New Year's - Almost.....

Well, the year is almost over. I look outside, expecting to see snow or at least signs that it's Winter and all I see is fog. The weather guessers are promising high 50s today with sunshine in the afternoon. Hopefully, later I'll take a walk.

I don't make New Year's resolutions because I always break them. About 7 years ago I started writing a "Mission Statement" for the coming year. This has worked well for me and I've done one for 2007. On the list is "try to go to Russia". I'll know by January 28th. I'd like to go.

Today I have a few chores to do but nothing pressing. I'll run out to Costco to get my arthritis supplements and pick up a prescription at Safeway. That's the only thing I really must do. Other than that I'll take it easy.

Before the year end, I'll post one more time. Then it starts anew......

God bless you all.

Christmas Eve

Well, I did it. House is clean, balance of groceries in the 'frig and now I can rest a bit.

I was in the storage room looking for some wrappings when I came across a box with the balance of my ornaments for the tree. I knew there were more than what I found on my first hunt. So I added those and the cotton garlands and now it looks like my tree. During my first visit to Russia, Lida, my 18 year old 'daughter', gave me a puffed, velour heart. It had a gold ribbon on it and I also found that in my upstairs closet. I put it right out front, near the top of the tree. I sure wish she could be here with me. Russian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated January 7th so she has a few weeks to go. She did tell me however that they put up a tree too. The 'they' being her room mate and herself. At least she has someone to celebrate with.

I am going to try to go to church this evening. There are 3 services and I hope to make the 8:00PM. I'm going to rest a bit now and get cleaned up and dressed.

I wish you all blessings of the season.

God bless you all.

Day Before Christmas Eve

By choice, I'm spending the Holidays here at home. I didn't want to spend several days with relatives who would be fussing at each other. I did that several years ago and it was no fun. But here I am, wrapping presents and getting the house ready for Christmas dinner with friends. I am feeling down today. I don't know if it's just my usual winter blues or if I think I should be with my feuding realtives. I do miss them -- but not the aggravation. I guess I just can't be pleased. :o)

Today I'll do the major straightening and tomorrow I'll finish the deep cleaning. I'll make one last run to the grocery and start to assemble the dishes that can be may a day ahead.

Hopefully I'll get out of this funk. I don't even like being around me. ARGHHHH

God bless you all.

Before and After

Here it is all decked out with the white wires

Here it is with the new lights on it. Not too much of a change but I think Santa will know where to put the stuff.......

Shopping is done!!

I went out early yesterday morning stopping first at Kmart. I found what I was looking for (plus a new handbag for me,for only $11.00) very quickly. I was amazed at the lack of customers in the store at 10:00AM and the abundance of sales going on. I've always liked Kmart and have been able to find last minute gifts. Sandy wanted a square griddle that would hold four slices of bread for french toast. I found one online at QVC.com which was on sale for about $21.00 so I ordered it for her. When it came I had mixed emotions. It is a stainless steel, teflon coated 'grill pan'. It could hold the required four slices of bread, but it is a bit heavy and clunky. It also has a two inch lip which makes it a pan, not a griddle. At Kmart, I found a griddle for the same price so I got it for her. And yes, I'll keep the grill pan for myself. :o)

I then stopped at a newspaper and magazine store that I visit annually at Christmas. My eldest nephew, Robert, loves wrestling mags and is into coin collecting. Mostly he likes to look at the collection he already has, so I try to get him mags about coins and collection, not so much about pricing old coins or buying and selling. My brother-in-law Bob, likes stories, etc. about the Civil War so I try to find one or two for him. This year he is also into Sudoku, so he will be getting a puzzle book. I always make this shop my last stop. It's kind of a victory.

I dug the tree out of the storage closet and put it up. It's been 4 years or so since I've put up a tree. The last time I took it down, I didn't take care to put the branches away in the order in which the tree should be assembled, so I couldn't remember where the color coding applied. Grrrrrrr. I put it together and of course there were longer branches sticking out of the middle of the tree and little stubbly ones on the bottom. I took the thing apart and put it the way it is supposed to be. Then came the saga of the lights. Two strings are dead and two are working. Except one thing. I have no idea where my head was when I bought one of them. They are on white wires!!!! Undoubtedly made for an all white tree. I put them on the tree, but it's awful. The white wires stick out like white wires on a green Christmas tree. LOL I'll have to take them off and replace them with the ones I'll be picking up at Ace Hardware today. Some of my ornaments are in not too good shape. So I've got holes............ LOL This poor tree reminds me of the one that Charlie Brown and Snoopy put together. LOL I'll rearrange the branches and add new lights today. It will be just fine. It will be my tree. :o)

Today I think I'll start wrapping presents. There aren't that many. I have a few that I'll send along with Chris and his wife when they leave to join the family in Atlanta on Friday.

My Christmas dinner celebration is on Monday so I'll have all of next weekend to get the house the way I want it. Dinner itself will be easy because I'm fixing ham. I'll have scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, glazed carrots and some other things but nothing time consuming or difficult to make. I intend to enjoy my guests and the time we have together.

That's what it's all about. Being with those you love.

Celebrate Jesus!!

God bless you all.

Another lovely day

Mother Nature is playing games with us. Ten days ago, we had freezing temps and I dug out my winter coats. This week it has been warm and sunny, generating a great deal of fog in the morning. Going to work at 6:30AM in the fog gives one a very eerie feeling. But I guess better this, than 5 feet of snow.

Tomorrow I think I'll finish up shopping and start to put up the tree. I haven't had it out of the box for several years, so I'm sure it's mashed. I'll fluff up its fake branches and needles and it'll look good as new. I forgot about all of the wonderful special ornaments I've collected over the years. I was looking at them today remembering some and wondering who gave me others. Maybe it's dementia. LOL.

I'm looking forward to this holiday. I'll miss not seeing my family, but I won't miss all the stress that goes along with 6 adults and a dog in a townhouse for 4 days. No thanks. I'll enjoy my family of friends here at my house.

God bless you all.

Online shopping

Whatever did I do before the internet? I have managed to get the majority of my gifts online, most without paying for shipping. There was only one snafu in that Target had an item online that would not be available until January 3. I ordered it and when I didn't receive it within a week, I checked back only to see that the shipping date was January 13th. I don't thinnnnnk so......I cancelled it and chose something else.

I have found some very clever things that I know I could not have found if I had to do mall-crawling to get gifts.

I've been very lucky this year. Santa will be very good to me. (One of his elves slipped and told me of a gift that I'll be getting and it thrilled me)

Only two more things to get and I'm done.

God bless you all.

Another week in paradise

I don't know where the week went. It seemed to disappear before my eyes. We have been so busy I barely have time to visit the 'Ladies'.

It's a combination of reasons. We have more investigators in the field, hence the increased case load. And we are losing cleared employees. This past week we lost our Training Department head. His reason for leaving? He wanted to spend more time with his baby daughter. Working 14 hour days was taking away his family time. I don't blame him one bit. We have new intermediate management coming into place and I wonder how that will work. We get one man acquainted with the scheme of things and his replacement appears and now we have to break him in. You know, I have been tempted to start looking for another job but it really is funny when I think about it. I don't like what I see? Wait a week or two - it will change.

My boss has been given a lot more reports to produce and of course, that stuff rolls downhill. On Thursday I was assigned a 3 day task to be completed in 12 hours. Made me mad, but I did it. As a thank you for my coming back into the office one afternoon (Because the VP had forgotten a meeting at 9:00AM the next day and needed a briefing made and printed)I was allowed to end my day yesterday at noon. My workmate, Jennie, and I went to the Conference Center where a training class is in session to bid our farewells to the Training Coordinator. It was his last day and we had lunch with him and spent an hour so Jennie could wrap up all the loose ends because they haven't found his replacement.

I've been doing a lot of shopping online this year. I've been out only once and that was to Target. I didn't plan the day very well because I got there around 2:00 in the afternoon. As I mentioned previously, it wasn't a pleasant experience. I have some things I have to get that require me going to the mall. I'll do that next week and I'll be there when the doors open. In and out and get it over with.

I've been feeling good with minimum back pain. If I can relax at work and not let the stress get to me, my back is better. I try, on a daily basis. LOL

God bless you all.

Yesterday we had summer

Indian summer was with us yesterday. We had 78 degrees on December lst. It was a lovely day but not long lived. By 6:00PM a strong wind had whipped up and brought in cooler temperatures. Today it's in the 50s but with the strong breezes blowing it is quite nippy out there. We are promised colder weather in the next few days. Oh well, I guess we have to have cooler weather to generate snow for Santa's sleigh.

This has been a very busy week for me. Monday and Tuesday I was physically exhausted when I got home from the office. Not that I did that much running around, but my projects were intense and kept me hopping. The next three days were no better. And it looks like there is no relief in sight. As our case load increases, more responsibilities are generated and of course, we still have the same amount of staff, which is dwindling. They are falling like toy soldiers. If I didn't know better I'd tell myself to spiff up my resume and put out some feelers. And you know, it might not be a bad idea either.

Today is my wanna-do-day. I get to do what I wanna do. Tomorrow is my gotta-so-day where I have chores that I gotta do. I'm going to fix a cup of tea and grab the book I picked up, at Sandy's suggestion, at the airport. (Mosie, "Mary, Mary" by James Patterson.) So far, so good.

Will post more later.

GBU all.

First trip Christmas Shopping

And I hope it's my last. Geesch......I only ran up the street to the Target store and was overwhelmed at the amount of people in that store and how absolutely rude some shoppers can be. Women with kids in baskets, plowing through the aisles, not to mention the kids are screaming at the tops of their voices. Non-English speaking people trying to navigate around and not able to understand one single word of what's being said to them, or doing a good job of making believe................

