No need to post what week of 52 this is, since I dropped the ball on posting weekly.  Oh well.  I felt bad at first not following through, but I’ve let it go, since there are only so many hours in a day to get it all done.  Too much goin’ on lately, so focusing on the most important stuff first.

So, what’s been happenin’?  Well, as many of you know, I was participating in the Camp Nanowrimo, which is a virtual camp that participants join in April (and there’s another in July) to write a novel, short stories, poems, scripts, what have you.  My goal was to write a novel and reach 50,000 words.  You only have the 30 days alloted during April and you have to submit by 11:59pm April 30 to see if you are a winner.  I won!  As did a couple of my friends!!  Yea!

So, now that that’s done, or that part is done, I’ve put my novel on a back burner to focus on this new job I was presented with.  Wonderful new job!  Flexible hours, the same money as I make now per week, plus less gas I need to buy, plus less hours, plus no one to jerk me around daily, oh, I just can’t stop about the perks, but I’ll stop anyway.  It’s a great deal, but it’s also scary as H-E-double hockey sticks.  Ya know, any time ya take a risk, it’s pretty dang scary.  And good stress is still stress.  So, anyway, I gave my two weeks notice to my current day job while still working for this other job for about 10 or so hours per week.  My last day with the blegh job is May 22 and I’m soooo excited.  I get to pick my sweet baby up from school on her last day and every day for the next school year.  I get to spend quality time with her during the summer, and I cannot wait!!

So, that’s a bit about what’s been going on.

Above, you see an image of my beautiful mother. She’s such a sweetheart!  She’s one of my best friends in the world!  We hang out every chance we get, and this was the Saturday before Mother’s Day.  She and I decided we’d treat each other to an early Mother’s Day meal out at our favorite restaurant!  Saltgrass Steakhouse!  Oh baby!  Hallie pitched in some of her allowance for the meal for our Mother’s Day gift, as well.  We have to drive like 3 hours to get to this place, but it’s so worth it.  Every mouthwatering bite!  Plus, ya know, we are always up for a roadtrip, a daytrip, any kind of trip trip.  I love to drive and my girls love to ride.  It’s just so relaxing to drive and look at all the sights, and shop at our favorite stores, although we went into our favorite store and some old ladies were working in there, following us around, stalking us, forcing stuff on us and we walked out.  Never have we left that store without a purchase.  First time for everything.  We were very disappointed, and I plan to send a complaint to their website and see if it makes a difference.  You should not hound the shoppers!  Grrrr!  But, we shopped around at some other shops, took some shots of ourselves in a photo booth – Cute and Fun!  And also found a new Panera Bread that just opened up down there.  Oh, all this was in Bossier City and Shreveport, Louisiana – 3 hours away from where we live.  It was an awesome day!  We left at 7am and got home at 7pm.

Sunday was a stellar day!  The weather could not have been more beautiful.  Sun shining, breeze blowing, warm enough for shorts, but almost too chilly for shorts depending on how hard the wind was blowing.  I told God, “You really made this a perfect weather day.  I could be happy in temps like this every day!”  I can’t remember the last weekend before this one where we did not get rained out!  So, we thoroughly enjoyed our Blue Sky Holiday!  Mama slow cooked some roast, mashed up some taters, fixed a salad, and we were in hog heaven at her house just hangin’ out and chowin’ down.

I hope all you sweet mommies out there had a memorable and wonderful Mother’s Day, as well.

I’ll head on over to my 101 things and update that in a second.  Let me get to prayer requests.  What did I forget?  Anything?  Let me know.  Oh, and when my life gets back to some sort of normalcy next week, as I’m working on my new daily schedule now, setting everything up, I will also get back to finishing my novel, and then I can update you on how that’s going.

Y’all have a beautiful day!  Love ya!

-Carol

Oh, last post, I invited y’all over Sunday and I didn’t even show up.  I am pitiful!  One day, I will have my rear in gear and be organized.  One day…

Prayer Requests:

1) For Mama to be healed and feel good again.  She’s been feeling sick for months and has a dr’s appt coming up.  Let the doc tell her it’s something easily fixable with diet and exercise, not eating certain foods, etc.
2) For this new opportunity I’ve been granted work out for the greater good.
3) Please pray for Jennefer about her new job, and let it be as awesome as she is, and let her transition from one job to this next one be much smoother than she anticipated.
4) Please pray for Sherree to quickly be able to follow her heart and dreams.
5) Please pray for Carlie to be safe and well.
6) Please pray for Carlie to come by sometime and let us know she’s ok.
7) Please pray for Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.

April was a treacherous month, wading through the waist deep virtual muck and mud in my hip waders, trying to find my way through the murky water, watching out for quick sand, having been warned beforehand.

Making it to camp was the easy part.  All I had to do was register and show up for the full 30 days.  Camp was so welcoming with my cabin mates’ happy faces to say hello and offer friendship (although 2 or 3 of them were rather quiet and shy – I totally get that, by the way), late nights with camp fire songs, ghost stories, s’mores, wine and cheese, the whole bit.  I even made some friends from other cabins.

