What a busy, busy month!

It has been a busy month for sure!! And it seems to be ending on a busy note as well. I'm so tired! Part of that, though, is that I was challenged via fitbit for steps for this week - which ends tonight. I have pushed myself more than I usually do - and I'm not as young as I used to be. I like to think I am.... however..... my body tells me otherwise.

Work has been crazy busy this month - I keep being given more and more work with little taken away. Although one big meeting that I was helping out with Corporate on - I got told by their new admin that my help wasn't needed any longer so la di da. I am no longer involved in that one! That was usually a 3 hour meeting and she flubbed it up at her first one. So - if she doesn't want me to attend any longer - that is perfectly fine. I don't have to do the minutes either. Yay!

However, our Chief Operations Officer has now asked me to take on her meeting and do the minutes. Sigh. Minutes are NOT my favorite thing to do. I can do them and I do them well, but I don't enjoy doing them. Everyone likes them done differently and I would rather sit in the meeting and just listen to everything. I admit it. I am nosey and I enjoy hearing what is going on. :-)

I finally had to tell my one boss that I couldn't keep doing everything she was asking me to do. I don't report to her, but I do support her, which is why I get to do her work. Unfortunately, she has taken over my life here at work with things I do for her. She took my comments well, and advised me that things would now start slowing down and it wouldn't be so bad. Here's hoping.

I've been asked to serve on a board called Destiny of Hope. One of my bestest friends is on that board. It's interesting how it came about. I was at the women's retreat last weekend and another friend (whom I didn't know was on the board) asked me if I was an intercessor. I said, well, I do pray.....so she asked me to pray for that board. Well, by the end of that session, she asked me if I would pray about coming on the board. I felt awkward because if she was a board member, it shouldn't come from her, but from ?? I don't know. Anyway, I called my bestest friend and talked with her about it yesterday. I told her that I was going to decline the invitation for a few reasons. One, if my friend wanted me on the board (and I thought this was HER board), I would hope she would ask me. Also, there are already 7 women on that board, and 7 is the complete number, so they didn't need 8. AND, I don't need to be on the board to offer to help when they do something. Then my friend says, let me give you the backstory.

And she did. The other friend is the President of the board so she was perfectly in line with asking me. In fact, during that session last weekend, the two of them were actively texting each other that I should be asked to join the board. I had no idea. As for the number 7, one of the members is getting ready to come off the board and they will need another to take her place so it will remain at 7. Ok then. All my arguments fell by the wayside. I told her that I would still need to think about it, but I would probably accept. I'll let her know this weekend.

This weekend. There is a ChariTea that Destiny of Hope is sponsoring for Choices Pregnancy Center. I volunteered to make chicken salad sandwiches. Thinking there would be 25-35 people. I should inquire more before I volunteer. They are hoping for 200 people. Yes, I said 200 people. I have stuck to my offer. However, instead of making it like was my original plan, I have placed an order with Costco for 35 pounds of chicken salad. Enough to feed at least 150 people.

Then when I talked with my friend yesterday, she is hoping for more than 10. I'm sure there will be, but visions of chicken salad for several days has come to my mind. I'll give some away if it comes to that. But, with a former anchor of TV news going to be the speaker, I'm sure there will be more people than 10. Everyone is to bring an unwrapped baby gift. I'm not taking anything because the chicken salad cost me a lot more than I had planned to spend. It's all tax deductible, so that's ok, but still, more than I had planned.

I also started teaching The Circle Maker on Wednesday nights at church this week. And starting the first Sunday in November we start preaching again, so I need to work on that in October. My life is going to be pretty busy for the next few months, for sure! Add work in to that schedule and whew! I'm tired thinking about it!!

Gotta get to work - just realized it had been awhile since I had written anything. This is my life in a nutshell - at least for this moment in time.

Blessings!

I didn't go this morning.....

I awoke early this morning, something just didn't feel right. I felt sorta icky, but yet, not icky. Does that make sense? I have alternated between hot and sweaty to cool and clammy the past couple hours. Hubby decided - after I was completed dressed for church and ready to go - that I probably shouldn't go. I didn't argue. I am weak and yet, I'm ok.

So, I changed clothes from church to casual and managed to get a roast on for dinner tonight. I took the trash out as it was overflowing. I have now sat down here just to write a bit and then I think I will go lay down. Or maybe read. Or knit.

I wanted to watch preaching on TV this morning but no one was on that I wanted to watch. Maybe I'll watch Pastor Steve as his church should be online soon. I can watch him from my ipad.

My new computer says the one drive is full. I don't even know what that is - but it is giving me fits. I suppose I should call Dell online as I have their services included in my purchase... but today, I just don't feel like it. I couldn't even get google chrome or the one with the 'e' to come up. I know so little about computers - and care even less about them.

I was reading in The Circle Maker this morning about finding my 'Jericho'. I paused and thought about it and wondered 'what is my dream - my Jericho'. All I can think of is how much I wish I could retire. Part of me is angry that I cannot any time soon. How do I get past that? Perhaps I am just really tired right now, and the fact I'm not feeling good this morning.

For me to miss church, well, you know I'm not feeling real good. But, this too shall pass. I know the class will be praying for me to get better, and I know I will. I'm enjoying the quiet of the morning now. Only the click of my keyboard and the clock is all I hear. Oh, and the air conditioner going.

Hope your morning is going well.

Blessings.

The story begins when I walked out of the office....

and across the parking lot to my van. I notice a 2 ft. x 2 ft. (approximate) area under the right front of the van. It is wet. I squat down to touch it - and it is sorta oily. I look under the van and I see a drip. And another.