I've done 80% of my shopping online and have to go to the big mall to get one more thing. I dread it.

Happy Holidays one and all.

There and back, in only 3 days.

Atlanta was having some lovely weather while I was there. In the mid to high sixties and some sunshine. Thursday I spent cooking our Thanksgiving dinner.

Sandy bought a 12 lb turkey for us and we fixed cream cheese mashed potatoes, gravy (which was wonderful if I may say so myself), dressing, green bean casserole, pepper jelly spiked cranberries, mashed rutabaga and macaroni and cheese. By the time we sat down to dinner, we both had lost our appetites. We had been grazing all afternoon. We have an array of cheese and crackers and I had made double deviled eggs and we had other goodies too numerous to mention. We picked at our plates, put away all the food, washed the dishes and retired to the sofas to watch tv. We both promptly fell asleep.

We slept in on Friday and dropped in Best Buy and Sandy got several movies. When we got back home it was time for dinner. We reheated everything but the turkey and made open faced sandwiches with mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing. It really tasted better the second day and we both ate heartily. We had some of the Dutch Apple pie the Sandy got at the World Market. It was also very good. We then watched "The DaVinci Code" which I thought was very good. I had read the book but forgot the majority of the plot. After that, we started to watch "Thank You For Smoking" but both started snoozing so we caved in and went to bed.

Saturday we slept in again, stayed in our pjs till after noon and watched "Thank You For Smoking" in full. It was hysterical. A very funny movie. After we cleaned up, we ate more turkey dinner leftovers before it was time for her to take me to the airport.

I have not said one word about Sandy's dog, Blue. She is the cutest dog. I think she has some Australian Sheep Herder in her. She's a big dog, 65 lbs at least. Sandy has done a good job of raising her because he minds, doesn't bark a lot and is great company for her. I find myself looking around for her. Yeah, right. Jake would have convulsions. LOL

I had one of the best times yet. Sandy is a wonderful hostess and her home is lovely. I came home wanting to dismantle my entire house and start over again. She has given me some ideas to perk up my place a little bit. I've been in here 15 years and it could stand a little redo, so I think that's going to be my quest for 2007. Fix up the place.

Thanksgiving time is always a time for reflection for me. I can get to feeling sorry for myself very quickly. But when I stop - look around - and see exactly how lucky I am, I thank God for being so good to me. He has given me a family, even though we are scattered, we are bound to each other. He has given me a family of friends to whom I am bound. Without them I could not exist. They are the glue that holds me together.

Once again, thank you dear God for the blessings you have given me. I ask once more...

God bless you all.

I changed my mind....

I hope I'm not confusing you all, but I changed back to the old template. It was like reading somebody elses journal. I was used to the color and format, so back to the old way.

:o)

Happy Holiday

Today I'm away to Atlanta to be with Sandy, my niece. Turkey, DVDs and shopping - not bad for a mini-vacation.

I'll check in when I get back, but mostly I want to say how thankful I am for my friends and family. Without them, I'd be lost.

Happy Thanksgiving.

God bless you all.

New Format

Dear readers,

I've chosen a new template and color scheme for this literary epic. I hope you like it.

I Better Write Something...

This past week was a blur. If I had to pick one thing to write about I don't believe I could. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were THE busiest days I've ever spent on this job. It was just a matter of things coming at me from all directions. On Monday afternoon, my boss was told by the Executive group that there was a meeting on Tuesday and they would need a full presentation done by noon. The Powerpoint presention itself was only 5 pages and they were already created in another briefing. I only had to copy them and make some changes. The hard part was they were asking for 4 hours of figures in spreadsheets to be created in a 2 hour period of time. Of course I managed, but it was not my best work and there were many errors. I was completely embarrased by that, but both bosses said it was no problem, that we had done our best. It left me a nervous wreck and behind schedule in my week's work. By Friday at 3:00 I was caught up. I don't ever want to go through that again.

Gee, I did manage to find one thing to write about.

My dear friend Donna has a wonderful blog that I read daily. I look forward to reading about her life, her family, her farm and her animals. The pictures that she posts take me back to the few days I spent with her and her husband in April. I look at the pics and think "I remember that spot". It was one of the best vacations I have EVER taken. No pain, no stress - just pure enjoyment. At least for me.

In one of her recent posts she had a link to find out personality traits based on the month you were born. I have copied mine below because, bad points and all, I think it nailed me.

JANUARY
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very Stubborn and money cautious.

I'll try to post once before I head out of town for Thanksgiving, but if I don't I want to wish my dear readers the best wishes for Thanksgiving.

God bless you all.

Indian Summer Has Come and Gone

These past two days have been beautiful. The sun has been shining and the leaves are brilliant in their fall colors. But the chill is in the evening air and soon Fall will kick in, full force only to yield to Winter.

When I start to grumble about Winter, I remember how it was back in Milwaukee. Fall started the week after Labor Day. We wore sweaters to school and heavy jackets to the football games every Friday night. The Winters were long and hard because we were next to Lake Michigan. They lasted till past Easter. The year that my Dad and I left, 1965, it was Memorial Day weekend, 10:30 in the morning and it was 32 degrees. No, not a cold snap - it was warming up. It always seemed so much colder there. I guess it was the dampness from being near the lake. You got cold and just couldn't get away from it.

Virginia winters are chilly compared to Wisconsin standards. Not much snow and February doesn't last for 97 days.

Today I was in my Saturday morning chat room, Christian Living, and somebody asked me where my roots were. Of course I said the Mid-west but said I had grown to love the East. And it's true. I call Virginia my home because here is where my heart is. I've lived here longer than the entire time I spent in Wisconsin. I have a wonderful family of friends here and every one of them is very dear to me. When I get in my little 'lonely' snits I remember that I'm not an easy person to know and these people love me, warts and all.

It's been a decent two days. Didn't have to go to work yesterday. I just hung around the house, did a little work, played around on the computer a bit and rested a lot. This housework stuff is taking a lot of getting used to. I will try to keep up with it the best I can. When the cat hair gets ankle deep, I'll yell for help.

I hope tomorrow goes as well.

God bless you all.

A Fairly Decent Weekend.....

Yesterday I started out early, did 4 loads of laundry and started cleaning the house. I've decided to do the tough stuff first, like vacuuming the stairs. When my energy is high I can do it. Since I didn't finish the upstairs last week, that's where I started. I vacuumed, dusted and freshened the bathroom. I've been using Tilex daily shower cleaner and it really seems to be working. I'll spray the gunk off daily and give it a good scouring every two weeks.

I finished off the downstairs, vacuumed, dusted and Swiffered the kitchen floor. For the life of me, Rosy would not use the Swiffer mop. She would haul the vacuum cleaner into the kitchen and the dirt would go in the front and fly right out the back. Oh well, those days are gone now. Last week I mopped and put a fresh coat of wax on the kitchen floor, the foyer ceramic tile and the little half bath. I don't know how long it will last, but I want to keep it looking nice. I guess now that I'm doing the work, if I put things away and clean a little every day, it's easier all the way around.

OK enough about my housecleaning.

Today I went to church. First time in a long time and the floors didn't creak. Although my long time pew mate, Bob, did tell me with tongue in cheek he thought I had left the country. Alan was preaching and with a little more exposure I think I can get to like him. Samantha is something else however. I count the days till she is transferred. (Sorry Jesus, that's how I feel) I will most likely start going on alternate Sundays when he is preaching. When she does, I zone out and wind up doing my grocery list. All in all, I think I was fulfilled. :o)

I got a quick little note from my Lida in Russia. I had sent her a quick message telling her that the mission team was on the way and that her sponsor Linda would be looking forward to seeing her. She answered back "To Mama" and signed it "Your Daughter". That meant a lot to me. This is the child whose mother abandoned her when she was just 13 years old. She lived in an alley, in a refrigerator carton until the authorities found out and put her in Orphanage #1. She ran away several time because the alley was her home and her way of life and she was secure in her own care. It took quite awhile for her to relent, but she did. When the Americans arrived she would have nothing to do with us at all. She stood on the outskirts of the circles and glared. It took me nearly a week, but when I left she had accepted my cross as a token of our friendship. She wears it to this day. When I was there last year she gave me a plain gold band. She apologized that it wasn't 'nicer' but she used all of her money to get it. I could not, not accept it. I took it and told her I would wear it and I do. On my right hand with another little ring at the first knuckle. She is now graduated, living in an apartment with a friend and going to 'college'. I am very proud of her.

I have a meat loaf in the Nesco roaster and will make some veggies. I'm in phase 4 of the SparkPeople program. It's the maintenance end of it, and I intend to continue to log in every day. It helps me keep focused on what I'm eating when I have to write it down. When I binge, I can make it up the next day because I know how bad I went overboard.

I really don't like the time change. It gets dark too early and my mind-clock still wakes me up at what would be 4:30 and of course I have to lie in bed for that extra time. I have been doing a lot of praying in that time. Maybe the Lord is telling me something. :o)

Even though I didn't do anything entertaining, it was a fairly decent weekend.

God bless you all.

I'm early this week

I know I'm early this week with my post. The mission team from church leaves this evening for their trip to Russia. Although I declined the chance to go along I still have a heavy heart about not going.

