Sunday, February 24, 2013
Approval......Check :)
Finally, the IRB at NSU approved my field study. Now the game is on! Got a lot to do tomorrow, but today I met the Princess and the boys in Lafayette to do a little shopping. Thrifty Girl and her new beau also showed up to eat supper with us. Had a good day overall. The boys were tired, but they earned a trip to Gamestop. That always makes them happy. After leaving Lafayette, I scooted on over to L'auberge Casino in Baton Rouge. Had a good time, but was tired from all the shopping.....couldn't hold out pass midnight. I knew I needed to leave because I had an 1.5 hour ride back home. Made it home safely, and now I am tucked into my bed fixing to go to sleep. Nite bloggers!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Busy....as usual.
Ok, 62 days of school left. I'm gonna make it. I'm determined, but I still have so much to do between "work school" and "university school." I will celebrate in a huge way for my birthday if everything works out as planned.
I still have not received my IRB approval. Don't know what the hold up is, but I need to get this done quickly. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, then I will have my Educational Specialist Degree and I will be done. Then what? Who knows?
On the work front, I'm hoping for a new position. Where will I end up? St. Mary? Who knows? I'm just praying God will guide me to a new job.
Blog world....just pray that God will guide me to a more fulfilling life. I'm not asking for money, just happiness. Yep, happiness to me is priceless :).
I still have not received my IRB approval. Don't know what the hold up is, but I need to get this done quickly. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, then I will have my Educational Specialist Degree and I will be done. Then what? Who knows?
On the work front, I'm hoping for a new position. Where will I end up? St. Mary? Who knows? I'm just praying God will guide me to a new job.
Blog world....just pray that God will guide me to a more fulfilling life. I'm not asking for money, just happiness. Yep, happiness to me is priceless :).
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Found It!
Several months back, I wrote a post....................eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.....................hold on...........................eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!! Holy crap!!!!! I had to fight off a huge ant in my bed!!!! What in the world!!!! OMG!!!!! Now, I will not get sleep. Going set up my ant baits under and around my bed. Be back in a sec............................................................................................Mission Accomplished! Ugh!!! It is too early to start having ant problems, but it has been raining. That is when they usually start coming in...to get of the wet soggy ground, but they can go find higher ground somewhere else! Hmph! My chest is hurting. I'm not scared of ants by no means, but just the thought of that thing in MY bed. *Shivers! No one gets in my bed without MY permission. *Expletive, *Expletive, *Expletive! Gosh.....and this was gonna be one of those soul search post....
Ok, back to my original post....*with a headache now........I wrote a post about a dying or maybe an older mother, who looked back on her years of raising her children. I said then, that I knew I had it somewhere.....well today, as I was cleaning out my bedside table....I found it AGAIN. I say again because, I find it, then put it in a safe spot, then can't remember where int he world I put it....HA, so I gotta find it again. Well, I found it again this afternoon....and I said I was not going to lose it again because I was gonna put it on this blog so I won't lose it....HA. So here it is.......
A Message for Young Mother's
Things I wish I'd known
By Mary Costello
Condensed from the Catholic Star Herald:
I've learned a lot in my old age. I've even learned a thing or two about myself. I used to think I was a terrible housekeeper because I could never keep up with the laundry, the dirty ice cream bowls on the counter tops, the newspapers on the floor. One year, when we finally got to the bottom of the piles of laundry in the laundry room, we found clothes that hadn't fit anybody in years. In fact, we found shorts and shirts we had never seen before.
There was a time when I couldn't find a safety pin or sewing needle or a piece of blank paper to leave someone a message, much less a pen to write with. I thought I was just a rotten manager.
Why didn't I have more drive or ambition?
I tried not to make commitments. When I did, I let people down. I'd promise to got to a meeting, for example, and chair a committee. Then I'd have to cancel at the last minute because the baby got sick.
For years, I thought I was a terrible person because I could never say a prayer without an interruption, and even if I didn't have an interruption, I could only pray about things like, "Please, Lord, let the stain in this shirt come out. It cost too much to be ruined."
Then the kids grew up and left home.I found I was not a terrible housekeeper; rather, I'd been surrounded by a bunch of busy, normal, wonderful, messy kids.
