Sunday, December 13, 2009

300 Posts..Oh, and here's the dress.

Wow. 300 posts. But who's counting?

Well, some people wanted to see what my dress looked like (the one for the Civil War reenactment), so here it is. I was not able to go to the reenactment due to it being rained out. I did get to use the dress for the college Christmas concert. It was a grand time.





Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Getting ready to move. While I get along for the most part with the lady I live with, other concerns arose that have caused me to look for different housing. The Lord provided. :) I haven't live by myself at all. I did have my own room for about three years, but other than that, I've always had roommates. This is going to be a very welcome change.

At my current residence, there is a chick who lives in the apartment below us and she is not easy to get along with. Several weeks back, she knocked on our door and then was really nasty to me when I answered the door. She refused to listen to anything reasonable. She is convinced that we are purposely banging around our apartment to annoy her. Please. I have better and more important things to do with my time. So now, she is banging on the ceiling every time the floor creaks. I think she needs to get a life. This is an older apartment building and hearing floors creak is a given, especially when someone lives above you. It never fails that when I go to turn out my light, the floors creaks, and she feels the need to bang. She apparently thinks everyone must levitate to please her. I'm ready to get in the flesh and give her something to bang about by stomping and jumping around the next time she bangs on the ceiling because the floor creaks.

I'm so looking forward to moving out for that reason.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Overall Run Hike

I went on an eight mile hike this past Saturday. I may not have been the fastest, but I did finish.


HPIM2894
The view once I finally reached the top.

HPIM2895
Well worth all the struggle.

HPIM2896
God's handiwork is amazing!

HPIM2897
My favorite by far!

HPIM2898
Those rocks were slippery on the descent in the rain.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2009

When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of the storm is a golden sky.
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown,
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone

This song has been on my mind lately. It seems to fit a few different things. One, it brings back memories of being in high school choir. I miss both teachers. It's interesting to talk with my brother and his being in choir with the teacher I had. I was reminiscing about some of the songs I had the chance to sing and was asking him if they had done any of them.

Two, this song comes to mind when I feel like I;m on the outside looking in. I'm not alone even though it may seem like it.

Three, the storms of life. They come in many forms, but is with me through them all.

I'm keeping busy with work, school, and work. I have some tentative plans, but not sure if they will pan out. I enjoy my babysitting job and the opportunity to sit and chat with parents. They are outside of the small world I have at the moment. I'm planning on going hiking next weekend with a church group I've done things with in past. They are a great and fun group of people. I'm looking forward to it even if I don't know anyone there.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Hit the ground running

Summer is over for me. The kids come back to school this Monday. I am thankful that I have 16 students this year. 25 was a bit much. I did have to change rooms (and how is it the teacher with the least amount of students ends up in the largest room?) and everything is basically done. Well, I don't really have much of a choice at this point.

I had a fair share of the usual computer problems during in-service week. I tried not to have any, but they always seem to find me! At first, the problem was with the computer not being updated in quite some time, so I had to spend a day doing that. Then by Friday, when all the paperwork was due, my computer wouldn't open a single file (from the internet, flash drive, or saved on the computer just moments before). Very frustrating. No one knew what to do, either. So, I put on my detective gear and googled the error message. Kind of interesting, but I did figure out what the problem was and was able to fix on my own. I don't know what I'd do without Google! :)

Anyway, this school year is going to be busy. Teach in the morning and attend class or work in the library in the evenings. Babysit some weekends. I'll also be getting three allergy shots every week for the next six months. It looks like there will be no social life for me. Oh, wait. I didn't have to begin with. So, no problems there.

I am excited about participating in a Civil War reenactment in October! A friend of mine is going to make a dress for me. Another thing I am looking forward to is changing Sunday school classes this coming Sunday. I've been in a college and career class for nearly 8 years now (by choice, of course) and it's been great. It's just time for me to move on up.

Well, that's life in a nutshell for me at this point.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I'd like some allergies with a side of more allergies

So I have been out of the hospital for about a month now. I've been to the asthma/allergy specialist, PCP, or dentist every week since I've been out. I double scheduled myself today and saw both the specialist and PCP. Between them both, I was poked 62 times.