There is a very good chance that I won't ever see my Lida again. The trip is hard and the accommodations worse than hard. I know now that I'll never see my Sasha again. I get snippits of information through emails from people in and around the orphanage and it's said that he did not get appointed to the independent living program (I want to know why) and that he has been assigned to attend a tech school in a town about 105 miles NE of Ivanovo. Lida also tells me he will be living at the home of his father, who has multiple problems and makes it difficult to be around. I don't know where the father's house is located. It very well could be in that city, but if it's in Ivanovo, there's no way he would stay there. He'd be doomed to living in the dorms, which are deplorable. I pray that our dear Lord protects that young man. He has such high hopes of being in the military. He wants to be a jet pilot. This school will produce mechanics and laborers, not jet pilots. My heart is very sad about this. My dear Lida will keep me as informed as she can. She will ask around to see what she can find out for me.

I pray that the team travels safely and has a great time there. The population of the orphanage has changed. 85% of the kids are new and are in dire need of love, affection and attention. I know this team can give them that, at least for the time they are there.

God bless them.

Back to Housework For Me - ACKKKKK

After nearly ten years, I've fired my household helper, Rosy. The last few years the quality of her work has gone downhill. I think it's because of the set up we had. She would come every other Thursday while I was at work. I agreed to this because at the time, she had another house to do in the afternoon. She said she would come early, 8:00ish, and then go on to her other house.

That worked for awhile, but there were times I'd come home to find no work had been done and a phone message waiting for me. There were always excuses but I let them go. Rosy has a daughter she is solely supporting and when it came to things she needed to do with/for her, I gladly stepped aside.

But - - - it's always those buts that get me. As I previously wrote, one day this past summer I came home to find a stranger working in my house. He turned out to be her brother. About a month ago, I rearranged the furniture in my living room to find dust bunnies almost bigger than my cats. I don't think the couch was ever pulled away from the wall for vacuuming. Things somehow didn't get put back after she dusted and things that didn't belong were left behind.

It was a difficult decision because I really care about Rosy, but the dissatisfaction I've been feeling for more than a year takes front seat. I'm not overly fond of cleaning my house myself, but I'll try it. I didn't burn bridges. She said if there were special times I needed help, she would help out.

If I break it down over a period of several days, I think I can do it. I can vacuum the downstairs on Friday evening, while I do the laundry. Saturdays, I can do the upstairs bathroom and vacuum the bedrooms. And on Sunday afternoon, I can vacuum the stairs.

We'll see how it works out.

God bless you all.

The Loss of a Special Friend.....

My dear friend Karen is grieving the loss of her cat, Grady. Grady had special meaning to me because I had a gray, Maine Coone cat named Grady, short for Graystoke's Blue Mood. Grady left me after only 4 1/2 years. He had an uncurable blood disease and it broke my heart.

Nearly 15 years ago, Karen's young son David, brought home a gray kitten he found wobbling across a busy roadway and begged to keep him. Karen being an animal lover and unable to say no to her little boy said OK and the kitten became part of the family. When Karen asked David what he was going to name his new pet, David answered "Grady", because I really loved Banana's Grady.

Karen was sensitive to the fact that I had just lost my Grady and told David it would be OK with her, but David would have to ask me if it was OK with me. So one sunny afternoon my phone rang and this little 10 year old voice said to me "Banana? This is David and I want to ask you a question". Of course I said yes. I told David that I was honored that he would want his cat named after my Grady.

Yesterday Karen called me to tell me she had taken Grady to the vet because he had lost the use of his hind legs and he was screaming in pain. It appears he had had a blood clot for sometime. In hindsight she recalls that he had difficulty jumping on the bed or couch. She thought it was just old age setting in.

The vet said they could administer blood thinners but it was unlikely he would regain use of his hind legs. They could make him comfortable but she could not guarantee that this would not happen again. He might produce another clot, causing the same problem.

Karen was torn but knew what she had to do. It broke her heart because he had been a part of her family for a long time. She has buried him in a little clearing with her other two family members - Furry Face (a Maine Coon) and Persephany (a black barn cat. I may have messed up the spelling of her name.)

Losing a beloved pet is a very hard thing but I believe Grady is chasing rabbits with my Grady, Jake #1 and Susie#1. There they know no pain and will never grow old again.

Rest in peace sweet friend.

Another quiet week

This week wasn't bad. First three days were hectic getting the boss lady ready to go to PA to give her quarterly report to OPM. I worked on her Powerpoint briefing for nearly a week and must say, this is the smoothest one has moved along. Although I took it to the wire, there were very few changes. We printed 20 copies of the 21 page brief and sent her on her way. I had Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday to myself.

Last Sunday was Slavica's birthday so on Monday we had a little celebration for her and one of the admins whose birthday was Monday. We got a big cake, hid it in a corner and with everybody gathered, sang the traditional "Happy Birthday" song. I had bought several garlands, a Happy Birthday sign and a child's paper crown and decorated her office door before she arrived. She does not like attention but I think she was tickled that somebody had fussed. The blabbermouths in the Assignments section ratted that I had done it. :o) She has warned me that my birthday is coming and that paybacks are in order.

While stringing the garlands, I had to step up on a chair and when I lifted my right leg, something snapped. I wasn't able to apply any weight on the leg to stand on the chair. I had to use the left. I did hang all the decorations but by noon, I was in agony. By the time I got home I couldn't get away from it. I couldn't sit, stand or lie down. David paid me my usual Monday appointment and when he arrived he put the table down and I was almost in tears. I said "Please put the table up - I need help now". He said "Oh my gosh, you're in pain". He worked on me for about 45 minutes and did free up the bone on bone pain. but there were a lot of knots in my leg from the muscle spasms. It's been a very long time since I've been that tied up. With David's skill and patience, he has helped me manage my pain for several years now.

Yesterday BJ and I had dinner together and then went shopping. The church mission team is returning to Russia in 3 weeks and I wanted to get some clothes for Lida, my 18 year old 'daughter'. We are corresponding weekly by email. She goes to a free internet cafe to send her messages and I use the online translator to read them. At one point, she asked me if it was true that I had said she was like my daughter. I told her it was true and I felt we had a bond between each other, from the first day I met her. As the messages keep on coming, she is now writing to Mama and that tickles me. My prayer is that she gets a chance for a better way of life than in Ivanovo.

Fall truly is here. There is a stretch of parkway on the way to my office and the leaves are turning now. Yellow, orange and red. Very, very pretty. I want to try to get to the farm market this weekend to find some Nittany apples. I was first introduced to them about 20 years ago by my first AA sponsor. They are crisp, juicy and delicious and always remind me of a new start.

Something must be wrong with me - nothing to complain about again.

God bless you all.

Fall is here, I think

Today was the first cold snap of the season. The weather guessers on Channel 4 said it was down to 32 degrees out our way. It was chilly this morning when I left for the office at zero dark thirty. It was also a great reason to wear my new fall outfit that I ordered on Monday. (All day Fashion Day on QVC)

Work was OK this week. Accomplished a few things and several changes were made in the office. Added a new manager, demoted an old manager......more of the same. Who in the world knows what's going on? I guess the real question is Who cares?

I've been OK this past week. Feeling fine and happy to have heard from Lida, my 18 year old Russian daughter. She has finally started to call me Mama. It tickles me because she is the one who would not accept outsiders or trust the Americans. I am very fond of this gal and hope she has a chance at a decent life. I'd like to see her get out of Ivanovo because the city has nothing to offer. If she continues her education and moves out, maybe to Vladimir, another small city, she can make a decent living. My real wish is that I could bring her here for a visit. If that ever happened, she wouldn't want to go back, I'm sure.

BJ and JC get back from their trip to the Outer Banks. I have missed her.

No more to add this week.

Please note - I didn't complain once. :o)

God bless you all.

Out Of Africa

Or should I say "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my"....

My friend David has done me a great injustice. He sent me the link to a site in Africa. It is a waterhole that has a webcam trained on the landscape, day and night. There is something hypnotic about looking at a screen full of nothing, but something may come by any minute. There is sound so you can hear the animals approaching. Of course there are the sounds of the crickets, frogs and hyenas which are just fascinating.

I've spent last evening and the better part of today, watching the animals come and go. I saw some baboons, water buffalo and a lot of different birds. The owner of the site was panning the camera all around so I could see what was in the brush. I was hoping a lion would come along but no such luck.

It's night there now, but I see an occasional hyena wander by and there are still night birds. The prettiest time of day is dawn when the sounds of daybreak fill the air.

Thank heavens we had a lousy rainy day today so I didn't totally miss the day.

Thanks a lot David.

God bless you all.

I'm On My Soap Box Today

With the quiet dignity of the Amish tradition, families in Nickel Mines, PA buried their beloved daughters, dead at the hands of an outsider. One of 'the English'.

As these people mourned, they stuck to their traditions and their beliefs, yet what did 'the English' do? They barraged their privacy with TV trucks, cameras and satellite dishes. These sweet people deserve this time to be left alone.

Shame on you Media!!! It's bad enough to see the media blitz when a so called star emerges on the streets of a city. They are nearly run down by photographers' cars and new mothers are cornered like animals in a trap trying to protect their young from prying cameras.

As a society can't they understand that there are some very private things that other people don't want to see?

Let these people alone. I, for one, am embarrased to see how this quiet community was turned into a media parking lot by outsiders.

God bless you Amish families and I'm so sorry for your losses.

A little better today

It was a lovely day today. Sunshine and in the 70s. A perfect fall day.

Today at our weekly company meeting, OMNI Cafe, I was surprised to receive a recognition award for a suggestion I had sent in, over 2 months ago. I suggested, that with all the talented people we have on board, we have an annual talent show. I was presented with a certificate, an OMNI pen and - - - you got it - - - a challenge. We can have the show, if I organize it.