Early mornings, starting usually at 230 and 3am, consisted of gallons of hot coffee, heavy cream and sugar, and handheld breakfasts such as granola bars and peanuts, since we ate on the hiking trail, and needed quick and easily accessible energy.

Many of those days, I made it through long hours of hiking uphill, through rocks, brush, the murky water I told you about (careful to avoid the quick sand of writer’s block).  And a few of those hiking days, I reached a point where I had to rock climb, and since I didn’t bring my climbing nor repelling gear, I scrambled, which is how I prefer to rock climb anyway, plus I had my handy dandy hiking boots and my trusty gloves, so I didn’t have too much of a problem.  The biggest threat was the height of a few of those rocks.  We are talking mountains, people!  I became exhausted at how far I had to go just to get back to camp and thank heavens I brought my flashlight, since some of those days, I didn’t get back till after dark, but then I left in the wee hours, so I had my flashlight at the beginning of the trek anyway.

30 days of hiking, climbing, wading, guzzling wine, sipping hot cocoa, living on cheese, peanuts, granola bars, s’mores, canned beans and the like, I was ready to be done and get home.  Some of that might sound good to you, but when you are hungry for a real meal, and sleep deprived, ya ain’t happy!  I counted on my friends to get me through.  I had friends and family back home cheering me on, new found friends at camp, and a friend of mine that joined me there at camp, who lives across the pond.  We encouraged and supported one another.  We shared.  We laughed.  We cried.  We drank heavily (coffee in the a.m., wine in the p.m.), and we retired when we could not keep our eyes open one minute longer, try as we might.   Our slumber was our most treasured restful activity, as we did not have much rest during these crazy days.

And together, we made it through to the end.  Some of our cabin mates decided to skip out early and go home.  I’m guessing the pressure got to be too much.  I feel sad for them, since even after all the sweat, blisters, hunger, bug bites, spotting bears and mountain lions, bruises, exhaustion and sleep deprivation, we made it successfully through to the end.  We saw each other through.  Maybe not as long-lasting as Survivor, I’m tellin’ ya, Camp NaNoWriMo ain’t no joke.  It ain’t for the wimpy, but if you ever need a lesson in follow-through, which I did, since I usually suck at it, Camp NaNoWriMo or the regular NaNoWriMo is definitely for you, if you are a writer at heart.

Goal:  50,000 words.  Finish Line:  50,229 words.  We did it!  And congrats to my beloved friends, Gerry (went with me to camp), and Lynn (one of my cabin mates), whom I joined at that finish line!  Ready to go again in July?  Om, yeah, I may have to think on that one.  Maybe November.  Maybe.

As far as everything else going on, A LOT!  Sorry to always be late about posting and totally slacking in the month of April with hardly posting at all.  At least I’m updating this, but I still need to update my 101 list, prayer requests, other goings on, and I’ll try to get to all that this weekend.  Only so many hours in a day, and a lot is going on, so hang tight.

I hope and trust all of you are well.  I’ve really been missin’ y’all.  How ’bout we make plans to have coffee or I can put on a kettle for tea and we can sit a spell and catch up, maybe this weekend?  Sunday perhaps?  Come on over.  We can sit in the porch swing or rockin’ chairs and talk all about it.  Whatcha say?

Love ya!  Catcha Sunday!  ;)

-Carol

Oh, and that is one my newest pseudonyms, ‘C. S. Blake’.  And om, in case I wasn’t clear, this was a virtual camp.  Camping through the computer.

A buddy of mine joined me in the Camp Nano race as we cheered each other on.  He’s awesome!  He reached the finish line a few days before me, but he was waiting for me at the end.  Thanks, Gerry!

Anyway, just wanted to apologize.  I left and I suppose I didn’t explain why and when I’d return.  And I’m back, so I’ll get back to my weekly postings and updates this weekend – back to a more normal posting schedule.  Just thought I’d let you know.

And thanks to those friends out there that knew about it and cheered me on!  I appreciate you so much!  Well, I just really appreciate all of you.  It’s always pretty awesome to have a nice circle of friends and I would most certainly include each of you in that circle.  So, thanks, to each of you for your friendship.  And I’ll try to be better at regular weekly postings from now on, unless of course, I join in with another Camp Nanowrimo (I think there’s another one in July) or regular original Nanowrimo (which is always held in November).  But I’ll give you a heads up first, k?  K.

Just posting a sweet pic of my babe as she’s half asleep in the car on the way to school one morning.  Yes, I snap and drive.  Sorry to all of you early commuters out there sharing the roadways with me.  ;)

Hope y’all have a groovilicious day!  *love, hugs and smooches*  ;)

-Carol

Ok, so maybe not a beautiful morning for today’s morning, since it’s raining off and on all day long.  But it was a beautiful morning yesterday when we witnessed this sunrise  on the way to school.  We thought it was cool the way the jet was streaming through the clouds.  ;)  Wanted to post the coolest Easter egg that Hallie painted, but I suppose I downloaded those pics already to my home computer.  This sunrise shot was still on my memory card in my camera, so I’m using this one instead.

