Mumble Jumble of Thoughts

SO much is going on I don't even know where to start. (**Note: after reading this over again, I see that it is not very organized but I'm just typing typing typing and clearing my thoughts. I guess this is more for my own benefit that anyone else's, so that doesn't matter, right?**)

I'll start with some good news. I had an appt. with my neurologist yesterday and ended up meeting with a gentleman who has been involved with fibromyalgia research that indicates FM is related to neurological disorders. I'm on a new med that helps with the pain issues (related to neurotransmitters in the brain that send wrong pain signals) as well as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor med (or whatever that is called). I will have to wean off my Celexa and the new drug (Savella) will be similar to taking a Celexa plus Lyrica. SO, instead of adding Lyrica, I'm trying this med instead. PRAYING this will help reduce or maybe even illiminate the constant flare-ups I've had recently.

More good news is that I have completed the semester. THANK GOD. Some not so great news came from my practicum professor...........................LONG story. I have struggled with this professor's style all semester and an email I got today was the final straw. Supposed to have this guy for my internship in the Spring and I do NOT want to do that so I have some tough decisions to make. But first I plan to wait for grades and cool down a bit. It'll be ok, I am sure, but I do not need any additional stress in my life. I am hoping and praying that this all works itself out.

Also an issue with my internship is whether my manager in my Wilson office can be my site supervisor or not. Again, LONG story but another source of stress for me. Also praying this will work out. The alternative is working with someone out of the Rocky Mount office. I think she would be ok to work with but I just don't know.....feeling uneasy about the whole internship.

My other classes for the spring and summer look great....I LOVE the 2 professors I have for all the remainder of my classes, so that is truely a positive. The other positive is that, after August, I will be FINISHED!! I HAVE to make the internship thing work out....I can not bear the thought of extending my completion time. Please pray about this for me..............

On another topic---I am SO into the holidays this year! I will be so glad when grades are posted for the fall and books are ordered for the Spring so I can just not even open my school email and blackboard for a few weeks.

I don't know why but for some reason the Christmas season seems so much more precious to me this year. And for all the right reasons. I haven't bought many gifts and honestly don't plan to. I will do the stocking stuffers and a few small gifts for a few special folks but nothing elaborate. I just feel so relaxed about it this year. I have sat and enjoyed my tree and a Christmas movie or Christmas music every day since we put the tree up before Thanksgiving. I'm loving all the lights, and the music (which I normally don't allow until after Thanksgiving because Mark goes a little too far for my taste, normally), and the whole atmosphere surrounding Christmas.

Last night I enjoyed a Christmas banquet with the Wilson chapter of the National Federation for the Blind. If you know me well you know the word "enjoy" would not normal be attached with that sentence. I tend to enjoy staying home or being with my small group of family and friends. Going to banquets or participating with an "organization" is not my style. But I REALLY enjoyed it!! I was with Binnie, and Trish (who is blind, is the president of the Wilson group, and plays violin at our church each year at Christmastime) and Trish's family members (and Mark, of course). It was really nice and FUN! I look forward to the day that I can be a volunteer for groups such as this.

One thing that was extra fun about that to me was that it was so interested observing Blind culture and just seeing the comraderie of this group. I am constantly immersed in Deaf culture and I enjoy that too, but this was a different experience for me and was fascinating.

I love that I get to work everyday with indidviduals with disabilities. Though I must say it is their abilities that make the job so amazing. It is really inspiring to help a person realize their potential and help them set and reach goals. I am truely blessed.

Another thing on my mind is my family.....my children and grandchildren. If you follow their blogs or if you know them (or know ME well) you know some of the things in their lives. I am so proud of my boys and their wives. I can't even begin to express how thankful I am for Lindsey and Teri. I wish I could "be there" for them more. I wish I could babysit Ariel on some of the days Teri works. I wish I could visit with each grandchild individually weekly. I wish I was close enough that if they wanted to go out for a cup of coffee, I could drop everything and just go. I wish I could put into words how much I love them all and how proud I am to be Chris' and Jason's mom.