I hadn't had any energy because I had been working very hard. I wasn't a rotten manager; it's just not possible to keep up with so many people.
I wish I'd known that then!
I wish I had been able to acknowledge that it's OK to have dishes on the counter and newspapers on the floor because the most important thing is rocking the baby.
I wish I had been able to say: "I'm terribly sorry I cannot come to your meeting. Maybe someday I'l be able to get involved and make a commitment toward a more loving world. But right now I have to stay at home and make sure we have a loving world here on Bradfield Drive.
I wish I would have understood that Jesus was saying: "When you rock that baby and sing that baby to sleep, that is your very best prayer. By loving that child, you are loving Me. All I ask of right now is to model my love for your partner and your children. All I expect you to do is love."
We are called to love. That's all.
I wish I had realized it earlier.
My very first principal had given this to me and another coworker, who by the way, is now my assistant principal. I can remember being overwhelmed with my 4 little children. Unlike the author of this story, I was a single mom. I can remember thinking all of the things she spoke about in the above story. I barely slept. There was just not enough hours in the day. As the kids got older, I enlisted their help in keeping the house clean, but still the majority fell on me. I felt guilty I suppose. I remember reading this and feeling somewhat relieved.....here was someone telling me it was okay to have dirty bowls on the counter and piles of dirty laundry on the floor. Unfortunately, I still couldn't leave my house like that for months....but, dirty bowls left on the counter until the morning or the next afternoon....yea, I think I could do that. And I did. I just kept remembering that it was more important to spend time, and make memories than keep a spotless house. Yes, I couldn't take it longer than a few days.....then I would go off the deep end and everybody had to chip in, but it was an improvement from the sleepless nights and guilt trips I had felt. I'm glad I got my hands on these inspiring words....coming from another woman who had a house full of kids makes it even more meaningful. Smooches blog world.
Ok, back to my original post....*with a headache now........I wrote a post about a dying or maybe an older mother, who looked back on her years of raising her children. I said then, that I knew I had it somewhere.....well today, as I was cleaning out my bedside table....I found it AGAIN. I say again because, I find it, then put it in a safe spot, then can't remember where int he world I put it....HA, so I gotta find it again. Well, I found it again this afternoon....and I said I was not going to lose it again because I was gonna put it on this blog so I won't lose it....HA. So here it is.......
A Message for Young Mother's
Things I wish I'd known
By Mary Costello
Condensed from the Catholic Star Herald:
I've learned a lot in my old age. I've even learned a thing or two about myself. I used to think I was a terrible housekeeper because I could never keep up with the laundry, the dirty ice cream bowls on the counter tops, the newspapers on the floor. One year, when we finally got to the bottom of the piles of laundry in the laundry room, we found clothes that hadn't fit anybody in years. In fact, we found shorts and shirts we had never seen before.
There was a time when I couldn't find a safety pin or sewing needle or a piece of blank paper to leave someone a message, much less a pen to write with. I thought I was just a rotten manager.
Why didn't I have more drive or ambition?
I tried not to make commitments. When I did, I let people down. I'd promise to got to a meeting, for example, and chair a committee. Then I'd have to cancel at the last minute because the baby got sick.
For years, I thought I was a terrible person because I could never say a prayer without an interruption, and even if I didn't have an interruption, I could only pray about things like, "Please, Lord, let the stain in this shirt come out. It cost too much to be ruined."
Then the kids grew up and left home.I found I was not a terrible housekeeper; rather, I'd been surrounded by a bunch of busy, normal, wonderful, messy kids.
I hadn't had any energy because I had been working very hard. I wasn't a rotten manager; it's just not possible to keep up with so many people.
I wish I'd known that then!
I wish I had been able to acknowledge that it's OK to have dishes on the counter and newspapers on the floor because the most important thing is rocking the baby.
I wish I had been able to say: "I'm terribly sorry I cannot come to your meeting. Maybe someday I'l be able to get involved and make a commitment toward a more loving world. But right now I have to stay at home and make sure we have a loving world here on Bradfield Drive.
I wish I would have understood that Jesus was saying: "When you rock that baby and sing that baby to sleep, that is your very best prayer. By loving that child, you are loving Me. All I ask of right now is to model my love for your partner and your children. All I expect you to do is love."
