I'm home!!!

I'm not suppose to be, but I am! :) I packed up Kristin's things and came home. She will be staying here for the next few days and we will go back when her parents get to town. I love being home!!!! I missed it more than I thought!!! I got to make dinner in my own house and eat with my roomie (and Kristin and Joe)... and then sit on my couch in my living room and drive to the Kroger in BG.... Can you tell that I really love my home?!?!?!?!?

Anywayz, my afternoon was pretty much spent getting the computer in my care and then up to the spare bedroom for Kristin be able to start working tomorrow. Other than that... I did enjoy the storm. Although for the first time in a really long time... I got a little nervous! I loved storms when I was little and the last few years I have not liked them when it was dark, but today... I didn't get as excited and even was a little nervous (I think I already said that.) :) So yeah... no new stories about Scotland or anything else exciting today. Guess I'll go.

Things to smile about today:
:) BEING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I learned a lot today... It was kinda random and not really what I sought out for, but interesting none the less. I called my mom to explain to her that I was no longer employed until Aug. and somehow we got into a conversation about our family heritage. Oh! That's right... she wants me to go on vacation with her and Mike, another family couple and some friends from the lake. They are going to N. Carolina, where the Scottish games will be taking place (now, bringing us back to our family tree...). The Armstrong (my mom's maiden name) family is Scottish. In fact, we still own a castle over in Scotland! Not that we know any of our relatives over there, but it is still in the family. Anywayz, I found out that the Armstrong clan use to go by another name. They weren't known for the kindness. I forget the term my mother used, but it was explained that we were theives and during the "depression" time over there, we would steal food and goods from Ireland in order to provide for ourselves (apparently they lived right on the border). Then one day... a lord was in trouble and running from someone and one of our "clan" was riding a horse, pulled the lord onto the back of the horse using his one free arm (as the other had to guide the horse)... and from then forward, our family name became Armstrong! Who da thunk.

I got my desk cleaned out of all personal decorations and papers, took my slippers back to my classroom, and left the school for the last time as the Admin. Assistant. It doesn't feel weird yet. I"m sure as I set up the classroom and when we have our first orientation it will really sink in. I am looking forward to it! I can't wait to get into the classroom and get the shelves in order. It is driving me nuts! But, I do believe I will take at least tomorrow off before going back in. Overall, the think that excites me the most is that I don't have any more "alarm" days until the end of August! (minus Sundays) I'm not sure what I am going to do with all of this free time, but a week in N. Carolina and a week in Cali (yes I get to go!!!!!) should fill the month of July pretty well. :)

Things to smile about today:
:) Two vacations in one month! (The first vacation(s) that I will be going on since 1992)
:) Rain and thunder

It's a good thing that I learned green means go yesterday... :) Today I got to spend $75 to get my picture taken. I can't believe how much it costs to get a new driver's license! Something should be done about this... but I've already forked over the money, so I guess it may be to late.

I don't really have a whole lot to blog about today. I could repeat how tomorrow is my last day in the office (minor rejoicing party going on :) ) and how my mother is continuing to heal, but that's all been said... so... I'll leave you with words of wisdom:

Eso si que es.

Green means go...

... it does not mean stop. Amazing how that works! I was driving through town today and stopped at a green light. There was no one behind me and no one coming from the other direction, but I'm sure anyone who noticed thought I was nuts. :)

I hope this week goes fast. I want to be in my own home. I want to clean my own home (yes, I actually said I want to clean... but note that I also said "my home"... not yours. If I get that desperate I'll let you know. :) ) I haven't slept the last few nights. It's really starting to get to me. So to conclude with what I started with... I hope this week goes fast.

This weekend was interesting. Spent a few hours at the Weston Days. Not a whole lot goes on there... but they are trying to build it up. Met so many people I can't count them all. Mostly hung out with Joe. He is a good guy... from what I know and what people say... but I'm not sure we are at the same place when it comes to the church and the role it has in our culture. A big issue in my opinion. But I'll wait to decide more once we talk more about it.

