Fantastic Fridays

2:42 p.m.
I went to Coffee with Friends at Wellness City and had a wonderful time. We took our online class at home and are moving forward with our financial plans with confidence especially after this morning's bible study.

Today I see Heather and I'm really looking forward to that. I don't think I've seen her in over a month, well, it seems that way anyhow.

I'm going to do some Bible journaling for the next hour.

Answered Prayers

Wow! Once again God came through and blessed our family with lightning speed. It truly is amazing to watch him work for our good when we seek him daily and give all of our cares, worries, and needs to him with thankful, trusting hearts!

We've been praying for our son and daughter-in-law. to find a house to buy within their price range. They needed 3 bedrooms but would like 4, they wanted a pool, in a good school district, close to his work, with a two car garage.

We only prayed TWO days and God answered their prayers. They got a beautiful home with all the requirements save one. It's a 3 bedroom instead of a 4, but it has a lovely family room. I think they wanted the 4th bedroom for guests, but Evan can bunk with AJ if they need to put someone up overnight. Or they can put a sofa sleeper in the family room.

Anyway, the pool is beyond gorgeous. The master bath has a Jacuzzi garden tub that looks out over the lovely back yard gardens. It has a covered patio that they hadn't asked for, there's a fireplace in the living room, the kitchen has all built-in appliances. There's a two car garage. And it's in a good neighborhood with above average schools, perfect for the kids to go to. AJ is only 3, but kindergarten isn't that far away.

They also have this quirky think about everything important involving them having a 7 or an 11 in it.
Their birth dates all have a 7 or 11, the kid's birthdays have a 7 or 11 in them. They were married on 7-7-11 and get this...The house is the 7th on the block! I had to laugh at that. I guess God is quirky too.

I'm only going to post pictures of the outside of the house for confidentiality reasons.

Isn't the front yard gorgeous?

I just love this hot pink door that matches the bougainvillea

 Here's the large covered patio.

And can you believe this pool?

Okay, so now for the price...it's in an exclusive community, but without homeowner's fees. The house was listed at $315K, but they got it for $300K!

Well, that's all I've got to say about my bragging rights, but I tell you I'm dying to get in that pool and have a BBQ!

An Average Day in Banning

4:15 a.m.

I've been up since 3:30 a.m. journaling and listening to "Spring Water Radio" on Pandora. My friends at Wellness City just told me about Pandora and how to put it on my phone and computer. I'm still learning how to make my own stations up or find and choose the ones already made. I've already chosen George Strait, Loreena McKennit, Enya and Harry Nillson. Just a few of my favorite performers. I'm kind of all over the place with my musical tastes.

I wonder what kind of day today will be. I will probably go back to be to catch an hour or two of sleep before classes start at 9:00 a.m. but right now I'm wide a wake.

Eric is sleeping in his room with Shilo on the bed. I know that some of you may think this odd or even a sign that we don't have a healthy relationship but that's not true. It's a matter of sleeping preferences and how we can get a good night's sleep which has become very difficult and now that we have a larger house with two bedrooms we have decided to sleep in separate rooms. Eric snores very loudly and he gets hot easily so a sheet is comfortable for him. I get cold easily and like the window open over my head because I love to snuggle down under the comforter and enjoy the fresh air at the same time. So as you can see we have very different sleeping styles. Before, in the cabin, we had no choice but to share a bed, but now we have a choice to sleep separately and both of us are very content with that decision. In fact, our relationship has become even closer because of it.

Longing for My Cabin Home

Today was an energetic day at class at Wellness City.

Once again there wasn't any coffee or creamer so I ran home and got some. I don't live that far and I am more than happy to share what I have.

The staff there pulled me aside and thanked me profusely for all that I do there because I give so much they said. I don't mind giving a person a ride home or to some place nearby if it will help them. I'm just that way. I guess you could say it's in my make up. Anyway, they said I was a lifesaver and I felt touched. They insisted that I needn't bring things or give people rides or do the things I do, but as I told them I really didn't mind. 

The classes were filled with very energetic and positive people today and I came home renewed and refreshed all except for one citizen who has been extremely clingy and demanding. He said "I miss my friend" and then pouted. Now you've got to understand this is a 40-year-old man and many times he is disruptive in class and acts like a 4-year-old faking crying jags or interrupting people with his crazy immature antics. I have decided that the next time he acts that way I will ask him if he needs a "time out" just like I used to do with the first graders I used to teach. That or I will just get up and leave the class until his silly tantrum is over. It's such a trigger for me that it makes me very impatient and angry with him. I don't want to express that in class. It wouldn't be appropriate. I've already had a Peer Support Specialist meeting to tell him that I just want to be friends at school and that I don't feel comfortable doing things with him outside of school. I mean he started asking me to taking him to my watercolor class and bingo which are things that I do for myself to relax, enjoy and recharge my batteries. Then the final straw was when he asked me to take him home to meet his parents. I felt like he thought we were a couple. It freaked me out so I had the meeting with him to ask him to take a step back and for us to just be friends at Wellness City which is why it upset me so when he threw his emotional hijacking behavior by trying to make me feel guilty for my decision. As I said before I just told him, "We are still friends just only here at Wellness City." I've had to set a healthy and protective boundary for myself. It's sad, but true.

