So the yard sale was a HUGE success!!!! Well, in my opinion anyhow. I sold about 1/2 of the stuff I brought with to sell & made about $70. That to me is a great sale! I priced pretty much everything under a buck and that drew a lot of people. I think it also helped that I was placed right in between a lady that was selling just kids clothes & toys and another lady that was selling handmade jewelry. It was a definite draw to people to see the jewelry & the people with kids loved the lady with the kids stuff...and there I was in the middle with all kinds of stuff for sale! I was pretty flexible on stuff too - I sold a box FULL of VHS tapes for $5...the guy who bought them told me he loathed DVDs & CDs and had several VHS players that he's reconditioned. Since I really wanted to get rid of the VHS tapes, it was a match made in heaven (so to speak)! Everything that didn't sell on Saturday has been donated (books & DVDs to the library -- everything else to Goodwill). So even without selling it, we are going to be able to write it off on our taxes. A good situation all around.
This week is going to be spent cleaning & prepping for our trip to IL next week. I'm going to be making skirts for several of my nieces & friend's kiddos too. It's a good thing these skirts whip up pretty quickly so I can knock them out pretty fast. I'm also planning to get some new PJ pants made for Douglas & myself & perhaps some pillowcases too. Then again, this all may be some wishful planning. I know me & I know that I tend to procrastinate a bit! :-)
Aside from that, life is pretty normal...oh, except that Douglas is no longer "Douglas". He's now "Dude" and will correct you if you do not refer to him as such. (hee heee heeeee)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Excitement
Every now & then, a month comes along that ends up so jam packed with goodness that I just can't contain my excitement about it. September 2011 has most definitely been one of those months!!
Let me start with this preface -- back in July, I got a gift card to Barnes & Noble for my birthday and I have done a LOT of book/movie/music shopping. However, none of the stuff I purchased has excited me as much as this little purchase here:
Next in the excitement line-up is a community yard sale!!
And almost the MOST exciting thing for the month is our upcoming trip to Illinois!!!!
Douglas & I are coming to visit as many people as we can fit in an almost 2 week visit. Friends & family - beware! Our excitement is almost uncontainable!! :-) I am so looking forward to meeting all the new members of our family: Melanee, Benjamin, Sierra & Henry -- I hope you all are ready for lots of hugs & kisses!
I will leave you with this note & this is really the thing that I am most excited and thrilled and gushing to everyone about: Douglas is learning to spell words!!! Yesterday, we were watching a Word World DVD (a show where everything is made up of it's letters -- for example, the character "Dog" is made up of the letters "D-O-G"). Douglas went into his room & brought out his letter blocks. He then set out 3 blocks and said "Look Mahnee - BED!" Sure enough, he had blocks B, E, and D laid out (and in the right order too!). He also learned to spell Dog and Bear. I am so excited for my little man!!!
(My little "Beeza" -- Douglas speak for "Zebra")
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Listening to My Body
When I was pregnant, people often reminded me that when a craving struck it was most likely because my body was craving a certain nutrient. I craved hashbrowns. Not just any hashbrowns - McDonald's hashbrowns. Not the healthiest thing in the world AT ALL, but every day I just HAD to have hashbrowns! I think it was the sodium in them that I wanted, but the more important thing is that now (4 years later) I have been having something similar happen....only in reverse. Before I was craving something, now I am revolted by something...oh, and before we get too far, NO I am NOT pregnant!
For the past several weeks, I have noticed that I have really NOT been enjoying meat. It started with chicken. I'd been making several meals each week with chicken and I think I just got burned out on it. But lately it's been all meats. Red meat, white meat, processed meats, lunch meats....ugh, they are ALL just turning my stomach. Even just the thought of them makes my lip curl & stomach groan.
It has gotten to the point where I have actually been considering cutting (most) meat out of my diet. I say "most" simply because things like dairy, eggs & some fish (tuna specifically) don't make me feel like I want to gag. And here's the other interesting part. I spent a few days last week where I didn't eat any meat -- ate nuts, fruits, veggies, cheese, peanut butter & most everything else I normally eat but just cut out the meat. I felt GREAT. My mood was lifted. I was calmer & happier too. Then I ate meat for a couple days & just felt heavy & weighed down.
So my thoughts for the past few days have been something along these lines: I think my body is trying to give me some hints on how to feel better and the first step is to stop eating meat! I've been craving being a healthier & thinner person but right now, I feel that my focus should be more on eating meals that don't center around MEAT.
So if you have any great, meatless recipes that are still healthy & tasty, please share!!!
