Craft Fair

I have not done a craft fair in years. This morning I am up early and getting ready to go to one. I have two different crafts to sell and hope I come home with less inventory than when I left. I am selling miniature wooden dolls. They are hand painted, dressed and no two are alike. I created them as my own collection but decided to see it they would sell. Some are very special to me and I cannot let go of them. I will price them very high to deter anyone from buying them. I know this sounds crazy, but if someone wants to buy them for a totally absurd price, it will make me feel better. The rest will be reasonably priced. My son says that everything has its value, to you or to them. Let's see what happens.

Just Ask

If you do not ask you will never get. I have learned that over the years. Yesterday I received an email from McAfee stating that they had charged my credit card for $103 for my virus protection plan. I have this for my 2 computers. It is well worth it as I have not had any problems since I installed it. For some reason seeing the number $103 bothered me. I called McAfee and told them that I did not like that price. In one second that lady offered to credit me the $103 and resell the same thing to me at $50. Of course I said yes. If I did not call, I would have $53 less dollars.

Day After

I am tired, but it is a good tired. Thanksgiving has come and gone. My fridge is full of leftovers and cake. My heart is full of happiness. The day was wonderful because it was shared with many families. Some were related by blood and some were related by marriage. They came from as close as 1 mile and as far as 300 miles. I fit 28 people into my house for a sit down dinner and although it was a bit tight, no one seemed to care. The adults talked and the children played. When the pictures are printed, we will get to see the smiles for years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving

I was up with the birds this morning, cooking a 24 pound turkey. The other turkey is being cooked a mile away at my sister's house. This is my year for hosting Thanksgiving and there will be 28 guests. I was expecting 41 so I am a bit relieved. It is my favorite holiday of the year, but this time I am a bit sad. My sons will not be here with me. One lives 300 miles away and the other one has to work. When you are in law enforcement, there are no holidays. Even if you have the day off, it is taken away and you are forced to work. I am cooking and preparing and before I know it the guests will arrive. I am sure that when the house is full of happy people, I will get into the right frame of mind. Holidays are about family and two of the most important ones in my life will be spending the day without me.

No Time

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise? If a person is sick and has no time to take care of themselves, does the pain go away? In my case it did. I am so busy taking care of everyone else that I have no time to be sick. Sick is not an option. The pain will just have to be put on hold until I can pencil it in on my schedule. The doctors do not understand why my testsshow nerve and spine damage, but I feel no pain. I explain that I have been taking care of my husband's issues and cannot focus on myself. The best I can do is pray a few times a day. They walk away and smile. Then they turn around and say, "Keep up the good work".

Tale of 2 People

Yesterday morning I had a doctor's appointment at 7:30 am. It was 20 minutes away. I left my house 45 minutes early in case there was traffic. The traffic was heavier than usual for that time but I did not have to worry because I had left enough time. I arrived 10 minutes early and had time to fill out the paperwork. Last night my husband had a doctor's appointment at 6:30pm. It was also 20 minutes away. He thought that leaving 25 minutes ahead of time was ample. We went onto the main road and the traffic was backed up. We had to reverse direction and go on another route that was longer but faster. After snaking around the neighborhood we arrived at the doctor at 6:29pm. He felt that this was fine. I felt that we should have left earlier and not rushed. Two people.....two mindsets.

Crack Of Dawn

I got up extra early this morning to go to a doctor's appointment. The doctor is 1/2 mile from my office so I decided to go before my work hours, instead of after. I have a 7:30am appointment. Somehow this idea seemed better when I booked the appointment. I am tired and it is rainy and dark out. Appointments this early are for the birds!

Mind of His Own

At what point do babies have a mind of their own? Last night, I noticed that my grandson definitely had strong preferences. He is a great eater and will eat anything you put in front of him.We were having dinner at a restaurant and he was happily eating the meal that his mother brought for him in a thermos that keeps the food warm. He had chicken, pasta and zucchini, his favorites. That is, until his mother's meal came out. As soon as he saw her meatloaf, mashed potatoes and broccoli, his dinner was no longer so appealing. She gave him a spoonful of his dinner and he put his hand into his mouth, pulled out the food and threw it on the floor. He then started to point at her potatoes, saying, "Tay tay. She tried to continue feeding him his own food but he kept pushing her hand away. She is not usually one to give into a baby, but we were in a public place. She decided to just feed him what he wanted and he ate about half of her dinner. He knows what he wants and knows how to get the point across.

Man vs Beast

I just realized that dogs do not get colds. I have had dogs for over twenty five years. I have seen them have stomach issues but never a cold. What antibodies do dogs have that repel the cold virus? Instead of going into outer space, I think some funding needs to be given for dog/human cold research. Imagine if we found the answer to that question. There would be a world without mucus.