An okay week last week.  Carlie is still gone and we are sad and missing her like crazy.

We are a little behind on our 21-day meditation challenge, as we skipped the weekend, but started it back up on Monday.

Started Camp Nanowrimo on April 1st!  My daily word count goal is 2,000, so I will hopefully have roughly 60,000 by the end of April 30. So far, so good!  I hope and pray I can keep this momentum going.  I’ve been really blessed with some free time at work to imagine and type.  Not all days are like that.  Today is another free day, so hopefully I can get my daily writing/typing done before leaving work today.  The last couple of days, I start out early in the morning, then do more at work, especially on my lunch hour, then finish at night.  My friend, Gerry, is also participating in Camp Nano and we are encouraging each other.  Anybody else joining in?  It’s not too late to join in if you like.  Let me know if you do and I will be sure to cheer you on daily!  Encouragement from your friends helps sooooo much!  It helps me for sure.  Keeps me going.  Keeps me strong!

So, how are you?  What’s been going on in your world?

Hopefully, I will remember to go update my 101 things in 1001 days in just a moment.  Nothing really new going on.  Just sort of went into hiding once April 1 got here.  I am determined to finish this 50,000 word count goal.  It’s a really fun story – adventure/fantasy/sci-fi novel for young adults.  It’s the first in a series.  I haven’t mapped out how many books, as of yet.  I do know for sure that there will be three.  I’ve only mapped out the first book and not fully.  The second and third books in the series are only stacks of typed and written notes.  Half of me is a planner, and half of me is a pantser.  It’s more fun flying by the seat of my pants, but it can also be stressful.  It’s especially fun when you plan a story and then it takes on a life of its own and takes over your mind.  Right now, it plays like a movie in my head, and that’s when the writing is at its easiest, although my mind flies faster than my fingers, in which case I have to speak into my handheld, which I completely detest, as I cannot stand to hear my own voice.  Especially when I play it back.  Do I really sound like that to everyone?  Is my southern drawl that bad?  Yuck!  Yes, I get on my own nerves.

I’d much rather just type and scribble and never speak!  No.  Really.  I would not make a good platform when it comes to being a published author, especially if I’m a real success at it, because I would avoid public appearances and functions at all costs.  I would love to have all my stories published and for people to love them, but I’d like to hide behind my pen name, and live as a recluse in a house in the middle of 100+ acres, completely shielded by trees, and for no one to recognize me, and for no one to recognize my name.  If I could get away with that, I’d attempt to publish everything I have written.  Or at least the stuff I’m most proud of.  Is that crazy?  I don’t care if it is.  I soooo love my privacy, and I do not enjoy the social scene at all.  I remember a time when I loved to go out with my friends and party all the time.  Back before, during, and a little while after my Air Force days.  Now that I’m a mom, I am a homebody and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I’ve had all the partying days I wish to have.  Been there.  Done that.  Don’t miss it.  I should probably spend more time with my friends (and I try to once per month), but truth be told, I’d rather be home, comfy, hangin’ out with my kiddo, and having Mama over as much as possible.  And if not at home, I’d prefer to be on the road, driving to some nifty vacation spot, taking photos and enjoying the sights and activities and food from that place.

Anywho, I realize I’m rambling, so I’ll shut up now. Let me just add the prayer requests:

Y’all just holla when ya have a prayer request, and please pray for those below, if ya don’t mind.

1) Please pray for Kristie and David, for comfort and peace.
2) Please pray for Jennefer about her job, as well as her co-workers. Please pray that her co-workers to treat her with love and kindness.
3) Please pray for Sherree to quickly sell her house.
4) Please pray for Carlie to be safe and well.
5) Please pray for Carlie to come by sometime and let us know she’s ok.
6) Please pray for Mama to get well and feel good again.
7) Please pray for Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.
8) Please pray that I reach my 2,000 word count goal each day of the month during April.

I’m hoping that you had an awesome week, you have an awesome day and the rest of your week is fantastique!  Love ya!!!  *smooch*

-Carol

Well, howdy y’all. How are ya doin?