As for the rest of classes today It was very positive and I learned a lot. When I got home I typed up my notes as they really rely on me to let them know what chapter or lesson we are on. I don't mind. In fact, it's a lot of fun for me and is very rewarding.

When I came home for lunch, I checked into buying "The Secret" which is a movie they need for class. I found it on Amazon for $2.49 + 3.99 for shipping. It's a new copy so I will order it so that we can continue with the class. I called the school and told them that it wouldn't be available until the 8th or the 23rd which if the latter date means I would be at my seminar to become a Peer Support Specialist myself. I will order the movie on the 3rd after we pay our bills. Since they couldn't continue on with the class I called the center and told them about the movie and that I wouldn't be coming back for class today.

Instead, Hubby and I went to the pool to soak in some sunshine and cool off. It was refreshing and when I saw that I was getting a little red I told him that that was enough sunshine for me for the day. Later today we went back to the club house and shot 6 games of pool. I'm getting much better at hitting the ball into the pocket and I won several games but I also scratched a few. Either way I had fun and was pleased that my skills are improving. Perhaps we will play some more today as hubby doesn't have to go into work until 4:00 p. m.

So when we came back home I worked on my class notes again, but I didn't print them out because we were low on ink and I didn't want to use it all up before we could see if it was in the budget to buy some more. We really use the printer a lot. Me for my class notes and hubby for his scripts. He's a writer as well as an actor a music teacher and a professional musician.

I am so pleased that when we moved we could buy our house outright. I mean how many people can say they own their house at 50? We pay association dues which also include our utilities but it's very affordable and I love our house. I still miss that we moved off of the mountain and it's painful to think about going back up there right now, which is why I chose to cancel my spot at the craft fair they are having in town. I would just want to see home again and it would break my heart to know that it wasn't my home anymore. Here's a picture of it in winter and spring.

 In this photo (above) we had just laid down the bark and planted some of the yellow marigolds which hadn't blossomed yet. We put in the picket fence panels up by the door. I had a picket fence with a gate across the front yard at one time but the snow plows broke it down so this time I put the panels down at the bottom of the hill. It was still very quaint, don't you think. We had just painted the house too. I chose the colors. It looked very pretty in the snow. This was an average snow storm in January. My neighbor took a picture of it. I still have the key to the front door on my key chain. It just one part of the illusion I have that the house still belongs to me. Part of me is still upset and sad that I had to move off because Eric was tired of the snow. I loved it. Oh well, it's the past now. So is my life that I had up there.

Etsy Store

I had an order for a Tinkerbell Costume that I just couldn't get motivated to complete. That's the first time that has ever opened since I opened my store over a year ago. I've put my shop on vacation because I just have too much things going on right now. I don't think I'll close it though because if I'm going to be doing craft fairs I can place orders and take credit cards which could really help me make sales.

Here's the outfit I just couldn't complete: I sell it for $50.

Memorial Day

It's been a quiet day of Bible Journaling. We went shopping at Aldi and I got a new coffee pot with a built-in shut off timer for $20! It was a steal. It's a 12 cup model with one of those mesh coffee filters so no more paper ones to run out of or more trash in the landfill. I'm really happy about that. I like that it's black too, because the white ones get dirty so easily. I haven't used it yet, but I will probably tonight.

We love shopping at Aldi. We used to go to Walmart for everything but now we can find most things at Aldi and for a fraction of the cost.

After Aldi we came home and had chili dogs for lunch then Eric sacked out. I colored for about an hour and then laid down myself.

I have discovered Pandora and so I went to bed with my headphones on and listened to it on my cell phone. I'm hooked.

Well off to color some more...

The Lord's Day: A Day of Rest

11:50am
Today I was going to go to church, but I found myself nodding off while talking to Eric and decided to stay home and work in my Bible Journaling, then doing a Bible Study and finally reading A Purpose Driven Life. It's a 40 day journey into enlightenment about who you are and what God has planned for you. Plans he determined before you were even born. I truly believe that once we have completed this goal, God takes us home to be with him and what an adventure that would be.

I'm off to journal now...

A Great Prospect Ahead & Pawn Shop Treasures

When I opened my email this morning I was thrilled to find an email from Robyn about my Peer Support Training class. Although she said she wouldn't be sending out notifications until today I looked at the date and time and discovered that she sent mine out at 4:30 yesterday ahead of schedule! I must have made a very good impression, but that didn't surprise me after getting my message from God in the Scriptures yesterday.

I'm so excited. I know that it will be challenging, but with God's guidance and support I know I will pass with flying colors because I truly believe that He wants me to have a career in this field and I'm thrilled at the prospect.