Curious

Sometimes I wonder if the things I do are the same things other people do. Is it just me or is it human nature? Whenever I am driving behind someone moving very slowly on the highway, I follow for short time because I am not a big lane changer. When I realize that they have no intention of moving faster, I go around them. Here is where my question comes in. As I am passing them, I have to look to see who they are. Are they young, old, male or female? It really makes no difference, yet I still do it. Yesterday the person's car had dark tinted windows and I was annoyed that I could not see who they were. Is it just me?

Call Backs

We are having a problem at work. Our website developer is not returning calls. He started off gung ho years ago and slowly but surely he has become lazy. If he isn't calling us back, is he also not calling back other clients. We finally decided to change web masters and here is where things become a problem. He locked his name and email and telephone numbers in with the web hosting service, so as much as they would like to release our account, they cannot do it until he calls them. He has no idea we will be doing this and our calls to him only say to call us back. For all he knows, we want more designs. It's crazy that we own the site but someone else has the power.

Color Coordinate

I was driving on the Northern State Parkway behind a yellow car on my way to work. There must have been a crack on its bumper and it was held together with electrical tape. Black tape on a bright yellow bumper. It looked like the kind of repair that was not going to be done properly as the tape seemed to have been there for a while. Years ago, there were only two choices of heavy duty tape. Gray duct tape or black electrical tape. Now if you go into Home Depot, you can find every color, every shade, tiger print, stripes and polka dots. There is a choice. I would have repaired the crack in a color coordinated yellow tape so my car would not look as bad. Am I the only one that thinks this way?

Never Delete

Over the years, I have learned to never delete anything that I have done research on. If I put in the time and effort once, it is inevitable that somewhere down the line I will need that information again. This has happened time and time again. Today I am printing out a menu that I created three years ago. It shows what type of foods are good for someone with a high glucose blood level. This is my most popular "document". When I save documents on the computer, I add the word "never delete" just in case I get into a computer cleaning frenzy.

The Crowds

It has already begun. The crowded stores, filled with people trying to figure out what gifts they will buy for family, friends and co workers. Most people look gazed as they stand in the aisles with an imaginary list hovering over their heads. Who am I buying for, what do they like, what size, what color, etc, etc. It seems like such a burden to be forced to buy gifts and spend more money than your budget allows.

The First Chip

The first chip or scratch is the hardest. When you get a new car or appliance it is in pristine condition. We know it will not remain like that forever. Last night my husband woke me at 1am to say that he chipped the ceramic cooktop of our new stove. I told him that it didn't matter, accidents happen. He was so upset and said it was in a noticeable spot. I never got up to look because there was nothing I could do about it. This morning I saw the chip. It can be repaired with a drop of black appliance enamel. No one but us would ever notice it.

Making My List

This week I will be making my list but I will be checking it many times. My list will be of all the things I need to do and buy for my Thanksgiving dinner. The list has been floating in my head for weeks but now is the time it needs to be finalized. How much food will I need? Where are 29 chairs coming from? How will I arrange the tables? I know it will all pull together in the end.

Quotes

When I teach my life coaching classes I usually ask for the students to find a quote that means something to them and then explain it to the class. Last week each person came with more than one, as their research was so interesting. Quotes serve as summing up a situation in a few powerful words that touch our heart. What would your favorite quote be?

Finale

Last night was the last class of a series of four that I did at a local school. The group consisted of five people that were all very nice. I usually do not do a four part series as people have a hard time committing to being somewhere every week. These people showed up each time with enthusiasm. We wrote a journal and did a vision board. We talked about many life issues. They each said that they came away from this program with more knowledge about themselves and see areas that they can work on to have a more fulfilling life. When the class ended they all asked me to do more programs in the Spring. They hugged goodbye and said that they will miss each other. It was a wonderful experience.

Bad Connection

I got up this morning and my husband was not home. He called last night from a work phone that has static. All I heard were the words, "Busy, broken machines" and "never ate". I can only assume that the words "working overtime" were somewhere in the mix. I would call his cell now to see if he is safe, but he never keeps it on. He only uses it to call the diner for a hamburger on his way home from work. I am assuming he is fine, as bad news travels fast.

Two Celebrations

Today is Veteran's Day. It is a day to remember all of the soldiers that fought to keep America free. I thank all veterans and current military for keeping this country safe. Today is also my daughter in law's birthday. She was born on 11/11. Her daughter was born on 12/12. I have watched her grow from a teenager into a woman and love her more each day. When she was a child she thought that people were off from work and school to celebrate her birth. I am glad she is off today to celebrate with her family.

