I'm back...

Whew:) I know that it's been a long time since I came in and updated, but there's been a lot on my plate. I don't honestly know how people keep up with their busy online, lives. Not to mention the activities that happen offline.

My grand children are now just 6 beautiful children that I see on an occasional basis. My daughter has now begun living her own life, and she's keeping my girl Faith, for help and support. Having two small babies is a little work you know.

And my son, who got married, to someone with two sons already, had his son, and now the five of them come over occasionally. But see, it takes me 2 months to clean up the house after one of their visits. So, I visit them approximately once a week, but they are only coming over now on holidays!:) And I admit, I am enjoying my life with quietness. After more then 20 years of raising kids myself, and then when they left they came back, but now it seems they are gone and are making things work on their own; and I love it. My husband... him I still see everyday. It's finally just the two of us, and after more than 30 years of being married to him, he's easy. I imagine that I am too. There are no more tug of wars with the kids putting us against each other, so I have to say that right now... life is quiet and peaceful, and I love it.

I've been spending some of my time at the flower garden, and look at the beautiful orchid. I am enjoying the quiet of watching flowers bloom and photographing them. It's very interesting.

Right now I am learning to photograph in macro.

Not as easy as I thought, but fun none the less.

And my knitting... I am making a beautiful lace patterned scarf! pictures upcoming.
So, I am still working part time, and today's no exception, but I won't be so long coming in anymore.

I hope to blog every other day or so! Because everyday, I am taking pictures... so we'll see! In creating My Something Special I hope to make this place my fun place!

Happy New Year

It's the beginning of the Chinese New Year, and I am finally getting back to thinking about blogging. I have been out working for so long, and with the holidays that we just had, I found that I was actually to busy to blog. But I have my health this year, so I will not complain.

After 5 years of being unemployed, broke, and having had 3 serious surgeries, I am finally getting back to the business of living, I am so grateful that I forgot that I had the online to attend too. My something better, really is Something Better! After all these years, I have my health back. And I quit smoking too! Who knew?

It's been more than 6 months now, and I have been fortunate enough to have found myself a church home, so I don't fear going back. I am moving forward these days with dreams that I never thought possible, now looking more like a reality since President Barack Obama was sworn in.

I never thought that in my lifetime I would see what I witnessed on January 20th 2009, but I did, so now I believe that anything is possible.

What plans do I have for the year. Many. Too many to mention right now, but the main interest this year is getting some education in Photography. Yes, I am going to become a photographer. What type... I am not sure yet. I so enjoy taking photos of kids. I also love taking photos of nature and landscapes, but I also enjoy being creative and learning new tricks in photography. So, as I strive for more knowledge, I will be trying a lot of new things, and this is a great place to sound it off!

Hey, during this very cold time of the year, we are going to be stuck inside for the next couple of days, so hopefully I'll be able to come in and place some more of the beautiful pictures that I have been playing with.

Have a safe day.

I'm late, but Happy New Year

Happy New Year World,

I found myself being so busy with living life that I didn't have a chance to come in and update my blog. I have made several new commitments this year; to lose 26 pounds, to keep working on trying to become a better photographer. Those are the easy ones. Because I am convinced that as long as I keep my mind clear and singly focused, I can accomplish those goals, after all, last year I QUIT SMOKING. After more than 30 years of filling up my lungs with the harsh chemicals of nicotine, I just quit. No I cannot even say that I quit. I was delivered. Because I never hurt about it, or looked back. I simply put them down one day, said and prayer, and never desired to pick them back up. As far as I am concerned, I am already living my non-smoking dream. But this is just my 1st New Years without cigarettes, and I still find that the smell that nicotine left behind is a little disturbing, but I will live through it.