Me? Feelin’ a bit overwhelmed to tell ya the truth. You ever feel that way? Lately, I’m just tired, stressed, so forgetful I think I have the early stages of Alzheimers, too much to do, not enough money, not enough time, dealing with a hot-headed person at work, not enough patience, obviously not enough faith in God nor myself, and it’s all a bit too much to deal with right now. So, with that said, I’m getting it out of my head and putting it in my pocket. I’ll pull that out and look at it a bit later. I figure if I ignore it, it won’t exactly go away, but I can ignore it for a little while before having to deal with it again. No, for now, in this very moment, I will blog, I will think of happier times with Hallie (not the bad teen attitude I dealt with last night and this morning). I will try to think of the positives. What are the positives? Let’s see…

I’m so much of a list maker (I am a Virgo, so I can’t really help it. I’m cursed to be this way.)
1) I have an awesome kid (even if she does occasionally get testy), who is one of my best friends;
2) I have the world’s sweetest, loving mom, who is one of my best friends;
3) I have some really great friends who love me and make me feel special;
4) I love to blog, when I have time (or should I say “make” time);
5) I have furbabies that I love (yes, even our murderous cat, Tiger);
6) We still have our beloved Buddy, whom my brother saved last week (more on this below);
7) I have a job that helps pay the bills (even if I don’t like my job the majority of the time);
8) Hallie and I are over our sinus/allergy crud and my poison ivy is on its way out;
9) I have a home that comforts and protects us;
10) I have a car that runs;
11) I am happy my brother lives next door who helps look out for all of us;
12) I am happy to live in the country, which is not always peaceful, but a darn sight quieter than livin’ in the city. Been there, done that. Threw out the return ticket;
13) I have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings (that I seem to take for granted the majority of the time) and I thank God and Jesus for all they have done for us, and still do;
14) I love to write (although I do experience the occasional block, set back and self sabotage);
15) I love photography (although I do experience the occasional block, meaning my eyes are too closed, my legs and arms are too busy, so I don’t always participate in the beauty that surrounds me 24 hours a day);
16) and the list could go on and on, but I feel better now. So, I’m gonna work on focusing on the positives for the rest of the day. Let’s see how long I make it.

What’s been going on in your lives over the past week?

As you can see above, Hallie’s Beta Induction Ceremony was last week. She’s in the Jr. Beta Club again this year. She’s a brainiac. She’s earned it. I’m a proud mama if ya can’t tell.

Hallie and I are doing the 21 day meditation challenge together in the mornings. I started over since she came home from Spring Break, so we could do them each day together. They are quite enjoyable, and I love the music, and Deepak’s voice. I don’t know if practicing the meditation has helped me any, thus far. I am trying to learn how to be still and silent and just be. That is a feat in itself. Plus, it’s a nice quiet bonding time for me and Hallie, so that’s always good. We completed Day 8 this morning, so perhaps we will have established a new daily habit by the time we reach Day 21.

I’m working on notes for my upcoming Camp Nano project, which have been some most enjoyable jaunts, but alas, I never seem to have allotted myself enough time, I get carried away, and then my alarm goes off, telling me I need to either go to bed, or finish getting ready for work, depending on the time. Always depending on the time… I want to be more like Hallie, not care what time it is, take my time, my sweet time, in everything I do, never wear a watch, and let someone else tell me when I need to do something. Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? 5 more days till Camp begins! I’m totally stoked!! At least I’m excited instead of a nervous wreck, so that’s good. Last time, I started a few days late, was acting like a psych patient on a caffeine drip, and didn’t quite make my word count, which sent me into a complete funk, even though I refused to admit it at the time. Who is happy when they fail? I mean, really. Truth is, I didn’t organize my time properly and this is why I failed. I’m prepared this go round, and I’m chomping at the bit to get started. Ideas are pouring out of my mind, out of my subconscious, out of my dreams, out through my fingers and I’m typing the notes as fast as I can, or scribbling, or taping them on my handheld.

Hallie and I actually made time to spend with some of our best chums over the weekend, so I’m slick with social time and catching up with some peeps.

Still, no sight of Carlie. :’( Miss that sweet, fluffy baby.

We had been putting Buddy on the yard cable during the day instead of his kennel. That way, he could lay and roll in the grass, or get in his other dog house, roam around and have some more stretching room, since the weather had been mostly nice. Well, I guess Doug happened to go outside and heard Buddy barking, and it was coming from the pond! Buddy had escaped his cable somehow and either jumped or slipped off the pier into the pond. He was dog-paddling (if he’s a dog, do you say ‘dog-paddling’, or just ‘paddling’?) himself back up onto the pier, or attempting to. Don’t know why that boy didn’t paddle his way to shore and just climb/crawl out, but he was trying to get back up to where he fell off. Bless him. I’m sure that boy was getting tired, and started begging for help. Thank God that Doug heard him when he did, or sweet Buddy would most likely not be with us. We heard about it when we got home, and we just loved and loved on that sweet Buddy, telling him we were sooooo glad Doug saved him and he was okay.

Mama is not well, yet, but she is much better, so we’ll take it.

I reckon I’ll mosey on over to my 101 things in 1001 days and update that. I don’t know that I have anything to update, but ya never know.

Y’all just holla when ya have a prayer request, and please pray for those below, if ya don’t mind.