For the past several weeks, I have noticed that I have really NOT been enjoying meat. It started with chicken. I'd been making several meals each week with chicken and I think I just got burned out on it. But lately it's been all meats. Red meat, white meat, processed meats, lunch meats....ugh, they are ALL just turning my stomach. Even just the thought of them makes my lip curl & stomach groan.
It has gotten to the point where I have actually been considering cutting (most) meat out of my diet. I say "most" simply because things like dairy, eggs & some fish (tuna specifically) don't make me feel like I want to gag. And here's the other interesting part. I spent a few days last week where I didn't eat any meat -- ate nuts, fruits, veggies, cheese, peanut butter & most everything else I normally eat but just cut out the meat. I felt GREAT. My mood was lifted. I was calmer & happier too. Then I ate meat for a couple days & just felt heavy & weighed down.
So my thoughts for the past few days have been something along these lines: I think my body is trying to give me some hints on how to feel better and the first step is to stop eating meat! I've been craving being a healthier & thinner person but right now, I feel that my focus should be more on eating meals that don't center around MEAT.
So if you have any great, meatless recipes that are still healthy & tasty, please share!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Four and a half months!
Wow -- 4.5 months since my last post. Jeesh -- is anybody still even reading this blog? If you are, then I'll start updating again. Otherwise, I'm thinking it's time to take 'er down!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Brief Overview
Just to give you all a quick overview of the follow-up appointment with my neurologist:
* He still says I shouldn't drive until I am seizure free for a full 6 months. I'm 2 months seizure free so at this rate, I should be driving again at the end of July.
* We discussed many options to suppress seizures, but finally came to the decision that I will stay on the medication I've been taking, but at a reduced dosage.
* He expressed concern over my psychological well-being & put me on a very mild anti-depressant & recommended that I see a Mental Health Professional so that I have someone I can talk to about the situation I find myself in.
* All my tests came back normal which indicates that I do NOT have a seizure or scarring or anything adverse in my brain that caused the grand mal seizure. We are kind of operating under the thought that it was something "environmental" (food, allergy, supplements, etc.) that may have caused it.
That's the gist!
* He still says I shouldn't drive until I am seizure free for a full 6 months. I'm 2 months seizure free so at this rate, I should be driving again at the end of July.
* We discussed many options to suppress seizures, but finally came to the decision that I will stay on the medication I've been taking, but at a reduced dosage.
* He expressed concern over my psychological well-being & put me on a very mild anti-depressant & recommended that I see a Mental Health Professional so that I have someone I can talk to about the situation I find myself in.
* All my tests came back normal which indicates that I do NOT have a seizure or scarring or anything adverse in my brain that caused the grand mal seizure. We are kind of operating under the thought that it was something "environmental" (food, allergy, supplements, etc.) that may have caused it.
That's the gist!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Cravings & other stuff....
I know that most people get cravings for food, but I have a craving to go to the library. We haven't been there in MONTHS. It's on days like this, when I just have such a strong desire to GO SOMEWHERE that I wish we didn't live so far away from everything. It's about 7 miles from our house to the library & believe me, that's quite a long walk -- especially if I am going to be pushing an energetic 3 year old in a stroller. Maybe one of these years I will be in good enough shape to attempt that, but for now, I know that's not going to happen.
I guess that means I will just have to be content with finishing up the series of books that I have been reading for a few weeks now (about 15 books in this series & I only have 3 or 4 left to go!). Thank goodness for friends who have extensive libraries in their homes & who are willing to share!
Aside from reading, I've been doing quite a bit of sewing & planning for future sewing projects. I have several friends & family members who are expecting babies so I'm trying to get a decent "store" of gifts built up so I can be ready when the new kiddos arrive!