I sent out an email company wide saying before I accept the challenge, I wanted to see how many people would be interested in participating. By close of business, I've only receive 4 bites. I'll wait a few more days and then send out a blurb again on Monday. I really think it would be a lot of fun. I said even if we get only 6 people, at 5 minutes performance time each, we have a half hour show and I don't think for the first effort the population will want to sit through more than that.

I hope it works. It has restored my interest in the company.

Oh by the way, I received a bite on one of the resumes I sent out last week. I'll call tomorrow and get more info.

I look forward to this evening. NCIS is on and I get to see LEROY. (Oh be still my heart) YUM.

God bless you all.

Dull is the word....

for my life lately.

It has been brought to my attention that I haven't posted for a couple of weeks.

Several things have happened that I must work through before I can intelligently post so I will just say that I am OK, not terrific, but OK.

When I am sane, I'll post more.

God bless you all.

Gloomy Weekend - again.....

Once again it's overcast, drizzly and a bit chilly. I hope Fall hasn't come early and that we get a little bit of Indian Summer. Cold weather just doesn't make it to the top of my list.

This past week has been hectic at the office. Losing two work days put me behind and there was a time when I thought I would love to change my name to "Mommy". Everybody seemed to be calling "Joanna". The boss lady was in back to back to back meetings as usual. I really wonder if the executives realize just how counter productive it is to have a department 'leader' unavailable for such an extended period of time. There were several of my coworkers who, as I did, had questions to be answered before projects could be completed. Most were time sensitive and with her absences, were late. Don't look to good on us.

I'm still in a bit of a funk after coming back from my trip. It left me with a lot of food for thought. Of course my relatives are there and most would be delighted to have me move back. I could sell my house here and with the financial gain, buy a very nice place there, most likely with money to spare. But I don't like the cold or the constant humidity generated by Lake Michigan. The first day there was a beautiful day - high 70s and sunny. But it was short lived and it turned cold, overcast and rainy Saturday and Sunday.

I would have to re-establish a social circle, be it in a senior group or church group. I would miss my own family of friends of 40 years that I have here. They are one of the main reasons I haven't moved south for retirement. I sometimes feel I'm too old to relocate and make new friends. Yet I know in my heart of hearts that I can't continue to work forever. One of these days the body is going to tell me it can't get up at 4:30AM anymore and put in 9 busy hours. I think this is one of the reasons why I've been so skittish this past week. I worry about what I'm going to do. But as my friend Steve said, I don't have to make this decision today, so quit driving myself nuts.

Today I'll get caught up on chores around the house and do a bit of grocery shopping. Only thing left in the house is a can of enchilada sauce and some butter. Can't do much with that.

Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow and I'll be better.

God bless you all.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

This was my High School 50th reunion weekend. I'm very glad I made the trip for many reasons.

I had a chance to visit my cousins. There was a small gathering of some I haven't seen in 21+ years and some I've not yet met. My cousin Dennis was my best friend growing up. We are 6 months apart in age and we went to school together. Ten years ago he was stricken with cancer and lost his larynx. He talks through an amplifying aparatus which works quite well. But he get a bit frustrated with it because we are Polish and are loud. In a group of 15 people, all talking at once, he is a voice not heard too well. Saying goodbye was hard because I most likely won't see him again. I don't think I'll go back again.

I drove by the old neighborhoods. Winchester Street where I lived until I was almost 10 has changed. Most of the old houses are still there, but is really bad shape. The house in which we lived is still there. Painted white but divided. What was a duplex now houses 4 apartments. I sat in my rental car across the street and tried to see that little girl playing in the front yard. The hedges are gone, the lilacs are gone and so is the big tree on the side that gave us so much shade. I was glad I went.

I also drove by the last house we lived in, on Burdick Avenue, before my Dad and I moved in 1965. The woman who owns it now, drove in as I was sitting, looking and I walked up the driveway and apologized for the intrusion. She was quite gracious once she knew who I was and showed me around the yard and even offered to take me inside. I declined because I knew it would upset me more than I already was. I spent about 20 minutes with her and she thanked me for stopping as I left. I was glad I stopped.

The next morning I took the tour of Pulaski High School with about 10 of my classmates. The building was fairly new when we attended there. The marble floors were always polished and the halls were kept clean. Now, any breakable surface is covered with grating or wire and most doors have bars on them. Each hallway, at the stairs, has a security door which is kept locked during class. Unless you have a special pass, you don't leave the corridor where your current classroom is located. This made me very sad and a little bit mad. 9What kind of kids are we raising???) We saw our swimming pool, the gym, the cafeteria, the study halls and our home rooms. We ended the tour in the library where they had a gallon of Leon's Frozen Custard. Leon's is the drive-in, located across the street from the school, that the TV series 'Happy Days' is based.

Later that evening, I went to the dinner. There were 23 of the students (out of a class of 61) in attendance, some with spouses, some without. It was good to see them all and hear what they have done in the past 50 years. Most are retired. Most have aged. I was aghast when I saw some of the gals. Several look in their 80s. I guess life was hard. In comparison either I'm well preserved or I've not faced many hardships because I can say, I looked good. Even the majority of the men have aged. Balding and what hair is left is white. Many hunched over, many with liver spots......Geesch. I am thinking is this going to hit me too!

A couple of the kids I knew at Jr. High were also there. We were in 7th and 8th grade together. I had forgotten that part of my life. There were several snapshots taken outside that school and we look like we are the case of 'Grease'. Yes, we actually did look like that LOL One of the guys, LeRoy, married one of the gals from high school and have been married for 43 years. When she saw me she said "My husband has been talking about you for years". I laughed and let it go. In two other conversations she brought it up again so I asked HER "And what has your husband been saying about me?" She looked a little surprised and said "Well, you were the big love of his life." I looked at him and said "Why in the world didn't you tell me that?" He was actually blushing and said "I guess I was shy". As it turned out, he sat next to me at dinner and we did have a nice conversation. But I never knew............. :o)

As for 'that other guy', he didn't show up. I really didn't expect him and would have been very surprised if he had.

All in all, I am glad I went because it made me see that I am very very blessed. I am in good health, I can still work and most of all, I have a great support system of loving friends that I choose to call 'family'.

God bless you all.

It was a dark and stormy night...

...day? Either one, it is chilly, rainy and dark. It's 6:00PM and it feels like fall. After the hot summer we've had, 60 degrees feels cold. Hurricane Ernesto is working his way up the coast and we're getting his wind and rain. We need the rain, but 5 inches today? A bit much. The City of Alexandria is passing out free sandbags to homes and businesses in hopes that if the water rises, they will keep the water out.

Being this far inland we won't have problems with flooding, but there are several creeks and 'run's that will overflow and cause roadways to wash out. The traffic advisors are reminding motorists to not drive through any standing water on the roads. One can not tell how deep the water may be.

I don't like weather like this. It's unpredictable and uncontrollable. I feel bad for those in Hurricane Katrina, a year ago. God bless them all.

This will be a long weekend. Labor day is upon us. The summer has flown by and it was fun. I had a chance to travel to Missouri in the Spring and I visited with Donna and Cliff and got to meet Blue and Sadie. Something I had never dreamed could happen, but relished the idea when I was invited. I loved it.

Next week at this time, I'll be back in Milwaukee for my 50th high school reunion. The body may be 50 years older than the day I graduated, but the spirit that lives in it is as young and lively as it ever way. I just run out of gas too quickly :o)
I'll spend some time with the relatives. I don't know who will gather at my cousin's home, but it will be good to see them. That is if I can remember them all. I look forward to the trip.

Tomorrow I'll sleep in and do a few chores. I plan on not 'laboring' on this Labor Day.

God bless you all.

The weekend started yesterday...

I'm thinking this is not the best time for me to be posting. I'm not in a good place. I'm crabby, I'm in pain and I have nothing new to contribute for this week.

My arthritis is bothering me today. I even caved in and took 2 Aleve (Or at least the OTC kind) at 8:00AM today. My neck has been out of joint since Wednesday and that is bothersome. It comes and goes. Depending on how I turn or where I reach. It's HELL getting old.

I think I'm crabby because I'm in pain. If I felt better, maybe I'd want to do something outside of the house or go somewhere. But I will most likely just stay in. I do have to color my hair today. I have an appointment for a cut tomorrow at 1:00PM with Diane T. I have to ready myself for my big reunion in two weeks. I should give up the effort. These are all people I knew back when and there's no way we can hide how old we are. We all know. I think we'll all just try to erase the mileage we have on our faces and torsos. After all, most parts of us all have gone south LOL

As for the past week, it was just more of the same. The boss lady had been out of the office the week before so she had to play catch up, and then the Executive Committee decided they wanted some production charts done - you got it - 20 minutes ago. So for 3 days, I had to drop EVERYTHING and work on the project for her. These are things I really love doing. Putting together the spreadsheets with the variable scenarios and putting those figures into charts are a lot of fun for me. But these people have a set goal in their minds so even after we tweaked the numbers, they retweaked them to come up with what they wanted to see. I redid them three times. When I was done with the main chart I busted out laughing because it was the reproduction of the Productivity chart I had done for the boss a week earlier, only a different color. I called it to her attention - she looked at it and started to chuckle. She said "Shhhhh don't tell them. Let them figure it out". She did thank me several times for deviating from my routine to jump into the project for her.

That left Thursday for me to get caught up on things I had to do from the beginning of the week. Several people on the project were complaining to their specific supervisors, that things weren't done on time by me and I was forwarded several emails regarding these points. I sweetly replied that I was on a special project for the Program Manager and if there was any problem, they should direct their inquiries to her - and I copied her on the email. Never heard another squeak.