Things to smile about today:
:) hanging out with my bestest buddies at the softball game
:) two days of work left
:) awesome praise and worship music
:) sunshine

My mom is doing well. Her recovery period didn't go as smooth as she would have liked. She was throwing up from the "sleeping" medicine... (I can' spell those big medical terms.) But, she is home now, at 10:00 and going promptly to bed.

Other than that, today was pretty normal. Nothing exciting really happened. I do have some funny friends though! Sara... you can call anytime and be an over excited friend! :)

Today was a good day...

Thank you Lord. You are so good to me. Forgive me for not thanking you on the hard days and help me become more like Ruth... and her never ending faith.


Wow... what a change today was. This morning, Kristin got up and greeted me. Locked the door behind me without grumbling, took her medicine without needing to be told, finished up 7 reports, and had a plesant evening without any troubles! A completely different girl than I have seen for the last few days. Grandma was here last night while I had to go to a meeting. I wonder if that had anything to do with it? :) No matter... thank you for a day of rest, Lord.

Today was my director's last day at work. It didn't feel like the last day. There weren't any feelings of sadness... no worries... no reason to feel panic. And yet, one of the most significant parts of the school walked out with her. I know that this is God's school... and that has shown through the hiring process of a new director... and I am confident in Him. I know that the school will continue to flourish. I know that she will be back to teach lessons... and I know that I will still confide in her on a frequent basis! (I hope you won't mind. :P )

So I went to a church in Weston tonight. There was a small Bible study going on that I was invited to. It took all of my nerves and a gentle push from God for me to go. I wanted to go, but didn't. I knew that I would be the new face in a small group and that it would be obvious that I had never been there. I knew that attention would be drawn upon me. And I don't like attention! Everyone was so welcoming. I knew two people there... Beth Veller's parents. I also kinda new another person there. He was the one that invited me. We have been emailing for a little over a month now... introduced to each other through a friend. I don't think I have ever felt so awkward in my life! This was the first time I had "officialy" met him. He lead the music part of the worship for the Bible study and then we went on to talk about faith, miracles and healing. (They are studying the Spiritual gifts). The evening was very traditional. Singing out of hymnals.... okay, so maybe it was only the music that was traditional. Either way, I haven't worshiped like that in a long while and it was kinda hard. Something I am not use to! I can't say that I felt a connection with God like I normally do through music, but then again... I was a little distracted. :) Afterwards, I found out that tonight was rare. They normally have power point and sing in a different style, but all of their media went during the Sunday service this past week! So they resorted to the piano and the hymnal. Anywayz, more thoughts on that, but this is already getting to long... (and I'm still processing).

My mom is having surgery tomorrow afternoon. They say it is going to be outpatient and that she should be home around dinner time. My grandmother and aunt will be there both Thursday and Friday. I'm glad someone will be home. I know that my step dad has to keep the business open. (They are the only two who work in that branch.)

Well, I'm going to go. I am exhausted after not sleeping last night. I hope that everyone had a good day.

Here I am
Once again

But I'm not going to pour out my heart... at least not now.

Anywayz, today was pretty good. I got some things done at work, went to the softball game and then came back to Weston. After Kristin went to bed, I decided to go for a walk. There was a ball game going on at the field, so I decided to walk down there. I'm guessing the boys were about 9 years old. They were having a good time and quite a few people were out watching. I then walked around the block in order to get back to the house. There were people in groups everywhere! If one house sat dark, it was because the next house was full of people. And some kids were skating in the little skate park that they have. It was good to hear the children laugh and people having a good time.

My mom is having surgery on Thursday. It is minor. They are removing her galbladder (sp?). They are also doing a biopsy on her liver. I wish I could tell you why, but my mother forgot to ask. :) Only she could forget to ask! She says that it is nothing and that they just want to take a look since they are already in there. We'll see...

Well... gotta go. I'm off to read before going to bed. I'm actually kinda tired.

Is it selfish to request that someone listen to their cd with headphones when:

a: you don't really care for the style of music
b: you know that it will be non stop for at least two hours
c: you know that it is generally a house rule anyway

?

I felt selfish asking her to use her headphones, but I really didn't want to listen to that music. Not that it's bad... I just wasn't in the mood. And then, to top it off, she was listening to it to loud and lost the priveledge for the last half hour.