Yes, there is reason for all the poking. I had an allergy test done today. Of the 62 pokes, 61 came from the testing. Of the 50 allergens they test for, I was allergic to 41 of them. I am highly allergic to trees, grasses, animals/mites/insect and moderately allergic to weeds and molds. Of the nine allergens I wasn't allergic to, there were two weeds and seven molds. This was one of those scratch tests where they poke with a small needle and some of the allergen solution.

What you don't expect to hear is the nurse saying the following types of statements when she walks in 15 minutes later to check on you:

"Oh, my!"
"Wow!"
"I haven't seen someone that allergic in a long time!"
"Oh, my lands!"

Yeah, all from one nurse.

The doctor came in and told me that I won a prize for being the most allergic person all month. And what's my prize? Weekly allergy shots for the next six months. Oh, joy!* (*Read with sarcasm.)

They were all amazed at the level of allergic reaction to (drum roll, please) guinea pigs. Apparently, I am more allergic to them than cats.

Now, I have to leave school early on either Thursdays or Fridays to get the shots. I even have a doctor's note to do so. It's all right with the administration at school, but I still have to let my supervisor know. I may see him tomorrow to tell him about it.

When I was at the PCP, I received a Tdap shot (whooping cough/tetanus booster). That wasn't the main reason for me being there, but we'll see if it helps this school year. I still have to have some more blood work done to see about the high blood pressure and dizzy spells. The doctor want me to have a CBC, thyroid, and other things checked. Hopefully that will explain some the other things.

Other than that, I haven't used my inhaler since getting out of the hospital. I can't remember not ever using this long. Feels good!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

*DISCLAIMER* I was without internet access for a week (horrid, I know), so I wrote during the week.


I have been up for 22 hours. Not a record, I know, but I can't sleep! My breakfast will arrive in less than 3 hours. I think I'll have more visitors after that. Hospitals are no place for resting. Sunday morning I went in to the ER where I thought that they'd just give me some back-to-back nebulizer treatments and steroids and then send me home like most of my asthma attack episodes. Not so this time. It was back enough (even with clear chest x-rays) that they still wanted me to be admitted. It's now almost 5:15 am Tuesday morning. There may be a chance for me to be discharged later on today, but the doctor was not definitive on that.

I've dealt with acid reflux last night from all the breathing treatments and now I'm nauseous. The nurse was able to get a hold of the doctor rather quickly to get me something for it. I'm attempting to type without my left index finger due to the pulse-oxymeter I've been hooked to. It's been interesting to see how my O2 level and pulse react to various movements. My pulse has been rather high (100-120) during the day and right now it's about 80. My O2 level could be higher. It's been sitting at 93-96% throughout the day. It needs to be 99-100%. They've had me on oxygen since they decided to admit me.

This really wasn't what I expected to be doing this summer at all. I had blood drawn twice in the ER and an IV put in. That IV did not work for the second dose of steroids, so they had an IV tech person come in to restart one. That took 3 more pokes yesterday. OUCH! Then, the area around that IV started to swell. Had to have another one restarted. That hurt too. I'm not afraid of needles, though. I've watched every poke they've made. Kind of interesting. I know I've asked them a lot of questions, but I haven't bugged them too much, I think.


I'm thankful for the friends that have called and visited. And for the prayers. I did have a funny call, though. I've been living with a 73 year old woman for about a month now. Her son, who set up this living arrangement, called me and said that admitting my self to the ER was a quite extreme way to get away from his mother. He never thought of that! We had a good laugh over that (and she's not THAT bad to live with). Well, it's time to get off and try so get to sleep now. *Yawn*

Haha! No joke, as soon as I put the bed down and shut off the light, a nurse comes in to give me some meds. Then, a short while later, another nurse comes in to hook up the antibiotics to the IV and take my vitals. 7:50 am and I am up. I guess all I needed was short nap. Such as life.

Two more IV pokes today. Ouch. No naps though. Maybe I'll be able to sleep tonight.

I was told by the allergy and asthma doctor that a case of unmanaged asthma like mine usually results in a 3-5 day hospital stay. This is going on night number 3. *sigh* The respiratory therapist is changing up my neb treatments a bit by adding an inhaled steroid morning and evening and the albuterol treatments every 4 hours as needed.