Work has gone through a massive shake-up lately. With several people quitting, the management has decided to move people around to different departments. While I am all for learning new things, there are some things that require a heckuva lot more "training" or "learning time" than just a couple of hours. What I am getting at is this, I've been working on the fabric side of the store for over 2 years. I can manage finding things on the craft side of the store & I can very adeptly handle "guest services/register". Those things all required just a little instruction & a little practice & I have it down pat. HOWEVER, we recently had our professional framer leave due to receiving a much better job offer from another company. So, instead of promoting the "secondary" framer - the person who has been working in the framing department for 2 years as the back-up framer, the company has decided that I should be the weekend framer. Um, HUH? I haven't ever done professional framing in my life! There is a lot to take into consideration - mats, frames, different types of glass, cutting all these things, all the layers/steps to take to assemble everything, sewing items to mats, etc. I mean, there is A LOT to learn. The framer that had been with our store for years has been a professional framer for about 15 years. Yet I received 4 hours worth of training over the course of two weekends and am now being told that I should be fully prepared to run this department every weekend. Um, HUH???????? As I was QUICKLY being shown the myriad of things that go on in the framing department (ordering from our distributors, different things that have to be done on daily/weekly/monthly basis, assembly, entering customer orders, etc.), I started feeling exceptionally overwhelmed. The person training me kept telling me that I would get used to things. For some reason, I am dubious about that. Working at the cutting counter, you measure the fabric for someone & cut it & that's it. It doesn't take a whole lot of training to do this. It's easy. However, if while working at the cutting counter, you also had to sew the quilt/clothing/home decor item/etc. that the customer was making, well, you would need to have a lot more training that just a brief overview of how things work. Sorry for the rant, but I'm feeling bowled over. Work has been in a steady decline at least since the beginning of the year, but this new twist makes me really not want to work in this store anymore....and I really used to love working here. I can only hope that I can either find something else that will be able to provide me the income I need in the small number of hours that I'm available OR that my employers realize that the mediocre training that I received really isn't enough training for someone that they intend to have "run" some of the most important aspects of this department on two of the busiest days of the sales week.
In any case, wish me luck this week - Tuesday is my follow-up appointment with my neurologist. I had 3 "brain" tests that all came back showing that nothing is wrong with my brain. Due to that and to the multitude of side effects I've had from this silly medication they have me on, I intend to talk to the doc about getting off it & just dealing with my "seizures" as they come because they are few & far between. And I hope to be able to convince the doc that I should be able to drive NOW too!!!!!! :-)
I guess that means I will just have to be content with finishing up the series of books that I have been reading for a few weeks now (about 15 books in this series & I only have 3 or 4 left to go!). Thank goodness for friends who have extensive libraries in their homes & who are willing to share!
Aside from reading, I've been doing quite a bit of sewing & planning for future sewing projects. I have several friends & family members who are expecting babies so I'm trying to get a decent "store" of gifts built up so I can be ready when the new kiddos arrive!
Work has gone through a massive shake-up lately. With several people quitting, the management has decided to move people around to different departments. While I am all for learning new things, there are some things that require a heckuva lot more "training" or "learning time" than just a couple of hours. What I am getting at is this, I've been working on the fabric side of the store for over 2 years. I can manage finding things on the craft side of the store & I can very adeptly handle "guest services/register". Those things all required just a little instruction & a little practice & I have it down pat. HOWEVER, we recently had our professional framer leave due to receiving a much better job offer from another company. So, instead of promoting the "secondary" framer - the person who has been working in the framing department for 2 years as the back-up framer, the company has decided that I should be the weekend framer. Um, HUH? I haven't ever done professional framing in my life! There is a lot to take into consideration - mats, frames, different types of glass, cutting all these things, all the layers/steps to take to assemble everything, sewing items to mats, etc. I mean, there is A LOT to learn. The framer that had been with our store for years has been a professional framer for about 15 years. Yet I received 4 hours worth of training over the course of two weekends and am now being told that I should be fully prepared to run this department every weekend. Um, HUH???????? As I was QUICKLY being shown the myriad of things that go on in the framing department (ordering from our distributors, different things that have to be done on daily/weekly/monthly basis, assembly, entering customer orders, etc.), I started feeling exceptionally overwhelmed. The person training me kept telling me that I would get used to things. For some reason, I am dubious about that. Working at the cutting counter, you measure the fabric for someone & cut it & that's it. It doesn't take a whole lot of training to do this. It's easy. However, if while working at the cutting counter, you also had to sew the quilt/clothing/home decor item/etc. that the customer was making, well, you would need to have a lot more training that just a brief overview of how things work. Sorry for the rant, but I'm feeling bowled over. Work has been in a steady decline at least since the beginning of the year, but this new twist makes me really not want to work in this store anymore....and I really used to love working here. I can only hope that I can either find something else that will be able to provide me the income I need in the small number of hours that I'm available OR that my employers realize that the mediocre training that I received really isn't enough training for someone that they intend to have "run" some of the most important aspects of this department on two of the busiest days of the sales week.
In any case, wish me luck this week - Tuesday is my follow-up appointment with my neurologist. I had 3 "brain" tests that all came back showing that nothing is wrong with my brain. Due to that and to the multitude of side effects I've had from this silly medication they have me on, I intend to talk to the doc about getting off it & just dealing with my "seizures" as they come because they are few & far between. And I hope to be able to convince the doc that I should be able to drive NOW too!!!!!! :-)
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