Today Eric had an acting gig, and then two music gigs after that so I knew he wouldn't be home until almost 3:00am and I always wait for him to arrive home safely. But I was on my own for meals today so I went to Del Taco for an early dinner and while sitting in the parking lot eating my epic bacon ranch burrito I saw a Pawn Shop.

Now Eric and I have always had great luck at finding DVD's and Blu-Ray discs at VERY affordable prices in these places so I took $35.00 of my birthday and headed over there. As expected I found a lot of movies for a great price. I only paid $33 for 13 movies. I got

The Passion of Christ (which had me in tears and I had to leave the theater)
10,000 BC
San Andreas
The Forgotten
Willow
DreamGirls
Vantage Point
The Road
Terminator: Genisys
The Secret Life of Bees
The Riddick Trilogy
Seasons 1 & 2 of The Walking Dead (which I'm an avid fan of)

When I finished with my purchases I went to Wal-Mart and bought Risen and Courageous and 2012.

So I had an excellent day finding treasures with my money.

Eric told me he will pay me back for the money I put out to have my nails filled (I have acrylic nails) so I will have $20 to buy some Prismacolor colored pencils from Amazon. I thought I could get them cheaper at Michael's or JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon, but even with the coupon Amazon has a better deal.

So once I got home I got started on a Tinkerbell costume that I have to make. It was a sale on my Etsy store and it's worth $60 which will buy me a bigger set of Prismacolor colored pencils. I should be able to buy the 130 pencil set! I'm so excited about this as it will really improve my Bible Journaling art which you can see in my journaling thread Sprite's Bible Journaling

So that was my day. I'm off to crochet now and wait for Eric to get home.

Happy 57th Birthday To Me!

For my birthday I went whale watching in Newport Beach, but before that I was fortunate enough to get called in for an interview for Peer Employment Training. Only a very few people are chosen for this. It's an intense two week program that once completed will qualify me for positions as a Peer Support Specialist which is like a therapist for people dealing with mental and addiction challenges. It is like a dream career for me since becoming an actual social worker/therapist is out of my reach due to financial reasons. Ultimately, it will be God who will lead me to where I should go with this, but so far He seems to have been opening every door in this direction and I have been following this path.

I had been very concerned about how successful I would be at my interview and doubtful that I would be accepted into the program but during this morning's Bible study the Lord spoke clearly to me with this verse:

"Now Go!
I will be with you as you speak,
and I will instruct you in what to say."
Exodus 4:12

After reading this all my fears abated and I went into my interview with confidence. I had a very positive interview and I believe I made a good impression. Robyn said she would be sending out emails tomorrow to those that had been accepted into the program.

After my interview I headed off to Newport Beach. I got there early and walked along the boardwalk and went in several of the shops. I was so enamored by all of the lovely soothing colors of the seashells and the aqua and blues of the decorations and artwork that I've decided that I will stick to my original plan of making my house over with a beach theme. I had hoped to do that when we moved in but the furniture we got  (for practically nothing) was of a more traditional style in olive greens, tans and dark browns. I bought traditional cherry wood tables to go with them and cherry wood colored bookcases so while the living room looks lovely it's anything but a beach theme in color, but I can always get a cover for the sofa or find throw pillows with a nautical theme to tie it in.

Anyway, I got off track...
Here's the boardwalk and some pictures of the inside of the stores. You can't see it from this picture but there's a ferris wheel on the right just after the Balboa Beach Treats sign. I've yet to go on it.

I love the seashells and the soothing aqua decor.

Aren't the lovely glass balls wonderful, and the coral designed bowl. 

After walking along the boardwalk I got in line and waited to board the boat. This was my 5th trip out with this company and so far all I've seen was dolphins and sea lions. Unfortunately, this trip was no different. It is on my bucket list to see a humpback whale. The captain informed us that on the 23rd they got to have an encounter with a humpback and a gray whale so he took us out beyond the shelf to deeper water to see if we could have any luck. Sad to say we didn't get any this time, but we did run into a pod of 100 dolphins feeding on anchovies which was fun to watch. I love the way they play along with the boat when it's traveling. They jump and frolic along the sides and in front of the bow. I didn't take any pictures though for fear of dropping my cell phone into the drink.

While I haven't had any luck that's not because the company hasn't tried and if you live in Southern California I highly recommend the adventure! Here's a link Davey's Locker Whale Watching. I didn't get to see this, but as I said it's my dream. Heck, I may have to go to Hawaii to see one and wouldn't that be a tragedy? NOT!

So after my nautical adventure I was starving and I headed for Ruby's Diner at the end of Balboa Pier. The pier was constructed in 1940. I don't think the diner had been there that long, but I could be mistaken about that. It was a lovely sunny day so I chose a spot where the umbrella was down and enjoyed the sunshine.

I ordered one of the western bacon cheeseburgers which came with endless fries, which I couldn't eat after stuffing myself on the burger. I also ordered an iced tea.