I do have to say that some strange shows come on at night. I had the tv in the animal channel and I learned a bit about a very small but poisonous relative of the Portuguese-Man-of-War. Interesting. I think I've seen it before.

China and India get to see a 7 minute long lunar eclipse tonight. I'd like to see that. We just get rain. (Yeah, watching the negatively-biased news. Can't take too much of it.)

Wednesday was a first for me. Apparently the steroids they have me on may have a side effect of raising my blood sugar. When the nurse pricked my finger, my sugar was 320. They gave me insulin. The next time they came in to check, it was 317, so I had to have more insulin. "Normal" is 120 or so. The first was taking the insulin. I used to check my sugar level at grandparents' house (both were diabetic and I was a little paranoid).

Now it's Thursday morning. Still don't know if I've leaving yet. Every time I get up, my oxygen level dips to 88-89% without the oxygen in my nose and that's to do minimal movements. I'd like to get some walking in but I feel like I'm on a leash since they have the pulse-ox on me 24/7. I can only get as far as the bathroom. Getting a little stir crazy being stuck in this room. I guess I saw a doctor yesterday, but I don't remember. They are all meshing together. It doesn’t help that the name of the doctor that has been on the info board in my room hasn't changed in three days and I never even met that doctor.

5:40 am Friday. Awake with pain. The nurse came in to start the antibiotic IV drip. No real problem there, but when she left, I felt a burning sensation. I thought it was the initial entering the vein burning, but it persisted after the nurse left. Then, I felt an odd wetness. I lifted my arm and some the antibiotic dripped onto my face. Yeah, another IV issue. The nurse was quick to come back in and take the IV out. She said she'd have another nurse that's good with IVs come in and check me out to see if she could get another one in me. If not, I'd have to wait for IV therapy to come in (mind you, IV therapy has done six pokes for 3 IV sites on me already). The other nurse did a great job. She found another vein quickly and only poked me once. It bled a bit, but it's not burning or anything. So now, the grand total is 8 pokes for 4 IVs.

I had my sugar checked this morning already. The last 4-5 checks have resulted in high sugar levels followed by a dose of insulin. I've done what I could (not eating or drinking anything knowingly high in sugar) to try to get it down. It was 115 this morning! Much better than 340 yesterday. No insulin this morning.

Completely off topic, but it seems that the government is against people owning things that are old. The whole HD TV thing and now cars. They are not happy unless people are spending money out the wazoo. Just leave us be! Oh, and another thing that's bugging me (and I wouldn't know it, but I've been watching TV and can't fast forward through the commercials) is a ridiculous and offensive commercial put on by some gay group. It's the "Emma and Julia" one. It starts with two teenage girls that are talking about what to do after work. One asks if the other is going to a party or something and the other replies that she parents said she had be go home right after work. The other answers with "that is go gay" and the other one says the same thing. That's when a customer walks up and says that "that is so Emma and Julia" and that everyone is saying it. The commercial ends with telling people (rather rudely) that they need to think before they speak and knock it off. Excuse you? I have to listen to the world say all sorts of offensive things about Christianity and the world gets in a tizzy when Christians speak up about but now I have listen to that crap? No way.

Today is going pretty well, I guess. My O2 stats still aren't the best though.

I think all these meds have had a strange affect on me. I tear up so easily! I find it amusing. From reading a great book (which would lead to some tears anyway) to the results of What Not to Wear to even the astounded reactions in a car restoration show (of which the title completely left me). Yeah, odd, I know. I think I even teared up watching a dog show. I know I'm female, but even that is a little much for me.

OverHauled. It came back to me.

Just found out that they need to do another IV for the CAT scan. Lager gauge. A nurse just tried and it must have been on a nerve because I felt pain all the way up in my shoulder from the poke in my elbow. Up to 9 IV pokes now and heading to 10.

The CAT scan IV took 3 pokes to take. That scan was quite a bit different. It really made me feel warm as the fluid was pushed through me. I had to ask for the results since no one bothered to tell me anything after a couple hours. No blood clots (very good news) but the lower sections of my lungs aren't expanding as they ought to be. The nurse basically told me to exercise my lungs by taking deeps breaths throughout every hour (in addition to my regular breathing, of course!) to try to make those pockets expand.

