And we are 'off ... well, soon....

 I didn't sleep well last night - not because I am excited about being on vacation - although I am - but because my left hip decided to ache all night - bad enough that I got up and took an excedrin in the middle of the night (didn't want to dig for the ibuprofen in the cabinet), but by then my body was also starting to awaken from my upper and lower body workouts this week.  

The landscapers have arrived this morning and they woke my daughter up, using the leaf blower in the courtyard.  They ARE loud.  And annoying.  

I have barely started to pack; I suppose I need to get on that pretty soon, now that the daughter is up and getting ready to get in the shower.  I'm sure I will forget something.... that's how prepared I am. LOL I'm excited to go, don't get me wrong; just haven't gotten around to packing much just yet.  After I finish this, I will get started.

We took hubby out for dinner last night and was glad the oldest son and wife were able to have dinner with us.  My daughter, and granddaughter and family, also came.  I think we all were disappointed with the food at some point.  I ordered the small bear paws with the mashed potatoes and broccoli and carrots - I couldn't eat the broccoli and carrots - carrots were hard and the broccoli looked like it had seen better days.  Hubby got IHOP gift cards which made him very happy as he goes there on Thursdays to eat when he meets up with his friend.  At least we took him out and he was happy he got attention.  

It's kind of funny, in a way.  My daughter comes home and I haven't seen her since ... January?... don't remember... and we really don't talk much - sometimes not even weekly.... and we didn't really have much to talk about when we had some time alone.  When I meet up with my little sister, we sit up and talk about everything, and we talk fairly often!  Just think it's ironic.  But then, I knew my daughter was tired as it was also a travel day for her.

We don't plan to leave for at least a couple hours yet so we are just taking our time getting around.  I've already done my devotions and had my cup of coffee.  And here I type.  Not that I have much to talk about this morning.  Not sleeping well at all, I'm tired and I just may have to nap on the way up - although we are only going a couple hours or so out of town.  We will stop for breakfast after picking up the granddaughter and great-granddaughter.  We can't check in the airbnb until 4PM - can you believe we got an email that said if we wanted to check in earlier, it would be $50 more?  Naw, we'll wait until 4PM.  We have shopping to do.

I need to pull out a couple board games to take and need to start packing for real.  I got a wooden doll house I had ordered a few weeks ago - it came yesterday.  I plan to take it with us, but I have already told the great-granddaughter it will come back to Oma's house; it isn't going home with her.  That way the other great-granddaughters can play with it as well.  

I'm just being lazy this morning.  Is this what retirement would feel like?  I've pretty much decided I probably won't be retiring, at least any time soon.  It will depend on when they hire to replace Brett, and then replace Sue after she retires.  If I can't make a 'connect' with the new ones, I may go ahead and take retirement and find another job.  I kind of like having money to spend whenever I want to, and not have to ask hubby's 'permission'.  

Daughter just came in to tell me the high today where we are going is 65 degrees.  I will make sure I have a thick sweater. LOL  I just don't do cold.  Although 65 isn't bad.  It's somewhat cool this morning and we have the front door open. Of course I have my thick housecoat around my shoulders.

Ok  guess I need to get off here.  Hubby has stopped his quiet time and is opening the blinds (I'm still on the couch) and my daughter is taking her shower in my bathroom.  I need to pull out the games and get some things pulled together; at least start packing, right?

I plan to take my computer with me and can hopefully keep you alert to all our activities....  not that we do much while away.  We kind of work things around our great-granddaughter.  And shopping. :-)

So - with that - I will stop my boring chatter and sign off for today.  Hope you have an amazing day.

Blessings!

Slow to start, quick to finish?