1) Please pray for Kristie and David, for comfort and peace.
2) Please pray for Jennefer about her job, as well as her co-workers. Please pray that her co-workers to treat her with love and kindness.
3) Please pray for Sherree to quickly sell her house.
4) Please pray for Carlie to be safe and well.
5) Please pray for Carlie to come by sometime and let us know she’s ok.
6) Please pray for Mama to get well and feel good again.
7) Please pray for Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.

So, yeah, I know this was a bit long-winded. Sorry ’bout that. Lots goin’ on, huh? It’ll be short and sweeter next time. Y’all have a groovilicious week!!! Enjoy the sunshine if ya have any. Try to take time (not like me) to notice the beauty around you during the day, each and every day. Love yooze guys!!! *smooch* *squish*

-Carol

Top o’ the marnin’ to ya!  Oh, savin’ a bit of the irish for this marnin’, even though, yes I know, St. Paddy’s was yesterday, which, in celebration of that day, my leeetle squish and I made lime cookies yesterday evening. She had been gone on Spring Break with her best chum, Huntleigh and her family, and just got home yesterday afternoon, so Mama cooked chicken ‘n’ dumplins, and we had supper over there. Then home to make cookies with my bambino. And did not let her out of my sight! Gone for almost a week, I was in baby withdrawals.

Such a crazy and stressful week for me. Hallie left on Tuesday evening to go to Lake Washington, and I had planned to work on the business start-up thingy every night while she was gone, plus take care of the furbabes, clean the house, find time to do this 21-day meditation challenge, squeeze in time to write, etc. So, neglecting friends that needed chill time together, I immersed myself in as much as I possibly could to keep myself busy and keep my mind off missing Hallie. Did it work? No, not really. Did it make the time go quickly. Yeah, pretty much. But it still felt like she was gone for a month. Yes, I know, I am pitiful.

Well, like I said, H left on Tuesday. Carlie left on Wednesday. I have been soooo worried. You can check out earlier posts on Carlie. She’s our black panther baby. Princess Carlotta was one post. Yes, she thinks she is a princess, she should be spoiled and spoon fed. Well, she is spoiled, but no spoon. Anywho, went out to feed the babes Wednesday evening and she was nowhere to be found. Of course, Tiger came running, as he is surely to never miss a meal, that growin’ boy that he is. He’s my devil cat, in earlier postings I’ve explained how he’s trying to kill me on multiple occasions. Part of me wonders if Carlie ran away because she was tired of being beat up on. Tiger made it a daily habit to give her a good thrashing, and would show power over her by pinning her to the ground while she’s creaming UNCLE!!!! He’s a bully, I tell you! Pure meanness, that one. He sure wasn’t that way when he came to be a part of the family. Scaredy kitten is what he was. Well, not anymore. I wonder if Carlie finally had had enough and ran off. I called and called. I looked in the shop, the storage room, the barn, under the house, walked the land calling her in every direction. No sign of her. Drove up and down the country road. No Carlie.

Well, Hallie came home and I had to break the news. And needless to say, no tear was spared. She went out in the yard to sit with Buddy and wept. He was kissing her, trying to make her feel better, and then gently laid his head beside her leg, trying to comfort her. I joined her in the grass, and she just laid her head in my lap and I caressed her hair while the tears fell. Oh Carlie, please come back home?

Ya know, after Sammy left, he was gone for maybe a month, before he came by for a visit, just to let us know he was alright, plump from being fed well, and didn’t stay. A short visit to say hello, not to worry, and then he left again. He’d come by every few months to do the same. Weird right? But how thoughtful of him to let us know we needn’t worry. I sure hope Carlie does the same. She’s never left before.

Anyway, I slacked on posting for week 10 of 52. Sorry. I failed at posting every single week of the year. And, there’s no good excuse. All I had to do was fit in 10-15 minutes to post, and I simply didn’t do it. I thought about it while in the midst of a project, and then forgot again by the time I was done.

Oh, and as for being sickly, Hallie and I are both over our sinus infection/allergy stuff, for the most part.  And then I went and covered myself in poison ivy.  My own fault really.  I had the oil on my work gloves from the last time I worked in the yard, failed to wash them, rubbed my face, and I suppose my legs.  It spread from there.  I am miserable.  I’d gladly go back and take the allergy/sinus stuff if I could say goodbye to this poison ivy!  Excuse me while I go claw my skin off.  Mama is still coughing and suffering from her severe bronchitis.  Poor baby has been sick for a month.

So, I guess I’m off to update my list of 101 things in 1001 days, and to let you know, the lime cookies turned out quite delicious. Hallie put cream cheese icing on hers. I just ate them plain. Tasted almost like a margarita in a cookie. Yum! Oh, and after all that sweat and flour and muscle and time we put into those yummy cookies, I should hope so….NOT! We used the boxed kind, so it took what, less than 5 minutes to mix the ingredients, ball up and transfer to a cookie sheet, pop in the oven for 8 minutes, and VOILA! Yummy cookies! Hey, sometimes, ya gotta simplify. And ain’t nuttin wrong with using the boxed set of prepacked ingredients. It’s all good.