Once I finished stuffing myself I walked back down the pier and found a nice spot on the sand next to the lifeguard tower and watched the people playing in the water and listening to the soothing sound of the surf. The salty breeze was therapeutic and was lulling me into a state of intense peacefulness. After a while I laid down and read some of my book The Purpose Driven Life. Which is about how God has a purpose for our lives and how we can learn to discover what that is. I highly recommend it for any Christian to read. It will change your perspective and consequently your life!

Before I knew it, it was time to head back home. So I got on the freeway and was soon stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, but after my relaxing day it didn't vex me. It took me 2 1/2 hours to get home, but having a relaxing day at the beach made it all worthwhile.

Eric and I are going to go back on Wednesday and are taking our beach cruisers so we can ride along the coast.

An Early Birthday Gift

Today was a happy day!
My son, Adam, came over and took me to a late lunch at Gramma's Restaurant. It's just around the corner from where we live and an added treat is that it's a Christian place and they aren't afraid to advertise that. It's so awesome to support them with my business.

My son and I had a wonderful time shopping for houses for him and his family on our phones while we were there and talked about all sorts of wonderful plans for them.

It was very satisfying and made me very happy that he took time out of his busy schedule to drive all the way over here to spend time with me. He hasn't done that in ages! What a lucky mom I am to have such a son as he.

Also my friends at Wellness City threw me a surprise birthday party complete with birthday donuts and a lovely scented candle for my gift. It really touched me that they remembered me.

It's been a wonderful day!

Celebrating

This morning was foggy and cold. It was wonderful. I love how the fog muffles the sound of everything around you and all the shapes and forms that come out of it are a mystery until you can see them clearly.

I went to Coffee with Friends and WRAP at Wellness City and thankfully no Sado. The class was so productive and quiet.

On another happy note, Marnie from the head office called me to schedule an interview on the 26th for admittance to the PET program. I am hopeful that I will get in. I will put my best foot forward anyway.

The only bummer is that I had to cancel my whale watching tour with my friend,  Mona. We will have to reschedule. The whale watching trip with Wellness City got cancelled too so that's a double bummer but there are other days and other seasons. It's not the end of the world.

My son is coming out tomorrow to take me to lunch for my birthday which is on the 26th.

Sheesh!

It's been a difficult week. One of the peers at the center I go to was getting too close and inappropriate for my comfort so I had to tell him to back off a bit. Of course, he took offense to this and I haven't seen him at the center since.

I feel badly that he's decided not to show but I didn't know how else to tell him that he was beginning to freak me out. I mean he even had me meet his mother! I'm a married woman for goodness sakes. I have no desire to entertain the thoughts running through his little mind.

Well, we'll see if he got the message but has still decided to recover from the rejection and will show up on Monday.

Lord, tell me what to do if he does...

What a Week!

I've been down with the flu for a whole week! What a drag. I guess it's cold and flu season in California. Since I've been out of commission I've been off the computer. I've got nothing new to report except that this morning I made the fatal mistake up upgrading to Windows 10.

I lost all of my favorites and the old Internet Explorer program. Now I have to use Chrome which also doesn't have all of my old links on it so there goes all of the sites I've visited over the last 3 years. It also disabled my firewall and Norton in favor of its free security software. It says that you can easily uninstall Windows 10, but gives you no links on how to do this or any directions in the software which is not located in your computer programs file. I highly suggest you don't upgrade. I should have listened to my sister-in-law.

Well, enough complaints for today.

I managed to make it to classes on Monday but couldn't make it to PET orientation so this little setback has kept me from getting into Peer Support Training for the next set of classes. There's supposed to be another on the 12th so I will shoot for that but I need to confirm that with RI International. I'm really disappointed that I was sick and couldn't go. Thankfully, the orientations are open to anyone that has met the requirements and I have received all of my certificates.

Monday I will be a back at it at Wellness City and seeing all of my good friends.

This past Sunday I told you that we went to Eric's Grandmother's 93rd Birthday Party. I gave her my personal bible with all of my artistic journaling pages in it. The bible was very precious to me as it was a gift from my husband. When she received it she told me that she really wasn't a "Bible" person, but I am hoping that as she looks at the artwork it will peak her curiosity to investigate further into the Word of God.

On another note I ordered our checks today from a great internet site The Bradford Exchange. They only cost me $15!I was so pleased to find a Primitive design too.

The Lord's Day

I can't believe it's the first of May already.

Yesterday it was cold, stormy and overcast, so far today it's sunny with a slight breeze.

I am going to meet my friend Tanya at church today. We are supposed to meet for second service which is at 10:45. I've been up since 6:00am. I guess I'm just looking forward to going.

I have to give my church a plug every Sunday because it's so fantastic and Pastor Tate is really gifted.

Lifepoint Church

Today we are going to Eric's grandmother's birthday party. She will be 93 and she still lives at home alone. Her house is spotless. You could do a white glove test any day of the week. She lives in Newport Beach not far from the ocean. I've decided to give her my personal Bible for her birthday gift. Eric said it's so hard to buy for her that usually nobody gives her a gift. This Bible is very special to me because it was a gift from him and because it was the first Bible I ever did journaling in and I poured a lot of my heart and soul out onto the pages. I hope that she will open it's pages and that the Scriptures I've illustrated will speak to her heart.