This is tough!

My independence has been squashed, I'm trying to enforce house rules that have some gray lines and I can't handle these trains! :) Sorry... a moment of aggrevation. I am constantly having to listen to objections and decide if they are valid. Some I could say they were some, I can't. But where do you draw the line. I haven't raised her. I"m not sure where the lines get drawn. And in the end, we're talking about listening to music and if she gets 10 or 11 hours of sleep. I have learned some about my parenting style.. even though I am not a parent.

Ok... so on to other things. My grandfather is doing well, now. I hadn't heard from my father for a week or two (normally this is a good thing even though death was being spoken). Grandpa changed his diet a little (something that should have been done years ago) and he is out fishing... still in Canada... 1 week longer than normally scheduled... and might be home this week.

My brother was loading his four-wheeler into the back of his truck, "lost control" (he has yet to describe what really happened) and shattered the back window of his new F350 King Ranch. a.k.a. really expensive huge truck!

My bedroom looks like it had a tornado go through it. Danielle... don't try to open the door. :) I have gone to a new level of cleaning. All of my clothes are on my bed. A new desk (that I put together) is against one wall. Boxes are on the floor, depleting the walking space and at least two trash bags full of trash take up the remaining amount of room. My goal... to completely clean and organize at the same time. How do I do this? By taking everything out and then putting it back in with order. So... everything is out and one day soon I'll put it back in a different order. Hopefully the desk will help solve the issue of no place for my computer/printer to go. (Along with some other "office" stuff). I'm getting rid of the college storage tubs and probably pitching most everything in them since I haven't used or even looked at what is in there for a year or two now.

Oh yeah!.... SIX MORE DAYS OF WORK! (Do you think I"m excited about this?) Well, I am. It will be so nice to have the whole month of July off. The sad part is that I decided I couldn't go to Cali. I know that the air fare is low... but not this summer. Hopefully I'll be able to plan on going over a break... and worse case, next summer. My friend is a little bummed... I'm a little bummed... but she said that she has a lot of vacation time coming and she may be coming to Ohio to see family anyway.

Humm..... I think that's it.

Things to smile about today:
:) Organization
:) friends and laughter
:) extreme home makeover .... when are they coming here?
:) beautiful weather

Is it only sat.?

I can't believe how slow my week is going. And if I hear another train... well, I don't know what I"ll do becuase I know for sure that I will hear plenty more trains in the next few days. They say you get use to it. How long does it take? Not sure if I ever could.

Anywayz, I took another walk through Weston today. There is a whole residential area I didn't even know existed. I haven't walked through it yet... just walked down Central, but more people live her than I thought. I'll have to explore the neighborhoods later this week. Anyone want to join me?

I've watched a lot of HGTV lately. Now I just need a room to incorporate my ideas! (I guess a couple thousand dollars would help too) :)

Well, that's about it. Nothing exciting. Nothing dramatic.

Thank you, community

Tonight was so good. I love how we come together and support one another. The before and after was a little rough (sp?). We went to dinner at Easy Street where it was crowded and loud. The crowded issue didn't sit well with me and by the time we spent over an hour in there trying to talk over the noise, I was ready to go. In fact, I had to go for a walk when we got to the Dilbone's just to clear out my mind. And now, that we are back at the house, I have heard nothing but grumbling. She didn't get to listen to her talk show on the radio. I tried to explain to her that we had fun at a friend's house and now it was late and she just needed to go to bed. I know that her grumbling is a way to process what she is thinking, but I don't know if I can hear "When mom and dad get home..." again. It goes on and on. I just remind myself that it is her processing and then I try to tune it out. I should probably go into the other room so I can't hear her.

Anywayz, as frustrating as the above may sound... it isn't torture and it is the smallest part of our evening. We had a good time.

I love spending time at the Dilbone's. It feels like home. I don't think I have told you (Chris and Sara) this before, but being at your house takes the longing away of not being around my immediate family. It gives me peace to be in your home and I truely feel apart of your family. Thank you.

Well, I think I will veg in front of the tv for a while. It's a multi purpose event really. :) Drowning out and drifting off.

