AKskxa349DkL3Bm9jxPig-wLmNq_xb84Rs14dFr9UJoaeCcjv7BBPQsa3gV8Q4AWa0huy-YqoXpBfaLgBhP9bDddDPTdc4bTbPx2o77W/s400/header-blog2019jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This time I got smart. I planned ahead for my problem of staying current. Now it’s the year dash question mark. That means the next time I get around to updating it, it might only be KC and me on there…but who knows…except the question mark makes it all okay! LOL! <br />
<br />
Well, now that this is done, it’s time to get back to blogging again. I have so many thoughts running through my head, but most of them won’t make any sense without a little backstory since I’ve been so absent from the blog over the last few years. <br />
<br />
I’m not sure how far to go back, since I don’t remember where we were when I lost track of blogging, but I guess I’ll just go with 2018. <br />
<br />
We sold our NC house at the end of 2017 (it was like our favorite house ever…*sigh*), and moved to FL for KC’s job in January of 2018. We lived in a rental for 3 months (holy cow is it ever hard to transfer addresses twice in less than a year…I’m still trying to get all of the mail switched over). Anyway, we hated renting just like I knew we would, because we HAVE to be able to paint! LOL. All beige walls with patches showing from previous renters was totally KILLING us. Yeah, it’s a first world problem. I shouldn’t complain. But I was still really happy when we were able to move into our own place and start painting. Haha. I’m a professional at this point. <br />
<br />
So that was March. Then we had a ton of visitors from back home (which was AWESOME, because living in a new town without all your old friends is pretty sad). Going to the beach and pool while all your old friends are still wearing hats and scarves is fun and all, but it sure doesn’t make up for all the missing them! =) <br />
<br />
Summer was busy, the TDQ turned 14, the K-man turned 13, and just like that, we don’t have any kids in the house anymore. Just loads and loads of hormones. And also, they don’t want me talking about any of it anymore, because it’s so embarrassing, which is another reason it has gotten harder to blog. Teenage kids just don’t do the cute things little kids do, and even if they pull off something cute, they (or their friends at school) can pull it up on the internet and read it and be mad at you for ruining their life! So yeah, at least 60% of the things I like to talk, vent, brag about are gone…just like that. <br />
<br />
Total rabbit trail, I did ponder for a few moments last week if I should delete all photos from my blog history, after finding out that the TDQ has someone with stalkerish behaviors that somehow found my blog and sent pictures from here to other kids at her school. Obviously, I’ve never posted anything bad, but I *THINK* I’ve addressed the problem and it shouldn’t happen again. Either way though, I decided to leave the pics alone and just hope that legal action doesn’t ever become necessary. Seriously, the things you never think would become necessary to think about! <br />
<br />
Where was I? Oh yes, school! So the TDQ started at a private charter school which has been AWESOME for her! The K-man started back at Classical Conversations again, but about 3 weeks into it, I realized we had reached the end of the point where homeschool was beneficial for him, too. Sadly, we were too late to get him into the same private charter school as TDQ (well, the middle school version of it anyway), but we joined the waiting list and continued homeschooling. <br />
<br />
October and November were total blurs on the calendar…I have it all written in my bullet journal (of which I am still totally HOOKED) but that would be the only way I could remember what all happened those months. We were just busy! Thanksgiving, KC and I took an early anniversary cruise while a friend from back in NC flew in to stay with the kids for Thanksgiving. That was awesome on so many levels. Our kids will want a friends-giving every year now. Haha. <br />
<br />
December was another insane month! Our family was all over the place at all different times that month…that’s another unexpected side effect of having teenagers. They can sometimes travel without you now, so you have to manage four individual schedules instead of them always being part of yours. Anyway, we had Christmas Eve in Ohio with KC’s family, and Christmas Day in NC with my family. I wish we had had more time in both places so we could have seen ALL the peoples we miss, but time was too short to catch everyone. Hopefully we can catch more in the next trip north, but that will be awhile yet. <br />