Watching "Elf"...lol...spaghetti with syrup for breakfast. Gotta love it.

FINALLY over my cold. Woke up this morning feeling rested and well :) Now Mark is fighting it.

Well, that is way more than enough.

Just for today....

This has been a lovely day. It has rained all day and has been very windy but such a lovely day! It is Veteran's day and I didn't have to work. Mark decided to take the day off with me. We slept late.....I woke up early and read for a while and went back to sleep. That "after I wake up and read" sleep is always the BEST!

After we got up and got showers we went out for coffee and went to Best Buy. We are loooking at getting a small TV for our exercise room. It will also double as a TV for the play room (which is also our guest room). Mark is touching up the paint in those 2 rooms and painting the door that separates the rooms. I want to clean off the shelves and re-organize in there. But one thing at a time!!

I have been really trying to just live in the moment....just enjoy the time to do nothing. I have been feeling really overwhelmed with work and school (as a combination) and really feel like I have been just "spinning wheels". That is hard for me because I am normally very much on top of things....especially at work. I feel like I am working myself to death and accomplishing nothing. I know in my logical mind that this isn't true, but emotionally I am struggling!

I'm getting down to "crunch time" with this semester. It has been a slack and disorganized semester, but the work still has to be done, and I have not been on top of it as I should be. Three more weeks before semester break. I really need to buckle down. I will get it done (I always do) but in the meantime....argh!!

But today...just for today at least....I will relax and will enjoy a moment of freedom. I will live in the moment. I will relax. I will enjoy the rain and the peaceful feeling it brings. Just for today I will just.....be.

3 more weeks

Gearing up for another class tonight...Practicum. I will be presenting my 3rd of 3 cases that I have to do a formal presentation on. I am so tired. Only 3 more weeks of class for this semester and then BREAK. YAY...can't wait!

Not so good

I'm not very good at this blogging thing! I read other blogs pretty often but don't post so much.

Right now i'm laying in bed with a heating pad on my back. Woke up barely able to move this morning. I think it's just another flare-up but I don't know. I get really sick of feeling bad. I push so hard but sometimes I just want to give up.

This has been a pretty busy--but not so productive week for me. Worked Mon-Tues, class Tues. night, traveled to Greensboro Wed. morning for a 3 day training, got home Fri. evening, worked the ENCSD football game from 10-4 Saturday, and came home exhausted. Went to bed last night with a back ache and woke up this morning.....well.....yeah.

I am really frustrated right now because it feels like I am SO busy ALL the time yet not really being very productive at ANYthing.

Just typed a whole parragraph and erased it all. I hate being negative. It's hard when you hurt. I'm tired of hurting! That's all for now.

Out of the office

This afternoon I am working from "out of the office". We (VR) as partners with the Employment Security Commission (ESC) are required to cover a slot at the ESC office every Monday from 1-5. We take turns filling the slot and today is my turn.....It is a real joke doing this. We basically taking turns sitting in a chair doing NOTHING for 4 hours per week. ESC is a "partner" with VR and we supposedly get referrals through them, but .... well, nuf said.

SO, here I sit at ESC...........I brought my laptop and printer and I have been doing some work on my VR files but I'm taking a short break from that. Getting ready to work on some school work. Can't complain about some time away from the office to get some uninterupted time. No phone calls....no walk ins.....no appointments. Nice. But I would really be bored if I had a do nothing type job. I like to be busy while I'm at work!

I am working hard on not wishing my life away. My current motto is "Focus on the moment". I realized that I spend way too much time looking forward to getting through something instead of just enjoying the moment. Working on that!!!

SO....I am not going to enjoy a few moments of uninterupted study time!! :) Happy Monday!!!

A Bit Silly of me!

This post is probably going to seem a bit silly and maybe a little mushy, but I think this is exciting.