By the way, when we were at ES... the weirdest conversation took place at the table beside us. I really don't try to listen in on people's conversations, but this one could not be helped. The group of four adults were saying that there is nothing better than when you come home and you hear running down the hallway and they jump into your arms and you get a wet kiss. It all sounded normal and sweet until the wet kiss part... so of course I had to continue listening. I soon figured out that they were talking about their dogs! Please... if I ever comment that the best thing in the world is coming home and hearing my pet run down the hallway to jump into my arms and give me a big wet kiss... slap me.

The computer is shaking...

Wow! The last few days have been drastically different. I can't even begin to describe. I don't feel like I am wrestling anymore. I hope this chapter last for a while. I want to continue to grow, but I would prefer to do it without being stubborn! :) Is that even possible for me to do? I don't know... we'll find out.

Anywayz, I am loving this weather and absolutely can not wait to join my friends on their new patio. The picture looks awesome Dilbone's! My heart wanted to be there as soon as the picture popped up! I'm not sure when I will be out, but hopefully soon.

I'm staying with a friend for the next couple of weeks while her parents are out of town. This will be a new experience for me as I will be the main care provider and actually have to run a household on a schedule and keep others on task, take care of animals and actually cook meals that are thought out. Living on your own (or at least cooking as if you were on your own {hope we can share more meals together roomie, now that it is summer}), you tend to cook very little or find things that do not need cooked. Most often I end up with a bagel for dinner! :) So needless to say, cooking a full meal once if not twice a day will be new for me. I'm starting to wonder if I will have enough creativity. I don't want to eat the same things all of the time! :)

So yeah... that's the update. Not much new. Just loving the experience of being close with God after having struggled for so long.

The train is coming. I won't be able to hear for a min.

I leave you with this quote haning on their wall.

God is too good to be unkind. He's too wise to be mistaken, and when we cannot trace His hand, we can trust His heart.

Trust... that's what I'm learning to do.

P.S. I type my titles at the end. So train + title = "ok, now that makes sense..."

Battle and Peace

I use battle instead of war because I don't believe that God would start a war with his children. Where is this coming from? Well, I have been praying for peace about being single for some time. Last night, on my walk with God, He made it clear to me that peace doesn't come without some struggling. This mainly served as a new stage of peace (I know... sounds odd) knowing that I didn't have to feel bad about wrestling things out with God. I am allowed to express my opinion... as long as I listen to God's view and then come to an understanding. And now life makes a little more sense. I've been in this weird stage where things feel rocky and not as if they connect. And it is because they don't connect. But I am determined to continue to listen to God and line my heart up with His and have things be connected once again.

Crabapple

That was the mood of the day.

Apparently when I woke up this morning and tried to convince myself that it wasn't Monday (see post below), I knew how crabby I was going to be and didn't want to go through the day like that. The day was very interruptive, my allergies were driving me nuts and I have a relative coming to town... causing me to be stressed out! :)

Anywayz, there were good things that happened today. My drug fairy blessed me again. Cool huh?!? I have a drug fairy. I don't know who it is. They have managed to keep their identity a secret... for a while now that I think about it. This person or persons pays for my prescriptions and any other medicine that I need to pick up. So when I picked up my prescription today and got a second allergy medicine... it was at no cost. Part of me wishes that I knew who the person was so I could thank them. Okay, not part of me. All of me. I'm not one for surprises or unknowns.

So I had a great conversation with God tonight. I have been in a valley for some time now with temporary bursts of sunshine. I feel like spiritually I have been in a complaining mood for way to long. So when I told God that I was tired of being in this slump and complaining mood He said "Me too." At first I was a little surprised. I didn't think I was being heard. I've had this convesation before but it felt like it bounced right back only in an echo and louder. But tonight... I finally heard His voice. He continued to tell me (once I shut up) that I needed to choose to quit complaining and start praising and thanking. This is so fundamental and I felt like I knew it as soon as He said it. Like I had known it for some time actually. So I started thanking Him for anything and everything around me.

What I learned tonight: fast walking + talking with God = a good way to stop being a crabapple.