 This has been a tough morning.  I didn't sleep much last night. This time not because I was too warm, but because I did not do anything yesterday.  Well, not that I had to exert any effort.  We went to church, as I mentioned in my late post yesterday.  We went to lunch.  We came home and changed clothes - and we read for a large part of the afternoon. As in my body was not moving; it was on the couch in a comfortable position, reading.  And enjoying the quiet.  I fixed dinner.  No great thing there.  We went back to reading, then watched a movie while I crochet'd, then read a bit more and went to bed.  And I was wide awake. The body had gotten so very little movement that it wasn't tired.  So I tossed and turned most of the night.  Because hubby hadn't napped yesterday, that I'm aware of, he did sleep.   Then a bit after midnight I dozed... awake a couple more times; the alarm goes off at 4AM.  No, I don't want to get up.  I doze until 4:30AM and finally get up.  I come in here... hubby brings the coffee in, and although I did reading and my journaling, every time I paused... I wanted tog o back to sleep.  And here it is going on 7AM when I need to get on my computer, and I'm writing in here, and I am still sleepy and want to curl up in a ball and go back to sleep.  It may be a very long day.  I may have to take breaks and nap - but then again, even if I am sleepy, that is a rare thing.

I have another 8:30AM appointment with the chiropractor - ad he is about 3 minutes away and only takes about 15 minutes - but maybe it will be enough to get me woke up.  Another cup of coffee is on the agenda as well.  Coffee has been boring and weak lately so I ordered some coffee - mushroom coffee, no less - from an ad on Facebook.  I need to quit ordering off of facebook!!  It should be arriving soon - I sure do hope that I like it!  I think today - which is organic French Roast and hubby added some cinnamon to it - I think he didn't put enough coffee in it, for it takes like colored water.  I may need to ask him to add another tablespoon or two.  No, I'm not 'allowed' to make the coffee. That's his 'job'.  Sigh.

As far as I know, there isn't much on the agenda for today with work, but then I haven't looked at my computer yet today.  I'll get up and turn it on shortly.  I have the chiropractor this morning and my gym training this afternoon.  I am going to call the dermatologist's office today and see if I can get in.  Those darn bug bites from last October still bother me at times and they should be completely healed up by now - and are not.  Something is going on in my thigh that causes pain - and I have had this pain off and on since the night I got the bug bites.  We never have figured out what the bug bites were - in the beginning, if you recall, we thought it was bedbugs - but it is all gathered together in one area, which is unusual.  But it still could be, I guess.  The urgent care 'doctor' of not use said scorpion bites - but my dermatologist back then did not voice an opinion.  He has since retired and his son has the practice.  My daughter, who also goes there, says the son is more attentive and knows a bit more.  I'm willing for him to take a look at these and see if he can figure it out.  

Yeah, I tried to go to my medical doctor twice now.  Back last Thanksgiving time one of the spots had swollen up and turned red about the size of a nickel - so I tried to get in - no appointments available for 2-3 weeks.  So I just said nevermind.  I tried again about a month ago to get in to see her - and was told she had no time for a week or more, but I asked to go ahead and get an appointment and explained why.  Two days later I got a call from someone at her office who told me she didn't have any available time, and I should go to my dermatologist.  I repeated her words back to me.   "It's a skin issue so go to your dermatologist."  It's not just a skin issue to me - there is something going on inside of my leg from the bug bites that causes my thigh to ache.  That would be medical, would it not?  Anyway, I'm disillusioned about going back to this doctor and am thinking about seeking yet another PCP who I feel can see me.  I had chatted with this doctor on our portal and told her I was going to come in and see if she could look at the bites.  She responded to me that was fine (and I told her person that!! But she wouldn't give me an appointment.  I haven't written anymore on the portal.  I'm pouting.  She really hasn't done much for me in three years - I get the blood work and she adjusted my levothyroxine the last time. Everything else is the same. She listens to my heart beat and sends me on my way.  I asked for an EKG and a chest x-ray the last time, but for some reason it was 'too late' to order them (why is that?) so would do it this year.   Wow - am I complaining this morning or what??!!  Why can I not find a medical doctor who cared about me as much as the one I had for 30+ years who had me always taking tests every few years to make sure I was ok?!  I may beg his son who took the practice to take me on - but the offices have moved and it is further away a bit.  Hubby still goes to the son.  His son didn't want to take me on - can you imagine?  I'm 'easy money' since I only go once a year as a rule.