7:30pm
Grandma was touched by my gift and wasn't sure I should give it to her since it was so personal to me, but I assured her that I wanted her to have it. She said she wasn't really a "Bible" person, but she thumbed through the pages and was amazed at my drawings. I was happy to see her reading the Word which was my ultimate goal. She is Mormon, but I don't know that she's a practicing one. It doesn't matter to me what her religious persuasion is, what matters is that she gets interested in the Bible.

After Grandma's party Eric and I stopped at Castle Park on the way home and went miniature golfing. We only made it through one course though because it was hot. I was hoping to play another course after dark but he pooped out on me.

Oh well, we will go back on another day...perhaps another Monday in the evening. It was nice to be there without the kids and just have some fun adult time. Don't get me wrong...I love having the kids but it can be a bit exhausting trying to keep up with three little ones.

04-30-16_Saturday

5:47pm
I can't believe that April is over. The year just seems to be flying by.
Today was a quiet one. It's been cold and cloudy all day and now it has started to drizzle.
I love rainy days. I think I would be very much at home in Seattle, WA.

I wish I could say something exciting was going to happen but unfortunately all I've got ahead of me is laundry and maybe a movie.

Eric has a gig tonight so he won't be home before 11:30pm.

04-27-16: Boundaries

8:04am
I woke up early and am having a difficult time sleeping but I can't go back to bed because I'm giving Mona a ride to Wellness City and then afterwards we are going to see The Jungle Book at the Fox Cineplex.

I'm listening to Clint Black. I love the country music from the 80's and 90's. I found a great country station that plays the "oldies" all the time. It's at the top of the dial and doesn't have a very strong signal here in Banning, but most times I can pick it up. Country music helped me get through my divorce. I think country music helps a lot of people which is why it's so popular. The songs are usually about relationships, faith and love or adversity.

10:31pm
The Jungle Book was a very cute movie with quite a few  thrill seeking moments. The CGI graphics were amazing. For those of you fond of the original animated movie you will be happy to know that this movie followed very closely. The most interesting thing was that when the songs began to play you could hear a theater full of adults singing along. There were only a handful of tiny tots at the 12:30 showing and I was amazed to say that they were quite well behaved and were very engrossed in the show. This movie obviously charms the old and young alike.

Today in our Coming Out of the Fog class we learned about boundaries in relationships and how important it is for us to have them and enforce them. Boundaries are there for the good of both parties. Coming from a Catholic upbringing I learned self-love is the same as selfishness and that it is a bad thing to do.  I found this blog very informative about the difference between two and it's definitely worth your time to read. The Psychology of Selfishness. What I learned today in class is conveyed in this saying below:

 

While Christ asked us to turn the other cheek He did not mean that we should allow people to walk all over us. We are to love others as we love ourselves. I have understood this to mean that healthy boundaries are a vital part of being assertive and taking care of ourselves. If we do not love ourselves we will never be able to extend a healthy love to others.

I also learned about how we make judgments about people at a first glance - grouping them into categories where they don't actually belong. In one of my favorite movies, Gettysburg Sgt. Buster Kilrain is having a conversation with Col. Chamberlain about just this thing. I found this "speech" very profound.

Christ said we are not to judge. How often have I found myself doing just that when I should not. I have learned in this class that (and from the movie) that we are to step outside our comfort zone and give people the benefit of the doubt. We are to show kindness and love first and if those things are returned then we know that it is a person of equal depth and compassion then they are safe...but if they do not return those things we should give them a wide berth but pray for them all the same. But as the saying above conveys, We are not called to be doormats." Christ never asked that of us. We are to practice self-love, NOT selfishness. They are very different. As Christians and human beings we should take time to educate ourselves on the difference between the two so that we can live more enriched lives and share our love with others as well as loving ourselves.

04-26-16: Another New Day

5:39am

I don't know why I woke up so early but here I am.

Today, I get my certificate for completing Anger Management which will be an asset when I go to apply for a job. You'd think that attending this class would mean that I had severe anger issues but actually I don't. A lot of the people in my class have been ordered to attend Anger Management by the court because they have become aggressive with other people. I took the class to learn how to deal with those sort of situations and people like this because I might run into them when I'm counseling. As for my anger issues...sure everyone gets angry because it's an emotion we all have. It's how you handle it that counts. I've found that on my anger meter I've reached upset and annoyed. We have to report in every week as to what level we've reached.

Funny thing about this class is that I've learned that most people in it are very nice when they are in control but they can get scary when they are not. I think that attending this class has really helped me to realize that I can be around angry people if I don't react. Usually angry people just need someone to listen to them. I've also realized that their anger is not directed at me, personally, but at a situation and that many times when they are allowed to just talk it out they feel relieved that they got it out and someone listened to them vent. All in all it's been a very helpful class for me and I'm glad that I took it.

 

6:11am

Well, it's time for a cup of hot coffee and then on to work on my Primitive Blog!