Things to smile about today:
:) my drug fairy
:) dinner with a friend
:) a walk with God
:) clean house (thanks roomie)

Monday morning

I am now convinced that it is monday morning. When the alarm went off this morning at 7:00 I wasn't sure what day it was. I thought that it was Sunday and that I needed to get ready and go to church. But at the same time, I knew that it wasn't Sunday because I spent the whole day at church yesterday... yet for some reason I didn't believe that it was Monday. So, 20 min. later I convinced myself that it was Monday and that I needed to get up and get ready for work. During that 20 min. I thought about different options (half asleep mind you) on how to inform myself of what day of the week it was. Until I was fully awake and thought through the process a little more, I had thought that color coding the numerals on clock so that each day was a different color would work. But when you are half asleep why would you want to remember the colors?!? Anywayz, all of the above may not make any sense, but it sure is giving me something to laugh about today. :)

More things to smile about:
:) Cooking dinner for a friend
:) Researching (and hopefully buying) a plane ticket to Cali.

Paint, paint and more paint

I helped my brother paint his house yesterday. There are now 8 gallons of primer/paint on the walls. We were able to get two colors for only $4.00 a gallon. Did you know that if you go to Sherwin Williams and ask if they have any mistint paint, they will show you what colors they have and if you like one, they sell it for way less. The B-town SW sold it to us for (as mentioned above) $4.00! So, there is paint and he moved into his house. With mom's help, I also made curtains for him so the whole world couldn't see in. He lives a short distance from a main route out of B-town and with the wide open spaces, no curtains on the windows... everyone would have been able to see in.

The best part of the day was when dad took us out to dinner and I ordered an 8oz. sirlion steak. Yes, I ordered steak... and it was the best meal I have had in a while!!!!!! Not that I am going to start putting red meat into my diet on a daily basis, but it was good.

Goodness... I need to go to bed. I should probably start blogging when I have more energy to think and actually blog.

Today was a good day. My roomie and I were lazy this morning then went for a walk this afternoon. I think it was more hot on our way back than it was when we started. We also went grocery shopping and then I had to go to worship practice. There was a new guy there tonight playing electric guitar. Overall it sounded pretty good. As long as our hearts are in the right place on Sunday, the music set of the worship should be good! :)

Grandpa is doing better. They are thinking of coming home friday in order to miss the weekend traffic.

Lets see... what else?

I arranged my classroom. I'm not sure if everything will stay where I have it, but it looks pretty good. My main goal was to get enough room around the circle for both sitting and being able to walk behind... something that couldn't be done with the old set up. I also moved the art section closer to the sinks and put the bell cabinet in a location where hopefully it will get more use. Sorry if that doesn't make sense... I guess you'll just have to come see it! I'm getting more excited about teaching next year. I was never not excited, but now that I am able to get into the classroom and shape things and work on things that will enhance the children's learning experience... I am finding more and more motivation. The next step is to get my albums out and set the shelves for the open house. I know I know... the open house isn't until Aug., but with everything else that I want to get done (cleaning Montessori heaven) I need to get some of these things done now. Besides, I want Tricia to be able to rest as much as she can. (She just had one of two reconstrutive surgeries this summer.)

Well, I'm going to go. I just got really sleepy. I'm wondering if my roomie is coming home tonight?!? Guess I'll find out in the morning.

Good night.

It's 7:00 on a Sunday night and I'm sitting here trying to decide what to blog about and how I want to word the things that will come out. I can't promise that this post will be bubbly happy... I don't feel bubbly happy.

I went to my hometown today to trade my care with my step-dad's truck and then pick up a gas grill that my dad is giving me. While at home, I found out that my dad's parents had gone to Canada. I didn't think much about it because it used to be a norm for them every summer. I did find it odd because I didn't think grandma had the energy... they didn't even make it in Florida all winter. But nonetheless... they went and I thought nothing more about it. After sitting on the front porch for awhile, my dad told my youngest siblings to go inside. He and my step-mom then starting asking Wes (my brother) if he would be willing to move into his house that he was prepping to rent out so that my grandmother could move in with them. I continued to learn that they went to Canada so that grandpa could "fish up there one last time." And he hasn't even been able to fish. I think he has gone twice. Instead, he has been throwing up and getting very weak. As of now he isn't even sure if he can drive home. My grandparents are not that old. They aren't even old! Early 60's, maybe mid. And yet, both of their health is going down hill. Grandma has had several heart attacks... we all agree that it is her stubborness that has kept her here. Grandpa... had cancer 2 or 3 years ago and refuzed treatment after the first round of chemo. He is pretty sure it is back... and it sounds like it is coming quickly.