Anyway - on to other thoughts - but I don't have any.  Eight minutes.  I need to get up and turn on the computer and let it start warming up.  I did have some things I could write about, but no time to do that today.  Maybe I could remember to do it tomorrow.   

Hubby has no doctor appointments this week and has two breakfasts on the schedule, I think. I hope he will go to his Bible study this Friday.  We have been together 24x7 for a few days now... it really hasn't been too bad.  I guess because I didn't go do a project and leave him out of it; I read in the front room with him.  Got a couple books going and one on my kindle.  I may finish that one tonight, it is pretty good.  But, don't know how long it is.  

I have nothing to write at the moment - my eyes are on the clock.  Stay tuned... maybe I will think of something fantastic to write about tomorrow.  O not.  Same O Same O I am sure it will be.  In the meantime, you have a fantastic day!

Blessings!

I think I've messed up my sleep schedule

 With being off work, and staying up later, somehow my body is managing to sleep an hour or so longer, which makes up for the later hour of going to bed. But, with that, it is messing me up.  I either sleep well all night, or I'm awake most of the night. Last night was an awake night.  Tossing and turning, thinking of things I need to pay, things I need to do. Silly things at that. I threw off the covers a couple times because I was so sweaty.  I still blame all this on the bug bites.  And I still get pin pricks in that area.  I may be nuts, but I have found 2 more bumps like the bug bites - one on my neck, and one on my belly. Do I have a bug in my bed?  It's been a couple days now but maybe they will go away soon.  October 12th was the night I got bit.... don't you think that they would have been gone by now?

I made cookies last night and as I was using my new very sharp knife to cut nuts - the tip touched my little finger and put about a 1/2 inch gash in it - not deep so no worries there, but it took me awhile to stop the bleeding. Never told hubby, you know how he could be.  That knife is sharp!  But I am loving it for cutting up things - just need to learn to keep my fingers out of the way. It could easily cut off a finger with one swipe.

Hubby will be leaving soon for his training.  I don't go until tomorrow morning.  I think we will only have one half-hour session this week due to the holiday and our trainer taking some time off.  But, when I added the date and time to my phone calendar, it came up for 60 minutes so I'm not sure how long - but I think it will be 30 minutes, unless others of her clients cancelled and she has the time. I'm sure hubby will ask her about it this morning; you know how he loves to be in my business.

A granddaughter and great-granddaughter will be coming over this morning to bake cookies. I hope I have everything she will need for whatever she wants to bake.  It will be fun baking with them; although I don't bake, just sit around and talk.  I still have a couple batches of cookies to make for the 'cookie plates', and I will get it done soon.  

My daughter called yesterday after she realized that with us doing Christmas with them on Saturday, and they did Christmas with their children yesterday - we won't be gathering on Christmas Eve or Christmas - so she is planning a Christmas lunch and invited us to come over.  That is really switching things up as we usually don't leave the house on Christmas day.  So we will go there for lunch and that will be a nice treat. I had no plans to fix a big meal for us - we would probably be finishing up the lunchmeat from last Saturday! In fact, we may get that again today.  Still have some soup as well. 

