A snowy day

It's actually snowing here. A fluke the County Deputy relayed to me when he issued a summons this morning for yet another court date from his ex-wife. She wants back child support from when husband had had surgery and couldn't work for a while. No problem, she deserves the child support but the problem that I have with it is that he continued to pay child support on his daughter for 7 months while she lived with us. If that wouldn't have happened, we could have payed half the arrears with the money she wasn't entitled to at that time. Just another day dealing with some ex's.

So don't become an ex. It's a hard life on everybody. My daughter is coming in with my ex mother-in-law today and we are trying to figure out how she can spend time with all her family. I really hate this situation. It is hard on me, on my ex husband and on her. We are all very friendly in our situation, hence the earlier comment 'dealing with some ex's', but it is just the logistics of the whole thing. I live 1 1/2 hours from her dad. I love the family I have now and God put me with my wonderful husband but I still mourn the demise of my original family. Don't divorce if you can possibly help it. And 9 times out of 10 we can help it.

I am kind of snowed in so I can't get all my work done today. I need to take measurements on a job but the weather is not cooperating for that. So I am cleaning house and hopefully I can go to my friend's house who is helping me with my powerpoint presentation for the Home and Garden Show. I can't waste a day these days.

My son and three of his friends came over for dinner on Sunday night. We had a really good time. I wish they would come more often.

I appreciate my friend who emailed me to say she had read my blog. It inspires me to keep blogging.

What is precious?

Today we heard the news that a friend of mine lost her oldest son to a car accident. She is in shock. How does one plan a funeral for a twenty something year old child? The loss is devastating. It makes you pray for the protection of your own children and leaves you to wonder how you can possibly help at such a tragic time. I still don't have the answer. I do know that as long as we have our loved ones with us we shouldn't be petty about the little things that in the long run don't matter. Just hold on and love them while you have them.

Speaking of loved ones, my daughter is coming on the 14th of February and my son is leaving for the Army in March. He likely will have to go to Iraq and he is proud to serve his country as my daughter already does in the Coast Guard. I can't understand people who put the military down. I don't know if it is ignorance or stupidity. I just know without the line of defense, we wouldn't be the free country we are today. Some of us make great sacrifices to protect our nation. Others don't do anything to protect our nation and whine about those who do. Oh well, those in the military protect everyone's rights.

I guess I am a little down today. The death of my friend's son has taken the wind out of my sails. There are definitely many good things going on in my life. I am making progress with my projects for the Builder's show. I just about have the front entry designed, I have all the material together for my seminar at 12:00 on Saturday at the show, and I have almost all of my stuff together for my private booth. I'm trying to stay on top of everything so I can spend some quality time with my daughter when she visits.

I'm starting my healthy living class tonight and am looking forward to doing it. For four weeks we will be discussing how to be responsible for our own bodies. Your invited!

Lots going on

I have been getting lots of work lately, especially for the weather being so cold and rainy and for the press drilling it in to our heads that we are about to be penniless and destitute. Shows what they know. We would stay out of a recession if they would just shut up. They are the ones that are fanning the flames of frenzy. But in this house, all is well.

Anyway I have decided how I want to do my booth for the Homebuilders show. My friend who has a background in graphic design is helping me to tweak it and I am very grateful for that. I found some material at Sir's Fabrics in Fayetteville, Tn. for an awesome price and am going to make a skirted round table 30" round so it won't take up much room. Fortunately I have most of what I need for the booth so I can concentrate on the front entrance.

I presented the 'wedding house' yesterday and after a few minor adjustments everything is great. They have given me the go ahead for the second phase which I will try to finish before the Homebuilders show. So I will be very busy with work, school and the nutrition class and my daughter is coming in for a visit the middle of February Take a breath, Deb.

Lots going on around here but most if it is work related. Won't bore you with it though it is not boring to me. I am extremely grateful to God for taking care of us. We have some challenges ahead of us, like getting the condo sold and now there is a new urgency which I will not get in to now, but I know that God is faithful and He will take care of everything. I don't know how people make it without that assurance. No wonder people act so nuts. If I had to do all this without Him, I would be nuts, too!

I'm still Here

I haven't fallen off the planet. I've just not been able to get in to my blog account. I'm not sure how I got in this time. I had to reset my password-again- and don't know why I have to do that. So if I'm gone for a while it's not because I've lost interest. I just can't use my blog.
Let's see. It was snowing a few minutes ago. Real snow! We haven't seen that for a long time. Lacey is sitting outside in it. Well, she is a Great Pyrenees.
I just finished the first phase of the wedding house. Now that is news. I've designed certain gardens for strength at particular times of the year as requested by the owners and have added walkways and structures and its looking pretty incredible if I do say so myself. I hope to present it tomorrow if weather permits.
I have been asked to do the front entry at the Homebuilders show this year and that will take lots of time as well as the fact that I will have a booth. So the end of February will will start off my second year in business. I have great expectations and high hopes for this new year. I'm loving what I'm doing and am giving great thought on how to work smarter, not harder.
School has kicked off this past Monday and I am teaching two classes this year. One is God's Generals. one of my favorite classes. Reading that book opens one's eyes to the real power of God. I am also teaching a four week class on Tuesday nights on nutrition and healthy living, prompted by reading a book by Prevention magazine called The Sugar Solution. It's intended for people with prediabetes or diabetes but the book is full of so much good information that it is good for anyone. I don't have any medical problems and I want to keep it that way.
raig and I are on a fast of sorts in which we are not eating meat for 21 days. It's alright, just hard to grab something fast at lunch. It kind of goes in to this class I'm teaching. I have found red beans and rice at Popeyes to be my favorite meatless lunch. It's soooo good.
Speaking of food, I think Craig is going to perish if he doesn't get some food right away. I can hearing clanging pans. Lets see if I can help.