<br />
Anywho, so now, January! We finally got a call from the private charter middle school, and K-man is finishing out the year there! Hallelujah! I’ve already seen a huge difference! He just needed more of a challenge and something to occupy more of his time. And although he was incredibly nervous the first week, he is doing AWESOME. Hopefully he won’t kill me for saying this much. LOL. He is way more easily embarrassed than the TDQ. I try to be understanding although I’m not sure he appreciates my herculean efforts! LOL! <br />
<br />
There it is. Update complete. I’ve now burned an entire morning and the laundry still isn’t finished. <br />
Till next time! =)<br />
<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7999693-1");
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-8064792945814305182018-08-05T17:19:00.001-04:002018-08-05T17:22:35.393-04:00The End of an Era<p>e·ra</p><p>ˈirə,ˈerə/<p><i>noun<p>a long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.</p></i><p>"his death marked the end of an era"<br>synonyms: epoch, age, period, phase, time, span, eon;</p><p><br><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IabUXiBUpKI/W2dp7rwV2HI/AAAAAAAAQzQ/-O0ti7rt2xcjHIFC7XmrwEOmupGcZBfqgCHMYCw/s1600-h/226CHURCHOFGOD%255B14%255D"><br><img width="500" height="444" title="226CHURCHOFGOD" style="margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" alt="226CHURCHOFGOD" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uXeKXlak6ZA/W2dp8MHGRdI/AAAAAAAAQzU/3kYNerdP7dAeaKqcOX7tBadN6u0Ec8w3ACHMYCw/226CHURCHOFGOD_thumb%255B8%255D?imgmax=800" border="0"></a></p><p>Ends are never very fun, goodbyes are some of the hardest things to handle…even ones who’s effects are lessened by geographical distance. </p><p>This place is nowhere near me now, but today marks the last service in this little NC church. This church in which I have spent countless hours in worship, in service, in VBS, in weddings (one of which was my own), in choir practices, in choir recordings, in workdays (like the one where we got into <a href="https://alwaysfaith.blogspot.com/2010/03/church-workday-rule-1359-never-tell-two.html" target="_blank"><u>paint mischief</u></a>), and like that post on paint mischief, this church also became the topic of more than one blog post (although, occasionally the references were vague to avoid causing trouble—I know…me? trouble? Never! LOL). </p><p>No, I don’t attend there anymore, haven’t in years, for a variety of reasons…one of which is the reason today was the last service there. They moved to a new location closer to the communities where most of their regular attendees live, and that makes total sense. When you build relationships with people, it’s usually people in your community. And when you get to the point of inviting them to church, not only are you asking them to give up precious weekend time (let’s get real, we all love the weekend), but you’re also asking for an extra hour (or more) of their time just to drive. That makes it tough. </p><p>So I get it.</p><p>And I also get that not everything in that building’s history was sunshine and flowers. Lord knows, I get that. I weathered a few of the storms myself. But I also know that when I remember that place now, I remember the good times…the glory of God…the love…the imperfect people like me. </p><p>And I hope that these imperfect people like me will carry it on in their local community so that it will be the beginning of a new and even better era. </p><p>Imperfect: by that I mean, capable of making mistakes and human error, not intentionally choosing wrongdoing….that term without clarification makes me cringe…but that’s a topic for another day. LOL</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-66067694039771194142018-07-23T19:37:00.001-04:002018-07-23T19:37:47.619-04:00Dead Blog<p>Wow, I’ve become that person that always drove me nuts because their blog was pretty much abandoned for other social media. *sigh* </p><p>I’m not really sure what to do about that, since I’ve thought about blogging more frequently but haven’t quite gotten around to it, nor do I really have the energy to do the updating and etc. that is needed. *bigger sigh* </p><p>On the positive side, now that no one ever expects an update, and traffic is non-existent, I can come here and vent and yak to my heart’s content and no one will be offended or care in the least. LOL. Hm…now there’s a thought! </p><p>Maybe it WOULD be worthwhile to dust off the ol’ blogspot….</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-83332056376889805972018-01-27T08:56:00.001-05:002018-04-15T08:49:39.810-04:00A List of Things I Never Knew<p dir="ltr">Florida makes me a morning person.... it's way less crowded first thing in the morning. <br>