Yesterday was totally off.  We got partially dressed for church, then watched Jentezen Franklin @ Free Chapel.  It was very good.  About 10:15 (cause he went way over), we started getting ready - and I was ready to go by 10:30, which was time to leave.  Hubby still wasn't dressed; he was in a frazzled state... and I realized even more that although the gym is making him stronger, his mind is not.  He finally got dressed (all he had done previously was shave) and was still 'running around' trying to get ready. It's at least a 12-15 minute drive to church.  It starts at 10:45AM.  At 10:35 he was dressed, but didn't have his shoes and socks on.  At 10:40AM I tell him that we will be about 10 minutes late.  He kept apologizing that he had not gotten ready more before watching the service.  He finally looks up and asks if he can take me to breakfast.  So instead of getting there 10-15 minutes late, we went to breakfast.  It was 11AM when we got there.   He was frustrated with himself because I had been ready to go on time (I had done my hair and makeup before the service; all I had to do was get dressed) and he wasn't. So we went to breakfast instead.  I talked with my daughter, my sister, and my little brother. And I baked one batch of cookies.  Hubby watched TV alone until I finished the cookies, and we watched some NCIS repeats.  That was our Sunday - so productive, right?  Well, at least I got cookies made and touched base with my siblings.

I did get on the work computer and got caught up on emails and meetings to schedule, approved all the timecards, and shut it down.  I'll keep track as the week goes by if I get a lot of things to do.  Being off work from last Friday until January 2nd is a long time for me.  I know I will be bored before too long - although I still have things I like to do - at least Christmas is done. No shopping, no more gifts coming in, all my wrapping is done.  Yeah, need to clear off this bed now.   Should bake something for the neighbors (after all, she brought me cookies)... my 'I don't want to' keeps overruling 'I should' in taking things to the neighbors.

I do need to start focusing on the message for Sunday too.  I have a very rough draft, and I need to go through it and make it work.  I have it here on my left to start on.... what is my scripture for the message?

John 13:34 (NKJV):  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, you, that you also love one another.

One can read that scripture and think it means we should love only our children or our spouses, and yet, it doesn't really say that.  We can't love some people and not love others.  Sometimes the 'love' is only 'like', but we also need to be respectful and treat them with love. I'm messing this all up, I'm sure.  I'm tired this morning - already!  Ok - let's try this again.  Let's step outside of family.  We have some very close friends that we enjoy being with and we say that we 'love' them.  But what about those that are alone; those that don't have as much as we do.... do we love them as Jesus does?  Ok - I'm putting myself on a guilt trip here - I say I love Ms. Diane and Ms. Vicky, but for the past three months I feel like I have withdrawn and become a hermit... I've enclosed myself.... and I'm not sure why.  By not visiting (I have talked on the phone, but not often at all), am I still showing them love?  I visited at least every week or two weeks, I think... and now for three months - nothing. I've got to shake off this withdrawal from life; this load of depression I seem to be carrying around, and come alive again.  Will see how today goes; maybe I will visit at least one tonight.  See, even I have issues I have to deal with.

We are called to love others as Jesus loves us.  We all know that Jesus loves us - are we loving others the same way?  Or are we always pointing fingers of things done that we don't approve of?  Ouch.  I think we all have something to learn from that scripture.

Let's start today - let's love even the unlovely.  After all, sometimes we are unlovely and we would never accept someone not loving and caring for us.  Who can you show love to today that you haven't for awhile?  Maybe today is a good day to start.  I'm in - are you?

Blessings!

Addendum:  This is how 'messed up' I am this morning. Hubby brought my coffee in a little after 6AM.  I just saw my cup with the lid still on it (to keep it hot) and thought I should make another cup of coffee so that I could get started on the message. I pick up the cup  - here it is 8AM - and find it is still full.  I forgot to even drink the first cup!  Is this the sign of how my day may be going?  Lord, HELP!!

It was another quiet day...

 and it was actually nice.  We watched church on TV.  I tried to take a nap - and possibly did, although it wasn't a deep one.  I baked a ham.  Shared some with a neighbor and visited with her an hour or so.  Came back home and watched some NCIS reruns o ION and then went to bed.  Wide awake.  I hadn't moved enough to wear my body out.... or was it that I did sleep deeply late morning and then the body didn't want to sleep anymore.  I tossed and turned for a bit; on the other hand, hubby fell right to sleep.  I finally did fall asleep and woke up a bit before 4AM and got up.  That was my day and night - so exciting - ya think? But it's also nice to have 'do nothing' days.  I did read a little; crochet'd a little.  I thought briefly of doing things... but for my own reasons, chose not to.  Oh Yeah - I did work on the message yesterday afternoon.  And talked to my little sister for about an hour.  See how productive I was?  NOT!