Dr. Phil and Robin just announced (with their son Jay, his wife Ericka and the other son Jordan) that Phil and Robin are going to join the wonderful world of GRANDPARENTING!!! Jay and Ericka are expecting---they are 16 weeks---and they will have the ultrasound tomorrow on "the Doctor". I am SO EXCITED for them. Robin was so so cute about it. She is so happy and I know how she feels!!

Also, she absolutely ADORES her daughter-in-law. It is so obvious. I also can relate to that. She feels so so blessed that Ericka will be the mother of her grandchild and I think that is awesome!! Mother's with sons are extra extra blessed when the sons marry girls that like the mother :). Ericka calls Robin "Blossom" and Robin thinks that might be a cute Grandma name although she said over and over that the grandbaby can call her ANYTHING he or she chooses (grin).

I thought that was really great news and I wanted to share it here. YAY for Dr. Phil and Robin!! (Oh yeah, and congrats to Jay, Ericka and Uncle Jordan too!!)

beautiful day!!!!

The weather has been so gorgeous lately. I love everything about Fall except the fact that it means winter is on the way. I love winter too except for the fact that I have to go outside and get cold....that hurts!! But I do love the beautiful fall weather with the temps in the 60s or 70s, cool breezes, beautiful skies, football, scarecrows, pumpkins, mums and hay.........

Had a lovely day at the Pumpkin farm on Saturday with Chris' family. Silas was precious picking out his pumpkin. He basically wanted the smallest one possible. Very cute. His favaorite part seemed to be playing on the sand pile!! It was a beautiful day and just nice to be with the family. Now to figure out time to go visit with Jason's family again soon!!

I will really be happy when I finish this degree. I have right about 10 months left....approx 8 months of actual school time since I get close to a month break in between each semester. I can't wait. I have SO many things on my WANT TO DO list that I can't squeeze in like I want to right now. Here are a few of the things on my list:

1) Organize the attic and clean out.
2) Get all of my pictures in albums and do some scrapbooking.
3) Learn to play the base. (I'm working on that now but I just don't have the time I need to REALLY learn)
4) Spend more time with the family..... especially my parents. I've been very neglectful on the end in an effort to not be neglectful on the grandkids end.
5) Get re-involved with a ministry at SCC.....that one needs some prayer.
6) Re-model my kitchen.
7) Get my yard back in good shape.

That is in no special order but just easy off the top of my head to list. Seems like the list is piling up and I get really frustrated and overwhelmed. Right now my classes are pretty frustrating as well....especially practicum. I have no problem DOING the work, but documenting it is challenging and working with the professor in charge is challenging. He is "teaching" (I say that lightly) from Florida, first time ever doing on-line....maybe his first time teaching on a college level (or ANY level)....He is a rehab professional who is deaf and somewhat technologically challenged-----shew. It has been interesting!!! BUT, THIS TOO SHALL PASS!!!!

It's a beautiful day!!

So why do I have to feel so bad? I hate it! But at least I'm not depressed...that is good! Been running a low grade fever again and I know I just need to spend a day in bed but I don't want to!! I want to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful weather!!!

Started learning to play base guitar today. It's gonna be fun. I hope I can take time to work on this every day. Really helps that I'm already a musician.............picked up the basics pretty quickly. Now I just need to learn tips, techniques, and practice practice practice!!!

Long Day

This has been and will continue to be a very long day for me!!! Up this morning around 6ish....enjoyed a little time visiting with Chris, Lindsey, Silas and Savannah before work. Left home around 7:45 and have already been to Roanoke Rapids and back and I'm set up to do an new applicant interview (which I have to video tape for practicum)..............will work work work and take a short break before heading to the Wilson county fairgrounds at 5 to work the VR booth until 9. LONG day.

I'm hoping that Chris and Lindsey will be able to bring the kids out to the fair. Tonight is truck and tractor competition and I know Silas would love that. I am hoping I can take some of my comp time (for working tonight) off tomorrow but I don't know. It's the last week of the fiscal year and I still have paperwork to do to get our outcomes in on time.