Yesterday when I got to work I realized that I didn't want to be there at all. I was in a rotten mood, I felt awful and if I stayed there, I knew I'd mouth off to somebody so at 10:00 I told the boss I was caving in and going home. She was all for it. That is one thing about her. She is not at all possessive about her staff wanting time away. I finished up a thing or two that I had and went home at 11:15, hence my weekend started early. I called David only to find out he was in Centreville with another patient and he came by when he was done. He worked on my aching body for a good long time and I did feel a lot better. In fact, now that I think about it, my leg does not hurt at all today. It was awful in the early part of the week. Like I said, it's HELL getting old.

I took a snooze, had a bite to eat and that was my day. Very enjoyable. Hopefully the rest of this day will be the same way.

I'm going to do some internet searching to see if I can find a reasonably priced Ipod or MP3 player. I don't want to spend a whole bunch but I'd like to be able to take 'my music' to the office with me. (Mosie, if I remember correctly, you had a sweet little player when you were here. Send me an email about it, if you can)

For someone with nothing to say today, I've rattled on and on so I'll just say

God bless you all.

Short work week took too long....

I gave myself a gift of a vacation day on Monday, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, trying to catch up with myself on Tuesday was tough. Luckily, the boss-lady was at a week long conference and she was not in all week. By Friday I was caught up and even managed to tackle a very boring job she had assigned me more than a month ago. I think I made good progress and will be able to show her that I did gain ground with a very futile task.

Today is a gorgeous day. It was a slow start with low lying clouds, but now at nearly 11:00AM, it's lovely. Bright, sunny, with a slight breeze.

I did a little research on flights for Thanksgiving in Atlanta and I can get one now for under $250. I'll ask for the Friday after as leave and if I get the go-ahead I'll book the flight. Sandy has offered to pay half the ticket. I'm still thinking about whether to let her do it or not.

I may try to go to Arcola UMC tomorrow. It seems to be calling me. Maybe I can find peace there and join an adult Sunday School class. I really miss that. I attended one for a long time but as people in this area fade away, it just fell by the wayside. I have hopes.

Giant had a sale last week on top round and I bought a 2 lb piece. I have it marinating in fresh lime juice, olive oil, garlic and Paul Newman's Lime Salsa. I'll broil it to med. rare and serve it on a whole wheat tortilla like a fajita. I also found a recipe on Sparkpeople.com for a black bean dish. It calls for onion, garlic and tomato juice to be added to a can of black beans. Well, I have this jar of Newman's..........................I'll use that. Oh yum...I can hardly wait and it is all healthy and within my calorie range.

BJ will be back from the beach late today. I hope to talk to her tomorrow and see how her trip was. David and Sharon have gone off to Myrtle Beach for a weekend away. I hope they enjoy the time away.

I miss them all...............

I'm just hanging out today. May do a little laundry, but I'm not rushing into anything.

God bless you all.

It Almost Seems As Though All We Did Was Eat.......

Sandy has come and gone. I always hate to come back to the house after she's been here. It's so quiet and Jake is walking around with a look like "Where is she?". He did the same thing after Donna left.

We did all fun things. We didn't spend time with her brother. She said she felt badly about not contacting him this trip, but I tried my best to convince her that it was OK - it was her choice. They have drifted apart over the past 10 years, both with different political and religious views. She believes it's OK to have your own opinion on those things, he does not. What he believes is right, so that causes some friction. Enough said there..........

We ate dinner at her favorite restaurant here where she was able to get Ahi Tuna, seared just the was she likes it.

On Saturday,we went shopping in Old Town Alexandria. I had not been there in at least 7 years and the renovations made are very refreshing. We had lunch and walked around. BJ told us of a little boutique that sells handbags and of course, we indulged.

Then we headed off to Tysons Galleria, where we had high tea at the Ritz Carlton. BJ and I had gone once before and loved it and at that time said the next time Sandy came to town, she had to come. We sat there for nearly 2 hours, chatting, nibbling the little sandwiches and sweet treats, sipping some of the best teas and enjoying the view of the Tysons skyline. (I had almost forgotten that Bryan has set up office in the adjacent building) I chose blackberry/black currant, Sandy had a ginger/spice combo and BJ had passion fruits flavors. One would think we would never have to eat again.

We bid BJ goodbye and wished her a fabulous vacation. She and JC and the boys were heading to Bethany Beach the next day to spend a week in JC's Dad's beach house. She has been working too hard this past month, filling in for another director who had left the company, so this respite was well earned. Being the selfish person I am, I will miss her.

We headed home and in a few hours, were looking at the 'frig. The night before, I had ordered ribs and brought home 1/2 rack. We also had Tex-Mex eggrolls and one was left over, so like little vultures, we gobbled up the left overs. No really needing food, but something to calm the palate. We both whispered yummmmmmmmm.

On Sunday we slept in and once again headed to Tysons, but to the main mall, not the Tysons II side. The have added wings and remodeled the old portion to the point that I didn't recognize any part of the place. Once again, I was in another town. Sandy needed a birthday gift for her dear friend, Linda and when we found the Swarovsky crystal shop, we went in. She found a lovely crystal necklace for her and I was almost envious. It was gorgeous.

We plodded onward and next found the L'Occitane shop so she could replenish her stock of skin care items. The gal in the store gave me some samples and warned me I would become addicted. I grinned and said "We'll see". (Remember, I am a creature of habit).

Once again it was time to eat, so we found a nice quiet restaurant where I overinduged in a Reuben Sandwich. It was so good. It's been a very long time since I've eaten real bread, fatty meat and grease. ROFL I loved it; I went face first into it.

We shopped a little longer and we both decided we were tired and our backs were sore, so we headed home. She had about an hour and a half before I had to take her to the airport so we both rested on the couch.

I think she had a good time. I know I did. I had a chance to talk to her and see how she has changed and matured. Her Mom would be so proud of her. I am......

She has invited me to come for Thanksgiving. I am considering it.

Today I'm just taking it easy.

God bless you all.

The honeymoon is over

All I am going to say here is that the honeymoon is over, with my job that is. Something happened, which I won't dredge up, but it let me know EXACTLY what my boss thinks of me and that I've been busting my hump to support someone who really does not care about me.

I hate it when I get this way because it diminishes the quality of work I generate. No more worrying about whether WE meet deadlines. It's about whether I meet my deadline with her. No more being concerned that I look good for her to the Executive Committee, only that I cover my butt.

Sorry to say I'm being selfish because now my job is all about me. I will generator the best work I can, but I do it for me. I know that what I do is good and that when I do make a mistake, I can make it better and fix it. But no more running interference for her.

Enough said.

God bless you all.

In a Fit of Temper

I came home yesterday after work, 3:30ish to find a man, vacuuming my living room. I looked at him, he was surprised to see me because he didn't hear me over the vacuum, and I shouted "What are you doing in my house and who are you?". In broken English he said "I Patrick - Rosy" and pointed upstairs. Rosy, my house cleaner's brother is visiting from Bolivia, but I was still livid. She's supposed to be done and out by noon and here it was, afterwork for me with my downstairs torn up and she's scrubbing out the shower stall upstairs.

I went upstairs and yelled to her "Rosy why are you still here" and to try to cover over my anger she said "Hello, Missy Joanna" and I shouted again (A little louder) "Why are you still here????" She mumbled something about Claudia's (her daughter) dentist and shopping and running out of time and I said to her "You didn't tell me about this" and she said "I'm sorry I never do this again" (which she's promised many times before). I don't like coming home from a day at the office, tired and wanting to sit, and finding my house all torn up and no place to sit and relax.

I was so very upset I was afraid I'd blow it with my big mouth, so I quickly changed clothes, grabbed my swim suit and went to the Rec Center. I swam for 30 minutes, did 11 laps, which is more than on Sunday, but at least I did it. I'm not sure this is the way to get my exercise in, but it sure beats not going at all.

I got home an hour later and they were gone - the house clean.

I say no more.....

God bless you all

* * * * * - I give myself 5 stars

Yes, I get 5 stars for today.

Why, you ask? Because I did 2, count them - 2 things that I said I would. ::From she who seldoms finishes something she starts ::

I went to Centreville Presbyterian Church this morning. It was different, but nice and I'll go again. One visit can not tell me if I like this church or not. The Associate Pastor was a bit of a rambler and I drifted a few times, but I caught the gist of what he was saying. Beautiful new church and this service featured contemporary music. The group was good, on key but not polished. They get 5 stars for showing up. Next week I'll go to the traditional service.

Then I came home, did NOT sit down, changed clothes and went to the Rec Center. I swam 9 laps; it took me 20 minutes but I just couldn't squeeze out that 10th lap. The pool is very nice, big and clean. There weren't too many people there at 11:00AM but there were kids who thought they'd try out the big pool and were splashing and jumping and making a ruckus so the life guards threw them out to the dismay of their parents. Good to see the staff sticks to the rules.

I didn't want to overdo because it has been quite awhile since I have been in the water. It did some leg and lower back exercises in the water but only 10 sets of each. I feel tired and hungry so I'm going to get a bite but I was so excited I had to post this before the thrill went away.

God bless you all.

Motivation

Since I started on the Spark People program, I've been very pleased with the eating plan, the exercises they suggest and most of all, the support received from the message boards. I've joined a "community team" for 60+ women wanting to lost at least 50 lbs. I don't need the 50 lb weight loss, but I do need women in my more-or-less age group.

I have been thinking about getting more exercise but with my dicey back, I just can't do a lot of walking. During Marina's visit I just about expired from all of the walking, even in the mall where it was cool.