I'm thinking I need another cup of coffee this morning.   It's Monday - timecard Monday at that - as hubby reminded me yesterday.  Sigh.  But timecards are as nothing now - I'm done with them in about 15 minutes since they took about 15 hourly people away and gave to someone else.  The ten or so people I approve now are all salaried and all I need to do is check to see if they put in any time off.  If all is ok, I approve it, and I'm done.  I approved my timecard on Friday so that my boss can approve it today.  Yeah - two approvals - the employee is to approve, then the 'boss' (or admin) approves.  My boss does her own people, which includes me.  The other two people I support have me approve their people.  

I'm hoping today won't be too busy... I remember that I have a couple reports to get out that I started on last week.  Need to remind others I'm still waiting on their information.  Should get those done today. My favorite boss will be in the office most of the day so won't hear much from her.   My head still has a dull ache and I'm not sure why.  I did buy some extra strength tylenol the other day; I suppose I ought to take one.  No, I haven't yet...I don't like to take pills... but sometimes to get over the hump, one needs to. Will see.

Isaiah 25:1 (NLT):  "O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them."

Have you ever had things just fall in to place and you are now sure how?  I can't think of any specific times at this very moment, but I know that I've had them.  I probably should pause and think for a moment.  I got a job right when I needed one.  That's a great one.  I know I shared the story at least once.  But it has happened more than once.

I needed a job when we moved out here about 39 years ago.  I found one shortly after moving.  When i was laid off from that job after two years, I quickly found another one.  I was there 26 years. When I took 'early retirement' .. I took my year of retirement (probably the only one I'll get!) and as my last check arrived the following week I had another job, at which I stayed 5 years.  And lastly, I moved - on my own this time - to my current job...and I've been here a little over 5 years.  I truly believe that God has provided each and every job - exactly when I needed it.  He has my life planned out... He had my jobs planned out.  He has everything lined up for me.  And He knows IF and WHEN I will ever be able to retire.  He does do wonderful things, for He has always provided for every NEED that we have.  My life was planned out before I was even conceived.

And yours was too.  I doubt if the above scripture really is about my life and all that has happened, but that is what I thought about as I wrote it out.  And I do honor and praise His name, and He IS my God.  He does do wonderful things.  When I lean into Him and ask for His wisdom, His revelation, His knowledge and understanding, He is so gracious to give them to me.  Oh that I would learn the lessons I need to learn and always abide by them!

Ever feel like you are a dunce?  I mean you know better than to do some things - but you do them anyway?  Yeah - been there, done that.  But you know what?  God takes even us dunces and makes us feel like a treasure; He loves us beyond measure.  He only wants the best for us.

So why do we always struggle so to do what we know is the right thing to do?  Because we have also been given a 'will' - and sometimes our 'will' gets in the way.  Agree?  We want to do what we want to do - even though we may know the consequences.

We spend more money than we have - even though we know we will have to scrimp to get by - or worse - have to pay MORE because money isn't in the bank.  We say things we shouldn't say - even though we know it may make someone angry, or ruin their day, or shut them down, or hurt them.  These are just examples....

But God knows all that stuff that we do - before we even do it!  I think back over my life and sometimes ask God - "Why did You let me do those stupid things?"  "Why didn't You stop me?"   And it always comes back to my free will.  We know right from wrong - we know what is good and what isn't - whatever we do, whatever we say... it is always our choice.  And God knows all this before we even do it.  He knows what consequences we will have - whether good - or bad.

And He still loves us.  He still waits for us to reach out to Him to help us.  We still have to deal with the consequences of our actions, of our words, but when we reach out to Him to help, He is waiting to walk with us through whatever the circumstance is.  He is always there.... waiting.

"O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them."

Hallelujah!

Blessings!