I get to go home today! Woo-hoo! It's about time! Lol

A full week in the hospital is not what I planned a all, but I am finally feeling much better.

Monday, July 06, 2009

Change

It's time for change. Yeah, cryptic, I know. Change is needed in a few areas of my life. One is going to be an 18-week challenge. We'll see how that goes and if I am able to keep with it. I'm starting that tomorrow.

Well, that's all you get for now.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Welcome summer!

School ended last Friday. While I love every child in my class, this summer break has been long overdue! I received a couple end-of-the-year gifts. Chocolate, candles, a plant, Starbucks card, B&BW soap, and a remote controlled Grave Digger monster truck. I had to laugh when I heard the story behind the monster truck. My student's mom was going to give me a plant and the student said no and that I liked monster trucks. That is a true statement. lol!

Well, I'm waiting to fins out where exactly I'll be moving to. A friend just let me know of a place that is extremely affordable and not too far from my work. It even includes utilities, washer/dryer, swimming pool, and gym. I have a meeting about that tomorrow after work. If that does not work out, I'll be moving into one of the church apartments, basically across my backyard. Either way, both options have pros and cons. Living on the church property has been a blessing while I have an unreliable car. I really don't have an excuse for being late to work. But, the other place will allow me some privacy.

I had a meeting with the principal today. It went well for me. I know that I have a job next year. What is unfortunate is that I have a few friends that do not. I know the Lord is control, but it is hard to see good friends hurting. Finding out during out service week is much better than the beginning of the school year. Psa. 61:2

I've been able to finish up most of my classroom. I have some more paperwork to complete, though. There are a number of areas that I need improvement in. Those I will be working on this summer.

I get to go to Florida at the end of the week. I'm so excited! My friend Sarah is getting married. At first, I was just invited to the wedding. Then, I was asked to be the guest book attendant. I gladly accepted. Then, I purchased my plane tickets. After I sent my friend that information, she called me up to ask if I would like to be a bridesmaid since another one of her friends was no longer able to make it to the wedding. I gladly accepted that position as well. Now, just as long as the bride doesn't back out. I'm not filling the bride's place! :)

I can't believe how quickly things are already going this summer. I'm still trying to nail down a job, but I know the Lord will provide.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

I didn't blog at all in April. Well, wait, that's not entirely true. I did update the Sunday school class website. That counts for something, right?

Things are always going to be busy. There's no getting around it. Oh, and let the countdown(s) begin! There are three more weeks of school. College classes end this week. In 5-6 weeks, I'll be moving. In four weeks my friend Sarah is getting married. There is a total of 11 weeks for the summer break. I need to find a steady part-time job for those 11 weeks. My loan will be paid off by the start of the next school year.

Confused yet? Yeah, that's how I've been feeling.

Thursday was not a great day for me. I had to wait until after school to get a tooth pulled (and two weeks after finding out it need to be pulled...it was the earliest they could see me). The oral surgeon was more concerned about getting paid in full than relieving me my cracked molar. His assistant didn't seem to understand English. After stating that I had less than $100 in the bank, she said that if I could pay $250 right now, they would further discount my bill. Umm..where did she expect me to pull that $250 from? I just told her that I had less than $100. Goodness! And then the dentist tried to pull that garbage that they don't usually let people make payments. I know for a fact that he did agree that I could make payment because MY dentist spoke to him and then called me to tell me he would. I think dentists have got to be some of the richest people out there. They can easily make $350 in 15 minutes. Ridiculuos!

In other news...nevermmind. There isn't any other news. Unless you wanted to know that I want a dog. Papillons are adorble! So are Shiba Inus!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

I really don't think that Obama is starting things out well. This so called "stimulus" thing he's doing is basically giving you next year's tax return in tiny amounts throughout the rest of this year. There is your "raise." I think many people are going to be very surprised when they file next year and then get a small return. I redid my W4 to make sure that I will get a return. Single people don't get the breaks that marrieds and those with children do. So goes the Obamanomics.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

And of some have compassion, making a difference

The world lost an incredible person Friday, March 13. She was a woman who, at first, scared me when I first moved into the dorm. I was so not ready for the changes that were going to be taking place or the spiritual battle I was about face. But through it all, she, my dorm mom, was there to help and encourage me, pray for me, and admonish me. My life has been forever changed because of her.