Today I took a quantem leap and visited our county community recreation center and was astounded. Not even 3 miles from home, and maybe 4 minutes away, is the facility. Just a little over a year old it has a fitness center with all the types of exercise machinery needed. Treadmills, exercycles, weight training, etc. And best of all, two very large pools. One is for play, with two huge water slides, one covered and going outside the building and coming back in. The other is for lap swimming and water exercise classes. I stopped at the front desk and talked to two young volunteers and was pleased with their friendliness and eagerness to answer questions. One took me for a mini tour and explained some of the procedures. The other one then wrote down times of two of the classes. One deep water exercises and one water aerobics. I left very impressed and was deep in thought over it all.

Sooooo, I stopped at Target and will wonders never cease!!! They were having a close out on swim wear. (I haven't had a decent bathing suit in 20 years) So I found the only one piece suit in my size and made a $25 commitment.

Tomorrow my intention is to visit Centreville Presbyterian, afterwards stopping for a few groceries and before my couch can grab hold, I'd like to get to the pool by noon. I hope to spend a little time just warming up and swimming a little bit. Maybe 30 minutes in all. I don't want to join a class stiff as a board so I think if I like the whole idea of it, I'll swim again once during the week and do a 'drop by' in the aerobics class on Thursday.

Now I keep reminding myself that I'm famous for not finishing things that I start. But Dr. Eisenbaum has been such a jerk about me getting exercise, to shut him up I'll try it. My dear friend David also feels the low impact exercise will benefit my back and hip and I think it will help my arthritis.

Let's see how it goes.

No!! No pictures of me in the new suit. I don't want to see any comments like "Moby Dick is visiting" or "Beached whale!!"

I blame Spark People and David for getting me motivated. Thanks guys.

Gob bless you all.

Mini-Vacation

Well, the house is empty and very quiet. Marina, my dear Russian friend who was my translator on my last trip has left to continue her East Coast visit. It was so good to see her and even more of a kick to have her stay with me. I wish we had a few more days to show her more of our area, but it wasn't to be.

She arrived on Tuesday and we had dinner with BJ. Wednesday two of the mission team members took her into Washington to see the sights. I stayed at the office. It was too hot for me. They started out at the Capital and walked to the Lincoln Memorial and back. She was eager to press on while the two 'natives' were wilting in the near 100 degree heat. They did manage to coax her into the Museum of Natural History for a brief, cool respite. She loved the Hope Diamond. Way to go!! What girl wouldn't. That evening we were supposed to have a little gathering for supper at a local eatery and EVERYBODY crapped out. Those who had been with her all day, wilted and faded away. I wound up taking her to our local Chinese restaurant and then early to sleep.

Yesterday I took her to the Manassas Battlefield where we walked the fields. It was too hot to walk the entire course, be we did walk to the old house to see the graveyard and then to Stonewall Jackson's statue. A few moments back at the pavilion restored our strength and we went on for lunch at another team member's home. Marina had been Liz's translator on the spring trip and they established a great friendship. I'm not surprised - she's a terrific gal. Liz fixed us a lovely lunch and I backed away so they could spend a little time together. Then we went off to visit the closest Mall. We shopped for an hour or so and came home to get refreshed and off to a cookout where most of the team members were able to see her and talk to. It was a great time and Marina was awed that so many people had come out just to see her. I was proud of the group for their attention to her.

This morning I took her to the church, where the next leg of her journey will begin. A gentleman who works for Children's Hope Chest is taking her to Virginia Beach for the weekend at his home. He and his wife are new parents to a baby boy and Marina will enjoy seeing the baby. Then Monday, she is off to Colorado Springs again until late August when she'll return to Russia to begin studies at the University in early September.

It was a gift to us all to have her here with us.

Here is a picture of the two of us before she left.



So now I spend the rest of the day remembering her and those wonderful kids we've learned to love in our orphanage.

God bless you all.

HOT - HOT - HOT

What more can I say? It's July!!

It's been a busy week once again, but I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel. My luck, it probably is a train. Didn't work any OT this week. Although I like regaining my weekends, I can honestly say I'll miss the extra cash. I haven't seen my actual wage since I received my salary increase after my one year review. I've been stacking OT hours. This week I will have one or two but can't work as much as I'd like to.

Marina will be here on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I'll put her in the care and custody of two mission team members to be taken her into town and to see all the sights, something I'm not interested in doing. 90 degrees in mid-July is NOT my idea of when to visit Washington,DC. Two members graciously volunteered to do it and I accepted. One other member has a friend in the Secret Service who may be able to get tickets for the White House tour, so that would be great for her. I'm really looking forward to her visit.

The house is in good shape. Yesterday I got her room ready for her, but not without incident. I had just finished stripping down the bed and putting fresh linens on it when I decided to lower the blinds completely. I usually leave them raised about 18 inches because the cats like to sit on the windowsills and rule their kingdom. One tug on the cord and the whole thing came crashing down. I tried to put them back but I'd get one side up and the other would pop out. I became very frustrated and let them sit for an hour or so. I even emailed my dear friend asking him if he would help me on Monday when he stops by. After thinking about it, I decided to try again. That's when I saw a little piece of metal on the floor. It was part of the bracket on one end of the blind and when I put it in the right place, it held the blind in place. Of course, having a chair to stand on helped a lot. And standing in the middle of the window where I could reach to both sides. So now I'm ready for Marina.

Today I have an errand or two along with a hair appointment, so it will be a fun day.

Nothing other than that is new, but I feel I'm in a good place.

God bless you all

A Short Week - With Two Mondays

That's right. It felt like two Mondays. ARRGGGHHH!!! :o)

This has been one crazy week. My dear friend David is on holiday with his family. I sure hope they had a good time. My guess is, they'll be coming back tomorrow. I have missed him.

Work has been very busy. We met our quota of 500 cases for June and are working on our July number of 800. I don't know about that, but the reviewers are working like beavers, putting in o'time.

Our new Admin, Amanda, is very good. She's fit in very quickly. Both Jennie and I like her and will do what we can to help her and make her feel at home. I know she has felt strange about 'replacing Beth'. She's not asked about it yet, but I'll be honest with her if she does. Several people were grumbling about management putting her in Beth's old cube. I may have sounded a little heartless, but I told them to get over it, that in honesty we are a business and they needed to do what they could to make Amanda feel welcomed.

It's been 5 days on the new Spark People plan. And believe it or not, I've lost 4 lbs. I'm sure that's the water weight and now I'll be fighting the fat, but so far so good. I really like that site.

Tomorrow I won't go to work. I need to unwind and hope I can sleep a little late. Marina is coming to visit us on the 18th and the team is acting like a Chinese fire drill trying to figure out who is doing what. I started to get aggrivated and have just backed off. She'll stay with me and I'll do what they ask me to do. Sometimes women can be a pain. :o)

I have one more thing to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOSIE :o)


God bless you all.

Holiday time

The cookout was a very good time. BJ and I had a great time. There was a lot of very good food. In fact, I could use one or two of those ribs right about now. I met several new people and spent a good amount of time, just sitting outside, under the trees, enjoying the breeze, talking.

As most women do, we eventually got to the topic of weight. I had said that I quit my subscription to Weight Watchers online because 'it was time' and I didn't like paying $17.00 a month. One of the gals then told me about a free website 'sparkpeople.com'. When I got home, I took a look at it and WOW. It's everything WW.com was and more. I signed up (free of course) and have been having a blast ever since. I'm glad the cookout was BEFORE I signed up because I've put myself on a betweem 1,200/1,550 calorie eating plan for two weeks. I'd like to lose 20 pounds by November 1st and according to Sparks, it can be done. There's message boards and suggested exercises with little video snippits and some wonderful healthy recipes. We'll see what happens.

On the way home BJ asked me if I was in the mood for maybe just a little shopping. (Is she nuts or what?) So we stopped by DSW and checked out the shoes. I did pickup a new pair of black flat shoes for the office, that really are desperately needed. I've got to start wearing shoes and get out of slides, because my feet won't like shoes when it gets cold.

This is being a pretty good day. I just hung out around the house yesterday. Today I went to the office at 6:00AM and stepped out at 8:30AM to have my 2 month appointment with Dr. E. I lost 3 lbs which isn't a lot, but at least I'm not up. He wants me to get to the lab to check my cholesterol again. He says if it's not down he's going to put me on meds. I don't know if I like that, but I'll have the blood drawn on Wednesday. He also wants me to monitor my BP. That's no problem. I have a machine and I put new batteries in it and it still works. I've made a chart so I can track it. I don't understand Dr. E sometimes. He sent me off to a dermatologist telling me I had skin cancer on my nose. I told him it was a wart and I'd had it for 6 years. I went anyway because the "C" word scared me. I was right. It's a wart. Today he said something strange as I left. He was a little snippy about "You better start working on losing weight, getting your cholesterol down and getting healthy". What does he think I've been doing since last October? Playing Tennis? I've made another follow up appointment for 2 months out, but after that I can't guarantee a thing. He might get fired. (I didn't know I wasn't healthy).

Anyway, tomorrow is a holiday - I don't have to go to work and I'm going to start back with my Portuguese. After Beth and Patrick went away, it was really hard to concentrate on it. We'll give it another try.

Dear reader, have a safe 4th.

God bless you all.

Three Cheers For The Red, White And Blue

Look what I made!!! I know the stripes are a little uneven, but you get the drift. There wasn't enough room for all 50 'stars' so I stuck one in the corner. (It's kind of an inside joke)

It's pound cake on the bottom, with strawberry jello mixed with sliced strawberries and blueberries, topped off with a cream cheese and Cool Whip topping.