7:45pm
Art class was cut short because they wanted to close the restaurant early. It was no biggie. I only lost about 30 minutes of class because of that I was early to bingo. I won $5, but it cost me $6 to play so actually it only cost me a dollar.

I am going with my friend, Mona, to see The Jungle Book after class tomorrow and on Sunday, after church, I'm going to go see The Huntsman with my friends Rachel and Bernice. What a great weekend!

Tomorrow I get a certificate for completing my WELL classes. That's going to look great on my application to PET. I really am grateful that God is blessing me so bountifully.

 

02-25-16: Graduation Day at Wellness City

1:01am
Today I have much to be grateful for; I woke up here to celebrate another day of life. I recently had a cancer scare. I had a needle biopsy which wasn't fun, but was endurable. The test results came back negative so I was relieved, but I was prepared to be positive regardless of which way the chips fell. I don't know if I had cancer and God cured it or if I never had it at all. I do know that either way I am grateful to have my health. I guess it's not my time yet. God must have wonderful plans for me.

5:29pm
It's been windy, rainy and cold with brief periods of sleet off and on all day. I love stormy days. They are perfect for climbing into my favorite chair turning on the fireplace and snuggling up with a cup of hot tea and a good book. They are also excellent for napping. I love to fall asleep to the sound of gentle rain falling.

However, a fierce lightning and thunder storm can have the opposite effect. I get all energized anticipating the next bolt of lightning to slash across the sky and then the following roll of thunder. Does anybody else out there wait for the lightning flash and then count how many seconds it takes until the thunder sounds to know how far away the storm is? I loved doing that up in the mountains.

I completed my WRAP class and got my certificate today! One thing down on the way to a new job. I can't wait! I called RI International in Perris to learn more about orientation on the 6th but Rosie said she'd have to get back to me.

10:20pm
Well, it's been a long day and I've been playing around with my blogs since I got home. Time to log off of this darn thing and do some R&R and reading before I look at the inside of my eyelids for the next 8 hours.

It's been a great day and I'm glad I was here to enjoy it.

02-21-16: Risen!

We went to see Risen today. It was an amazing movie! I can't wait for it to come out on DVD/Blu-Ray. When I left the theater I felt like evangelizing the entire world.

My Third Book: The Itty Bitty Pumpkin Problem

This was written for my granddaughter, Kaitlyn. It's a short story/picture book that I hope to illustrate myself. I hope to publish soon.

My Second Novel: The Sinister Secret of Swynhollow

On March 13, 2013 I completed my second novel which I wrote for my grandchildren. They are the stars in the book. Once again it's not copyrighted so I can't post anything about it right now, but I hope to publish it on Amazon as a Kindle book or softcover as they have both options.

Here's the cover:

My First Novel: Prarie Dawn The Life and Times of Nettie Fisher

In February 2013 I wrote my first novel called Prairie Dawn: The Life and Times of Nettie Fisher. I haven't copyrighted it with the Library of Congress yet, but I hope to do it in the next few months.

I'd love to share the prologue here but until it's copyrighted I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. Once it's copyrighted I hope to publish it as a Kindle book on Amazon. Here's the cover.

 

I've already started on the sequel, Prairie Moon, and have most of it completed.

02-24-16: The Lord's Day

I went to church today and was very inspired by Pastor Tate's sermon.
When I got home we went shopping at the Aldi store nearby. What a great place and such reasonable prices too. I bought some butterleaf lettuce salad mix, fresh strawberries and raspberries and mandarin oranges for our salad tonight. We will have it with honey mustard dressing. Dinner will be baked Tilapia, Greek rice and green beans.

After we got home from shopping we took the bikes out and went for a long ride. I got these bikes off of craigslist.org. Mine is the powder blue one that I paid $90 for. Walmart had the exact same bike for $130. Eric's bike (the dark blue one) was $130 and I got it for $75

 

 Anyway, we went for a leisurely 2 mile ride and decided that we needed to have gears put on the bikes because we live in a hilly area and it's just too difficult to ride them without being able to shift to lower speeds to climb them. I'll check into one of the local bike shops to see how much it will cost or if it's even possible. They are perfect for the beach, but that's 1 1/2 hours away so it's not convenient.

 

Later today we are going to the movies at the Fox Theater to see Miracles from Heaven. It's a quaint theater that opened in May of 1928. It's in the historic district of Banning. The art gallery where I paint is two doors down. (See my other post entitled Acrylic & Watercolors)

 

 

 

6:22pm

We just got back from seeing an awesome and inspirational movie called Miracles from Heaven. It's a real tear-jerker but has some amazing scenes of what she said she saw in Heaven. I believe that God is allowing these children to come back to give believers comfort and to encourage us to live our lives fearlessly. To be courageous and bold and to spread the word of His salvation and God's forgiveness.



 

Another great movie to see is Heaven is for Real which is also an inspiring movie about a little boy who goes to Heaven and sees Jesus. The person he saw was the same one that a little girl has been painting for years after she saw Jesus in Heaven. This is what he looked like...