I knew that when I received the news that she had passed on to Glory that I wanted to be there for her funeral. The only thing standing in the way was some 550 miles road, a reliable vehicle, and time off of my job. The Lord quickly allowed each of those things to fall into place and by Tuesday night, I was on my way.

So, Tuesday was a busy day in itself. I judged vocals all day in the ODACS competition and then asked my boss about taking Thursday and Friday off to attend the funeral. He okayed it and then the mad dash began. I had to send in my grades and then pack before a coworker came to my house to to give me a ride to the Metro. I made it MD in a timely manner to meet up with Jen. From there we had an uneventful 9-hour ride to IN.

Room 17. That's where all the single girls stay when they come back to visit. This is the second time I've stayed in that room. This time, I wasn't greeted by my beloved dorm mom.

I know that things change with time and that people are born and people die. I don't know why it's so hard to accept this when it occurs all the time. Jen kind of summed up some of my feelings in her blog. You can't go back. All we are left with is the memories (sometimes regrets) of a person's life.

I chuckle at a time that Mrs. Leslie was not happy with me. It was my freshman year and I was as independent as could be. I needed a tire changed on Hank the Tank and since I'm my father's daughter, I knew how to do it. The only thing I lacked was a good floor jack (I've never liked bumper jacks) so I asked a guy if I could borrow a jack. All he said was that a guy should do it (he didn't offer to do it). So, I changed the tire. I returned the jack and went back to the dorm. Mrs. Leslie was at the front desk and I mentioned to that I just finished changing my tire. She then told me that there was no reason for me to do that and that a guy should have done it for me. My independent mind was reeling. By my senior year, a number of guys had tried their hand at fixing Hank, and Mrs. Leslie and I were laughing about that freshman incident. She told me that she wanted to roll a huge tire across the rec room during the Christmas party just because of me. LOL! I forget the reason why she didn't.

It was very evident that Mrs. Leslie cared for all her girls. She often did little things (notes of encouragement, special treats) but the greatest thing she did was pray for her girls. I know I needed lots of prayer through my years there.

There are so many things I can remember about Mrs. Leslie. I volunteered to go visiting with her once and when we go to where the card said to go, no houses existed there. We just kind of laughed about it. I remember getting a note from her that was addressed to the "Energizer Bunny." I think that was the year I was working two jobs, 7 days a day week (at both jobs). I remember her telling the girls that worked the cleaning job (there were 4 of us at first) that we were allowed to go down to one of the empty rooms to continue sleeping when we got in real late. I enjoyed leaving a case of diet coke outside her apartment door "just because." I also enjoyed getting her thick, fluffy socks to replace her holey ones.

The dorm is not going to be the same. Ever. Mrs. Leslie was one-of-a-kind.

As I have said before, the feelings were bittersweet. While she will be terribly missed, I can rejoice in the fact that she is in Heaven, no more in pain. I was put at ease even more when I got to the dorm and went to the rec room to put something in the refrigerator. The Leslie's apartment is on the bottom floor and I heard lots of laughter coming from the family inside. There was no depressed sorrow of a death, but a celebration of life on the other side of that door. That's what a Christian's life should be like. We should be able to rejoice in the life that was, not the loss right now. Our loss is Heaven's gain.

Mrs. Leslie's life can be summed up by the verse: And of some have compassion, making a difference.

She sure has made a difference in my life.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

This past week has been interesting. On Monday, I was able to meet Byron Foxx, founder of Bible Truth Music and rehearse with him with the ensemble. We then sang a BTM piece for the chapel special.

Then, Friday and Saturday was spent in Norfolk attending an Elizabeth George conference. I bought a few of her books and she signed them. Her husband, Jim, was there and he signed one of the books he authored for me. I enjoyed the conference and it left me with some things to think about. The theme of the conference was Following God with All your Heart. One of the hardest things a woman may deal with is her thought life. It's easy to look back and think "what if?" or "if only" and that's not what we are supposed to do. We need to be thinking about what is real and true, not what has happened or what may happen, but what is happening.