I was a lot of fun to make. I'm taking it to a cook out today to honor a dear friend's brother's visit. I'm really looking forward to it.

What's a Fourth of July holiday without a cookout??

God bless the USA

A Word about Beth

The girl that I replaced when I took my present job goes to church with TK. In conversation, she shared that she knew Beth was a believer.

It makes my heart happy to know, for sure, that she's with the Lord. Now I can truly say

Rest in the Lord, my sweet friend.

God bless you

:o)

An Hour Well Spent

I just spent an hour reading random blogs. I went to the main site for blogger.com and hit the random blog button. I've been around the world twice. Once with a student traveling by train through Europe and once with a photographer, now somewhere in Spain. The photos were breath taking.

I saw some blogs that frightened the daylights out of me. One was titled "Arkansas Razor Baptist" and had some awful things written in it. There were some written by Sunni Muslims and some just outright trash.

Some were very colorful and I wonder how they make them do all the graphics and sounds. A little bit of computer knowledge would be useful.

I've been to South Africa and then off to Finland. What a trip I've taken. I did find one written in Portuguese but I could only pick out one or two words I recognized.

This has been a lot of fun on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Northern Virginia, USA

God bless you all

:o)

A Tough Decision to Make

I've decided that I'm going to skip Beth's wake. Emotionally I'm a wreck over the two of them and after seeing Patrick I'm worn thin.

The following is an excerpt from an email sent to all employees:

"On Saturday, July 1, the family will be at Beth's residence. They would like to invite Beth's friends and coworkers to drop by any time from about 11-3. There will not be a program or service.

Rather, it will be an opportunity for people to gather together informally in the home she loved, meet other people who knew Beth, look through photo albums, and even play with her dog. He hopes it will be a time for people from different parts of Beth's life to meet and mingle, exchange stories, and learn something about Beth they might not have known before."

I don't believe I can attend this gathering. My heart is sad to know that there will NOT be a service for Beth. I don't think her family were believers. This isn't the reason I'm staying away. I just feel sad that there may be a chance she's not with the Lord.

I may be selfish for not going, but I've made my peace and said my "Good-byes" in my own way. I feel that she knows how I feel and knows I'll miss her and feel bad that she can't fulfill her hopes and dreams.

Others may object that I'm not going, but they'll get over it. I'm being selfish and I can't torment myself any more.

I wish I knew for sure that you would rest in the Lord, my sweet friend.

You were very kind to me.

God bless you, Beth

One More Wake to Go

Today I made the trek with many of my coworkers to the outlying suburbs to pay my respects to Patrick. Wakes are so hard. More so when the deceased looks like he is sleeping. It appears that his injuries were blunt force trauma to his chest and midsection. There were no visible bruises or swelling on his face. He looked like he was going to sit up and say "Hey Joanna - loan me a dollar. I need a soda."

We used to do that, back and forth. I'd lend him a buck, he'd buy me a taco. He was my first friend at this job. I'd sit on the desk in his cube and yank the cord on his mouse or jiggle his keyboard. It would infuriate him, but he'd give me that grin and tell me I had better watch it.

Patrick had just turned 21, ten days before his accident. That's what so hard to swallow. He had his whole life ahead of him. He loved living here in Virginia but missed his native Florida and treasured the quick trips he'd make back home, wearing cutoffs on the plane so he and his Dad could go fishing right from the airport. His Dad said he missed him so and cried on my shoulder saying he was his baby boy.

I've had my closure with Patrick. Now I wait another week and I'll have closure for Beth at her wake.

Rest in the Lord my sweet friend.

Red, I loved you like a Mom.

God bless you.

A Sad Loss of Life

Last night, two young coworkers were killed in a nasty car wreck. I worked daily with these two. The driver was the young man I replaced when his clearance went away and the young woman was the one who taught me how to do his job.

It has been a very very trying day at the office. Everyone and I mean everyone cried at one time or another. These two kids (I call them that because anybody under 50 is a kid to me)made quite an impact on the office and were very well liked.

We learned this afternoon of the sererity of the crash. The car became airborne, about 10 feet, flew into the woods, hit two trees and then went nose first into a third. Neither wore seat belts. Estimated speed - 100MPH

It's a lot easier to be mad and sad than just plain sad. We'll learn more tomorrow but there definately is a hole in the office today.

God bless them.

ZZZzzzz nk

Gosh I'm tired. It's been a long time since I've felt this beat. Almost like I was out 'wolfing' all night. The last 2 nights I've not slept well at all. The night before last I woke at 2:30 and never really went back to sleep. Last night it was 3:00. I don't think it's any one thing that's got me, just a lot of little stuff. Nothing really serious.

Work is fine, but so very, very busy. My boss is the best and I'd do anything for her. I'll work a little OT tomorrow, but not a lot. I'll try to sleep a little longer this evening.

I'll check in tomorrow.

God bless you all.

Another Wierd Week

Talk about shocks. On Wednesday, Jeff was asked to leave the company. He was escorted out of the building and his office was locked. In all of my travels I've not been able to learn why. All I get from anybody that might know, is that 'he was let go'. I feel bad for him. If he has lost his clearance, he won't work in this field again. He is a family man with teens in school. I pray he will be OK.

Slavica has been stressed. One can see it in her face. But if I suspect correctly, she will plod on. She seems to be a survivor. We still have a lot of trouble spots to work out, but she's working at it. There are changes to be made and accepted. That's the biggest hurdle. Most people don't like or want change. I still have faith in this project.

Hardest thing for me about losing Jeff is he recommended me for a Lightening Bolt bonus. Wrote some very kind words about me. Slavica gave me the check about 2 hours after Jeff disappeared. I was overwhelmed because I couldn't say thank you. I suppose I could call him, but I think it best to stay away. I don't want to be in the middle of anything.

Last week was the first week of the month, so I was busy with Monthly Report stuff. I was the first to submit completed reports. Now that the main office is not changing the format for awhile, it's easy for me to keep up with the main roster and make changes as we go along.

I worked 6 hours OT again yesterday. I still can use the extra cash. I've got the high school reunion trip to pay for and in my mind-of-minds I can hear Rio calling louder and louder to me. I don't know if I'll ever make it. BJ has her life with JC now and they are talking about getting married in Cancun early next year. (Cancun has never called my name, so it's no big temptation for me)I know she would like for me to be there. But I'll have to see. I am thinking about going to Atlanta for Christmas, but those plans aren't even standing anywhere near the concrete bag. If push came to shove, I'd go to Rio tomorrow.

Which brings me to my Portuguese lessons. Still studying. The "Portuguese For Dummies" book is really very helpful. Where Rosetta Stone gives a regimented learning pattern, the book gives me the conversational words I'd like to learn. All in all, I'm so glad I'm doing this.

Today is going to be busy. Church early (It's Russia Sunday), then home by 10:00 to see when Steve will come by to fix my leaky faucets and jons. Still will have to work in a time when I can do grocery shopping. There is no food in this house. Last night I had to run out to pick up dinner. David and I had been talking about Taco Bell on Friday, so I got me a big Grilled Steak Burrito. YUM - my diet may not have agreed, but my stomach loved it.

Dear reader, have a good week and God bless you all.

Week End - Part Two

I worked 6 hours yesterday. Got a lot done. Jeff bought us all pizza for lunch. It was a very nice thing for him to do for us. There were several of the reviewers working, and I was working case notes. Through the morning all could hear these words coming from me. "I live for case notes." But all in all, I got a leg up on them and think I can maintain them through this week.

Afterwards, I came home and did a little laundry. There wasn't a lot because I had some some on the Monday we were off. Remember, it was a short week. Fixed a nice bacon wrapped filet (on sale at Safeway the week before) as a reward for working.

I managed to sleep till 6:30 this morning and for me, that's sleeping in. Had some coffee, got a shower and then ran to do my grocery shopping. I had called Diane T, my hairdresser yesterday and made an appointment for 3:00 today. Yes, she is open on Sundays. I needed to get a birthday gift for JC, BJ's boyfriend and one other thing for Dana, my nephew's wife. Before I left for Diane's, I ran to Target and found exactly what I wanted, except I zonked in finding anything for BJ, who also has a birthday this month.

I still had energy at this point, so I ran over the Fair Oaks Mall and got my glasses repaired. Those doggone bazillion dollar glasses are crap!! 2nd failure in a month. We'll see how long they last. Then I was off to Diane's for my haircut.

Having a 3 minute commute has made me forget just how much I love my car. Diane's shop is about 25 minutes away. The sun was shining and I had my Bossa Nova in the CD player. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I had to blow the carbon out so I roared her up to 80 for a stretch. She just loves 80 MPH. I did slow down at that point. I was cruising along and rounded the bend and saw a backup. I slowed to almost 1.5 MPH and managed to catch a glimpse of a car crash up ahead. I called Diane to say I wasn't going to be there right at 3, but I was on my way. It was quite a wreck. One vehicle, a SUV was upside down, facing the wrong direction, all windows blown out and air bags full. I couldn't see anybody still in the car. The other was a four door of some sort, one door torn off and one door wide open with someone on the seat. It had just happened, dust and smoke still hanging in the air, bits and pieces of car all over the roadway. About 4 other cars had stopped to help, several were on cell phones. No cops were there yet. I made it through the congestion and was only 7 minutes late. Stuff like that reminds me to quit driving like a fool and let the carbon build up in the carburetor (if I have one). When I came back from Diane's there was a backup for about 5 miles. That was over an hour later.