Glitch in the System

I really thought that I wrote a blog this morning. I remember going downstairs as usual and writing something earth shattering, as usual. At 4 pm my sister called me and asked where my blog was. I said it was posted since 7am. She said it was not. How could that be? I remember doing it. I came downstairs and turned on my computer and lo and behold, it was not there. I guess I am getting old. I wonder what else I am forgetting. Hopefully not my pants.

Virtual Win

Last night I had a dream that I won the lottery. It was so real and so specific. I was in a candy store and had the two women check my 4 lottery tickets to see if any had won. I was wandering around the store when they approached me. One of them said that she had good news. She said that I would not have to worry about anything for the next ten years. She then handed me a Mega Millions ticket and said that it was a multimillion dollar ticket. My first thought was that I had to call my children as I wanted to split it with them. I walked into the parking lot and said to myself ,"This isn't a dream, is it"? Then I looked around and said, "No, it isn't". Everything was so real and made sense. It was as real as it is now, typing this blog. I remember trying to locate the lottery office and making plans to turn in the ticket. Then I woke up! I don't mind not winning, but I do mind losing my virtual millions.

A Thought

I woke up this morning with a thought running through my mind. I have no idea where it came from but it made a lot of sense so I will pass it on.
            Days go by slow. Years go by fast.
        You blink your eyes and your life has passed.
It made me think that we all need to prioritize what is important. Tell your family you love them. Don't worry about things you have no power over. Things happen for a reason even though we don't always know why. Maybe we are not meant to. 

Cooking Up A Storm

This morning I will be cooking up a storm. I haven't done this in a long time. I used to cook and freeze a few meals a week. The only problem is that I have a new refrigerator and there is no room. I did not realize how much inside space an ice maker takes up. This freezer would be good for someone on a diet. It limits your food.

Becoming A Group

Last night was the third of a four series class that I am doing for Continuing Education. I can see the transition of the people as they bond with each other. It is a diverse group but they are all the same.They are all there to learn a bit more about themselves and understand how their actions affect their lives. They are opening up to each other and by doing that, they are helping each other. As I explained to them, I do not give any answers. What I do is ask the questions that make them think about how they are living their lives. Next week is the last class and I can see that they would have liked more.

In Control

The Republicans are back in control. This was the good news I woke up to this morning. Finally, after years of bad decisions, America has a fighting chance. Our president became a liability to the Democrats that were running for office and even though they distanced themselves from him, they could not get far enough away. Hopefully we can see a change in policies that have been detrimental to us all. Healthcare, first and foremost. I work in the healthcare field and have seen a drastic drop in our patient numbers due to changes in their coverage. They were forced into plans that offered them no freedom and therefore they suffered for it. They had to settle for "good enough" care instead of the best care. I feel terrible turning away a person in need because they have no out of network benefits. I have even offered to cut our fee in half, but it is still not a viable option for them. Maybe now, although it will be slow, we can get back to being a united country.

Election Day

Today the annoying phone calls stop. Until 9pm last night, I had been inundated with recorded messages from politicians. I would guess that 99% of people hang up on these calls. Years ago you paid for phone calls individually. Now you have unlimited calls, so why not flood the wires. It is inconsiderate and I do not think that a phone call will change anyone's mind. Stop calling and do your job. That is why the economy is like it is. All talk and no action. 

Count Down

Once November comes, it is the countdown to the holidays. My Thanksgiving list is made and I will be having 26 people. I make the turkey and everyone else brings a dish or two. We will decide next week who brings what dish. Everyone has their specialty. This year I will be having my sister's niece's in laws. They are from Massachusetts, just like my son. I will also have both sides of my family there, so it will be extra special. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

Voice of a Woman

I was cooking dinner the other night when the phone rang. I usually have my portable phone in the same room but this time I did not. As the phone kept ringing, I ran from room to room until I located it. I found it one level down, in my den. I answered the call and there was a man on the line saying he was calling for the Democratic party and wanted to hear what women were thinking about the elections. He specifically said that he wanted to hear "the woman's voice". Since I am still having trouble with my leg, I was annoyed that I had to run and get the phone for a call that I did not want. I said to him, "You want to hear a woman's voice? I will give it to you". I then scolded him about how his nonsense phone call made me run through my house and that I d not like these type of annoying calls. I then asked "Was this the type of woman's voice you were looking for"? He said not really and he apologized for calling. Like I always say, be careful what you ask for, you might get it.

November

I woke up to a gray day. It is cold and damp and has the feel of winter. I did not get many trick or treaters yesterday, so the ones I got received handfuls of candy. The overflow will be brought to work on Monday as my office staff will eat anything that does not have bugs, dirt or poison in it. I am dressed for winter and am starting to make my Thanksgiving dinner guest list. My turn was five years ago and the time flew by. Now the planning starts.