(me, Gloria, Claudia, Yolanda, Julia, Lucia, and Melissa
Mrs. Elizabeth George)

She also mentioned a book entitled Faith is not a Feeling by Ney Bailey. The story she shared with us about Ney Bailey was moving.

I did get some sad news on the way to Norfolk: my dorm mom passed away after a fight with cancer. The feeling is bittersweet as I miss her, but I know that she is in Heaven.

I got to do something that I have been wanting to do since I moved to VA: Go to the ocean! Now, the weather was not the best, but we still got up early and went to see it. The rained hadn't started yet for the day, but the wind was blowing and it was cold! But, I did not let that stop me. I still took off my shoes and entered the water. I know that all beaches are basically the same, but this was my very first time to see the ocean. It was incredible!



(awful pic of me, but I am in front of the Atlantic Ocean)

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Magnolias

What an inspiring story!

By Edna Ellison

I spent the week before my daughter's June wedding running last-minute trips to the caterer, florist, tuxedo shop, and the church about forty miles away.

As happy as I was that Patsy was marrying a good Christian young man, I felt laden with responsibilities as I watched my budget dwindle .

So many details, so many bills, and so little time. My son Jack was away at college, but he said he would be there to walk his younger sister down the aisle, taking the place of his dad who had died a few years before. He teased Patsy, saying he'd wanted to give her away since she was about three years old!

To save money, I gathered blossoms from several friends who had large magnolia trees. Their luscious, creamy-white blooms and slick green leaves would make beautiful arrangements against the rich dark wood inside the church.

After the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, we banked the podium area and choir loft with magnolias. As we left just before midnight, I felt tired but satisfied this would be the best wedding any bride had ever had! The music, the ceremony, the reception - and especially the flowers - would be remembered for years.

The big day arrived - the busiest day of my life - and while her bridesmaids helped Patsy to dress, her fiance Tim walked with me to the sanctuary to do a final check. When we opened the door and felt a rush of hot air, I almost fainted; and then I saw them - all the beautiful white flowers were black. Funeral black. An electrical storm during the night had knocked out the air conditioning system, and on that hot summer day, the flowers had wilted and died.

I panicked, knowing I didn't have time to drive back to our hometown, gather more flowers, and return in time for the wedding.

Tim turned to me. 'Edna, can you get more flowers? I'll throw away these dead ones and put fresh flowers in these arrangements.'

I mumbled, 'Sure,' as he be-bopped down the hall to put on his cuff links.

Alone in the large sanctuary, I looked up at the dark wooden beams in the arched ceiling. 'Lord,' I prayed, 'please help me. I don't know anyone in this town. Help me find someone willing to give me flowers - in a hurry!' I scurried out praying for four things: the blessing of white magnolias, courage to find them in an unfamiliar yard, safety from any dog that may bite my leg, and a nice person who would not get out a shotgun when I asked to cut his tree to shreds.

As I left the church, I saw magnolia trees in the distance. I approached a house...No dog in sight. I knocked on the door and an older man answered. So far so good . .No shotgun. When I stated my plea the man beamed, 'I'd be happy to!'

He climbed a stepladder and cut large boughs and handed them down to me. Minutes later, as I lifted the last armload into my car trunk, I said, 'Sir, you've made the mother of a bride happy today.'

'No, Ma'am,' he said. 'You don't understand what's happening here.'

'What?' I asked.

'You see, my wife of sixty-seven years died on Monday. On Tuesday I received friends at the funeral home, and on Wednesday . . . He paused. I saw tears welling up in his eyes. 'On Wednesday I buried her.' He looked away. 'On Thursday most of my out-of-town relatives went back home, and on Friday - yesterday - my children left.'

I nodded.

'This morning,' he continued, 'I was sitting in my den crying out loud. I miss her so much. For the last sixteen years, as her health got worse, she needed me. But now nobody needs me. This morning I cried, 'Who needs an eighty-six-year-old wore-out man? Nobody!' I began to cry louder. 'Nobody needs me!' About that time, you knocked, and said, 'Sir, I need you.'