Aldi is crowded no matter what time of day. <br>
You have to be over 18 to buy spray paint. <br>
The right church is hard to find. <br>
I now know what they mean by "snowbird season."<br>
It's time to start blogging again. :)</p>
Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-25248574382693119022017-07-29T11:07:00.001-04:002017-07-29T11:07:21.065-04:00Hello? Hello?<p>Testing….does this thing still work? </p> <p>LOL. I have been writing everyday, but it’s been in my bullet journal and it’s been boring to-do lists and random notes--nothing anyone would want to read except me, plus it takes up all my writing moments, hence lack of posts. </p> <p>All is still good here…or at least, we’re all still alive anyway. The world is still spinning, things are changing all around, but God’s still good. I just haven’t had the capacity to get on here and think of great (or at least interesting) things to say. Plus, I haven’t got the energy to politically correct all my thoughts in order to create trouble-free posts. </p> <p>I have zero energy today and a long to-do list, so I should probably go try to do something about that…but I just wanted to say hello. </p> <p>So hello. Maybe I’ll return again someday. =)</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-59873493867187345162017-03-15T14:04:00.001-04:002017-03-15T14:05:34.789-04:00In Regards To Last Post<p>The answer is: Not well. That’s how it goes. Both in blogging regularity AND in the poor neglected header situation. I guess I’ll just keep this header for awhile longer. LOL. Besides all that, the family was cuter then than now, so we’ll just stick with that. Pretend it says 2017. </p> <p>It is winter. I think. We spent two weeks in Florida in February, and I wore flipflops and shorts and loved every minute. Then we came home to early spring, and I wore long sleeves but no coat….</p> <p>Suddenly, it’s the artic and even a coat isn’t warm enough. WHERE IS SUMMER?</p> <p>Or at least spring!? Also, while I’m ranting, homeschooling my angry child is really difficult. I am SO ready to quit. But I can’t. </p> <p>Fun times! </p> <p>I need to be like this lettuce in my garden. Photo taken at this very moment of blogging.<br><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ab_c6y00MS0/WMmB-4M_KgI/AAAAAAAAPa4/ivPw5tD5wP4/s1600-h/WIN_20170315_13_52_13_Pro%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="WIN_20170315_13_52_13_Pro" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="WIN_20170315_13_52_13_Pro" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ao6f5VEL_O0/WMmCFW_uM0I/AAAAAAAAPa8/8SkFjnNKCGI/WIN_20170315_13_52_13_Pro_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="541" height="370"></a></p> <p>It came up on its own. It’s somehow survived 2 snows, several frosty mornings, and quite a few days where the high temperatures have barely been above freezing. It’s defying the odds, while still tasting lovely and looking beautifully fresh. </p> <p>*deep breath* </p> <p>Be happy and sweet despite getting constant cold <strike>shoulders</strike> er…weather. </p> <p>Be like lettuce. (or at least like THIS lettuce!) </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-80106538752658878682017-01-22T16:33:00.001-05:002017-01-22T16:33:40.198-05:00Total Intimidation<p>So it’s time for a new blog header…the only problem is that with homeschooling busyness, I’ve not been in Adobe in a few weeks and I’m sure that once I open it, it will all come flooding back to my poor brain, but the thought of creating something in photoshop or illustrator right now is just completely intimidating. </p> <p>What to do, what to do?</p> <p>Baby steps. I’m going to go open the program. Not create, just open. </p> <p>I’ll let you know how it goes. =) </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-91554153323667832882017-01-16T21:44:00.001-05:002017-01-16T21:44:51.424-05:00Healthy Addictions<p>I know, IS there such a thing as healthy addictions? Those two words seem <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tW_jnPAUY8g/WH2FF3z1HAI/AAAAAAAAPXM/3uMIfBodyfo/s1600-h/WIN_20170116_21_36_54_Pro%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img title="WIN_20170116_21_36_54_Pro" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WIN_20170116_21_36_54_Pro" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2Fc9fM6JeS8/WH2FG27PgEI/AAAAAAAAPXQ/QHfUU01_T6g/WIN_20170116_21_36_54_Pro_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" align="right" height="220"></a>like