A Lesson

It's Monday and my thoughts are a jumble.

My mind is a battlefield. Positive thoughts fighting for frequency with dark, worrisome thoughts.

I'm trying to remember to "let the peace of God rule and reign in my heart" and that "the Lord is my refuge, my rock, in Him will I trust".

I'll be on vacation next week.

You'd think I'd be over the moon, but all I can think is that I will go a whole week with no income. As a hairdresser, I only get paid for the work I do.

It's stupid, really, to be fretting over that. I look back to 6 years ago at this time when I was on strict bedrest with my pregnancy. At the time, mine was the only income--and it was non-existent. In all, we went 6 months with no income except for disability--- it took FOREVER to get paid--- and because of God's grace and mercy, we lived through it without losing our cars and house.

This whole scenario reminds me that I want control of my life. I want things planned, laid out neatly and comfortably. While I do need to plan things like our finances better and more efficiently, I can't rely totally on my ability. It is not up to me to provide for our family. It's up to my Father God to take care of us.

"Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LORD God is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

Posting the Lazy Way

Good Gravy! I just got slapped with a wet salmon - really - I have not updated this since you last visited... You would not believe how much more of a drama I could make that. I'm a blogger so I will though!.

I am hopped up on caffeine with setting fire to people wearing Crocs, being distracted by the shiny, just generally being a nuisance to anyone unfortunate to cross my path, my day is passing in a blur from dawn to sun down and beyond. I am putting money aside so I can run away. perchance.

I will try to remember I promised you I will update you with my nefarious activities as soon as I get a chance. Seriously! Don't hold your breath though, you're likely to turn blue..

Courtesy of The Lazy Bloggers Post Generator: http://www.aussiebloggers.com.au/blogpost.html

An Epiphany

The other night, my mind was wandering. I was idling fixing everything in my life. I move furniture, paint walls, organize my closet and fret over things I should have done better in these mind mazes of mine.

This specific time, I was thinking of the vacation I have coming and how I really can't afford a vacation but it will be well worth my time to take some time off. Otherwise, I may be paying for therapy in the very near future.

It occurred to me that if I will put away $20.00 a week, I will have $1040.00 at the end of the year! I've not been going out to lunch much, preferring to run home and grab some time with my family. I work 4 days a week and eat usually eat out with a friend once a week. If I add the money I would have used eating out say, $10.00 a day, I could have $2600.00!

That would make a rather decent vacation, don't ya think?

In my next daydream, I believe I'll go to...

Aww. Something else I have to figure out.

For My Husband...

Sometimes you make me angry. So much so that I can’t see straight. Can’t see past the moment.

Recently, I’ve just been looking at you and thinking how happy I am to be married to you. One day, I was walking behind you in the hall and we were having a disagreement and oddly, I wasn’t angry or frustrated at that particular moment.

All I could think was:
Damn. You are so fine.

Living Life 30 Minutes At the Time

*SIGH*

That about sums it up for me right now.

I find myself distracting myself with inane things, raising procrastination to a fine art.

I'm tired.

I'm burnt out.

I'm overwhelmed just thinking of all that needs to be done and frustrated that I can't get it done quickly.

I'm very impatient.

I find myself with the mindset of "let's get this done and get on to the next thing". Perhaps my job feeds that mindset. Every 30 minutes, I'm doing a color or a haircut. My job is wonderful. I love the variety and creativity of it.

But real life is not always that interesting.

There are projects around my house that are more mundane and won't be done handily in a 30 minute window.

Neither, apparently, will they be done in the space of a weekend.

I've found that a weekend holds just enough time to "get ready" to do a project, but not enough time to actually complete anything.

So I'm gearing up for...HOUSE CAMP '09.

This year for vacation I will accomplish several things--I hope.