 

 

Riley's Farm in Oak Glen, CA

Close to our new home in Banning is the quaint sleepy little town of Oak Glen. It looks very much like my beloved hillsides of Virginia. Riley's Apple Farm hosts a variety of Colonial celebrations and activities which are reminiscent of my trip to Colonial Williamsburg and every year I will attend several of their events. They have a Colonial tavern that serves delicious period food.

There are two annual events that I have attended there so far. The first is the Sleepy Hollow Dinner Show which includes hay rides through haunted cornfields, trips past the creepy graveyard and a drive by Van Tassel's farm. The dinner includes a delicious meal of either chicken or beef, all the pumpkin soup, corn chowder and hot apple cider you can consume. It is held in converted barn and the tables are festooned with fall decorations and china. While you dine a cast of Colonial players re-enact the tale of Sleepy Hollow on a stage. Between acts there is a dance with traditional Colonial dance steps that they teach you, pumpkin carving, and, of course, a pumpkin seed spitting contest. There are too many activities for me to mention. The night is topped off with a daring display of the headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane down a dirt path. The Headless Horseman is astride a great black steed and holds a flaming pumpkin in his hand which he tosses at the terrified Ichabod!

 

In the fall Riley's has a huge pumpkin patch where you can pick your favorite holiday squash to carve. They also have Civil War enactments complete with cannons!

The second is event I've attended twice so far is their A Christmas Carol dinner event. Once again the barn is festooned in holiday décor with a large Christmas tree. The dinner fare is English roast beef or cider baked ham, cheddar potatoes, home baked bread, candied carrots and buttered green beans. Then there's all you can eat delicious corn chowder, and the dessert table with bread pudding or apple pie, You can have all the dessert your heart desires. Once again there's dancing, and fun activities plus you sing all the traditional Christmas carols that you know and love. While you dine the players perform the tale of A Christmas Carol.

Here's a picture of this years Scrooge being haunted by the terrifying Jacob Marley...

Many times you will be greeted by a snow covered hills when you arrive or exit. This year it snowed while the festivities were going on in the barn and everyone was treated to a winter wonderland as they exited to go to their cars. Many of the children (and even the adventurous adults) engaged in snowball fights. It was pure bliss for me.

I've yet to attend the Fourth of July celebrations. I hope to do that this year as Eric has to work and staying home alone doesn't interest me. If I get to go I will make another post with plenty of pictures.

Here's the link to their site if you should be interested in seeing anything more about this rare and marvelous place located in Southern California of all places!
Riley's Farm - Where History Comes Alive

A Fresh New Start

It's been ages since I posted and there have been lots of changes since my last post.
We have moved off the mountain and left our dear little cabin behind, but in good hands.

Ironically, all of the things we've wanted to do for years were repaired or completed in order to sell the house. We finally got the bathroom tile repaired and repainted the house. We also landscaped the front yard. I planted yellow marigolds. They weren't blooming yet in this picture but a week later there was a profusion of yellow flowers all along the path and in the planters by the front door. I had hoped to plant tulips in the wheelbarrow, but we moved.

We installed a propane heater which we got to enjoy for two months before we had to move. Eric was happy to not have to haul in wood but he wasn't as elated when we got hit with a $400 gas bill!
We also replaced all the valves and the meter on the propane tank. We did a lot of other things, but I don't want to fill up this blog with a repair list.

We did all the repairs because we had decided to stay and not move. Wouldn't you know it the next week we got an offer and after talking it over we decided that a move down the hill would be better for us. After saying good-bye to all our neighbors and locking the front door for the last time...I cried because I knew I'd never live in the mountains again.

It was a very cold winter even though we didn't get the promised heavy snowfalls that El Nino was supposed to deliver.My neighbor took a picture of the house after the first snow. Unfortunately, we were gone by the time it hit so I didn't get to enjoy one last snow before we left. The drifts are pretty high near the chain link fence. The picket fence is 3' high so that gives you an idea of just how much they got.

So we decided to move with a list of things in mind. As I look back our list of answered prayers were answered above and beyond what we prayed for; which brings me to the scripture verse in Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
Plans to give you hope and a future."

What a comforting scripture that is and after you've read the rest of today's blog you will see why.

We moved to the country in the flatlands below my mountain home. I can see the mountain from my kitchen window and while my heart aches every time I look out and see the ridge where my little cottage is, I know it has been a good change for us.

Banning is a lovely small town surrounded by open range filled with grazing cattle (no smell, thank goodness) and horses in pastures. It is an old stagecoach town that is growing with the times but will always remain small and quaint as it is nestled in the small valley between the San Gorgonio and the San Bernardino mountain ranges. It has all the conveniences without the over crowded streets and overbuilt areas. It's mostly a quiet and sleepy little town with a wonderful history of the old west stagecoach days.