We are called to love. That's all.
I wish I had realized it earlier.
My very first principal had given this to me and another coworker, who by the way, is now my assistant principal. I can remember being overwhelmed with my 4 little children. Unlike the author of this story, I was a single mom. I can remember thinking all of the things she spoke about in the above story. I barely slept. There was just not enough hours in the day. As the kids got older, I enlisted their help in keeping the house clean, but still the majority fell on me. I felt guilty I suppose. I remember reading this and feeling somewhat relieved.....here was someone telling me it was okay to have dirty bowls on the counter and piles of dirty laundry on the floor. Unfortunately, I still couldn't leave my house like that for months....but, dirty bowls left on the counter until the morning or the next afternoon....yea, I think I could do that. And I did. I just kept remembering that it was more important to spend time, and make memories than keep a spotless house. Yes, I couldn't take it longer than a few days.....then I would go off the deep end and everybody had to chip in, but it was an improvement from the sleepless nights and guilt trips I had felt. I'm glad I got my hands on these inspiring words....coming from another woman who had a house full of kids makes it even more meaningful. Smooches blog world.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Almost Over
Well Mardi Gras is almost over. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. I need to remember that cuz I will be wondering why people are walking around with dirty foreheads....lol.
Back to school on Thursday. Ugh. Hey, but it is a short week.
For some reason, I have been able to eat quite a bit today. Why? I have no idea. Some days I can't eat anything. Other days I can eat out the house. Now, don't get me wrong. It is nothing compared to what I used to eat, but I had 2 full cups of egg drop soup, several (bout 10 mini crackers with baked Brie and Strawberry Preserves, and about a half a bag of popcorn, and 1 cup of the limited edition Special K cereal with milk. That is not counting the bottle of champagne I downed with the Brie and crackers, red wine I drank tonight, coffee, and water I drank. I'm stuffed! Phew! Now I may wake up tomorrow and can't even drink my coffee. This band is crazy. Anyway, it is doing what I want it too.....well most of the time. I have about 30 lbs left to lose, and of course, it is holding on to my bones like crazy. I haven't lost anything in about 2 months. Ugh!!!! I was hoping to be down to my goal weight by my bday. I don't know. Maybe I need to cut out the glass of red wine every freaking night. But darnit, French women drink red wine all the time. Gots to remember the medicinal properties of red wine. Yea, red wine is good for you!!! Or maybe I need to get serious about cutting out the salt. Who am I kidding? That is the culprit. I would give up the wine and sweets anytime, but salty foods.....that is my weakness. Nope. Not a sweet eater. But with the high doses of sodium I eat, it is a wonder I haven't gained weight. Ok, so I guess I better get serious. 30lbs...I.should be very close to my goal weight. I have 3.5 months. 10lbs a month. I can do this. Geez, the pep talk is sucking ...HA.
Alright blog world, *deep breadth, 30 pounds in 3.5 months. Yep, I'm ready. Go!
Back to school on Thursday. Ugh. Hey, but it is a short week.
For some reason, I have been able to eat quite a bit today. Why? I have no idea. Some days I can't eat anything. Other days I can eat out the house. Now, don't get me wrong. It is nothing compared to what I used to eat, but I had 2 full cups of egg drop soup, several (bout 10 mini crackers with baked Brie and Strawberry Preserves, and about a half a bag of popcorn, and 1 cup of the limited edition Special K cereal with milk. That is not counting the bottle of champagne I downed with the Brie and crackers, red wine I drank tonight, coffee, and water I drank. I'm stuffed! Phew! Now I may wake up tomorrow and can't even drink my coffee. This band is crazy. Anyway, it is doing what I want it too.....well most of the time. I have about 30 lbs left to lose, and of course, it is holding on to my bones like crazy. I haven't lost anything in about 2 months. Ugh!!!! I was hoping to be down to my goal weight by my bday. I don't know. Maybe I need to cut out the glass of red wine every freaking night. But darnit, French women drink red wine all the time. Gots to remember the medicinal properties of red wine. Yea, red wine is good for you!!! Or maybe I need to get serious about cutting out the salt. Who am I kidding? That is the culprit. I would give up the wine and sweets anytime, but salty foods.....that is my weakness. Nope. Not a sweet eater. But with the high doses of sodium I eat, it is a wonder I haven't gained weight. Ok, so I guess I better get serious. 30lbs...I.should be very close to my goal weight. I have 3.5 months. 10lbs a month. I can do this. Geez, the pep talk is sucking ...HA.