Gotta go now.............time for the client. Later!

My sweet babies!!

I absolutely love this picture of Ariel. She is so sweet and innocent!! Look at that finger in the mouth and the cute little curl of her toes.









I miss you guys!!!!

Interesting review!!

I just read through all my posts on this blog. Pretty cool!! My original blog (MONTHS ago) sums me up. The updates are fun to read and I missed out on some comments people had made. Cool! Another cool thing?? I blogged awile back that I "only" had 17 more months of grad school. Well, now I only have 10 1/2 more months :D WOOHOO to that!!!!! I really can see the light at the end of that ole' tunnel!!

Hateful Fibromyalgia!!

What a great weekend I had. But here I sit "paying" for it. Once again I overdid and once again I pay.

We planned to leave Th after work but I was already overly tired and in some pain so I decided another night in my own bed might be a good idea..................but, as is often the case, I didn't rest well so I woke up Friday hurting and with a headache. YUCK!!!!! We got up EARLY...........(6ish) so we could be loaded and ready to go around 7:30. Some miscommunication left Mark at John's house trying to get him to hear the door while John was at our house waiting to load his bike..............

Mark got back around 8 to realize (after another half hour) that the trailer we borrowed was not going to work. So they both decided to ride and and drove the truck. Not a problem.....I enjoy driving and listening to my music. That was nice and it was a GORGEOUS day........................Enjoyed Friday visiting with Jason, Teri and sweet Ariel. She is an amazing little girl. I can't get over how much I love her and Silas and Savannah. The way they make me feel.......I can not even describe it. I thought there was no greater love than a Mother's love. My love for them is probably not GREATER than my love for Chris and Jason but it is right up there on the same level. WOW.

Anyway, Saturday was also a gorgeous day. Great day for a ride. Got to MACU by 8...............left there by 5 or 5:30..................got home around 9:30 (a LOT of delays..............as usual....lol)

Sunday was SO busy.....at church by 8..............most of the day spent there....back home by 8 that night. All good stuff but not with good after-effects for the FM. I had a TERRIBLE flare-up yesterday and woke up sick in my stomach this morning. I HATe that. And there is not one thing I can do about it.

Right now I am feeling like I can not go on. I skipped football practice last night because I was just too sick to manage. Back to work today----class tonight. I have several assignments due....NO IDEA when i will get to it. Hopefully sometime today but we are in the Rocky Mount VR office and my schedule is FULL......right now I have a "no show" so I can breathe just for a minute.

Thursday is another day on the road and Th. from 5-9 I have to work the county fair (VR booth) and I don't know how I will do it. I am so tired!!!!

ON A HAPPY NOTE..... I had my annual evaluation for work Monday and I got "Very Good" across the board (that is the highest of our ratings) and my manager stressed in the write up how well I am balancing my school work with my VR responsibilities. I really appreciated that because it is SO hard, and I do work extra hard to manage and I appreciate her recognizing that in a formal way.

Welll......My 11:00 appt. has arrived so......here we go! I could've used this 10 minutes to work on school but I needed an outlet. I don't think anyone reads this, but that is ok....it makes me feel better. I know my God is good and HE will see me through. I know I am doing everything I do for HIS glory... I CAN do ALL THINGS through CHRIST who strengthens me. I am blessed.

Extremely tired. Somewhat depressed. Working on counting my blessings. Feel like I am getting sick....HOPE NOT!

SO happy!

I am back at home and SO HAPPY to be back!! I love my home...my family..... my job ..... my church family! I have SO many blessings in my life and I sometimes fail to consider them all. Sometimes I get pulled down by my health and the circumstances surrounding that. But ultimately, I know that I am very blessed and I will not fail today to thak my God for that.

On the short row!!

As we say in the USAF, I'm gettin' to be a short-timer!! Counting the days until I can come home. WOOHOO! Mark will be on his way here one week from tomorrow!! Tomorrow, Fri., Monday and Tues I have regular classes minus Audiology. That means ASL all morning and Rehab. issues in Deafness all afternoon.

