Desert, not DESSERT....

You will be on a desert island for a year, and you can choose 4 foods that will always be in supply, and all the fresh water you need. What four do you choose?

• 1. Peanut butter
• 2. Crusty bread.
• 3. Roast chicken
• 4. Mangoes
• And what would you choose?

you tell me...

I liked this idea from Jenny.  So...here's 4 things about me, now PLEASE tell me 4 things about you!!

1. I once began to write a Romance, I wrote about 5 chapters, and got stuck during the make out scene!
2. I taught 8th grade History, and 7th grade science many moons ago.
3. I can make dogs bark and children cry when I laugh.
4. My hubs can make dogs bark and children cry when he sneezes.
(that just cracks me up)

Turning an old book into a Nook holder

1. Get yourself an old book that will fit your Nook.

2. Use an exacto knife to remove all pages.  I have to say, I felt like crying, defacing an old book like that!

3. Cut out craft foam to fit the front and back inside covers.

4. Supplies:  I needed some of that Gorilla Glue but Joanne's didn't have it so I bought some glue 6000 that causes cancer, which toxic odor never went away, so I threw that part away and used what I had here, plus a glue gun not pictured.  So, I used tacky glue, Lineco ph neutral glue, black elastic and a glue gun.  Oh, and I used some scrapbook paper to make it a little pertier inside.

5. Remember how ugly the crack was after removing the book?  So I used the lineco to glue down some pretty paper.  This stuff dries SUPER fast, it was great.  About 2 minutes.

  I put a heavy curved book in the center because the middle was curved, to help it dry in the right place.  This photo is actually when I put books on for other gluing.  But you get the idea.

6. On the right craft foam, glue on a piece of wood that will keep the nook in place.  

7. Tacky glue some cardboard to the back of that same piece, place heavy book to make flat, I went out to dinner, and when I got back it was dry.  I then hot glued the black elastic pieces on the top to hold Nook in place.  I then tacky glued and hot glued that piece into the book.

8. I then glued the left piece of craft foam onto book with tacky glue, and then covered the foam (on the left piece only) with the perty paper using the Lineco.  Again, placed heavy books on it to help everything dry flat beautifully.  

9. Finished.  This is what the inside looks like complete!

with the Nook in place.

How it looks on the outside.  

So that's it.  I made it in one day.  The only thing I may add later is a few side sticks (next to the Nook), and some antique buttons with an elastic to keep it closed.  Isn't it so cute??!!  I think so too!  Please leave your comments with any ideas.  Thanks.

Spring has sprung...

Though the weather has been totally schizoid, it is now officially Spring. I personally LOVE the rain and cloudy days with it's coolness, but my hubs whines about it often. What I love most about this season is the longer hours of sunlight. By the time I get home from work each day, I still get a few hours of light, yay! (and ummm....no, this is not a view from my kitchen window, just a view I'd love to have from my kitchen window)

Let's see, it's been quite a while, so I guess I should back up a bit and fill in the blanks of what's been going on in my little corner of the world. The dtr is now 20, and enjoying college. Well she enjoys the social aspect, and ceramics anyway. She has taken to the wheel, which she absolutely loves. She is also heading off to Haiti again this summer to work in the orphanage. She was there last summer, but for only 9 days, which really wasn't long enough for her. This summer she'll go for approx. 6 wks. Yes, that is 5 wks too long in my book, but I'm the mom, what do you expect? I'm totally proud of her, she has such a heart for God, and for His kids. She is also working her dream job now being a Barista!

The boy is busy being 17 now. He is in an advanced AP Art class that has really challenged him outside of his particular interest. Here is one of my faves, a self portrait:

He has a great sense of humor, and this catches that. He's a junior this year, and it's been tough, but I know he'll make it through. He's got some great friends that he gets together with to play some xbox shooting bad guy kind of game. You can see how in tune I am. He will be getting his pig and sheep within the next 2 wks, so we are looking forward to that, it is great fun.

The hubs is still riding competitively and doing great. Month by month he seems to be climbing up towards the front. I am very proud of him.

Me; lets see. I've been working as a hospice nurse for nearing 1 1/2 yrs now. I would definitely say that the honeymoon is over. It is definitely harder then it was at first. I still love what I do, and wouldn't change for the world but there are days when I come home sit in a chair, and not move for 6 hrs. It is really more of an emotional exhaust than physical. I am really trying to learn how to build better boundaries, so I don't empty myself quite so much. It is an amazing job though, and I feel so privileged to be able to share Christ with those who ask to hear. A wk ago, I had such an honor. Before he died, he finally had peace show in his face and heart. He actually looked up and thanked me. This doesn't happen often from the pt's themselves.