My harder goals of living life without credit cards, is going to be a little more difficult. I didn't actually just pick up a credit card one day and say, "Hey, lets' max it out!" No, I just used it on this thing, because I liked it, and then on something else because I liked it, and so on until it was maxed out, and I cannot even remember the first thing that I bought that was so nice, and I really liked it. Last year, November, I paid off major credit card debt, and now the goal is to stop living from paycheck to paycheck and just paying the bills, but rather to live each day to the fullest, and decline the unnecessary spending. And that's a challenge. But I am confident that it can be accomplished. I mean, being a clothes hog is just not that big of a deal. Just stay out of the stores. Don't watch the stupid commercials that encourage eager spending.

I also want to spend more time being me, and not the person that my mother wanted me to be, the person my kids wanted me to be, or even the person that my husband wanted me to be. Somewhere in being all those people, I lost who I really am, and I want to get back in contact with my inner person, because there was something great about me when I met my husband, and she's still in there. It's time for me to recreate myself again. But you know, I am older, smarter, and wiser, and this time, I can be complete.

And finally, I want to find my niche. I know that I am an avid knitter, and I love digital photography, and music. But something about me is special, and that's what I am looking to find and improve this year.

That's quite a lot to improve, or rather, to do this year, but I am confident that I can do it, because I never walk alone. My Savior, Jesus Christ is always with me, and He's not through with me yet!

Have a blessed day, until we meet again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Yours

It is done. It's Christmas Eve, and besides many stuck in airports due to weather, many have just had their electricity restored, and many are digging out of snow, to make Christmas happen, it's here. Whether you are ready or not. Now the miracles happen. The kindnesses that are extended beyond being nice.

I believe that today must be the most magical day, because once the actual Christmas day arrives, there's a lull that you feel after all the gifts are opened, and the kids are off playing with their gifts.

I was working on knitting projects that got put on hold due to Holiday shopping that was put off to the last minute. But, the best thing about knitting is that it doesn't go anywhere until I get back to it... So next year I'll be a little more ready.

All the cooking to do is now taking precedence so there's absolutely no more time to shop, hoping that you can pick up that one gift that will make the difference. I pray that families will look past the gifts to the thoughts that Love started it all.

A love bigger than we could ever know. The love of God for His most prized possession. YOU AND ME! Because He loved us so, He put on the flesh and endured the life in flesh to be crucified, and Risen again to conquer death. Yes, I am talking about our Lord Christ Jesus Himself. Glory Hallelujah:) I get excited when I Praise His Name. But I hope that the smiles and hugs all hold that special love for mankind that allows us all to endure for just a while longer, before we start worrying again about our money, the economy, and the next year.

So, relax, it is done. Smile, it is done. Praise Him. It is done. Now go hug all your friends and loved ones and don't worry. IT IS DONE!

As the World Turns

The closer time moves towards Christmas, the more traffic, the more spending, the more stress. Stress over the gifts, stress over travel, stress over not having enough money to shop for gifts. Stress over family members, having them, and not having them. It can drive someone mad, were it not for comedy. The ability to laugh is certainly a way of relieving the stress. And this story about Blagoavisch is certainly nothing to laugh about, but hey, who sells a senate seat? This stuff is the fodder of comedians all over the world.

In my mail box on a daily basis are credit card offers, gift checks that will cost me unprecedented amounts of interest, and advertisements that promise to save me $$$ when I shop online with their organizations.

However, I like to think about the actual birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How, it was prophesied about prior to the actual event, how, it was three wise shepards that God chose to share this prophesy with, and how this event fulfilled the promise to bring all men who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. That is the biggest message of the season, and to me, 'THAT IS GOOD NEWS'.

So, while you are stressed and pulled too and fro over the stress of making things just right, every time you smile at a stranger, and greet someone out there in this stress filled world, you just might be showing the most important message given. And it doesn't cost you a thing.

Make a wonderful holiday season. And if you look to have pictures printed up, check out Clarkcolorlabs.com because they offer pictures for only $.08cents a copy. You cannot beat their prices with a stick. I have seen prices as high as $.29cents a copy, and $.08cents... think about it. Less stress!!!:)

Have a Merry Holiday Season

Retraction

Yesterday, I came in and post long commentary about jobs... i could be wrong.

