Vicki's Blog

River Explorers

The temperature has been decent these past couple of days, which of course means that the girls and I have been most anxious to spend some time outdoors. In the past two days we have walked something like total of 12 miles! Yes, that is a pretty close guess, as I had previously measured (with a pedometer) how far it was to a couple of places that we went these past couple of days, add in a couple of more miles for what I hadn’t already measured, and that gives us a total of 12 miles. It’s not like it’s been real strenuous or anything, after all, all we’ve done is walk around town, but still, it’s been glorious to be out and about, and the exercise is always an added benefit for me as I’m trying to lose some weight. I am very happy that my girls willingly accompany me on my journeys. I know of very few other kids that would willingly walk that far without complaint!!

On our outing the first day I took them down to the river that is on the edge of town. I hadn’t taken them walking down there before, so it was the perfect opportunity to do something different. They were thrilled. Silly them being so thrilled about a river and a city dam!! In any case, it was still a bit chilly that day, and down by the river you can imagine it was even chillier, so I told them that we could go back on another day. Well that “another day” ended up being yesterday. It was windy as can be, but awalking we went..*LOL*..This time I took them down to an old fishing spot just down from the dam, and we walked around on the water’s edge. They LOVED it!!! It was sad to me though, to see all the trash, broken beer bottles, and other garbage that other people had left behind!! It used to be such a nice spot…and still is, if you can look past all the trash, and the dangers because of broken glass!! My beautiful girls said that next time we go back, they want to take a trash bag with them, so that we can clean up some of the trash!! It’s moments like that, that I praise God for HIS leading in their lives, and think to myself that I must not be messing up as bad as I think I am sometimes.

All in all, the river exploring turned out to be more than just PE, as we talked about the importance of cleaning up after ourselves, making sure trash gets to appropriate places, the dangers to humans and animals of trash and broken glass being left everywhere.

On the downside to our 12 miles…I have a blister on my foot!!! OUCH!!!! Guess my old tennis shoes just couldn’t hack the walks!! *LOL* Onward we go, and my feet will just have to toughen up!!!

Blessings everyone!!

Final Exams!!!!!

Well today was the day that I submitted my final exams for grading, for my medical transcriptioning course. I am so nervous, and yet excited that I am finally done!!! Well, done except for waiting for that final grade. Now it’s time to start job hunting. I pray all the prayers possible that God sees fit for me to be able to get a job transcripting at HOME!!!!

Studying doesn’t stop for me though. I am taking a medical billing and coding course as well, so onward I go, with a long road ahead of me, but at least with God’s help, I will be home to do the studying in amongst schooling the girls, transcripting, and living life. So far I’m doing well, but still have a long road to go.

My wrist is still messed up. Physical/occupational therapy has not done any good. Don’t know where to go from here. I am truly tempted to just stop going to the Dr. about it, because really I have compensated very well with my left hand, and don’t hardly notice the weakness in my right. The pain is bearable, and living with constant pain is nothing new to me, after all I can not tell you the last day in my lifetime that I didn’t have a headache! *LOL* My neck hurts almost always, I have arthritis in my knees, ankles, and quite possibly my hands (the hands has not been diagnosed by a Dr.), so pain is nothing new, and I rarely let it stop me from doing what I want to do. So really, is it a big deal to find out why my wrist still hurts, and doesn’t have full range of motion?? I am just so tired of Dr’s, and am facing a whole new slew of Dr’s appointments, as my Dr would like to test for Degenerative Disk Disease in my neck and back, although I am not sure when I want to do that.

School is going well for the girls. Although here lately I’ve had a tough time. Those thoughts of public school keep popping in, but I keep pushing them out. I don’t want them to go to public school, I don’t think it’s the best place for them, and yet there have been days when I just want to cry because it doesn’t seem like we are getting anywhere. Thankfully I have the girls telling me that they don’t want to go to ps, they like being home with me, and that they really are learning stuff….*LOL*…It does help me to stay committed to homeschooling when the girls tell me things like that.

Manners are also an issue I’m having right now. They seem to not know the difference between laughing/having a good time, and acting stupid! I REALLY hate it when they act stupid, make stupid faces, or make stupid noises, but have yet to find a cure for this. *LOL* Let me know if you have one!!

Anyway, that’s about enough rambling for the night I think. Hopefully I’ll get in more of an online mood, so that I will start posting as often as I should.

Hugs and Blessings to you all!!

Sale

I just love these posts that have the simplest keywords, like sale, or books, or well the list is endless really. You can do so much with those kinds of keywords. I personally am a sucker when it comes to book sales. When I have money or a place, horse sales will be a favorite as well, at least until I can find what I want. I’d like to find a pug (it’s a type of dog) on sale, though the chances of that are slim! So many sales!!!! *LOL* I love shopping clothing sales too, although I find trying on clothes to be very stressful and trying…no matter if it is me trying them on, or the girls.

