Serenity

Busy busy week ahead. For all of us. Ethan has practice and/or work all week, but that has pretty much been a given for the last few weeks. David had a board meeting last night, another meeting tonight; and then we both have a concert at our church to attend tomorrow night. Because we have so much going on, I told David I would cover Ethan’s play performances, and he could cover Prom next week (the things that they are needing parent volunteers for). So…for me, Wednesday night — the concert, Ethan’s play Thursday, Ethan’s play Friday, a birthday party to attend Saturday, and the last performance of Ethan’s play on Sunday. And if it wasn’t the play on Sunday, one of the guys in Ethan’s scout troop is having his Eagle Scout Court of Honor that day as well, so we are busy Sunday, regardless. It normally isn’t this bad, but its just one of those weeks. If Ethan had continued going to Barbershop practices, that show was this Saturday as well. Quite honestly, I’m glad that we don’t have that on the agenda as well. Enough. Is. Enough.

I had THE bestest time yesterday. I got to spend the day with a very good, very dear friend. We got together to scrapbook. Our Plan A fell through, so we went to Plan B, which I think was even better (even if I had to go wayyy out of my comfort zone to get from Point A to Point B). We did some shopping at our favorite scrapbook store, and then we went back to her house and scrapbooked the afternoon away. I got 6 pages done, and I think she got about the same. But spending the time with her — it was like time had stood still and that it hadn’t been a couple years since we last did this. We stepped right back into step … we have emailed, so it wasn’t like we were totally clueless about what was going on in each other lives. But, it was fun to just be back there, hanging out at her house, and just spending time with her, chatting, seeing her family again (minus one, because he is away at college). We are so not going to let 2 years pass again before we do this!

I am counting the hours.  Going to bed early, so I can get up, bright eyed and ready to go.  I’m going on a road trip tomorrow.  I’m only traveling 90 miles — a short hour and a half of driving.  It is going to be a day of — what we say at church — food, fun, and fellowship.  My very bestest friend and I am meeting at our favorite scrapbook store, and we are going to scrap the day away.  I think its been 2 years since we last got together, and I sure have been missing her.  I have my pictures ready, I have a plan of what I want to do, and what I want to buy.   The day planner that I’m using this year, has plastic pages between each page, designed to insert scrapbooked pages in the sleeves.   I’ve done a couple of pages, but tomorrow, I would like to do the rest.  I have new pictures of Malachi, I’ve printed out pictures of  Mom and me when I was little, a more recent one of my Mom and my Aunt Jo.  I have pictures of the grandkids …   I probably have more pictures than what I will have time for tomorrow, but thats OK.  Just spending time with her, catching up,  thats the real goal of tomorrow.  I am so ready for tomorrow!!

I stepped out of my comfort zone, took a chance at doing something that I wasn’t sure what I was getting into — and as the case usually is, I  was very glad I did it.  I had seen in the newspaper last month where a speaker was coming to our local library, that would talk about the book “In Cold Blood”, and the author Truman Copote.  This is a book I take a personal interest in because I grew up in the town where the murder happened … my mom and grandma knew the family.  So, when I read that this was the book that was going to be discussed, I knew I had to attend.  I’ve read the book, seen the movie.  I was only a year old when this horrendous crime was committed … I do rememeber a little when the movie was filmed, but most of my memories come from my familly talking about it.  This speaker was to come down last month, but the day he was supposed to come, it was one of those icy and trecherous days, so it was rescheduled to tonight.