total opposites. I think there is, though. Like right now, I am COMPLETELY addicted to bullet journaling. I love the creative outlet and getting things written down/out of my brain. I especially love that it’s made me do some things (or not do) just because I know that I’m tracking it and I want to be able to check off that little box at the end of the day. </p> <p>For instance, no soda. I’ve had (caffeine free) soda three times this month, so that’s 13 solid days of soda free me. I haven’t had a Dr. Pepper in forever, as long as I don’t take any sips, I think that habit is effectively kicked, but I have still been drinking occasional sodas, and I really would like to kick that, too! </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I28Wz1LytMc/WH2FH1LuugI/AAAAAAAAPXU/Rt503Tw58qU/s1600-h/WIN_20170116_21_34_08_Pro%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="WIN_20170116_21_34_08_Pro" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 13px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="WIN_20170116_21_34_08_Pro" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MTLEeQ0fZkM/WH2FIh4aUaI/AAAAAAAAPXY/tmcL8N_Mu3w/WIN_20170116_21_34_08_Pro_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="169" align="left" height="260"></a>And now, I check off in my journal how many glasses of water a day…so I want to drink more so I can check off more boxes! </p> <p>Vitamins…I’ve actually taken them this month! LOL. Bible reading…way more consistent! Flossing…okay, that one is still an epic fail. Maybe next month. </p> <p>My point is, this addiction is helping solve some of my grown up behavior problems…so that’s healthy, right? =) </p> <p>It’s not helping so much on the blog habit though…but I’ll keep trying.</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-69900059594451854892017-01-07T21:48:00.001-05:002017-01-07T21:48:49.843-05:00Happy January!<p>Oh my word, I was going to do so much better at the end of last year…I failed. Miserably. </p> <p>We had a great Christmas break, spent our 15th anniversary in the hospital with KC’s mom (surgery, but she’s recovering well). We did get a moment to eat at Red Lobster (the one restaurant without a wait) sans kids before going to stay with his mom at the hospital. Gotta get those date moments in while you can, right? =) </p> <p>I’m just thankful…we are so blessed. Things could always be worse. Like, the gunman who killed 5 in the baggage claim of the Ft. Lauderdale airport…if he had done that two months earlier, when my family of four was in that same baggage claim getting our stuff and preparing to take a cruise, things could have been a whole lot different in my story. </p> <p>We also just watched the movie, Sully, and it made me realize how many times KC has flown from NYC to CLT in winter weather, safely. So many things we’ve been protected from, we’ll probably never know all of them. So I’ll just be grateful. For everything. </p> <p>Even the snow that we got today. LOL It was so cold and my hands were in terrible pain at one point, but I’m thankful for a warm house. </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zoyjlih2pg0/WHGoiKH4VhI/AAAAAAAAPWA/aVYj5UxXUJo/s1600-h/IMG_20170107_094416_826%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20170107_094416_826" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_20170107_094416_826" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-etYRZ9DIztE/WHGoiowi9EI/AAAAAAAAPWE/m_xVmuTyX54/IMG_20170107_094416_826_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a></p> <p>And cardboard games. This one is sequence…a card/board game. Sounds funnier to call it a cardboard game though. Haha.</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YnzBBE05F40/WHGojJww7ZI/AAAAAAAAPWI/vA2W2d14ciU/s1600-h/IMG_20170106_195648_891%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20170106_195648_891" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="IMG_20170106_195648_891" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-opsbu_yhHrw/WHGojmFhqCI/AAAAAAAAPWM/2dF4etcRGDg/IMG_20170106_195648_891_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="244"></a></p> <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wzKK1jwHdu8/WHGoj3COD-I/AAAAAAAAPWQ/7EfOgrbNs2g/s1600-h/IMG_20170107_212055_023%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_20170107_212055_023" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="IMG_20170107_212055_023" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LtGOGgRHOjs/WHGokfM2WQI/AAAAAAAAPWU/7sJmQGJKOz8/IMG_20170107_212055_023_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="244"></a> <p>And last, but DEFINITELY not least, my super fun bullet journal…it’s like a journal, sketchbook, AND planner…all in one place. I am REALLY liking it. I’ve got to figure out a way to pare down on the pen collection though…I love colorful pens, but they’re taking up way too much real estate around here.