A Wonderful Party

This past Saturday we hosted the Truesdale party at our house out here in the middle of nowhere. Craig was trying to finish up some projects before our guests arrived and I think he got in to a little more than he bargained for. He was installing some 3" recessed lighting in our dark family room and found that the switches were hooked to several plugs and switches, so the whole thing took much longer than expected. But boy do they look great. He is so excited that he has started installing the same thing on our very under lit office. He also got the subfloor changed in the bathroom, you know that renovation that never ends, and got the new lighting up there, too. Seems like all we've been doing is getting lighting in this house. We've been stumbling around in the dark. Very noticeable when the sun sets before 5:00.

Anyway, back to the party. Our house worked well for 19 people and all the gifts that came with them. We gave Craig's mother a 27" television for Christmas. She literally squealed when she opened it. I couldn't be more thrilled with her response. Everything we did was worth that one thing. She also took me off to the side and thanked me for having the party here as it was getting to be too much for her to do after the car accident a couple of years ago that really damaged her knee. I really enjoyed doing it. In my other life I entertained often and I hope I can get back in to that again.

Some news from the Pacific Ocean. My daughter has her orders for her promotion from Ensign to the next level, I don't know what it is called, but it will be official 19 January. Hopefully she will be at her home in Oregon by the end of the year.

Craig and I plan to have a quiet Christmas this year. My son is going to Arkansas to be with his dad's side of the family this sad time without Kathie. Craig's kids are going to their mothers' side
of the family and boyfriend's and husband's home,too. So my mother in-law is going to come eat roast and mashed potatoes with us. I personally have had enough turkey and ham for the season. If the weather is good, we plan to go hiking up to a waterfall that day. We really don't have enough time to do fun things like that so we hope to take advantage.

Going to get to work. Oh yes, I have signed the biggest contract since I have been doing landscape design and I have to get finished with it by the first of the year. It is a big house that was built specifically for weddings and they want to completely redo the grounds. We brainstormed for a couple of hours when I first met with them and were going to change the traffic flow and all kinds of other exciting things. I can't wait to get started. I have been researching some clever ideas and have a tentative plan in my head.
But now I am working on a complete basement renovation and must get busy.

Everyone have a very blessed Christmas season and joyous new year filled with the love and companionship of our Heavenly Father.

Update

I think I am a little more lucid than the last time I tried to post. I used to go to a page that I saved but now I go round the mulberry tree to find the way in to post. Why do they make it so hard? And why do they make it so you can't ask a question. Their help area is useless when you can't ask the right question.

Anyway, its almost Christmas and we have had 75 degree weather. It feels more like the proper time of the year today, around 50 degrees. We have decided to host Christmas for Craig's side of the family at our house on the 22nd. The bathroom is a mess and I still don't have any plants in the front yard but it is what it is.

Tory Anne has had some adventures on this deployment down the Pacific coast on the Coast Guard Cutter, the Steadfast. She has become the bull Ensign which means she is the head junior officer and she got to do on a helicopter to another ship and even got to pilot it for a little while. She is a licensed pilot. The deployment started out a little rocky but evidently it is getting better. They were supposed to come this way for Christmas this year. It has been several years since they have spent Christmas with our side of the family but that was nixxed when they had to stay out for both Christmas and Thanksgiving and her husband's birthday. Folks, that is life in the military. Don't think that they don't make sacrifices for their country.

The people who are renting our condo have bought a house and are moving this month. That happens all the time except their lease isn't up until June. so I have found t a Realtor and have decided what rooms to paint as well as the type of new carpet to put in. We will be working on it between Christmas and New Year's to get it on the market for the first of the year. Pray that it sells fast.

Craig and I bought our Christmas gifts the other day to each other with the help of each other. He wanted an mp3 player and I didn't know which one he wanted so we went to the store for other things and I had him pick out the one he wanted and bought it on the spot. I was afraid it wouldn't be there if I waited. Then when we rounded the corner I spotted the exact pea coat that I wanted. There was only one and it was in my size so he bought it. They are under the tree but no using until after the holiday.

My son is doing well with his workouts and preparing for the Army. He has turned his body around and has dropped a lot of weight and put on lots of muscle. I'm very proud of him.

Well today is a work day, better get to the job. Oh wait. I have made the trip to the office already in my pajamas and with my coffee!

I still hate this computer stuff

I have been trying for the past 15 minutes to get into my create blogger page. I still don't know how I got here. That is why I haven't written for so long. I have internet on my computer now and I couldn't get in. But I think I am here now and I will return to this entry in about five minutes when I no longer want to throw the computer out the window.

Okay, I have been throwing the ball to the dog for a little while so I am a little calmer. Anyway, I have been to Orlando and got all smart at the pool show and now I am trying to catch up on work and Christmas and the new thing, our renters have bought a house and they want to leave the condo. So now I am scrambling trying to line up a Realtor and getting new carpet lined up and paint and such. Not that I needed any more major projects or anything.

My friend and I have been caught up in a vacuum of less than desirable service as of late. Some places will not take our money at all. Others plead ignorance, and others won't return calls. So if this Realtor chick doesn't return my call tomorrow, I'm going to find another one. Surely somebody wants to make some money out there!

I may still be a little frustrated by the difficulty of getting into my blogger account. This may not be the best time to blog.
Will return soon in a cheerier mood.