It actually worked out really well.  I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, and was a bit nervous about going. Yes, I’ve read the book, but it was years and years ago.  Even though I grew up there, I didn’t have alot to offer from that aspect either.  Ethan had play practice from 5:00 - 7:00 — he said he would come straight to the library and sit in on it as well.  Because it had been rescheduled, I didn’t know how much it had been promoted, and I just couldn’t imagine many people attending.  I was afraid of getting there and being the only one.  As it turned out, there was 12 in all, including Ethan and myself, plus, our library has ADL (I think thats what its called), and so a group from Norton “sat in” as well. long distance.  The evening was very interesting, and I learned alot more than I already knew.  It was none threatening, and I just enjoyed listening to the professor talk about it, about the family, about the Truman Capote, and the man he was.  But what was even better, was I felt like I “made” Ethan go … but now, I think Ethan would have gone, with or without me.  He was very wound up afterwards, talking about how good the speaker was, that he was glad he went.   He’s wanted to see the movie “Capote” for a long time, and I’ve always said no.  But after this evening, we will be renting “Capote” and “Infamous”.

Two steps forward, one step back.  I felt a moment of celebration at the trucking company office this afternoon.   I have all the driver’s paperwork checked.  I am totally caught up with that.  Yes, I do still need to enter it all into the computer to be 100% on top of it, but just having it all checked is a major accomplishment, and I’m glad I finally am at that point.  As I told David, its all in the proof of the pudding.   Like the filing.  I’m not going to tell him what I’m “going” to do.  Just do it.  Show him.  I struggled all last year trying to keep the filing done.  I would put it in a box, and after I had several boxes full, and it would take him an hour to locate one simple invoice … he got onto my case about getting it caught up.  I finally did, and now I file it that day, no boxes, and I’ve kept on top of it.   I would like to be at that same level of effeciency with the drivers’ paperwork.  And its doable.  Its when you get behind and have 2, or 3, or 4 weeks to catch up on.  But, I did it.  At least the checking park.  By next Friday, I’ll have the computer part done, and then all I’m looking at is week to week.

Works for me.

Becky @ Joyful Mother is starting the New Year out right with this book giveaway. I LOVE the YadaYada Prayer Group series of books, and have read most of them. But, the one Becky is giving away, I haven’t read yet. So, I want to promote her giveaway, as well as be entered in the giveaway. If you love reading Christian lit or you are a fan of the YadaYada Prayer Group gals, head on over to Becky’s new blog, The Fun Blog, and follow her directions to get your name entered. She is giving the book away January 12.

dLeanne @ Learn Something New Every Day has posted a Foundational Faith Building Challenge. - In this challenge she is asking that we choose at least four books from our library of faith building classics and commit to read one every season for the year 2008. Then all we need to do is blog about how each book changed us in some way. I thought this was a great challenge, and I would like to join the other ladies who are doing this challenge. I’m not sure the books I chose are classics, but they are books I would like to read and work through. All of them are filled with questions and thoughts that are focused on bringing us closer to God. My 4 books are:

Out Of Control - By Ben Young & Dr. Samuel Adams
A Heart That Dances - by Catherine Martin
Getting Unstuck - Linda S. Mintle
Simple Faith - by Charles Swindoll

I think I am starting with Getting Unstuck. Thats where I seem to be right now. And I am ready to dig myself out of where I’m out and move forward.

I’m still looking for a specific direction for this blog. I still want the “theme” or focus to be around “quiet”. And what keeps coming to mind is my faith walk. To make this Christian based … which, all of my blogs are; but when I join Christian groups and such, this is the blog they will be directed to. It will be here I continue to explore my faith, and my walk. There will be one new aspect. I have signed up, and this blog was accepted by PU2B. So, there will be some paid blogging going on. But, hopefully, it will be seamless enough that it doesn’t take over the blog like it has with some others. I am bound and determined to make this year be a more organized and structured year. I’m still struggling with find that middle ground and balancing things out, but I will get there.

Weather Conditions: Not As Cool. Windy. Rain In The Morning…Then Scattered Showers In The Afternoon. Highs Around 57. South Winds 20 To 30 Mph With Gusts To Around 45 Mph.

