Finally

For the past two years all I've been praying and wishing for was a full-time job. Well tomorrow I start one. I am very anxious. Worried that I won't be good at it or it just won't work out. I have protected myself if that happens by keeping 2 of my part-time jobs. But, of course, I am not wishing for that to be the case. I interviewed for a part-time freelance writing position, and what I ended up with is a full-time advertising sales position. How could I turn down a chance at a full-time job? The only bad thing is that I have to drive half an hour each way. So, the money better be worth the drive!

I've been in retail sales for years and customer service for a few. I know how to handle people. I can read what people are thinking pretty well. I feel like I wanted this so much and now it's here and I'm not ready! Well, ready or not, here goes nothing! Tomorrow I am job shadowing someone. I just hope they are ok to work with. I get along with everyone, but some people drive anyone bonkers!

I will keep you posted on how it all goes!

Following My Dreams

I was reading an advertiser the other day when something caught my eye. It was an ad for a freelance writer. I've only wanted to write for practically my whole life. It's what I went to college for. So I emailed the guy and attached my resume and coverletter. Then he emails back that he was unable to pull up my attachments. So now, sometime in the very near future, I need to mail or fax them.

I would really love writing again! I loved every writing class I took in high school and college, and I entered every essay contest there was. I won one in junior high. It was about Iowa. I was co-editor of my high school newspaper for 2 years and I wrote for my college newspaper also. My first job in Denver was at a corporate travel agency where I composed their monthly newsletter. I also worked for the Denver Business Journal, a big business newspaper. The only thing I got to write there was for the in-house newspaper.

I've about 3 teachers who have influenced my writing. The first one was Mrs. West in junior high. She was also our supervisor for the newspaper. In college I had my journalism professor, Prof. Ellis, and a writing professor, Andrea Frantz. Prof. Franz was awesome! She taught us to write from the heart. I think I frightened her once with how honest I was! I wrote a very personal paper and she ended up counseling on it. I loved her! I wanted to be her! I could see myself teaching writing in junior high or high school.

Well, we shall see if I get this position, and I will keep you all posted! I would be writing for the Denison, Iowa newspaper. I would love to see my name in a byline again! :)

The Itch That Won't Go Away

I've been suffering from a mysterious rash for over a month now. It started after I had been tanning. My doctor diagnosed it as "heat rash" and gave me predisone about 2 weeks ago. It cleared up everywhere except on my left arm and around my neck. I went back yesterday and she said she still thinks it's from an allergic reaction to laundry detergent. She gave me a shot in the butt of steroids. I guess it looks better this morning. Looks like it's drying up a little. Last night I was still itching especially my chest and neck.

I also suffer from severe seasonal allergies. I thought this all stemmed from my horrible hayfever. One night I was at a track meet until 1000 at night and the next day red and itching til it drove me crazy! I still think the rash is related. I am just hoping it goes away this time! If it doesn't I have an appointment with a dermatologist in Fort Dodge in 2 weeks.

As far as overall health goes, I'm still losing weight. I have lost almost 4 pant sizes since a year ago without exercising. I have been taking supplements from GNC. I think I have finally discovered just the right combination that works with my body to shed the pounds. Instead of taking just one kind, I take like one of each of about 3 or 4 kinds. It's working. I've also discovered how amino acids aid in weight loss. It's amazing. I have been down to the size I am for about 2 years. I know I need to exercise to tone it all up now, especially my legs! I'm definitely not bikini ready yet! Maybe bikini top while covering up the bottom half! I haven't felt comfortable about wearing shorts for quite a while. However, I see really heavy women wearing them and think, "What am I worried about?" It's very interesting seeing what some people chose to wear!

20 Years in the Making

In a couple of weeks, on June 1st, my husband Jeff and I will have been married 20 years! Wow, that doesn't seen possible at all! Time has really flown by! It's so hard to believe that I've been married 20 years, I'm going to be 43 shortly and I have a daughter who is almost 18 and will be a senior next year! I've almost lived and used up half of my life! My mom is 72! Unbelievable! Where does the time go?

The last 20 years have been full of ups and downs. We've had two children, gone through about 3 dogs and three cats, and have moved three times. Eleven years ago we almost lost Jeff to cancer. That was one of the toughest things I've dealt with. Two years ago I suffered a mid-life crisis when I lost my full-time job. But, we've managed to muddle through it all. Thank God for that! We just keep moving forward and try not to look back.

I look at the future and I really want to start a career that I never have been able to somehow. I want to make good money so that we can pay things off and save to go on trips It's so hard choosing what to be when you grow up, especially now  that I'm grown up and still don't know what to be. I've always been a go-with-the-flow kind of person. I think that has been part of my downfall. Looking back, I think I was the happiest job wise when I was managing a clothing store here in Carroll. I only did it for a year because I had to work a lot of weekends. I really enjoyed what I did though and wish I could get it back. Hopefully I can find another manager job somewhere around here. If my boss at GNC would ever leave, I could see myself managing it. I'd rather do clothing though. I guess I just need to start looking around. Open my eyes a little to what is available. 20 years ago I graduated from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake with BAs in English and Journalism, and intended on a writing career that never happened.