I would have to say that “sale” is one of my favorite words!!! *LOL*

External Hard Drives

Okay, I know next to nothing about the inner workings of computers, but I know that I am starting to look for a new desktop computer, and some other accessories. I’m thinking that I might want/need an external hard drive so that I have a place to back up my work, that is separate from my computer, in case of a computer crash, however I’m not totally sold on this.

You see, I have very specific needs as far as a new computer goes, because with many prayers, and some heavenly intervention I will be working as a medical transcriptionist at home. For that I need a good computer, excellent speakers/sound card, comfortable keyboard, top-notch earphones, good processor, and other things. When I have the money, which will hopefully be tax time, but not for sure yet, I’ll be getting a good computer, not just an okay one. It will be a business investment.

Diet Pills

Bottles and bottles of diet pills littered the counters, medicine cabinet, and dresser tops. It was a sad sight, and yet all too commonly found. Eating disorders effected people of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Many people, parents, siblings, and friends never imagined that it could affect their world, and yet it did, over and over again. Some remained in denial, others owned up to their blindness, and yet others let the disorder ravish their life. When would it end? When would people be happy with who God created them to be?

Horse Supplies

I truly wish that I had a need for horse supplies, as I really miss having horses, being around them, riding them, caring for them, and probably more than anything, I want to pass that love of horses on to my girls, but it’s kind of hard to do when I don’t have one anymore, and don’t even have access to one that they can be around!

My Dad has a horse, but he’s not a kids horse by any stretch of the imagination.

Someday, God willing, my girls and I will live in the country, and have room enough for 3 or 4 horses, and the money for them. Then I can go on the search for just the right ones, because I couldn’t and wouldn’t buy just any horse!! It will be a matter of finding the right ones, for the girls, and for me.

TV Stands

There were literally hundreds of tv stands all around the shop. It was an amazing sight, if not a disturbing one. She was almost frightened to see the bedroom section, or the kitchen sections of the store/warehouse. She had never bothered to be interested in her father’s work, and now that it was too late, she was sad that she hadn’t. Her father had never been approachable in her mind, and so she had always had this distance from him. She had loved him, no question of that, but they hadn’t been close, they hadn’t talked about dreams or problems, they had simply co-existed.

Personalized Books

Receiving personalized books always brightened the children’s days. She was thankful that she had such wonderful friends, that would add those special touches for the children. These children could always use a little extra cheer, so many of them were so sick, and others were an emotional mess. Her life was a hard one, but she wouldn’t change anything about it, except maybe to have a little more help here with the children.

Window Blinds

The Window Blinds were closed against the chill and dark of the evening. Inside the fire blazed warmly in the fire place, a sleeping golden lab slept to the side of the front of the fireplace. On the couch a young woman sat with a child to each side of her. She was very calmly speaking to them, but she didn’t feel at all calm on the inside. Their life was changing, and there was nothing she could do to stop it, no matter how much it broke her heart.

A New Year

It’s kind of hard to believe that we are starting a new year already. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that we were starting 2008, and here we are on January 2, 2009, just by a little though *LOL* It’s only 12:50am.

Last year I put of resolutions on the lefthand side of this blog, that listed several things like “not eating out so much” *LOL* I think that was truly an unattainable thing for my then lifestyle, and I still find when money provides, that I love to eat out a lot more than I love to cook. So I don’t think that will be a resolution or goal that I will be putting back on this year’s list. *LOL*

I also put on there that I wanted to “read my Bible and help the girls read theirs everyday”…Helping them read theirs was improbable with their reading skills, although Des is much closer now than a year ago. Yet, we have found a solution. I read the Bible to them, most nights anyway. I’ve been having trouble with sore throats and a bit of laryngitis so it hasn’t been as consistant these last few weeks as before, but we still struggle on.

I DID quit smoking!!!! I am really happy about that!!! Most of the time I don’t even miss it..*LOL*…and when I do, I take a puff off of my Dad’s cigars, and I very distinctly remember why I quit smoking!! *LOL*

I didn’t complete the afghan or crib quilt. The afghan would have been finished in time for Christmas, for my nephew, but I have been unable to crochet since early October, so that kind of put a wrench in the works, much to my dismay, as well as the dismay of my nephew. *smile* The quilt is the same, I haven’t been able to work on it for 3 months, so it is not complete either…but 2009 is a new year, and I am confident that I will get them done, and move on to other projects.

Well, that’s about all that I can remember being on my list for last year, and while I know that I didn’t complete many of them…I did complete some, and will continue to work on others. I have NOT made any resolutions for 2009, and I’m not sure I will either.