I started to pray - 'just get me home, Lord'! and all the way as I drove, I was watching for lights to come on or something to happen, still praying to just get back to my part of town.

And He answered. I was able to pick up hubby on the way and we went straight to the repair place. They put it up on a rack and then ask me to come to the repair section because they wanted me to 'see this'. Oh my word. From the radiator there was almost a constant stream of liquid flowing, and in three or more other places, there were occasional drips happening. There is no way I could have driven much further with the fluid flowing out of the radiator. Thank you, Father, for answering my prayer to get me back home.

But then, I had another dilemma. I needed to get to work the next day because I hadn't brought my work computer home. I did some texting. My granddaughter offered to loan me her car for the day - but I don't like driving other people's vehicles. But it was an option. It finally worked out that my daughter took me to work, and my oldest son brought me back home. The good part of that is I got to leave work early. I should have gotten back on the computer (I brought my computer home with me), but I just was exhausted and didn't.

So I waited, and eventually I received the call that the van was ready. The radiator had a crack across the bottom of it and had to be replaced. Since the spark plugs and wires had never been replaced - 2004 van; 150,000+ miles - it was decided they really needed to be replaced. There were a couple other repairs that were needed - and the final bill came up to $1123. I asked the question of the mechanics - should I not invest all this money in repairs but do what is necessary and just trade it in? I really did not want a car payment. Their response was 1) any repair beats a car payment, and 2) most of the big repairs we have already done on the van and they did a complete inspection on it. Only a couple minor things that still need to be completed, but they can wait for a few months. It would be wiser to keep the van as it is in excellent shape. So I will be keeping the van - and that's ok.

I enjoyed so much the ride home with my son. I rarely see him - or talk with him - so it was good to just catch up with him. It was also his birthday so I was able to give him is birthday 'present' on his birthday. That was cool. He went on to start his celebrating his birthday after he dropped me off at home.

Today I am working from home. I got hit with a bunch of emails as soon as I brought the computer up. So much to do. I have to find a way I can retire soon. I just have to. I'm not enjoying where I am right now - the people are great - but the work is a lot more than I have ever been involved in. Things I do not know that they expect me to know. It is a real struggle. It is what it is and I'm mentally thinking how I can get out of debt and live off social security. It would be difficult, but it can be done. People do it with a lot less than what I make. I've got to, for this job is going to kill me if I don't.

And enough of that - need to get back to work - just took a quick break. Hope your day is amazing.

Blessings!

Finally, a holiday, and off work!

I had hoped to sleep in this morning, but my body knew it was a Monday so sure enough, 4AM my body was awake. I did my walk down the hall and went back to bed, with hopes of falling asleep again, but alas, that did not happen so eventually got up and went to the back of the house to do some reading and my quiet time. It was nice and quiet for awhile.

After I came out I fixed breakfast, then got pork in one crockpot for shredded pork, and chicken in another crockpot cooking to make shredded chicken. I'm trying to follow the Whole 30 Plan for 30 days. It's NOT a diet (thank goodness), but eating food non-processed and no sugar. Trying to clean my body out and gain some energy and clear-mindedness. Lord knows I'm not the only one who needs that! :-)

My daughter and granddaughter have begun it as well. I wanted to start it LAST September, but no one wanted to participate. This year my granddaughter wanted us to do it together. I told her I didn't know how 'faithful' I would be to it, but will give it a try. I was ready to do it last year and they bailed on me so I lost interest. This year we went to the grocery together and bought enough supplies for 3 recipes (except for what I forgot to write down, for which I did another grocery run) and we split the cost. There should be enough from the pork and chicken to last us 2-4 days - depending on what we eat and how much. What is going to be interesting is the sweet potato buns. The other two have already made these and said they were awesome. I'll be making them this afternoon - and we'll have our first taste of them (with the pork or chicken (bbq)) and made into sandwiches.

I have been so overwhelmed at work and am so mentally tired that I have really been wishing I could retire. I'm going to focus on 'my' bills and get them paid off and then hopefully can consider it next year. I had told hubby next year and I thought he was going to get whiplash.

Then again, I don't know that I could stand being at home and not able to do anything. I'm not a real traveler, like some retirees are. But it would be nice to have the freedom to do some things. But, because of certain conditions, if I ever retire, I don't know how it would turn out. I can only do things now because I am still working.

Work has kept me extremely busy which is one reason why I haven't been typing anything on here. I am overwhelmed with work and I don't know what to do. One boss that I support is heading up a new department within the company to which the others will merge in to -- and all these meets and schedules -- I am so out of my league and overwhelmed. Some days I just want to cry because I can't move schedules of other people and yet I have to make these meetings. And I support two other bosses. I've been pulled into more meetings than I want to be pulled in to; have to create minutes for meetings I don't want to be in, and I'm just so very tired of the 26 mile one way drive five days a week. It is very wearing and when I get home, I don't have much desire to do anything.

Ok - enough whining. I'm done. Life is good. I get a paycheck which pays our bills. I'm healthy. Hubby is healthy. Now that I'm home today he is busy doing things. LOL I want to get some things done so need to get off here. I had to jump on the company computer today to get some emails sent out. One of my bosses sent me an email 'isn't today a holiday'? I responded 'yes, so stay off your computer and phone!" I'm not staying on here - but saw all the emails she had already sent me from Saturday. Sigh.

Hope you are doing well. Life is good.

Blessings.