</p> <p>I’m nowhere near pro at this thing, but pinterest got me interested, and now that I’ve finally tried it, I’m totally hooked. You know all those times you make to-do lists and write things on them that are already done, just so you can check them off? Then you throw the list away? Well, now I have a place to put all those lists and instead of throwing them away, I can have them forever as a record of having done them. LOL. I know…I’m a little crazy. It’s okay. </p> <p>Know why I’m blogging right now? Because I put it on my list in my bullet journal that I need to do it more often. So now I’m going to go check it off of today! *insert maniacal giggles*</p> <p>Later!</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-31204618695070034242016-11-03T20:38:00.001-04:002016-11-03T21:09:23.371-04:00Something Smells Fishy<p>Maybe it’s the lobster clip-art we had to try to recreate with illustrator in class tonight. =) </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XN5NYprduoA/WBvYk_wIhpI/AAAAAAAAPRA/dqpESEhh4I0/s1600-h/lobstertrace%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="lobstertrace" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="lobstertrace" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6DTw5csSILs/WBvYlaL966I/AAAAAAAAPRE/u7PDVabwVgU/lobstertrace_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="456" height="375"></a></p> <p>That’s a lot of layers and shapes to redraw that booger…makes me TOTALLY appreciate artists a whole lot more! OMYWORD!</p> <p>Or maybe that icky stink is when you find out that people you thought were your friends (or if not friends, at least not enemies) have suddenly ceased to exist to you on facebook. I mean, it’s one thing to just not be facebook friends…but it takes dislike to a whole new level when you actually go into your privacy settings and find the block list, and search a person’s name to add them to it. Like, you were uber-friendly to me in real life, I don’t understand why the facebook hate! Seriously?!</p> <p>Something’s fishy. </p> <p>Believe me, if I’ve put you on my block list (which is a VERY short list, by the way…I typically like pretty much everybody), then I’m probably going to be the very minimum of polite in real life…I definitely won’t be all uber-friendly. </p> <p>My current block list (I know, I know….it’s killing you to not know, right?) consists of one person from college that absolutely drove me up the wall (and they probably know exactly who they are simply by my level of bare courtesy…hopefully they don’t read this blog), a couple of family members of someone who hated me enough to block me (because if you have those kinds of strong feelings against me, I would hate for you to “accidentally” see my stuff on your family member’s profile), and a couple of spam strangers. That’s it…because I generally get along okay with most people. </p> <p>Or at least I thought I did. Maybe not. </p> <p>Also did you know that if you block someone, not only can they never see your existence on facebook, but you can also never see THEIR existence on facebook. So for example, if you block a particular Jane Doe and then forget that you did it and want to go see what they’re up to, you can search them on facebook all day long and never find them unless you go unblock them in your privacy settings. Facebook wants to make sure you’re not secretly stalking people I guess. LOL. Or at least not on THAT profile. Also, if they’ve blocked you, you can’t block them back (because they no longer exist to you on facebook). So if there’s someone you can’t stand, hurry up and block them first (unless it’s me, in which case, you should tell me what I’ve done before you go to that extreme! LOL).</p> <p>Hahahaha! Oh well…better to laugh than cry, right?!</p> <p>It definitely smells better that way. </p> <p>Unless, of course, a toot slips out while you’re laughing…then things might get fishy smelling again! </p> <p>BWAHAHAHAHAHA. You probably couldn’t tell that I’m tired, could you!!?? ROFL</p> <p>Goodnight!