The quaint town of Oak Glen is only minutes away and it is filled with apple orchards and farms on hillsides. And the village of Idyllwild in the San Gorgonio mountains is only a 45 minute drive away where I can find a movie theater, shopping and cozy restaurants to dine in. In the winter it becomes a snow covered wonderland. So while I can't bear to drive past my old hometown of Angelus Oaks on the way to Big Bear and can still get my yearly dose of winter cheer. Oh, and it also snows in Oak Glen which also has small stores filled with delightful things, a petting zoo and many restaurants serving delicious meals and, of course, apple pie.

God was with us every step of the way with this move and we believe it was His plan that brought us here. It is more convenient for Eric since his commute is now on a freeway and work is only fifteen to twenty minutes away as opposed to the forty-five to sixty minute drive down a two lane windy road that was often dangerous. He is very happy with the new change.

There were several things that were on my list of requirements for the new house we moved into, one must have was that it had to take our large lab/mix dog, Shilo. He's a member of the family and leaving him behind or farming him out was NOT an option.

The second thing on my wish list was that the house would have two bathrooms. I wanted a garden tub to have a candlelight soak in, but it wasn't a deal breaker if the place didn't have it.

The third thing must was a room for Eric's office/music room.

The fourth thing I wanted was a bonus room for my art studio, but if I couldn't get it then so be it.

The fifth item on my list was a front porch large enough that I could decorate it and put some patio furniture on it, but once again it wasn't a deal breaker if I didn't get it.

And the final thing on my list was that we could buy the house outright.

It was a pretty tall list, but we prayed and asked God that if we were to move He would guide us to the right place. We looked at many houses in many areas and found several potentials, but none of them had everything on our wish list. One of the houses we saw was priced low enough that we could have bought it outright and had enough left over to pay off all of our debts which made it very appealing, but when we talked to the neighbor in that park she said that the town was not a good place to live and that if she could she would move. After doing some research I discovered that she was right. So while the park was new and beautiful it was set in a town that was plagued with trouble that's when I cast my eye on Banning.

God found the quaint 55+ mobile home park that we moved into. It is a small park filled with homes with beautifully manicured front yards (not just planters but yards actually big enough for grass and plants!), and streets lined with Kinkade-style street lamps and personal mailboxes.

We are in the highest house next to an open field and only have only one immediate neighbor - Carol. She's a lovely little old lady who came over when we first moved in and shared her faith with us, which brings me to another vital point...most of the residents in this park are Christians. Imagine that! Not only did God give me everything I wanted on my list of must haves for the new house, but He put us in a park of like minded individuals.

This is the front of the house. As I said the yard is large enough for a lawn. Right now it's filled with smooth round pebbles, but soon we may be able to have it landscaped. The tree has to go and will be replaced with shrubs and flowers. The inspector told us it was brushing up against the house and wasn't beneficial to the screens or eaves. I was hoping it would get flowers or turn color, but it did neither.

I've removed the large shrubs and the white wrought iron bench. Next year we hope to landscape it similar to this, but without the large bushy shrubs. I want to replace the existing tree with something that has 4 season interest.

The other thing that happened was that I've met some wonderful new friends in the park one of which has the same challenges I have. She introduced me to Wellness City which is owned and run but RI International and through this place I have discovered that I can find gainful employment doing something I've always wanted to do...be a counselor! So next month I am going to my PET (Peer Employment Training) orientation and then on to the classes that will get me certified. Then they will help me find a job. I am hoping that I can get one at Wellness City as it is right around the corner from me and I have made many new friends there. God has used me as a conduit to show His love to so many people there and the generosity that the Holy Spirit has inspired in me has affected the entire place. People have changed because of it. I have been told that I bring love, energy and inspiration wherever I go. What a testimony to God that is! I am so grateful that he is using me and it humbles me that He does. Whenever anyone compliments me I give the glory to God as it all comes from Him and I do nothing from my own merit, but it all flows through me.

The last and final prayer that God has granted me is that I have found a home church! It is LifePoint Church and is only 5 minutes from my house. I love the way the whole place looks because from the outside it looks like a traditional church with a steeple and everything and inside it has the high vaulted ceilings that are reminiscent of the church I went to when I was growing up. At Christmastime they have the huge Living Christmas Tree (which is actually fake because of its size) and all the lights on it flash in coordination with the music. It's quite beautiful. I missed Easter service this year as we were with family and couldn't make it.

Pastor Tate gives amazing and inspirational sermons.

The music inspires and lifts me to higher planes of worship and I have begun to make friends there.

Eric is making his own journey through private Bible study as at this point in his walk he doesn't feel inspired to attend church. I have put him in the Lord's care and pray for him that he will continue to seek the Lord fervently through his Bible studies. I know that if he is open to it the Lord will speak to him and the Holy Spirit will guide him.

So that's it. So many blessings that have exceeded my hopes and dreams are and have been answered by God. I look forward to getting a job counseling soon and being able to leave the financially constrictive income of someone on disability. I look forward to achieving my dreams of seeing New England in the fall, buying a trailer and traveling (on vacations and weekends of course) and being financially able to enjoy the life that God wants me to have.

And so I walk forward with confidence, grateful of all the blessings He sends my way...