So, if ya have a prayer request, please holla, and I’ll post.

1) Please pray for Carlie to be safe and well.
2) Please pray for Carlie to come by sometime and let us know she’s ok.
3) Please pray for Mama to get well and feel good again.
4) Please pray for Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.

Have a mahvelous Monday.  Know that I love ya!  *smooch*  And let me know if I forgot anything.  I’m not operating on all cylinders this week.

Oh, and I think I’m just crazy enough to do Camp Nanowrimo in April.  I’m getting ready now, establishing some sort of writing schedule, and gathering all my notes for this new sci-fi/fantasy/adventure I’m working on.  Why do I put so much on myself?  Do I enjoy setting myself up for failure?  Self-sabotage?  Who knows?  I’m doing it anyway.  We’ll see where I end up.  By the way, working on 2 different stories at the same time.  I think I’ll be smart about it and put the second one on the back burner for now, and just work on the main one.  Make sense?  Yeah, I’m surprised, too.  ;)

-Carol

These beauties met us on our journey to school a couple of mornings ago. The sun was soooo bright, it was hard to get a good shot, plus I was on a main road and a car was coming up behind me, so I didn’t have time to try another angle.

Nothing new to report for this past week.  Still trying to recover from this sinus crud.  Hallie, too.  Mama is still suffering from her severe Bronchitis, and she went back to work Monday, after missing over 2 weeks worth.  Bless her.  I’ll be glad when we are all well.

Work has been completely insane.  No more to say about that.  Just been too worn out to work on anything.   Work, work, work, then home to try to rest as much as possible, and trying to get to bed early.

I have a couple of things in the works.  One, I will have to discuss later, when certain things play out.  The second is Oprah and Deepak’s 21 day Meditation Challenge.  Go on over to Oprah’s website, and then click on the photo of Oprah and Deepak’s Meditation Challenge.  Join me, won’t you?  It’s free.  You can go ahead and register, and then the 21 day challenge begins on Monday, March 11.  I’m hoping this will help me stress less, find some inner peace, stillness, silence, heal my inner self, and maybe I can learn to center myself whenever I need to.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

Oh, as far as my no cussing streak, I went for about 20 days, and then blew it!  It was either last Thursday or Friday, all H-E-double hockey sticks broke loose, including my mouth.  I was sick anyway, and that didn’t help, depressed, blah blah blah.  I know, I need to get back on the horse.  ;)

I hope you guys have had a lovely week.  Perhaps I can actually be more timely posting to my blog, and actually get to it during the weekend.  It’s supposed to be a nice Saturday, so I am planning on playing in the yard.  Playing, meaning cleaning, picking up sticks, mowing, and then working in the garden, getting it prepped for planting.  Wanted to do that last weekend, but it was too cold, and I was still suffering from whatever this is, plus Hallie was sick and needed Mama love.  I’m heading over to update my 101 Things in 1001 Days, and see if there is even anything to update.

Prayer Requests:
(1) Please pray for Mama to hurry up and heal, get well, Bronchitis and all sickness and coughing GONE.
(2) For Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.

If you have a prayer request, please comment me or email me and let me know.

Love ya! *hug*

-Carol

It seems this is the first day I’ve noticed almost no clouds, mostly sunny and bright, and this puts a smile on my face! We’ve had way too much rain, and I believe the rest of this week will be clear. Here’s hopin’. Thought I might share our view on the way to taking Hallie to school this morning.

Beautiful indeed.

I hope you have had a wonderful week. We have all been sick. Mama has been sick for 2 weeks with severe bronchitis, and has coughed so hard, she’s pulled or torn cartilage around her ribs. Hallie and I missed school and work last week. Not sure what we had, but sooo glad that’s over, except for the coughing, and that’s better, so I’ll take it. I sure hope you guys are well. Keep those germs away! Drink lots o’ water and orange juice and apple juice. Stay healthy.

I made that lentil soup and I love it! Hallie? Not so much. I will have to find some recipes that she likes. She wasn’t fond of the lentils. This was my first time making it. I should have taken a photo of that, since it turned out so pretty. The recipe made tons! I have Glad bowls full of the stuff in my freezer, so I’ll be living off soup for quite a while. The one good thing about being sick is the losing weight part, since I haven’t really been that hungry. Gotta look for that silver lining, right?

So, I’ve been doing well with the 101 Things in 1001 Days. Still not cussin’, and that’s sayin’ something. Perhaps I’ve taught myself a new healthy habit. Now if I can stop cussing in my mind. I’m tellin’ ya, the road rage really gets me! There are tons of stupid people out there. They don’t think they have to wait in line to turn left, so they just skip ahead of everyone and cut off the person that’s been waiting there to turn, as if this person does not have to wait. It really chaps my hide! I wanna smack some people upside the head sometimes. Seriously. I think it would make me feel better. I know you feel the same way. *grin*

Well, that’s really all I have. Way sleeeeepy. Not been taking many photos as we’ve been inside most of the time, trying to get better, plus it’s been raining most days. Looking soooo forward to some clear days and lots o’ sun!!! Bring it on!!! And looking forward to many great things happening this week for all of us!!!