Alright blog world, *deep breadth, 30 pounds in 3.5 months. Yep, I'm ready. Go!
Monday, February 11, 2013
I admit....I'm an addict!
Yep, I'm addicted......to coupon shopping. I used to be really good at it. In fact, when the kids were young, if I didn't have a coupon or sale paper in hand, it didn't get purchased. Raising 4 kids on a teacher's salary and piss poor child support didn't cut it.....so coupons played an important part in what was bought during the month and what we did without. After the kids grew up, and could purchase their own personal items, coupon shopping took a nose dive. Not because I couldn't still clip coupons, but just because it wasn't a necessity as much as it once was. It's one thing when you have to clip coupons to survive, then it is another thing to clip coupons just because your addicted to saving a buck here or there. My time became more important. Not having to purchase items that the kids enjoyed eating (chicken nuggets, pizza, cereal, etc.) also played a huge roll in my slacking where coupons were concerned. Well here we are....my youngest is fixing to turn 25 in a couple of months, and I've gone back to clipping coupons. Why one might ask? Well, I now have the time....or more like....I'm taking the time. And, the kids need help. I remember those early adult days. My paycheck was never ever enough. So how did I do today. Well, I saved nearly $50. What did I buy....Well, I got several items completely free. I got Gaming Geek some free body wash, shaving cream, and me some free razors. Plus countless other coupons on everything from breaded frozen shrimp to toilet bowl cleaner. Although, to be completely honest, I didn't need any of it. Having the products sit on the self for someone else to buy full price, which also gives a huge profit to the store and company, seems ludicrous to me. I bought it anyway. I'll give it away rather than not use the coupon. I didn't buy things that cost too much, but if it turned out to be a serious bargain, I bought it.anyway I'm not crazy.....addicted yes, but crazy no. I don't buy Ex Lax just because I have a coupon...LOL. However, if I can possibly use it, I buy it. I have little piles of products sitting in the living room to give to the kids. Johnny has 3 can of shaving cream, razors, body wash, face wash. Katie has razors, toilet bowl cleaners, toothpaste, soap, and several items in the freezer .....green giant vegetables, breaded shrimp, soup. I can't help pay their bills, but at the least....I can clip coupons. I got me a few things too.....2 different kinds of lotion, make-up, paper towels, washing detergent, soap, personal care products, etc. I'm good to go for several months on the personal care products, and since Thrifty Girl also washes at my house.....she is good to go too. I told the two who still lives near me to make sure that ask me before they buy any personal care products or household products. I more than likely will have it stocked at Mom's warehouse....lol. I have tons of toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, etc....I really like being frugal. I'm tackling the bills too. I'm seriously thinking of letting go of my AT&T account. Yep, this new plan at Wal-Mart...Smart Talk is quite smart. $45 a month....unlimited calls, data, text, and no contract to boot. I'm paying 165 a month for both Katie and my phone. WTF! Yes, I will have to buy my new iphone outright, but it saves money in the long run. I have already disconnected the house phone, cable, and I'm seriously thinking about cutting the cell phone line. Why give AT&T all that money when I can pay for Smart Talk and pay a fraction of the cost. OH, and Princess did the research.......they use AT&T towers.....so again....why am I paying for all those extra cost? I'm quickly approaching retirement. I need to start learning to cut where I can cut. This is just the beginning! Home almost paid for, van almost paid for, cutting household expenses, saving at the store.....damn.....I'm just stretching the dollars til it sings for me....HA!