I've started dieting too (Jenny Craig), since I put on 10 extra lbs in my first year working. I had blood work done previous to diet, and was told I was pre-diabetic, my cholesterol and fats were way too high. Once I got over my depression with that I started Jenny. It is going well, slow but steady. I've also started to do more exercise at home since I just wasn't getting myself to the gym like I should. I'm doing DanceCentral 2 for cardio on the Fitness, and want to start doing some of the BEGINNER yoga for strength training and stress reduction. I've lost 14 lbs so far, but the best part is that my clothes are loose, whooohooo! My new love is paper cutting, but I'm a total newbie to it. It is sooo fun. Here are my 2 tries so far. I want to start a new one today for a friend of mine who moved. I'm going to sketch out some ideas today. I want to do tons of detail, but I need to remind myself that I am not that good! I have GOT to keep it simple. I've also become quite addicted to Pinterest, here's my page if you wish to visit.

I'd say I've babbled on long enough. Please do forgive my ramblings, but it's been a long time since I was last on. God's many blessings to you.

Eight Months In...

Well I have been with Hospice for 8 months now, and still learning every day. I think I will be for the next 10 or so years. I feel more comfortable with the routine, and the paper work is finally becoming second nature. I've gained the obligatory 10 lbs.

No, I'm not happy about that, dang it. Every nurse kept telling me during training how they had put on the weight, but I thought it was only the office gals. Well no, it's pretty much the emotional stress. You know, I always think I'm doing fine with the emotional aspect of this job, but after some months, I see how it effects me. I really need to hold myself back a bit from my pt's. I give too much of myself, and then find myself pretty darned empty when I get home. I always knew that the whole "boundaries" thing

would be my personal challenge, and it is!

On the home front, we are doing well. The dtr just finished her first year in college, and a short mission trip to Haiti. She has had a very growing year. She continued to help the homeless in Long Beach, and lead the Jr. High girls of her core group. So...as you can see, she hasn't had much time for a job. She's gotten by with babysitting jobs, and house cleaning once a wk for me. My dear boy is finishing 10th grade. He's had his struggles, but he is really working hard to try to fix some low grades. For fun, he is riding his road and street bike, selling tomatoes (he made over $100!!), making water rockets and working on the farm. The hubby is riding his bike, doing well on his races and rides.

For fun, I've started riding my new bike

that is a much faster one than my old Huffy. It's actually fun because I go zooooom, zoooom, zooooom. I scrap with my friends usually once a month all day instead of each wk since our scrap store closed.


Well I guess that's about it for now. I'm sorry for not being on more, though I'm sure no one has reeeeally missed me. Have a great week, y'all!

Love, LOve, LOVE...

It seems only right...you know, being the love month and all, to speak of love. I absolutely love my job. It seems everyday I am working, I am just in awe, that I love just about everything about it. Since I've started having all my own pt's, I've had approximately 6 of my pt's pass. It has been such a privilege to walk with families through this hard time of their lives. One of the pt's died as the wife and myself were taking care of him. That was quite strange, and yet somehow also amazing. God is so good. The families that know Him, have His hope and His comfort, and even a small taste of His joy to come. I am still trying to figure out how to share Him and His hope while being respectful of those with other beliefs. Sometimes it's tricky.




The kids are doing pretty good. The daughter is still really liking Jr college, and at least this semester got some general ed classes. She continues to help with Jr high ministries, and homeless people in long beach. She is still really trying to find out what to major in, what to do as a job. She loves the idea of working with non-profit organizations that help third world countries, but she also loves art...so, yeah, she's confused and searching.


The boy passed his classes this last semester, yay! He is plugging in to the high school ministries. He has some great guy friends that get together to watch movies, play X-box, dance somethin, and hang out.


The hubby has been cycling as usual, and doing great at it. He's had some changes at work that have been EXTREMELY challenging. He's literally counting down to each weekend, summer, and retirement. Ummm, yeah, retirement is YEeeeears away, but he knows the count, believe me.

We took a long wknd up in Mammoth. The kids and dad went skiing, while I relaxed at the cabin. And of course, we all frolicked in the snow.

January 1st, 2011, Welcome!

I haven't been on for so long, mostly because I am trying to get the hang of my new job as a hospice nurse. I am still absolutely LOVING my job. There is not a day that goes by, that I can believe how happy I am. It just seems to be such a perfect fit for me. I was thinking last night, that one of my prayer requests concerning a nursing job was answered. Before my hospital job, I prayed that #1 that God would use me for His glory, and #2, that I would have joy in my job, and lastly #3, that my coworkers would be my friends, and an extension of my family. I am happy to say, all 3 are true in this new nursing job. On Thursday, while visiting a patient, the wife and myself were cleaning him up...and he passed away. We were both VERY surprised. After the shock wore off, all went very well. The family was amazing and so thankful for me being there for the process of getting him ready to leave with mortuary assts. I sometimes feel guilty for all the appreciation I get from families.