Y’all have a wonderful and wacky Wednesday and a rockin’ rest of your week. I’m off to update my 101 List.

Prayer Requests:
(1) Please pray for Mama to hurry up and heal, get well, Bronchitis and all sickness and coughing GONE.
(2) For Patrick to find the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married. Pray he finds her this year.

If you have a prayer request, please let me know.

Love ya! *smooch*

-Carol

Ok, perhaps not in this actual photo.

A storm passed through yesterday evening and the sky was just full of these beautiful shades of blue and gray everywhere we looked.

Another crazy week, but in a good way, sort of. Hallie had her appointment with her knee specialist and he says that she needs surgery on both knees, but the physis has not finished developing at this point (it’s still open, and needs to be closed), and he cannot perform surgery until it’s fully developed, which will be 6 months to a year. She’s soooooo fearful. And I was fearful for her. I could see how scared she was. However, I will continue to believe that God healed her knees and she will not need surgery.

The appointment was based on her previous xrays from 6-8 weeks ago, plus the fact that she twisted her knee twice since physical therapy ended in January. So, the doc was just going off of what Hallie said about her knee twisting and PT not really helping. We’ll be going back every three months for knee check ups, so I feel certain the doctor will say (after newer xrays), “There’s no need for surgery, now. Her knees are healed!” God performs miracles every day. I have experienced several in my life, and I know He can handle it. So, I prayed it, and I’ll just leave it up to him.

I read The Prayer of Jabez. Great little book. This has helped me a good bit with prayer and faith, and just my relationship with The Main Dude Upstairs, in general. Of course, my relationship was pretty tight with him anyway. The book has helped me grow in faith a little, though, which is always good.

I have now made it through 11 entire days without a curse word! Wow! Oh, my patience has been soooo tested this week by several different people, although the road rage has slacked off a little. I’m practicing more patience on the road and this has helped. I’m just thinking to myself, “Well, that idiot must not have seen me in this lane”, or “he must be in a bigger hurry than I am”, or “he’s an accident waiting to happen, so I think I’ll stay wayyyy back here.”

Going to make a new recipe tonight. Lentil Soup. I’m excited! Can’t wait to see how it turns out! I’ve never tried to make it. I’ve had some awesome lentil soup that a sweet Greek lady makes at her cafe. I wonder if my recipe will even come close. This recipe is not mine, but I always tweak recipes I find, so I’ll make it my own.

And one day this week, Petit Fours! Yes, I’m makin’ petit fours. Found a wonderful recipe, I’m testing different petit fours from various bakeries, and talking to the creators, and got some helpful tips from my favorite baker dude, so I’ll let you know how they turn out. Can hardly wait to taste those!!

I’m a couple of days behind on A Course in Miracles, but I’ll be getting back on that wagon in a few minutes. I can see that this daily course has helped me A LOT. Some of the days wordings are quite strange, but then they start to soak into my soul and I have an AH-HA moment, and finally GET IT! It’s so amazing how your mind, brain and body can relax, grow and change with new information – a new way of thinking. Sometimes, change is definitely a good thing. Growth is always a good thing.

Prayers have been answered. Some, very quickly. Some, not so quickly, but it’s all good. I am gaining patience, which has always been the most difficult virtue for me to attain. Two things I am certain NOT to pray for is patience, nor strength. When I pray for patience, I usually have to wait a reeeeeeally long time for something. When I have prayed for strength, something bad happens, and ya know, whatever doesn’t kill ya makes ya stronger? Yeah, that. I do not pray for strength anymore. Be careful what you ask for! That’s for darn sure. I am learning to be much more specific with details when I ask for something. Plus, visualizing is helping in getting those specific details across. Have any of you ever practiced visualization? Creative visualization?

We have not been training for the 5K at all this past week. Mama has to work Saturdays for a little while and the 5K is this upcoming Saturday. Plus, with Hallie having strict instructions from her doctor not to do the 5K, nor can she do anything sports related (she was really bummed, with wanting to play soccer again), and needs to wear her brace, which she is rebelling against. Oh, her physical therapist cleared her to do the 5K, saying she no longer had a dislocated patella. WHAT?! So, he’s a doctor now? He took an xray? Not! Didn’t even send home exercises to continue strengthening her knees. Won’t be going back to that PT! I can tell ya that! Her doctor was a bit perplexed at what the PT told Hallie.

We WILL do the 5K. Just gotta get to a place where Mama has her Saturdays back, which should happen in March, and see that Hallie’s knees are healed. We go back to the doc in May. Then, when we’re all back to normal (whatever normal is), we’ll get back to training 5 days per week.