I stood with my mouth open.

He asked, 'Are you an angel? The way the light shone around your head into my dark living room...'

I assured him I was no angel.

He smiled. 'Do you know what I was thinking when I handed you those magnolias?'

'No.'

'I decided I'm needed. My flowers are needed. Why, I might have a flower ministry! I could give them to everyone! Some caskets at the funeral home have no flowers. People need flowers at times like that and I have lots of them.. They're all over the backyard! I can give them to hospitals, churches - all sorts of places. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve the Lord until the day He calls me home!'

I drove back to the church, filled with wonder. On Patsy's wedding day, if anyone had asked me to encourage someone who was hurting, I would have said, 'Forget it! It's my only daughter's wedding, for goodness' sake! There is no way I can minister to anyone today.'

But God found a way. Through dead flowers.

'Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.'

If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you may have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, you have missed everything in the world.

May God's blessings be upon you.

THIS IS SO TRUE, BEING NEEDED IS SO UPLIFTING TO EACH OF US.

This story is too beautiful not to send and share with others

Saturday, February 28, 2009

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

HOW TO START EACH DAY WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

1. Open a new file in your computer.
2. Name it 'Barack Obama'.
3. Send it to the Recycle Bin.
4. Empty the Recycle Bin.
5. Your PC will ask you: 'Do you really want to get rid of 'Barack Obama?'
6. Firmly Click 'Yes.'
7. Feel better?

GOOD! - Tomorrow we'll do Nancy Pelosi

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

11 Most Expensive Catastrophes in History

# 11. Titanic - $150 Million

The sinking of the Titanic is possibly the most famous accident in the world. But it barely makes our list of top 10 most expensive. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage and was considered to be the most luxurious ocean liner ever built. Over 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship ran into an iceberg and sunk in frigid waters. The ship cost $7 million to build ($150 million in today ' s dollars). http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babes_in_blue

# 10. Tanker Truck vs Bridge - $358 Million

On August 26, 2004, a car collided with a tanker truck containing 32,000 liters of fuel on the Wiehltal Bridge in Germany . The tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 90 feet off the A4 Autobahn resulting in a huge explosion and fire which destroyed the load-bearing ability of the bridge. Temporary repairs cost $40 million and the cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $318 Million.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babes_in_blue

# 9. MetroLink Crash - $500 Million

On September 12, 2008, in what was one of the worst train crashes in California history, 25 people were killed when a Metrolink commuter train crashed head-on into a Union Pacific freight train in Los Angeles . It is thought that the Metrolink train may have run through a red signal while the conductor was busy text messaging.. Wrongful death lawsuits are expected to cause $500 million in losses for Metrolink.

# 8. B-2 Bomber Crash - $1.4 Billion

Here we have our first billion dollar accident (and we ' re only #7 on the list). This B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an air base in Guam on February 23, 2008. Investigators blamed distorted data in the flight control computers caused by moisture in the system. This resulted in the aircraft making a sudden nose-up move which made the B-2 stall and crash. This was 1 of only 21 ever built and was the most expensive aviation accident in history. Both pilots were able to eject to safety.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babes_in_blue

# 7. Exxon Valdez - $2.5 Billion

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was not a large one in relation to the world ' s biggest oil spills, but it was a costly one due to the remote location of Prince William Sound (accessible only by helicopter and boat). On March 24, 1989, 10.8 million gallons of oil was spilled when the ship ' s master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls and the ship crashed into a Reef. The cleanup cost Exxon $2.5 billion.

# 6. Piper Alpha Oil Rig - $3.4 Billion

The world ' s worst off-shore oil disaster. At one time, it was the world ' s single largest oil producer, spewing out 317,000 barrels of oil per day. On July 6, 1988, as part of routine maintenance, technicians removed and checked safety valves which were essential in preventing dangerous build-up of liquid gas. There were 100 identical safety valves which were checked. Unfortunately, the technicians made a mistake and forgot to replace one of them. At 10 PM that same night, a technician pressed a start button for the liquid gas pumps and the world ' s most expensive oil rig accident was set in motion.

Within 2 hours, the 300 foot platform was engulfed in flames. It eventually collapsed, killing 167 workers and resulting in $3.4 Billion in damages.