While at Diane's I was telling her I was having a tough time deciding on a gift for BJ, when she mentioned a gift certificate. What a great idea. BJ gets her hair done twice a month as well as manicure, nail fills and pedicures. What a great idea. My shopping is done. :o)

It was a busy day, I was out and about but it was a good day. I'm bushed now and am heading up to bed. I'm going in at 6 tomorrow morning (UGH) because I'll have to lose an hour on Tuesday for an appointment away from the office. (No - not an interview)

Still studying Portuguese. Bought a 'Portuguese for Dummies' book. It helps.

All in all, it was a good weekend.

God bless you all.

Yawnnnnnn

Good Morning All,

My coffee and I are sitting here trying to remember this past week. It was a decent week. Work was just fine, busy but no real complications. One of our reviewers changed locations and will no longer be working from our office. What a loss. She was a great gal. And another reviewer has left the company. He was one of the very first who welcomed me when I started with the company. He is a VERY large man; tall and quite hefty. Married to a tiny little girl, but they make an adorable couple. He was one of the few who urged me to start my Portuguese language lessons. In fact, he even brought me a dictionary and grammar book he had used years ago when he dated a girl who spoke fluent Portuguese. I will miss his bright smile and sense of humor.

Speaking of my Portuguese lettons, they are coming along. I have discovered if I don't study at least 15 minutes every day, I lose it. I took a series of the online tests and for the most part I'm doing OK, but to my standards, I stink. In a series of ten different lessons I had three 100s, four were over 95, one was over 90 and the other two were 87 and 88. I realize that is an average of 95.9 but I think I should be doing better. (Good grief-am I ever glad I didn't go on to school. I'd drive myself nuts) I want to be able to say more than "O gato e branco". I know the cat is white. :o) Obrigada Brasil..........

I've been in a bit of a funk this past week. It's reminds me of the little depression I sometimes feel in the middle of the winter. I know it will pass, but I really don't like myself like this. YUK

I'm going to start making plans for my Labor Day trek to the Midwest for my high school reunion. I'll have to leave from Reagan National because Dulles has no direct flights to Milwaukee. I can remember when it was called Billy Mitchell Field. That was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back. In my mind's eye I can remember taking my first flight. No boarding the plane from a covered walkway. Those were the days when you walked across the tarmac and hiked up the steps. It had a rather romantic flair to it. You greeted arriving passengers from the gate, which was outside behind a short chain link fence. You could see the planes coming in, landing and watching the stairs wheeled to the side of the aircraft. The doors would open and the 'stewardess' would push the heavy door back against the plane. And one by one the passengers would come down the stairs. Then your passenger would appear in the door and if the mood struck you (and it always did, me)you could jump up and down, wave and yell. Oh those were the good old days of flying. Now it's more like a cattle call. Anyway (boy, I drifted on that one)I'll be finding a reasonable fare and hotel near the airport. I've decided to not try to stay with the relatives. I'm too much of an early bird. I wake up with the chickens and don't like lying in bed till my hosts get up. Sometimes that can take hours. So this way, I can turn on the tv, have some coffee and take forever in the bathroom, if I need to. I'm going to try to visit my old neighborhoods and of course the cemetery. I haven't visited my folks for quite a few years now. I want to make sure they're still there.

Well, I've rambled on and on long enough.

I'll post more later.

God bless you all.

A long weekend ahead

I've been waiting for this respite. These past few months have been tough and the extra day off is a welcomed relief. Tomorrow, BJ and I are having "Girl's Day" out. Lunch at Reston Town Center with shopping afterwards. My nephew's wife is having a birthday in June and I'll have to find her a gift. And whatever strikes my fancy :o) - Then, if I'm not too tired we're going to try to see "The DaVinci Code". We've both read "Angels & Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" and are curious to see how the book translates to the movie.

Work is getting better. The boss have moved into the corner office previously occupied by Charlie. It took her about 10 minutes to do some puttering around and arranging her things and she took ownership of it. She looks like she belongs there. She's given me a few new assignments and I look forward to doing more for her. Jeff is having trouble adjusting to the reorg and the new things she is putting in place. I think he forgets that she is just the funnel. It is all coming from the Executive Group and she abides by their requests. She truly believes in the changes and I follow her lead. I want to see our project succeed. Once again I say I'm happy and I hope I won't eat my words.

I haven't been sleeping too well these past two nights. David came by to give me my body work and pushed and pulled and I think I feel better. We'll see how it is in the morning.

We had decent weather today. Sprinkles but the temp rose to the 80s. I anxiously await Summer.

And my Portuguese lessons continue. Some of the words stick in my brain and I find myself muttering them to myself. I guess I'm learning. I remember words like Maca (apple) and Moca (young girl) and know that I can get them confused easily. I can see my saying "That is a beautiful apple" but would have trouble telling someone to "take a bite out of that young girl". LOL This is a process and it goes on. I do believe I'm learning.

Not too much to complain about, but worry is with me. My friend Karen called a few minutes ago and her grand daughter (30ish) is in the hospital suffering from multiple blood clots on the brain. She has been in surgery all day and there is no news coming from the relatives. She's very worried and I don't blame her. I pray that our dear Lord touches Tracy and removes the clots and heals her completely. If you, dear reader, feel the need, please pray for her too.

I will report more as I hear it.

God bless you all.

No OT this week.

The backlog of paperwork in the section where I've been helping out has been cleared. With the help of two additional coworkers this past week, we've got it down to daily inflow. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with it. I hear through the grapevine that we have a cleared admin 'in-the-pipe', ready to come aboard. The OT looks great on my paycheck, but I've become very, very weary of coming to work with the chickens. It's been two months that have felt like forever, but I think things will change.

With my new boss in charge, there will be some changes and some new things put in place. It's been great working for her and she's giving me more and more things to do that fall in inline with my job title. On Friday I was able to get caught up with some chart making and refining and gave her the finished products. She liked them. Made me feel good. Her style is to not give me a direct assignment. She'll ask me if I'll do a favor, or help her out with something. She makes me feel like I am a help to her and that's important. Although Charlie thanked me for my help, he did make me feel like wallpaper. So once again I can say, so far - so good. I hope I don't eat these words.

My brother-in-law is in town this weekend. I haven't seen him since my nephew's wedding. Although we have spoken on the phone several times and email on occasion, I've not heard much from him. I do know he has a piece of sapphire jewelry for me from his trip to Thailand. We'll be having Sunday brunch together. That's another sore spot, but I'll leave that griping for when I report on the brunch. It'll be good to see Bob.

I have the usual weekend chores, but no urgency about doing them like the past 6 weeks or so. I don't have to rush to get them done in order to get to the office for OT. I intend to enjoy this.

Feeling good and a bit happier than before.

God bless you all.

Mid Week

I wish our spring would get here. It's mid May and it's still chilly. I would love to see the warm sun, no clouds or rain. I guess by the end of the week this front will pass, but in the meantime, I think I'll mildew.

Work is good. Today, my new boss called from the car on the way in and asked me to work up a new chart. I love doing these things. It took a little longer than I liked, but she was pleased with the end results. The reorganization is moving along and there are some unhappy people on the project. Like me, some don't like change. Just happens that this change will do me just fine. I look forward to going to work tomorrow. This feeling has been hiding since February.

The wounded officer died this morning. More sadness for a community still coming to grips with the loss of another officer last week. The cruiser is parked on the curb, his picture is next to it, the right hand lane of the street is blocked off and flowers are piling up once again. As I pass the police station going to and from work, I feel a heaviness in my heart and I say, this is too close to home.

God bless them and God bless us all.

On the lighter side of things.....

I've always been fascinated with Rio and as a kid saw pictures of Guanabara Bay and the beach at Ipanema. My dream trip has always been to see Sugar Loaf from the beach. Many people have said I'd be disappointed because of the crime, but it still is my wish to see it before I leave this earth.

Because of this I became fascinated with the early 60s Bossa Nova craze and still love hearing songs sung in Portuguese. In fact, XM Radio on AOL has a Bossa Nova station that I listen to most of the time. Yes, it's playing now.

I also played around with trying to speak Portuguese but it is a very difficult language. I thought Russian was tough. HA! This one is worse. How do I know? I sent away for a well known language learning course and have been spending my idle hours this past week studying Portuguese. It's going to be a long haul. I know the words I want to say in my brain, but somewhere between there and my mouth, they come out sounding not like my brain wanted them to sound. It is spoken from the back of the throat and the tip of the tongue. Now for a Polish kid from the South Side of Milwaukee this is quite a feat.

I've been playing with the voice recognition portion all afternoon and just can't get it. I must say however, the Total Immersion technique is quite effective. When I am doing my lessons I have started to look at the pictures and think in Portuguese. I mean as far as "a car and a cat" or "a boy is lying under a table", but at least those images are Portuguese thoughts.

This may take awhile. But I'll not give up yet. It's only been 5 days.

This past week went well. My new boss has taken the bull by the horns and is making changes. My thoughts are that she and our VP had these plans in mind before she was appointed. I remember hearing some of these thoughts from him, before I was assigned to help in the section that lost help.

There is some reorganizing to be done and till I see the changes in operation I can't give an opinion. I just know that I enjoy working the job I was promoted to do. Since Charlie left, I've been torn between the VP and another who thought he was in charge. Now he has taken a back seat and is doing his job which has many new wrinkles to it and I am doing my job which is assisting our Program Manager. I may begin to like my job again.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I think of my kids in Russia and wish they knew how much I wish I was their Mom. I'm waiting for the letters that BJ brought back with her to be translated.

Other than that, I am well and fairly happy.

God bless you all.