</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-56682618020370661782016-10-31T20:23:00.001-04:002016-10-31T20:23:10.264-04:00Angry Birds<p>So I’m looking for something to practice the Illustrator Pen Tool on….and this bird just fit my mood. This is my rendition of a pixelated little graphic I found on the internets. </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OmRp6lAW7AU/WBfgagY9JcI/AAAAAAAAPQk/jWils4BbQgs/s1600-h/penguintrace%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="penguintrace" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="penguintrace" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VTkT1DaukyY/WBfgbYps9CI/AAAAAAAAPQo/RW1FDsyJ4yA/penguintrace_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="506" height="506"></a></p> <p>Not that I’m angry, exactly…just in a bit of a mood. </p> <p>The original had a bit more depth of shadow in it, but I mostly wanted to practice the pen and outlines. </p> <p>As far as mood…sometimes it feels like I take two steps forward and get shoved twelve steps back…sometimes that gets aggravating. S’all right though. Still blessed. *takes a deep breath* Sometimes trying to stay positive gets aggravating, too! </p> <p>Tomorrow K-man gets to have his first Orthodontist visit. I thought we were going to get by without anybody needing braces…but nope. He’s nervous and not thrilled, but the dentist said his bite is really off, so we gotta do it. </p> <p>Homeschooling is keeping me hopping like a frog. Maybe that will be my next practice with the pen tool…a froggy clip art. ahahaha. The kids are doing pretty well with it, but it is a LOT of work and takes LOTS of patience. I’m not complaining though, the flexibility and convenience is amazing! =) </p> <p>Anyways, I’m taking my grouchy little birdy self off the computer now…need to get ready for bed. </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-19309709990182614512016-10-27T22:17:00.001-04:002016-10-27T22:17:39.075-04:00Surely Goodness & Mercy<p>Mercy…that’s been on my mind a LOT lately. Thinking about it, trying to give it, and mostly asking for just a little more! Lord help. </p> <p>ANYWHO, second illustrator class. Came home to practice working with the pen tool and added in some practice with typing on a path. It’s subtle but it’s there…and readable, if you’re patient and familiar with the Twenty-third Psalm. =) </p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dshKLZgFxy0/WBK1QEEqKcI/AAAAAAAAPPw/dOLbLhXOlDE/s1600-h/illustrator%252520class2%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="illustrator class2" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="illustrator class2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w3tTcBwmZqg/WBK1QmVuG9I/AAAAAAAAPP0/3G9p1AjCvBg/illustrator%252520class2_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="504" height="504"></a></p> <p>Life is hard, but God’s still good. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-69447368694256019542016-10-20T20:04:00.001-04:002016-10-20T20:04:32.032-04:00Illustrator Class…<p>I had a little too much fun playing in class….the best kinds of classes are the ones you can play in…lol!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bOEcDL6SZOA/WAlbjSANxyI/AAAAAAAAPO8/WHeZt-I_eS0/s1600-h/illustratorclassplaytime%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img title="illustratorclassplaytime" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="illustratorclassplaytime" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HzSXZwL8R0s/WAlbj0ljA9I/AAAAAAAAPPA/uDIoR0Z81H4/illustratorclassplaytime_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="520" height="400"></a></p> <p>I love that I can now figure out how to create my OWN graphics!! Yippee!!</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-60445644232153256912016-10-05T12:25:00.001-04:002016-10-05T12:25:24.446-04:00What’Cha’Ma’Call Crazy<p>I haven’t even looked to see when the last time I blogged might have been…my life kinda turned nuts. </p> <p>Maybe I’ll do better.</p> <p>Maybe I won’t. </p> <p>At this point, I can’t make any promises. </p> <p>We spent July in Florida. That was amazing. Also in July, we decided that we would be homeschooling the upcoming school year. </p> <p>August…I’m not sure where it went. The PTDQ went to Seattle to visit her Aunt for a week. The K-man started playing football with the local optimist club team. We started homeschooling. We went to Wilderness in the Smokies.</p> <p>September…I blinked and it was no more. K-man turned 11, I kept a bunch of kids several nights because he wanted a birthday sleepover. We are still surviving homeschool…and at home very little thanks to the tons of homeschool group activities that are available…lol. I started selling Thirty-One again…just to get my wish list of stuff….lol. </p> <p>October is here already and the time for our annual cruise is creeping up fast! I am so excited. But I have so many things to do between now and then. *sigh* </p> <p>Blog for the first time in ages – Check<br>Get to the rest of the to-do list – NOT checked!!!! </p> <p>LOL. Later!