1. Rest. No getting up at the crack of dawn and scrambling to the gym and then on through my day.

2. Plan. Map out the projects I have and break them down into manageable sections. (Preferably in 30 minute windows.)

3. Progress. Be able to look back at the end of the week and feel good at what's been accomplished.

4. PLAY. REMEMBER THAT I'M ON VACATION, FOR PETE'S SAKE!!

Now I'm going to go figure out how to procrastinate my procrastinating!

The Fifth Element

So we were supposed to my parents over 4th of July but my girl seemed to be getting sick. Runny nose, headache, cough. It seemed to be minor, but not know if it would worsen and knowing that it's awful being far from home when your sick, we decided to stay home.
Going to the grocery and the office supply store was our biggest outing. We didn't go to the fireworks and I'm glad we didn't. Today I discovered that it's highly probable that my girl had developed Fifths Disease.

http://www.fifthdisease.org/index.html

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/fifth.html

Symptoms flu-like runny nose, sore throat, headache. A rash develops several days later usually appearing on the face, first looking like sunburn or slapped cheeks, possibly spreading to the trunk area and developing a lacy type pattern. As a rule, it is contagious before the rash develops. The rash worsens with heat, exercise and stress.

Fifth disease (also called erythema infectiosum) is caused by parvovirus B19. A human virus, parvovirus B19 is not the same parvovirus that veterinarians may be concerned about in pets, especially dogs, and it cannot be passed from humans to animals or vice versa. (From kidshealth.org)

Treatment includes pain reliever, rest and fluids.

My child also has a congested cough which I didn't find in the list of symptoms in my research. I don't know if it's related or not, but it has, at times, been severe, causing her to throw up.

Thankfully, she doesn't seem all that sick--except for that awful cough.

I've been surprised at how many I've spoken with have never heard of Fifths Disease. In fact, I hadn't heard of it until about 6 years ago when I was pregnant with my girl. I just spoke with a good friend today who has 6 (count 'em!) kids and had never heard of Fifths.

Spread the word and maybe...
You won't have to "take the fifth". ;)

Apron Making Mania

This why it takes me all day to do anything...I have to stop and take pictures of this preciousness:

This is Coco. He's the cat I rescued out of the middle of the highway about 2 weeks ago. He has a broken leg (not shown here) but that has not slowed him down in the least and he is rip-roaring through the house at top speed. His purr is bigger than he is. I could eat him up with a spoon and go back for seconds.

But I digress....

This is really what I did on Sunday between cat kisses...

Project Apron!
I had planned on a VERY SIMPLE square apron that simply tied around the waist for my little girl.

But NOOOO!

"I want an apron that comes up here!" Patting chest area. "But not around the neck, 'cuz Daddy said nothing on the neck, I might get hurt!"

Sigh.

I aim to please.

I'm not known for my planning, measuring and general perfection when it comes to sewing. My motto is "Guess and Go!".

So I eyeballed the fabric, folded it in half, drew a chalk line and cut.
I trimmed the sides to even it up a bit more...

Folded over the edge for a small hem snipping notches in the rounded edge for a smoother finish.
Not bad so far...this might actually work!

Since I couldn't put anything around her neck, (grump, groan, growl) I cut two small strips, folding each edge to center and sewing to make a strap which I then attached to the bib and the back. (Here it is shown pinned before sewing.)
For a tie, I had the idea of using ribbon, so I raided my stash and found some orange satin ribbon which I sewed to the front leaving long tails free in the back for wrapping around the waist to tie in the front.

Here's my little model who is so pleased, it pains her to think about it...(this is her "I'm smiling so pretty for the camera" smile.)
After she went to bed, I added a couple of pockets at her request.
I was inordinately pleased with how it turned out. It went quite smoothly aside from a bobbin adventure about midway through. I misplaced my sewing machine manual and had to go online to find a video on how to wind the bobbin on my machine. Then I had to futz with remembering how to get the bobbin back in and rethread my machine. (Sew often?! Uh. NO.)

While still flush with this success, I'll have to keep in practice.

If nothing else, so I can remember how to work the machine.