What a different day I had yesterday... God knew I needed the day off from the Dr's Office.... so He arranged things for me.  I ended up at the hospital all day long keeping two friends company and trying to help a little.  The elder friend, Louise, 91 years old in two weeks... had a stroke.  It has affected her speech.  She was so frustrated cause she is unable to communicate or complete a thought... but she did say as many as 4 words together one time last night.  She is such a saint, she worships the Lord, plays the piano... and it shows.  We did some singing, and she was able to join in.   

That morning she was doing her normal routine, which includes her exercises.. (standing on her head is one of them).. but a man redoing a neighbors roof saw her outside in her pjs and perceived something was not right.  He went out of his way to approach her and knew something was wrong.. she seemed confused and unable to talk, but she was able to point to her house, and point to an emergency phone number.  He called the number and she was taken to the hospital.  She has only one child, a daughter.  Obviously not a child any longer... who lives in Minnesota.  The daughter and son-in-law are on their way via the air.  I am supposed to pick them up at the airport this evening at midnight. 

At one point while in the hospital bed, she became very agitated and started saying the word "things"... over and over.. she began pulling at the tubes holding her back and was trying to get out of bed.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong...  but as it turned out she just needed to go to the bathroom.  Now I know a new meaning for the word "things" which I will NEVER forget.  

Her hubby went to be with the Lord 4 years ago.  So last Memorial Day we went to the cemetary to be with Louise... she is so young in heart... that she went right over and sat down on the ground on her husband's grave... so we all joined her.    That was different as I was always under the impression that you acted very respectful/formal around the dead and one should be careful especially to not STEP on a grave. 

The thought of the day:  I like what it says, but I don't think the guy who said it was very "right on" on many things.  I could have him mixed up with someone else.  But none-the-less here it is:  "Where love rules, there is no will to power; where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other." - Carl Gustav Jung 

Tomorrow the kids start coming.... Andrew is bringing his buddy Scott.  It is gonna be fun.... I hope I am not too tired to get the most out of the visit. 

Well, if I don't speak to you before... HAPPY NEW YEARS.... Be Blessed for He Loves you!!!

Good Day!!!  Just a short note so I don't get rusty and end up quitting.  Tom is back to work after the Christmas Vacation.  I have gotten some answers to my questions from the Lord.  So thankful.  Part of it is a relief and part of it is gonna be very hard. 

Curtis & Sharalee got home from the Ocean for Christmas last night.  They had a good time.  They were actually on the beach in Lincoln City, OR with Curtis' family. 

I have begun preparations for all the kids coming.... just buying a few grocery items so I will have them to get cooking.  How 'bout some hors'dovers  (sp??)  and lots of other stuff. 

Well, sorry this isn't very newsy... but I am very tired and it is late... so I will give more details later or tomorrow.   Happy New Years!!

Do I work or do I not work?  That is the question.  Of course, I always work someplace so the real question should be "Do I work at _____ or do I not work at _____?  I am asking the Creator about this.  I can see pluses (is that how that is spelled?) I know, I see +'s or; "I see plus' & minus' to each direction.  I need to see everything from a heavenly perspective.... Have you ever noticed that if you look at the same thing from a different perspective, you can see things you never were able to see before?   Keeps one humble.  Gonna go open the WORD! 

Today is my best friend on earth's birthday.. so I am taking her to lunch during her lunch hour at work! 

Well, he did it!  He had his very first day on the new job.  After being with the old employer for 20 years... I guess it was time for change.  I miss him!

I keep getting this "feeling" that my time is very short!  The years fly by and the next thing I know.... it is the next decade!  How many decades does one get?  Not that many on this earth! 

Interesting... I wrote the paragraph above and then thought... I think I will go get the quote of the day!  So here is that quote:  "Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." - John Boswell

Thank you Lord for everything, especially the stuff I don't like.  I know you are all wise, all knowing and working in all things for a good ending.  I very much appreciate you!    PS  and You never ever fail!