Saturday a group of us (all in the same cohort at UT) are going to Townsend to hang out with another one of our classmates who has a cabin there. I am REALLY looking forward to a day in the mountains. The cabin is "right on the river" and we might rent tubes and do some tubing after we have a cook out and just be lazy for a while.

Sunday I'm planning to go to a church here in K'ville (the preacher is deaf)..........should be interesting.

This week has been ok so far. Monday was very interesting.....we had "deaf-blind" day and did some pretty eye-opening activities. Very cool!!!

WHAT FUN!!!

I had such a good time today in deaf immersion!! We were in break out groups doing different activities all day (no voice) and it was awesome. We also played fingerspelling games and math games and my team won! :-D And each group performed funny ASL skits. It was like being a kid at camp again. Good times!

I need to remember to take some pictures!!!

Well, 3 weeks finished and 3 weeks to go. I just really want to go home. I have not felt well for the past few days and now I am just really depressed. I really do not want to do this anymore. I would love to just leave right now and say forget the whole thing!!!

Thinking on the bright side: The best part about OTD has been my audiology classes. I have learned SO MUCH in such a short amount of time about the anatomy of the ear, the diseases of the ear, and how to read an audiogram to determine type and degree of hearing loss. That has been really fascinating to me.

The only other bright side I can think of right this second is that I am half way finished.

Tomorrow is total immersion day. That means that nobody is allowed to use their voice and we will be doing break out groups for ASL activities. That could be fun...........we'll see! Tuesday and Th. we have a normal day plus "Spotlight on Deafness" lectures at night. Those will be LONG days. No plans yet for the weekend except Sunday I plan to visit a local church that has a large deaf program. Next week is just a normal week and then the next week it will END.

I am looking for the light at the end of that tunnel!!!

ASL placement

So today we were assigned to ASL classes based on our interviews yesterday. It appears that I totally floored the evaluators....they were not sure what to do with me. They said that I sign like a native deaf person.....with great vocabulary, hugely sufficient conversational skills (both receptive and expressive). How ever, my exact ASL grammar / sentence structure / follow the rules stuff is weak (as is consistent with a native signer since they are never taught ASL proper grammer and neither have I been).

SO, I was not assigned with one of the groups. I have been assigned one-on-one to a tutor for one hour per day and they ordered me my own special book (which is not here yet).....which I am to study and learn from at my own pace and come back and discuss with my tutor. They thought I would be bored and not challenged in the "normal" classes because, apparantly, I am not a normal hearing signer.

What is interesting to me is that there are 2 deaf girls here and they are in the "normal" class.....not sure how to take that (lol)...... I do know that one of the girls grew up mainstreamed and did not learn sign until college, so she may be actually a little weaker in her vocabulary and conversational skills because she associates mostly with hearing people (and I associate mostly with deaf people.) I am not sure about the other deaf lady....I'll have to spend some time with her to see what her skills are.

Not real sure how to feel about this....I was feeling really awkward at first when I met with the tutor because I had no idea why I was the only person without a class. I thought I would (finally) get formal ASL classes here, and it seems I am STILL not going to get that. But my tutor (April) is a really nice person and I think it will be fun to meet the challenge.....she wants me to Grow from this experience and that is my goal too, so ..... we shall see!!!! Can't wait to get my book!! Also, can't wait to hear from the other ladies about how their class went!!!

Day 2 at OTD

Today at OTD I had my SLPI and my personal interview with the director of the program, Dr. Cecil Bradley. My schedule looks pretty good. I will be assigned to an ASL class (by level based on the results of today's eval) and will have ASL from 8:45-10:45 for the next three weeks and then 9-12 the last 2 weeks.