On a more serious note. My friend is still in Jordan taking care of his ailing mother. When I first met him, I knew there was something about this guy that seemed special, but I never could put my finger on what made him special. His life, as much as I could see, was a mess. He came packing a lot of baggage and drama, and still does, but I just sensed something special about him for some reason. Although he has moved backed to NC and now is helping take care of his mother in Jordan, I'm beginning to see a pretty amazing man. I don't know who told me this before, but I was once told that you can gauge the integrity of a man solely by the way he treats his mother. His mother had a stroke 2 days before Thanksgiving. He couldn't get a flight out to Jordan until Thanksgiving day. He arrived in Jordan 24 hours later, but hasn't left her side since. He has 2 young children still here in the states; however, he has taken over complete care for his mother. His love for her has shown through his undying attention in the details of her care, and how he speaks so fondly of his "lovely mother" and the God who will not leave her in her end time. I know he is exhausted. His days are filled with task that include tending to her medical needs, and task to make the home where she is staying comfortable and inviting. Brothers and sisters pitch in when they can, and make financial contributions to make sure she is well taken care of. Just a beautiful picture of the way one honors their mother, who by the way, sacrificed so much to make sure that her children were successful. Overall, just an amazing story about a sons love for the woman who gave him life. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I'm just really glad he is my friend, and I have gotten to know him on a more personal level.
Life is full of surprises. People come and go, but you just never know who will show up and catch you by surprise. My friend has surely made me take a long hard look at what really is important to me. I am so glad he has become a part of my life. :)
On a more serious note. My friend is still in Jordan taking care of his ailing mother. When I first met him, I knew there was something about this guy that seemed special, but I never could put my finger on what made him special. His life, as much as I could see, was a mess. He came packing a lot of baggage and drama, and still does, but I just sensed something special about him for some reason. Although he has moved backed to NC and now is helping take care of his mother in Jordan, I'm beginning to see a pretty amazing man. I don't know who told me this before, but I was once told that you can gauge the integrity of a man solely by the way he treats his mother. His mother had a stroke 2 days before Thanksgiving. He couldn't get a flight out to Jordan until Thanksgiving day. He arrived in Jordan 24 hours later, but hasn't left her side since. He has 2 young children still here in the states; however, he has taken over complete care for his mother. His love for her has shown through his undying attention in the details of her care, and how he speaks so fondly of his "lovely mother" and the God who will not leave her in her end time. I know he is exhausted. His days are filled with task that include tending to her medical needs, and task to make the home where she is staying comfortable and inviting. Brothers and sisters pitch in when they can, and make financial contributions to make sure she is well taken care of. Just a beautiful picture of the way one honors their mother, who by the way, sacrificed so much to make sure that her children were successful. Overall, just an amazing story about a sons love for the woman who gave him life. Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I'm just really glad he is my friend, and I have gotten to know him on a more personal level.
Life is full of surprises. People come and go, but you just never know who will show up and catch you by surprise. My friend has surely made me take a long hard look at what really is important to me. I am so glad he has become a part of my life. :)
Mardi Gras 2013
Well, here we go again. Mardi Gras. To other's around the country, it is just another day at work. To us in South LA, it is just another excuse to party...HA. Actually, it is a religious holiday. Since South LA has a huge Roman Catholic population, Mardi Gras - "Fat Tuesday," is the big party before the the season of Lent - when Catholics are suppose to "fast" and pray and give up their worldly addictions leading up to Good Friday (death of Jesus) and the resurrection (Easter Sunday). Don't know if I got that all right, but it is something like that..HA. I was raised semi-Catholic. I say "semi" because it was in family tradition only. I never got Catholicism, but who gets religion anyway. I did my "little" communion, and whatever they call that thing when your a teenager, went to catechism, learned "The Lord's Prayer", and Hail Mary's, and others.....that I would recognize if someone said the name...HA. Anyway, Mardi Gras in South LA has evolved into more of a cultural phenomena. Everybody celebrates Mardi Gras....doesn't matter the religion. After years of bringing the kids for fun, then years of marching or watching the kids perform and march in parades (band and dance team members), Mardi Gras is nothing more than a pain in the butt to me, but I don't complain too much....it is a holiday from school....yippee!!!!! Looks like Mother Nature is not cooperating this year with all the parades. We have rain predicted throughout Wednesday. I wanna say Zeus has already cancelled in Nola, and many others are pending cancellation. Not good for Nola, and really sad for those people who belong to those organizations. A lot of time and money go into get ready for "the parade day" and if rain cancels, well....just a serious bummer. Oh well, blog .....HAPPY MARDI GRAS!
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