# 5. Challenger Explosion - $5.5 Billion

The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff due on January 28, 1986 due to a faulty O-ring. It failed to seal one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This in turn caused the external tank to dump its payload of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. The cost of replacing the Space Shuttle was $2 billion in 1986 ($4.5 billion in today ' s dollars). The cost of investigation, problem correction, and replacement of lost equipment cost $450 million from 1986-1987 ($1 Billion in today ' s dollars).

# 4. Prestige Oil Spill - $12 Billion

On November 13, 2002, the Prestige oil tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of heavy fuel oil when one of its twelve tanks burst during a storm off Galicia , Spain . Fearing that the ship would sink, the captain called for help from Spanish rescue workers, expecting them to take the ship into harbour. However, pressure from local authorities forced the captain to steer the ship away from the coast. The captain tried to get help from the French and Portuguese authorities, but they too ordered the ship away from their shores. The storm eventually took its toll on the ship resulting in the tanker splitting in half and releasing 20 million gallons oil into the sea.

According to a report by the Pontevedra Economist Board, the total cleanup cost $12 billion.

# 3. Space Shuttle Columbia - $13 Billion

The Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space worthy shuttle in NASA ' s orbital fleet. It was destroyed during re-entry over Texas on February 1, 2003 after a hole was punctured in one of the wings during launch 16 days earlier. The original cost of the shuttle was $2 Billion in 1978. That comes out to $6.3 Billion in today ' s dollars. $500 million was spent on the investigation, making it the costliest aircraft accident investigation in history. The search and recovery of debris cost $300 million.

In the end, the total cost of the accident (not including replacement of the shuttle) came out to $13 Billion according to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics..

# 2. Chernobyl - $200 Billion

On April 26, 1986, the world witnessed the costliest accident in history. The Chernobyl disaster has been called the biggest socio-economic catastrophe in peacetime history. 50% of the area of Ukraine is in some way contaminated. Over 200,000 people had to be evacuated and resettled while 1.7 million people were directly affected by the disaster. The death toll attributed to Chernobyl , including people who died from cancer years later, is estimated at 125,000. The total costs including cleanup, resettlement, and compensation to victims has been estimated to be roughly $200 Billion. The cost of a new steel shelter for the Chernobyl nuclear plant will cost $2 billion alone. The accident was officially attributed to power plant operators who violated plant procedures and were ignorant of the safety requirements needed.

# 1. 2008 Presidential Election- $800 Billion in the first two months…AND HE'S ONLY JUST BEGUN!

Friday, February 20, 2009

I'm still going to the gym. I like this one much better than Curves. I like the variety. I've been able to go to at least 3 different classes and I'll keep on going if I am able to.

We are finishing up the Virginia State Notebook. I kind of like the project. I'm looking forward to seeing the completed notebooks.

It feels good to have lesson plans already done. There is still a lot to complete, but that's what Saturdays are for, right? I don't think most people realize the HOURS I put in after (or before) school. Just to do a week's worth of lesson plans takes an hour or longer. That doesn't even include the actual preparation for classes. Then there's the grading. That is a never ending cycle. I still have a stack to get through sitting on my desk.

This week I did something that I don't normally do: I let the kids watch a movie. Now, mind you, it was a "sit and waste your mind" type of activity. We just finished our oceanography unit and I had the class watch Finding Nemo. As they watched it, they took notes and named all the sea creatures they saw. They seemed to enjoy that activity. I enjoyed the break the usual schedule and I'm sure they did too.

I know I don't have a huge following (if any, really), but please keep me in prayer. I'm struggling this year.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

I joined a gym Tuesday night, worked out Wednesday morning, and now I am so sore! I meet up with a personal trainer tonight and I might try the spinning class for a little bit.

I still have so much to do! I collected 50 reports this week (one set research, the other book reports). I'd like to have it done by this weekend. I also have to get my lesson plans done. Oh, and I won't even talk about the homework I have to do.

The kids are excited about the reading contest this month and have gotten off to a strong start. Sine the first, they have read over 1,000 pages. I've only read about 600. They get an ice cream party if they beat me. :)

Saturday, January 31, 2009