I will have Audiology classes from 11-12 the first 3 weeks as well as 4:45-5:45 the 2nd 2 weeks. We have classes every day all afternoon with Dr. Bradley on deaf specific Rehab issues (such as placement, voc. evals, counseling, late-life deafness, deaf/blind, impact on deaf with employment, psychological and psycho-social issues, etc. etc. etc.!!! Also classes and lectures on community resources, education for the deaf, utilizing interpreters, deaf history and culture.

We will also be taking some "field trips"......been a long time since I've done that!!!

Research proposal presentations tonight!! Been studying for the exam........which is Wed.

As for my personal life....well, I don't have one right now. I need to call someone who knows me outside of school life....hmmm. Mark is on the road pushing it hard today. Not sure where he is trying to get to by tonight but I know he wants to be in Louisville by tomorrow evening sometime.

UT Knoxville

I have finished my first week on the TSD campus in Knoxville. I really love the town! I've had a great time here but I am SO READY to go home!!

Today is the first day of OTD (Orientation to Deafness) on the TSD campus. I am SO tired.....last week was pretty stressful between the exploding toilet, the alarms going off in the middle of the night.....the 9 hours of grad school work (8 a.m. -10 p.m. some days)....including papers and projects due, presentations due, and exams. Shew....what a week!!

This week should be easier. As I said, OTD starts today. We have our briefing at 7 tonight so I'll know more after that. First thing we have to do is teach the deaf lady who moved in the room beside me how to not slam doors....my goodness! She's moving in, so hopefully she won't be going in and out every 5 minutes after today, but that door has SLAMMED every single time.....SQUEEEEEKKKKK....SLAM! SQUEEEEEKKKKKK......SLAM! over and over again! (lol)

Tomorrow morning I will have a SLPI eval (sign language profeciency interview). We will have this at the beginning and at the end of our program to mark improvement with ASL classes all 5 weeks.

I still have 2 nights of grad classes left....tomorrow night is my presentation of my Research Design project and Wed. night is the final exam.

Looking forward to getting the OTD schedule and my new books!! more later!

Aha!

It was set for Pacific time....that is why. Figured it out all by myself. YAY for me!!

WHY?

Why is my clock wrong on this blog? My computer is right....it is now 8:02 p.m. but my blog thingy will say I posted this at 3 or 4 something. Wonder why???

SHEW, it is FRIDAY!

I am so glad today is Friday. This has been a pretty good week. We had "VR days" at ENCSD this week. That's when all the counselors in our catchment area (the east) come to our school to meet the students that John and I serve. When the students graduate, the home counselors will serve them and that is why we have VR days.....so they can meet. We also have a big d/hh staff meeting that day. Of course since it is here in Wilson, we end up playing host which is somewhat stressful for us.................but it is over for this year and it went well.

School is going well too......just a lot of work (as it should be). Someone made the statement (won't say who and won't say where) that feeling overwhelmed means you "bit off more than you can chew". I TOTALLY disagree with that. If everyone took that attitude not much worth doing would be accomplished! Don't we all feel a little (or ALOT) overwhelmed at times? I really hate it when people make off the cuff statements like that......especially when I'm not in a position to defend. By the way, the statement was not directed exactly at me, but ..... well, close enough. Nuf said.

So tonight is movie night for Mark and me.................but he went out real quick to pick up something for me so I'm just gabbing. Talking to myself.....Some venues are too public. This one not so much..... But maybe I should start a blog that no one knows about so I can just type whatever I think without having to edit my thoughts. Hmmm....that is a thought!

Interesting what Don Wilson said at the Rally about preacher's wives.....I wish EVERYone could have heard some of the things he said. Just a thought!

Only a few weeks left in this semester then a break for about a month. NICE except Mark will be gone for the bulk of that time. Not so nice. Then the summer.....WHEW.....let's don't go there. Alrighty then...nuf said about that too!

So Many Things

I have to be one of the most blessed women in the world. Last week I spent all day Th and Fri with my sons and their families and it was the most amazing experience. I just can't even put into words how amazing it was to me to sit back and watch my boys do what they do and just soak in the joy of being a mom and a grandma. Just amazing!!