Everyone has left for work. David always has to leave by 6:30 on Saturday mornings. He has drivers out to the office by 7:00 to get paid. And, quite honestly, he’d just as soon they come early like that. Its usually 10:00 or after before he is able to leave, and then he goes to work “for real” — usually changing truck tires or whatever simple maintenance his harem of trucks need (Major maintenance or repairs, they do take to the shop).

Ethan has a split shift today. Actually, he was orginally scheduled for 4 hours today; but someone needed to trade. So, he didn’t work last Sunday, when he was scheduled to work, and now he is working her shift today. He does have tomorrow off, which is a good thing. He put in a request to be off, but it doesn’t always happen. However, it was once of those instances if they HADN’T given him the day off, David or I probably would have gone up to talk to them. Ethan really needs to not work tomorrow. His Barbershop quartet (JIMS) is singing Special Music at church. And then tomorrow afternoon, we are heading up to Topeka for Alex’s 1st Birthday party. They are pretty good about honoring requests, unless its right before a holiday. But they know this. Its in the employee handbook. For the most part, we have found that they are pretty good about working with us for the few times he has needed off. And the times they have called him to work when he wasn’t scheduled to work far exceeds the times he’s requested off. So, hopefully, they see him as a team player and that they can depend on him. That is something we have tried to instill in him. He still has his opinions, which differ from ours from time to time, what is “important” and whats not. But for the most part, he has really stepped up to the plate and done the right thing, whether he liked it or not.

I will probably work a few hours on the IFTA paperwork; but in the meantime, as always, have a long list of things to do, that need to get done. Just need to focus and not get lost in mindless stuff that doesn’t accomplish anything, and I could make some progress is crossing things off that list. I only have today to do it, instead of the normal “2 day” weekend. We will attend church in the morning, and then shortly after that, we will go to Topeka. The Birthday Party isn’t until 4:00; but its an hours drive up there. And we still need to buy his gift. I also need to get a pair of church shoes, and also a bra. Both of which can’t be bought at Walmart. So, thats 3 stores we need to hit before 4:00. Like I said — tomorrow is pretty much a run-run-run kind of day, although in a good way. Spending time with family, celebrarting a milestone. Yes, life is good.

I thought today was going to be “one of those days”, but it actually turned out to be OK. I was able to get the newsletter done and ready for proofreading. But then David called and said I needed to go straight out to work, and get a deposit ready. Since we didn’t work last Thursday and Friday, which is when I usually work up the checks, we really needed to get it done. Plus, I needed to get the cash receipting done — something I usually do on Wednesdays. But I didn’t do that last Wednesday because for whatever reason, the electricity kept going off. Yes, it was cold and rainy, a bit of snow in the air. But it wasn’t bad enough for power failures. I would say that the electricity went off 8 or 9 times. About 10 minutes apart. After awhile, we just gave up trying to do anything computer related. I felt sorry for Ethan. Busiest day of the year for the grocery store that he works at — he is a checker. And this power thing was county wide. If we thought it was frustrating at the trucking company — I can only imagine what was going on at the grocery store. But, it sounds like they got through it OK.

Better than tonight:) Ethan said they had an irrate “customer”. He wanted to cash a pay check, and the courtesy desk told them they didn’t have enough to do it — and he got really “in your face” with them. So much so that the cops needed to be called. He was drunk for one, so that didn’t help the situation. But he also was making vague threats. He tried going through Ethan’s line with some grocery items (and the checkers had already been told not to cash his check, at this point, just on principle). But, Ethan didn’t have to “deal with it”. The managers were keeping an eye on this guy, (they were waiting for the cops to get there), and when he went through Ethan’s line with a few grocery items and wanted to cash his check, one of the managers said “Mr. Hoover has already told you that we were not going to cash your check”. Because of the vague threats, Ethan was really nervous about him being that close to him. Enter the cops and the gentleman was escorted out, and subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct.

Ethan says he will do a blog entry about this, so once he does that, I’ll link it here, so you can read Ethan’s account of this. Sounded like quite the evening for him! Give me my nice quiet uneventful evening any day!