The daughter is doing well in Jr. College and finished her first semester. The son is doing pretty well in high school, but still struggles in his English class. He is working hard now attempting to fix his bad grade. The hubby is still plugging along at the Jr hi, trying to teach even though there's a whole lot of pressure from the "clipboards" to teach to the tests. It's different, and he definitely is not feeling the joy that he's had for all these years. I'm sad for him.

Well a big Happy New Year, folks! I hope you are knowing God's closeness in your life. If not, I hope you are knowing your faith is not dependent on what you are feeling, but who God is. Have a great 2011.

Freedom don't come free...

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.- Father D. E. O'Brian, USMC

Hospice Nursing...

I have gotten a new job, finally, and I have to say that it is not just a job, but a very definite love. I have planned on going into hospice nursing in the future, but after loosing my last job at large hospital, I had one darned of a time getting a new job. I was practically offered a RN job giving testosterone to all male clients 5 days a wk, 8 hrs a day, with an hour or more commute each way. Even though the wknds and holidays off thing was tempting, along with the pay, I just had to say no. It just didn't feeling my "caring" quota that I needed. So, after months of no hospital offers, I figured I would start looking into hospice jobs. When I called 8 hospices, all but 2 said they were hiring. I did not hear from any of them, but one that was not hiring. Within a day I had an interview, and the following day I had a "ride-along", and within 3 days of that, an interview with the CEO! I absolutely LOVED this godly woman, and we both had hearts of mercy for the dieing. This company was just so amazing. During the interview, she hired me on the spot! Wow....that has never happened in all my life! When she asked when I could start, I told her yesterday. Since it was Friday, she told me to come in on Monday to begin. And wham-bam, I started my training! It is strange compared to hospital nursing bc you work M-F, wknds and holidays off, and it pays the same as a hospital, with only 1/5 the stress!! I will work one big, and one little holiday each year, but I can live with that!! I have been going on four weeks, and I am loving it. I still have sooo much to learn, but I just feel like I have found my niche. I feel like this is where I want to be for the next 20 yrs.

And you know what they say....how time flies when you're having a good time???

Well it has zoomed by.

The fam are doing well. My hubby is much relieved to see some checks coming in...even though we're being crazy taxed bc of two incomes! The daughter has transitioned very smoothly into college, and she's still very busy helping with the homeless and being a jr high leader at our church. My boy is plugging along his sophomore yr of high school. He still works on the farm (at school) twice a wk, and getting more into biking like his dear 'ole pa. He rode his unicycle at the Halloween cyclo-cross, and was a big deal! People were darned impressed, especially since the track was muddy, and had obstacles to hop. He was dressed as an 80's DJ, and my hubby was a lumberjack.

That's it for now, though I do have a very serious prayer request. A friend from high school, wife was accidentally shot, and appears to be paralyzed from the shoulders down. Please pray for her that God will knit together the nerves and will heal this family which is devastated. Thanks so much.

"Father, hear our prayer."

cool and crispy fall leaves..

I absolutely LOVE Fall, it is my fave season of all. So yesterday was the official first day of fall. I love the cool nights, but dang there is some mean pollen attacking at night bc I am still waking up or going to bed with a terrible headache. Ya know...the older I get, the more allergies I get.

Nothing too new with me. I've been on the hunt of course, the wonderful world of the job hunt. Tomorrow I have an interview for a hospice nurse position. I am so darned excited, I could spit. It's for a full time position, and I'd have my own territory and 'team'. It sounds perfect. I've worked with hospice in the hospital and with my sister of course. It is an amazing honor and privilege to be there and help families and patients at the end. Please pray for me. I am also applying for some ICU positions as well, and will probably have a few interviews coming up for those.

Aaaaand along with that I've put on some pounds that I need to lose, which have been piling up as I try to comfort myself bc of the unemployment issue. I know a big sin for me weight-wise is the eating at night time. I have been over doing the carbs at night. So, I came up with a little plan for myself. If I am going to eat, I have to weigh myself first. It will keep me honest. So last night, I didn't do it. I need to keep doing this.... probably forever. ;0

I've also changed up my workouts at the gym. I am now doing interval training on the treadmill which is really helping me to keeping my heart rate up, and I'm adding the elliptical machine. Although....just between you and me, I suck at that thing, and I can only last about 5 min.! My friends tell me to keep with it, and I will be able to stay on it longer and longer if I just keep it up.

I don't know if I've told you before, but I am a total addict of Korean Soaps. Not soup. Not suds, but Soaps, as in day-time dramas. The one I am watching now is adorable, it is called 'The Jewel Family'. I watch it on channel 18-3 on the digital stations. It is so cute.

My family is doing fine, plugging away at various school work and activities. Have a lovely week, and again...Happy Fall!!