It's also amazing to me how good God has been to me in my marriage. Mark and I were SO YOUNG when we met and married. When I look at 16/17/18 year olds now and try to imagine some of them doing what we did......I can't even fatham it. I just know God was in it for us and I am so thankful that here we are almost 30 years later looking back at a life so blessed.

And the cool thing about it is I am only 46 years old.....I have, potentially, another 40+ years left!! It's exciting to me that I was able to raise 2 amazing sons--who are now amazing husbands and fathers; have 2 beautiful and amazing grandchildren (and more to come)............and now with all that behind me (and ahead of me) I am working towards my Master's (which I will have in another 17 months) and an amazing career.....doing almost exactly what I thought I wanted to do WAY back in the 8th grade. MAN, God has really brought it all together for me!

And yet, there are days when I feel so frustrated and just like I can't go another day. I know my physical limitations play into that.....but I hate that it happens. But I think it is that which keeps things in perspective for me. I realize that all that I have and all I am able to accomplish is from God because because I am certainly not strong enough on my own strength!!

I must admit I will be very happy when I get through school (and this being the last degree I plan to pursue). I thought I would get this Master's, get the job, and go back for my 2nd MA in Marriage and Family counseling. I have decided I just don't have that in me. If that is to be, God will have to throw it in my lap because I just don't see it happening. BUT, I never would have guessed 5 years ago that I would have gotten THIS far in this short amount of time....so we shall see!!!

Well....here we go

This is just going to be my private journal of how I'm feeling and my responses to things going on around me. I don't aim for this to be something that I expect others to enjoy reading but I will post anything here that would bother me if others DO read it. This is for me.

It is also for the purpose, at times, of posting comments or questions to anyone who might chose to read....sometimes I like feedback and like to get other opinions on my ideas as a sounding board. I don't really have a good sounding board in my life right now.

So for today, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed. Work has been a bit stressful lately due to some events beyond my control, but nothing unexpected in a job like mine. School has been very intense and there are elements of stress there as well. Home life has been stressful due to my lack of free time to care for my home and my family as is my passion. And of course, with the FM and the Migraines, my body has been a frustration. Now, TRUELY!!...... I can handle the work stress--just normal life! I can handle the school stress--just a part of doing Master's work. And I can handle the normal stressors of home/family/and all the stuff that goes with that. I can even handle the stress of chronic pain----I can function with FM and migraines!

But let me tell you, when you factor all of those in together, at their highest levels, all in one day...that leads to an overwhelming existence. And that is sort of where I am right now (without going into the details of how they each got to the "highest levels" of negative stress. I'm just thinking that all of it on the plate at one time over and over and over for every meal every day is a bit much to swallow!

BUT......I always look for the bright side......that's the fun part......and I can find many in this. The one i will mention now is, NEXT WEEK IS SPRING BREAK and also just a 2 1/2 day work week. So I get a breather. That is very good news. I need it badly!!

On another lighter topic.....Silas stayed with us this weekend. WHAT FUN! He is a joy! Can not believe we didn't take pictures. Mark brought the camera, and I thought "man I wish we had the camera so we could get a picture of that" a million times--not realizing tha the had the camera (which he FORGOT he had). So, no pics of Silas' first group ride. Oh well, it was so fun seeing his reactions and it won't be the last time.

I'm so tired! Had 2 midterms this week already (and it's only Wed.!). I did get one grade back...got a 100!!! Only 3 perfect scores in the class so I was pumped. YAY! I'll leave on that happy note and on the notion that there are happier days to come!

SHEW

I am trying to figure this out but I am so tired!!! I did a few things but I'm going to write here and catch up soon!

FIrst time on

Well, here I am trying out blogspot. Everyone is switching over and I want to be able to post responses..............so here I am!!

Life is pretty crazy right now. Grad school is great, work is great, home is great, life in general is great.....but when you put it all together, it can be a bit overwhelming. I'm trying hard to keep my priorities straight and that really helps. Maybe more on that later.