I do believe that God has a plan for us and everything does happen for a reason. You may not know the reason now, but somewhere down the road it all becomes clear why things happened. I'm looking forward to celebrating many more years with Jeff, and watching our children become adults and hopefully making good decisions with their lives. We only get one life and it is precious, as is time.

New Addition to Our Family

Rocky 3 months old

Yesterday we got an addition to our family, a baby boy sheltie puppy.  We had a sheltie that we had to put to sleep two years ago.  We loved Tiger very much and he was a great dog.  We had him for 9 years.  After Tiger we had a Mini American Eskimo dog we named Chloe.  We had to give her away because she couldn't be potty trained.



Our Beloved Tiger RIP

 My son and I drove from a basketball tournament in Des Moines to Bloomfield, Iowa to pick out the puppy.  It took us about 2 hours to get there.  It is located 52 miles from the Iowa - Missouri border.  Bloomfield has a Amish community.  The people with the puppies were Amish.  The didnt' have a phone at their house.  They had a community phone that they used.  On the way there we saw horses and buggies with people dressed in traditional Amish clothing.  There were a lot of Amish businesses.  When we got there the dog people were dressed traditionally Amish.  They lived on a farm off of a dirt road and up a little gravel path.  They had a lot of dogs.  I had told him that we wanted to male puppy, so they had four male puppies in a cage waiting for us.  There were three reddish colored ones and one that stuck out to us because he looked exactly like our old dog Tiger.  The prices ranged from $175 to $250.  It just so happened that the one we picked was the most expensive, but we knew it was the one, no matter what.


The puppy did really well on the 3 hour drive home.  He didn't throw up, poop or pee!  He sat on Dalton's lap the whole time, even though we had brought a box to put him in.  Dalton just couldn't put him down.  He's so soft and adorable who could blame him!  Now that we have him home, we are working on potty training him.  He has had several accidents.  I know it takes patience.  We are very glad to have him as a part of our family. :)



The Lord Has Risen, He has Risen Indeed!

We got up at around 5:00 am and went to Easter sunrise service at 6:30 am.  Our church held the service at Swan Lake.  It was conducted outside by the lake.  It was very cold this morning, probably around 38 degrees.  It was pretty chilly.  However, it was a beautiful ceremony.  There was scripture, singing, prayer and communion.  There were geese honking on the lake during all of this.  I love non-traditional ceremonies.  it was awesome!

Our extended family couldn't get together today because my niece had a baby in Minnesota, so our immediate family decided to go out for brunch instead of cooking.  We went at 10:00 am.  It was already quite busy.  There was ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, eggs, mash potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, salad bar and deserts.  It was very filling.




Last night my husband and I went to the movie "Water for Elephants".  My husband is a fireman and got a fire call after 20 minutes.  So, I sat through the movie alone.  I didn't mind.  I've done it before.  The movie was excellent.  I was glad I stayed!  The fire call was a little 3-year-old girl who was missing.  After firemen, police and EMTs went all over looking for her, she was found safely hiding in the back of her parent's van.  Her family was at the park and when they left to go home she went to the back of the van and hid from her mom.  Why?  I have no idea.

Well, it was a good Easter.  Praise God! Alleluia!

Back on Track

My 14 year-old son Dalton has started playing traveling basketball for a new team called the Iowa Corn Sharks.  Previously he has been on about 3 traveling teams.  He started out playing for the All Iowa Attack, then my husband started his own team, the Iowa Elite, and then finally he played for The Kingdom of Hoops.  The first team, All Iowa Attack, was a very expensive team to play for.  The monthly fees were about $100.  In addition to this we had to pay for uniform and all traveling expenses including gas, hotels and food.  This team traveled extensively outside of the state.

My husband's team, Iowa Elite, was a good strong team.  At the last tournament they played at there was an argument between one of the dads and my husband, the coach.  After that the team split up and there wasn't enough players left to keep the team going.  With the Kingdom of Hoops Dalton played about 3 tournaments.  We pulled him out after that due to the family being separated a lot for tournaments. It was creating some tension.  The new team, the Iowa Corn Sharks, play all of their tournaments within the state so there isn't a lot of time apart.

Over the course of all this Dalton somehow lost his confidence in playing the game of basketball.  On his 8th grade school team there are a lot of very talented boys who are very competitive.  He feels inferior to two of the boys.  He has always gone toe to toe with them over the years.

Anyway, today was his first tournament with the Corn Sharks in Fort Dodge.  Honestly, without bragging too much, Dalton is the best player on his new team.  I believe this is a very big boost to his confidence.  Hopefully this new found confidence will carry over to his freshman team next year, as well as upcoming baseball, and currently track season.

During Dalton's last game today he score half of the teams points, a total of around 24. :)