"I cannot help but feel that there are jobs out there, it's just that some people feel that they are over qualified, or underqualified, or they don't pay what they are looking for. Well, honestly, you won't get anything if you don't get out there.". Maybe there really aren't as many jobs out there. I keep hearing about the auto bailout, and I wonder if anyone cares that the unemployment rate is already around 6%. Soon, if there isn't some help for those large auto makers, there's going to be a huge unemployment surge in this country, and while I have been fortunate enough to have found a job, there is going to have to be a shift in this country to employ all those people.

I just felt that for the past 6 years while I was unemployed,it hurt. I never let my mortgage slip, (didn't pay it), but it was very very hard. Being in the kind of economy that is materialistic, our hands were tied. My self, my kids... my husband, who worked very hard just to make sure that we had the basic needs. Yes we drive a very old car, but it's clean, and it is paid for. Yea our house needs repairs, but we still own our home. And if I was with those who are currently unemployed, I found myself hoping and grasping for straws.

Hey, I even thought that I could make money doing surveys online. (that was the most foolish). What I did was open my email account for junk mail, that is still filling that box to date... so of course... I have an opinion. Several years back, when my back and neck issues were serious enough to cause me to lose my job, we lost our house, they repossessed our car, we became renters, and we drove ugly old cars.

We made it through with prayer and hope... but the main thing is that we made it through. Our spending habits took on a different outlook. And at this point in time, I wish that I could say that we are debt free... but we manage our debt a lot better now.

I think that what I am trying to say is that it has been my prayer all along that congress would help those who are currently in foreclosure to help save their homes. And it's my hope that jobs will open up. As a matter of fact, I believe that once President Elect Barack Obama becomes President, and can tackle some of the paperwork on his Presidential desk, JOBS will be on top.

Thanksgiving?

Wonderful, Thankful, Grateful, Hopeful, and Blessed

It's yet another year having gone by to bring in the Thanksgiving season 2008. This year it's different though. Around every table with every meal will be prayers of thankfulness for our New President Elect Barack Obama. I know that it will be so around our table. Along with the thankfulness of having food on our table.

Prices have risen so high in the supermarkets, that I too have begun using coupons, and a little known secret that they don't announce is that Tuesday-Thursday, the prices are less than Friday - Monday. I have been watching this for weeks, and have found it to be so, but due to a busy work schedule don't always have the time to get out to the supermarket during the not so busy days of the week. But you can best believe that next week, it won't be so. If you are going to get your vegetables fresh, you can be sure that they will raise the prices next Sunday, and keep them up through Friday. Sad as it is, that's where a lot of our extra money has gone, so we don't really have a lot of money for the holidays to spend on gifts.

I have already begun making my handmade gifts. I know that they possibly seem a little hoaky, but you can best believe that when I make something from love, it is definitely cherished more from my heart!

My post crossing has been going on now for an entire year. I have received such beautiful cards from around the world, and wonderful gifts of love from people all over the world. I will ever cherish these cards. Site to view my blessed cards to come in the future.

Since my surgical procedure in September 2006, I finally found a permanent part-time position, and have now been working for more than 6 months! Glory to God! I am so thankful, because when you lay around sick and in pain, you are possibly toxic to people in your family without even knowing it. The pictures of my family two years ago, versus pictures of my family now are remarkable. There was a lot of suffering, and it wasn't on purpose, it was sickness. So I can really identify with those who are depressed, and cannot seem to make things happen in a positive direction. But honestly, as scared as I was to enter the working world, the thought of being broker than broke caused me to go to a temporary job agency, where they believed in my work experience and sent me out on jobs. This is how I began. And right now, I would recommend that way of beginning for anyone just getting started again, after having been broke, depressed, and sick. I cannot help but feel that there are jobs out there, it's just that some people feel that they are over qualified, or underqualified, or they don't pay what they are looking for. Well, honestly, you won't get anything if you don't get out there.

I want to wish you all a wonderful holiday next week. It's now been a year that I have been blogging here too! And I am very happy to say that my life has changed for the better. NOT A LOT! But enough for me have something to be thankful for.