Accomplishing a lot on my 101 Things and this sooo makes me smile. I feel like I’m actually getting things done. I haven’t felt this good in a while with accomplishments. Last year was blegh when it comes to accomplishments, although I did get a few things done. Still, I think I’ve done better this January and half of Feb, that it beats the entire 2012 all to pieces! Like I said before, kicking butt and takin’ names!

I do have a couple of big God-sized prayers I’m workin’ on, every single day. Praying. Believing he has answered and practicing patience that it is all going to come together. Will see it all come to pass at the end of February. We can use some positive energy, vibes and prayers, if ya feel like sending some this way. And thanking him daily, for answering those prayers. These aren’t your normal every day sort of prayers. They are the kinds of things only God can handle. I see lots of wonderful things happening in our lives in just a few days! God is sooo good!

If you have any prayer requests, just comment me, and I’ll add them to the prayer requests, or if you’d like for them to be quiet prayers, you can comment me with an “unspoken request for (first name)”, or even email me at shesalwayswriting@yahoo.com.

I trust you have had a lovely week. I’m sooo enjoying the sunshine that’s playin’ out there today! I want to go run and frolic, but alas, I must work a few more minutes, or rather finish this post, since I’m caught up on my work for today.

Y’all have a wonderful week! Love you guys! *smooch* Toodle-oo!

-Carol

Guess what? I’ve gone 4 days without cussing. Today is day 5. Hope I can keep my anger and road rage in check. Oh, I’ve certainly been tested every day. Believe me! However, I have stopped myself mid curse word, refusing to finish. Whew! Nearly blew it a couple of times.

Ch ch ch changes…

I am feeling a shift in my soul, in my faith, in my own strength, trusting God more, still studying A Course in Miracles. Today, I’m on Lesson 14. Plus, I’m reading The Prayer of Jabez, and I’ll finish that today. Only 3 days to read that book. It’s quite small, but I only get so much time during the day and almost no time in the evening.

I feel like God is doing some work in me, although not sure what it is. I feel so much more restful and less stressed somehow. It’s sort of weird, and not really sure how to explain it, but I feel a restful joy? Almost like I’m excited and I know good stuff is happening, but I’m not full of silly glee like I normally am when I’m joyful. I’m quiet and calm. So NOT like me. The calm part mostly is what I’m talking about. This is not a word I’d ever use to describe me. Calm. Hmmm. It’s new, and I like it. I feel that interesting things are happening, and are about to happen – many good things. Many positive changes. I feel as if my whole world is about to turn upside down, but in a good way. Make sense? No? Ha. I’ll keep you updated as to how things change.

Do you feel a shift? In yourself? In the world around you? In others? A spiritual shift? Like a new level of understanding is going on?

Do you believe in miracles?  Do you believe God produces miracles and blessings every day?

Still working on my 101 Things and heading over there in a sec to update that. Yup. Still workin’ on stuff. Gettin’ things done. Kickin’ butt, and takin’ names.

Nope. You’re never too old to change. Who says ya can’t get better with age? We are like fine wine that way. No, I’m not old. 44 is the new 30, right?

Gonna have to postpone doing a 5K. Mama has to work the Saturday we were going to do it, and Hallie quite possibly may need knee surgery. I’ll post an update when I hear something on that. I’m praying for a miracle. Hallie is scared sick! Did I tell you she dislocated her patella? She did it after horsin’ around after one of her basketball games. She’s had several weeks of physical therapy, and the therapist said it was no longer dislocated. Well, she twisted it twice just this week and fell to the ground in great pain. So, looks like surgery is the next option unless God produces a miracle, which I’m totally counting on. He gives blessings and miracles daily, and Hallie needs one, so I’m just believing. She’s wearing her knee brace, so no more doin’ The Twist. Prayers and positive energy from you guys are very welcome! Bring it on! We will meet with her knee specialist this week. I am visualizing God healing her knee, before we visit her doctor.

Just a couple of hours south of here, Hattiesburg was hit by a tornado with wind speeds up to 145 miles per hour!  Widespread visible damage, but no deaths have been reported.  Gotta look for the silver lining.  Wish I had the time and money to help those folks out.  For now, prayers.  If y’all wanna help by offering up prayers for all these people and their properties that were damaged and destroyed, that would be appreciated, as well.

I hope y’all have a completely terrifical Tuesday! Mine is wet. It’s been raining 2-3 days in a row. Flooding everywhere. But it could be worse.  I’m counting our blessings, daily.  We have more good stuff than bad. Focus on the good.  May we all focus on the good.

Y’all let me know if you have any prayer requests, and I’ll add ‘em to the list, below.

Love yooze guys!  ;)

Carol

Prayer Requests:

All the people and property owners injured and directly affected, and the properties damaged and destroyed by the tornado in Hattiesburg.

For Hallie’s knee to be healed before her doctor visit this week.

For Mama to receive a sub for her position, so she can have her Saturdays back. And also for God to send us a way for her to be able to retire soon.  Praying for more miracles here.

Thanks y’all!