Take the car in to get the oil changed.  (I miss my friend Brenda.)  Do school pamphlets, mail pastor discount cards, start Nordy labels.   Say goodbye to Sharalee & Curtis & Kids.  [now you know my day]

Ok... Tom is off on his new adventure.  We have freezing rain outside.  I sent my man off this morning with a fresh hot latte (not a warmed up left over one  )  and a canadian bacon, egg sandwich wrapped in a paper towel and yes, his vitamins which he immediately placed in his pocket.  I am trying to be a better help meet for him.  He was moaning something about wanting a day of vacation or something before he got out of bed!    I caught him last night calling his little sister for what??? I'll tell you for what, to quote him, "I'm calling my sister to get a little sympathy" !  As it turned out, she was out getting a little hair cut.  He is so cute!!!  

The quote of the day:  "Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others." - H. Jackson Brown  Now in the Christian life it would be something a little different,.... ok,  a lot different,... cause we are not supposed to be busy "refining and improving our own lives", but we are supposed to be busy admiring our Creator, focusing on Him, seeking His face, and laying our life before Him, trusting Him to transform us into something "refined and improved" for His purposes.  I guess what I am really saying is that He needs to be my focus, not ME!  And if I understand scripture correctly... "when I see Him as He is, I shall be like Him" (paraphrased slightly).  This is something I know a little something about... boy this has been a hard one for me to get!    PS  Not that I have already "got it", but it is starting to take root, I think!!!

Tomorrow Sharalee & Curtis & Kids pack up and leave for the Oregon Coast for Christmas.... this place is gonna be very quiet.  Jen & Greg will be celebrating Christmas with her Mom & Chuck.  The other kids are having Christmas with their "other family", but, (have I said this before???), we get them for New Year... all of them at once!         Yea!

H-E-L-L-O!!!  I GOT THE DAY OFF....  well maybe the rest of my life off!  Not sure about it yet.  At least from Dr. Cole's office I am off for today!  So, I would like to start by stating right here the quote of the day! 

"The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything." - Oscar Wilde   So what do you think of this quote?  I don't actually think it is so... judging by people who I know... self included   

Ok... Thomas is now employed, skip the three month trial period.  Don't understand why they changed their minds to a full employee status... benefits and all.  It could be his reputation caught up with him.   He still doesn't have a start date... would be nice if it could be the first part of January............ but as HE wills!

We are each at our computers sipping our latte's.  It is cold outside, but actually it has warmed up quite a little bit... 32°.  The fireplace won't light.  After much labor and a new part.... it still isn't working... have to call in the professionals.

Well, I am truly rambling and altho' I am in the best of company with my rambling... I think I best get something done around here, just in case my unemployment is short lived. 

  CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO YOU!

Good Morning one week prior to "CHRISTMAS".

Got some news.... Tom got the job!  So far he has gotten one job for sure.  It is the one I wrote about before with the approximate 4 hour interview with 5 interviewers.  It is close to home... I think about 20 miles from here.  Also it is a three month (checking each other out) commitment to start off with.  The company is Parsons.  They have about 10K employees all over the place and, I think Tom said, about 160 locally in Pasco.  So the vacation/retirement got cut a little bit short but hey, we can't complain one little bit.  This job sounds like a far more rewarding kind of work that the paper shuffle that Tom was doing before.  He is very happy about it.   

I am still working, working at Dr. Cole's, at least for a couple more days.  The future on that one is yet to be written or even predicted with any sense of total accuracy. 

We went to the Play at Calvary last night and I must say it was the most entertaining and funny one they have done thus far.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the 1.75 hour production. 

This year we are having Christmas with the kids on New Years... did I already say that?   I think I have said it before... but not sure.