</p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22856455.post-87487093890944447622016-06-16T21:26:00.001-04:002016-06-16T21:26:40.812-04:00Life Is Good (Part 2)<p>So on Tuesday at noon, my lovely antagonistic gallbladder was removed from my body. Full of stones and infected, the little bugger. </p> <p>Guess I can now check “get stitches” off my bucket list. </p> <p>I went straight from the doctors office to the same day surgery center at the hospital on Tuesday and thankfully, both the doctor office AND the same day surgery center have much more comfortable waiting rooms than the ER. And even more thankfully, I didn’t need to spend as much time in either one of them. I think the amount of time between being seen in the doctor’s office and coming out of surgery minus a gallbladder was about equal to the amount of time we spent in the ER on Sunday morning. I don’t care now though, I’m just glad I don’t hurt now like I was hurting on Sunday morning. </p> <p>When I checked into same day surgery, they put me right in a room and prepped me for surgery (prepped as in: made me wear a terribly unfashionable yard of fabric with strings that let in WAYYY too much air in the back end, and gave me a nice IV which was probably one of the most painful parts of the whole thing…she was great at putting it in, but I just am not on friendly terms with things that poke me). </p> <p>So I made sure that the anesthesiologist was aware that I’m a lightweight and my body might get too relaxed and want to stop breathing but I would very much like to make sure I wake up at the end of the surgery. He made a note and said not to worry, he’d make sure of it, and they really liked to have all of their patients wake up at the end. LOL. The note was probably just for my reassurance, but it worked. LOL. </p> <p>It finally got to noon and they rolled me back. He said he was going to give me a little test shot of anesthesia in my IV while we were going down the hall. About 2 minutes later my blinks resembled something more like 30 second cat naps. Like I said, lightweight. I remember rolling into the OR and thinking…hmmm…this doesn’t really look like Grey’s Anatomy. LOL. Then they asked me to slide over onto the table and I bobbled my way over like a little drunk lady. They put my arm out to the side and then I was waking up in the recovery room. Only, I didn’t really know it was the recovery room and I wasn’t really awake. I was just rolling around in the bed trying to get away from this awful pain in my stomach. They got the pain under control and FINALLY I was able to get some ice chips for the awful dry mouth. Those were the best ice chips ever. Then they took me back to a room where I could get real clothes on again, and off I went. </p> <p>Okay, it wasn’t that simple. I had to sign a bunch of papers, I had to move at the speed of molasses in Alaska to get dressed, and then I got a lovely wheelchair ride to the door. </p> <p>But I finally got home. Everything was good…except for all the gas. HOLY cow! That part hurt almost as much as the gallstones. </p> <p>But even that went away by today. Today was much better. Except for the part where I took a shower and almost passed out because I looked at my stitches. Wooh. </p> <p>I’m slowly feeling better. I can’t wait for the soreness to go away so I can get back to doing stuff. Being sick is not for me. LOL. It has been SO nice how everyone has jumped in to take care of me though…I feel VERY loved. People have brought in food, treats, flowers, and dropped by to visit or stay with me. I’ve gotten a ton of texts and emails and facebook messages and phone calls…it’s been amazing. I’ve been told to enjoy the rest. I’m trying. It’s so hard when I’m so used to DOING. Being busy. Not sitting in a chair all day. LOL. So I’ve colored a few pages, slept a LOT, read a book brought to me by a lovely friend, nibbled at some food, and that’s pretty much it. Very UN-busy…but I’m still so tired. </p> <p>But life is still good and it’s getting better. I’m just glad that little bugger is out and I’m on the recovery side. Whew. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and I think this is one that’s safe to go to…lol. </p>Always Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968983553161443412noreply@blogger.com0