I haven't lost anyone close to me in a long time. I lost a friend in High School and my great grandfather when I was 6. Other than that... all my relatives are either healthy or I was to young to remember them. I prepped myself for my grandma's death years ago... not that it will make it any easier. In fact, I'll probably have to go through the whole process again. But my grandpa... I hadn't even thought about it until now. I don't even really get to see them that often. Three or four times a year. Which is horrible considering how all of my aunt's and uncle's have stayed in the immediate area and my cousins and I are the first generation to even move out of the county.

I gotta go.

If you were to graffiti a building...

... not saying that you would because it is illegal... what message would you want the world to know? (credit of this question goes to my roomie).

I'll post the answer we decided once I hear some of yours. :)

So anywayz, today was a spontaneous day. We had one goal in mind and after that... we made up our trip as we went. We started at St. Anne's, visiting Nancy. She is doing well. Continue to pray for her as they are trying new medicines over the weekend. Our trip then took us to a shopping center, Krispy Kreme, Cedar Creek church, and Chili's!

Some interesting thoughts came out of the church visit. Ironically (or not) enough, he taught on Acts 2:42. It was good to worship through the music. It was weird, however, because both of us felt like we were the only two raising our hands and then at the end of the song set, they had us sit down for the last one and both of us wanted to stand. But no one else was and so we didn't. It was then that I realized how far our church has come through worshiping with music and how thankful I am for the freedom that exists within our building's walls.

There are more thoughts roaming around, but I can't articulate them. Guess I'll have to go to sleep and let them keep stiring! :)

Good night.

Ce___lebrate good times, come on! Woo hoo!

You guessed it! School is out! :) I enjoy those kids, but summer vacation always deserves a good hoot and hauler.

A few weeks before school was out, one of the parents asked all of the teachers to put one or two titles on a piece of paper, that we would like to read over the summer. I put down Where the Sidewalk Ends. I don't own a copy (didn't). So anywayz, the titles were then put on cute bookmarks and hung on a tree for parents to take and purchase the books for the staff. This morning, I got the book sitting on my desk. I didn't know who put it there until I opened the cover and found this note on fun scrapbook paper along with a picture of the child. This is what the note said:

Miss Erica,
I would like to share with you how special this book is to our family. I don't know if you are awware that J was born pre-mature and was very critical for quite some time. The firt 12 1/2 weeks of his life were spent in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care. We would visit him everyday. Some times twice a day.
Many times we weren't able to hold him, so I would read to him so that he could hear my voice. This was one of the ooks I would read, to give myself comfort as well as him. I never could have imagined back then that one day he would be reading it to me. This continues to be one of his favorite books, and it was only fitting he should choose to pass it on to you.
Enjoy the memories you create.
The F Family.

I don't tear easily, but this almost got me started.



Things to smile about today:
:) succesful surgeries
:) Where the Sidewalk Ends
:) friends and movies
:) encouragment

June 1st

Can you believe that it is June 1st already? I can't. Time is going way to fast. Granted I'm ready for the summer break and the warm weather is a plus, but still... I turn "old" in less than 2 months! (yeah, yeah... I know... that's why I put " " around it.)

Just think of all that will be changing: Health insurance up, car insurance down, new drivers license, renewed tags... overall... I'm shelling out more than I'm saving! yeah!!! (not)

Anywayz...

Things to smile about:
:) sucessful surgery for my co-teacher
:) ice cream

How desperate is it when you pay over .30 cents in pennies for ice cream!?! Well, I did. I went out for lunch... got subway, then drove accross town to get ice cream! :) Is it obvious what I'll be going through in the next 10 days?! :)

Okay, gotta go. My lunch is over and I have a "few" things to accomplish today.

P.S. If you haven't read the New Living Translation of the Bible... it's a good translation. I love it!