So, keep your chin up ( it makes for a slimmer looking neckline ).  I actually do think it is good to look up even if you don't NEED to for cosmetic reasons.  Merry CHRISTmas!  A special hug to the fam in San Antonio... gosh I miss my sis!

Just a quick note -- working all week at Dr. Cole's plus other stuff at home. 

Bremerton job opportunity:  Decided to keep former employee & add training.  Still possible other opening in January... wait on that one.

Yesterday job interview:  Waiting to hear back, a five person interview that went on for approx. 4 hours.  Seems promising... want to bring in as a temporary 3 month employee to start... Toms likes that idea... each can check out the other before committing to long term. (Does this sound like "living together" before marriage to try it out sort of thing?  CAUSE IT ISN"T ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 

Another 10 hours a week job came up yesterday.  It is a work from home job.  That is a good possibility also.  We wait!

So far, Tom has not had a minute to be idol so if he does get something soon... it is really sweet of the Lord to have given him the time he has had off to get caught up on some stuff. 

I sure love the Lord... more and more.  The kids will all be here for the New Year this year.

Pray you are all enjoying thinking on the King and basking in His unbounded LOVE for you. 

So ok.. Tom gets a call for the strong possibility of a job in Bremerton... the guy needs his resume updated and sent over asap.  We weren't home, so Tom says he will get it to him in a little while as soon as we get home.

We get home... new harddrive on laptop, start it up, asks you to click on user name... problem is, there is NO USER name of any kind to click on.  Do CTRL ALT & Delete and get a box with "owner" as the username and blank password.  Try it.. w/o success.  The pressure is on.  Call Microsoft asking if there is a default password we can use.  The guy with an accent says, Microsoft has a policy of not re-setting passwords, but to do a search with a certain number and should find help.  The site gave instructions but, when you did A,... B was suppossed to happen and then... you go from there.  BUT "B" didn't happen, C happened... no instructions for "C". 

SO... I reformatted the hard drive and started over this time babysitting the whole operation.  It only took 38 minutes to load the operating system, then it was time to start loading the software etc.  The pressure was so great... you know, it is very easy to miss something really simple.  The ms office pro xp we had was an update and so it is asking for some sign that we are entitled to use the upgrade... well, not long ago, I got rid of a whole box of software that was not being used.  Oh NO!!!  Well, it wasn't until I removed myself from the situation and got really quiet, that I remembered where one of original CD's were.... like it was put AWAY!!!  Long story short... got it done, got the old hard drive stuff loaded, e-mail set up, new updated resume attached and sent... only to have it returned with the dumb "relay denied look-up failure" message.  So transferred everything to my computer and sent it through my yahoo address.  FINALLY success!!!

While all this was going on, the phone rang.  Thought it was a sales person, but in fact it was a lady from Florida who is doing some training at a local hospital for two weeks.  She had tuned into the radio station KBLD 91.7FM, BOLD RADIO, heard Pastor Steve and so went to the website, found our phone number as the contact for women's studies/fellowships etc... and she wanted to come out for the Ladies study (Excellent Wives) taking place that very night.  So I drove to her hotel, she came out got in and we drove back to the house where the meeting was already in progress.  It was very exciting getting to meet a total stranger from a distant state, who was craving fellowship.  She said, the Lord had convicted her of the need to be in fellowship often.  She travels a lot so isn't available to attend her home church much.... Guess God said, "no excuse,  My people are everywhere... go do it!"  (My total paraphrase.)  She is planning on being there tonight and on Sunday too!  PS  Her hubby of 5 years is in the Military. 

I am supposed to work just about full time next week at the doctor's office.  We will see, things change around there a lot. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!

Last night my brother, Steve, did a slide presentation for everyone.  The grandsons seemed to really enjoy his Coast Guard pictures of all over the world, mostly via ship.  The nephews asked lots of questions.  The slide presentation is excellent.  Picture quality outstanding... then everyone played games except for a very tired grandpa and grandma (that's another whole story).  Well, I am off to bed!