Widsom In a Cookie

So I was driving, on my way home from work this evening, trying to decide what to fix for dinner. I made yesterday a frozen pizza night (admit it, you have them too *Smile*) so I felt I needed to make tonight a good homemade dinner night. It was a toss up... Chicken 'n Dumplings or Country Fried Steak. I was playing over the process in my head of what sides to fix with either choice, how much prep time/work would be involved in each and flip through my mental calendar at the same time to think what else I'd need to do this evening. I already knew I'd choose the shortest, easiest route. My thought process was interrupted though, just before I'd reached a final decision. My son called (I've added his pic to the sidebar now to show him off.) and wanted to know if I knew yet what was for dinner. I gave him the choices I'd been mulling over and told him I hadn't made a decision between the two yet. He had another idea. He asked if I could bring Chinese home. Call it coincidence, call it fate, call it an accident... I call it Divine Intervention! lol Nothing like getting out of cooking dinner, without even trying! So anyway...

After my takeout of Chicken 'n Broccoli with Fried Rice and Egg Roll, I had my takeout desert - a fortune cookie. I usually find myself disappointed in the "fortunes" I receive. They are usually just pointless words that never really give you any kind of fortune at all. I did get a great piece of wisdom in my cookie tonight though.

 

I hate to make mistakes. Not because it's foreign to me or embarrassing or humiliating. I hate to make mistakes because I'm a perfectionist! I'm my own worst critic, in all way... at home and work and even in my hobbies - which are supposed to be fun, entertaining and enjoyable. And they are all those things for me but I hate make a mistake on something because I have always felt like my work (my activities of all kinds) are a reflection of who I am. And most of the time I'm too hard on myself. So I take this as a personal message to myself. To view my own mistakes in life as learning experiences. No only was the escape from cooking dinner my own little Divine Intervention, it brought to me a great lesson that I hope is brought back to my memory each time I do make a mistake. Have you ever gotten a "right-on-time" message in such an unusual way?

Busy weekend and work week before Celebration

Remember the Primitive Baby Shoe Ornament Giveaway from and October 2009 post? Well... I WON! (picture at end of this post) I just received it yesterday in the mail. Actually it arrived early last week but I had to wait until Saturday to pick it up at the post office because my work hours prevent me from getting there for inside pickups. I would have received it in plenty of time to add it to my Christmas decorating but I failed to contact Teri @ White Sheep Primitive in a timely manner. Last fall got to be very stressful with the office being understaffed and full time college for me, so I didn't get to check in on the winner announcement. Teri was so wonderful though and held onto my little shoe and the next time I dragged my tired eyes stopped in to visit her blog, she left me a comment here to tell me I'd won and she just needed to know where to send the shoe. I absolutely love and the picture does not do it justice! Thank you so much Teri. I'll have to remember to post pictures with it included in my decorations.

This weekend has been productive for me. After the kitchen and bathroom was thoroughly cleaned (and my lungs only suffering a tad from the bleach), I spent some time redoing my blog. I've changed it around 2 or 3 times trying to find something I was really happy with. I'm sure it will change again at some point in the future too, but for now I'm happy with how it's looking. I went to a 3-column layout because I wanted more room to post some more great Blog Buttons for places I frequent. I googled to find the instructions on how to do some of the changes I wanted. I still plan to create a custom siggy for my posts, but that will just be a simple code insert.

Tomorrow starts a new full week. School is back in session so I am reading all about Coding (CPT and ICD-9-CM), there is lots to catch up on at work with in-house (corporate) auditors coming Tuesday. Their 'mock' audits are preparing us for the "Big Guys", aka Medicare, that will be here soon too. I'll let you know how that goes when it happens. My Anniversary (7 years) will fall in the middle of the week and there won't be time to do anything. Celebration will have to wait until the weekend, when I will be celebrating my 42nd birthday as well. Have a great week!

Isn't this the cutest little baby shoe ornament? :)

Hold to Reset

School is officially back in session for me. I know that means busier evenings/weekends but this semester should be easier than the previous ones. I'm just going part time this go around. I was almost meeting myself coming and going before. Full time work, school and not to mention full time wife and mom. I had a non existent social life (though I enjoy being at home with my family). As I headed into this newest phase I was silently praying and hoping the lighter load would pay off and I wouldn't feel the stress that had been there over the last year. Work is very busy right now too and with audits approaching fast, everyone is feeling the stress and tensions are clearly visible. During my 'quiet time' driving home from work this evening (because that's about the only time I am alone and not needed to go somewhere and/or do something for someone) I was thinking positively and tried to focus on keeping myself focused and not letting things overwhelm me... although I know there will be times when I will feel that way. I got a little encouragement when, at a stop light, my eyes dropped down and I saw on the control panel beside the odometer a little button and the words beside it said 'Hold to Reset'. When things get too tough and I can't see that light at the end of the tunnel, may I be reminded that I am being held and if I close my eyes I can see that all the stress, tension and frustrations can be reset, if I just sit quietly and allow myself to just be held in the arms of the Comforter. When I lay my head on my pillow tonight and close my eyes, I will rest in the arms of the only one who can reset my mind and spirit to start tomorrow fresh and ready to face a new day.

Home of Broken Toys

Abby has set a new destructive record. The snowman she got on Christmas Eve is now part of the Broken Toy Club. We have to take some at some points and put them up until there is time for mending. I had quite a few tucked into the decorative boxes/urns and such on the entertainment center well out of her reach. So as toys are admitted to the wound care center, she gets another one or two, something to entertain her for a little while longer.

I don't have a picture of the snowman 'before' but I'm sure you can imagine. Her "Tweety" bird doesn't seem as worse for the ware but in a second shot you can see the shredded rope legs, which have been trimmed up on a few occasions. The yellow seahorse lost its tail and eyes months ago and had to have a seem sewed back where the tail was once attached. She has what we call a 'broke-eared-dog'. The missing ear is put up in a safe place and will be sewed back on, as soon as I find where I lost it put it. Her crab was repaired recently by my niece during wound care week over the holidays. The missing third rope leg is long gone. It was unrepairable because after the dismemberment, Abby proceeded to chew up and shred the rope leg.

I got her two new toys on New Year's Eve. She has a cute brown/tan moose, who we call Bullwinkle (all of her toys get names) and a blue M & M. I'm not sure but I thought I heard a familiar appedage-ripping sound when she was playing with Bullwinkle earlier today. I'll have to get him out of her bed and see if there are any battle wounds play time markings that need attention.

 

 

 

 

 

Down Abby Road

I had the day off work today so I worked to create my FIRST Digital Scrapbook Mini Kit. I call it Abby Road. I created all the papers and embellishments myself with PSE7. I have been reading and watching tutorials on different websites and some CD's I have with tutorials on how to create a variety of papers and elements. I created this new mini kit, far from the quality of true professionals of the trade (so please be kind with your comments lol). I will provide this as a freebie download to anyone who might want it for their own personal pages. Just as soon as I get the files uploaded, I will post the download links here for you (hopefully tomorrow). I saved the elements with names of "abby lane" and then rememberd the Beatles album Abbey Road, and decided my page title and Mini Kit title would be Abby Road. Below is the page I made with the kit. I can't wait to get busy making another kit and try some new technique.