April 22-2012

A lot has happened since the last post!  Really, a LOT has happened!

On April 11th Arlota came up for a visit from Redding, CA.  She is spending a couple of weeks with us. She called Burton around the 5th and said that she was thinking about coming up for a few days, then a few days later he gets a call from her that she will be arriving about 6:30 on Thurs the 11th. I was thinking she would be coming in a month or so, boy, was I wrong!

April 10th:  Kimberly called Heather and they decided for Kimberly to come down and her & Heather took my out to Happy T for dinner for my birthday (April 1st). We were trying to wait for Burton & Arlota to get there but we were done eating by the time they arrived.  For some silly reason we decided to order the 'family' style dinner that serves 3-4, we won't do that again.  We had enough for 4-5 and we made a pretty good dent in it but we were really stuffed. They ordered dinner and we sat and talked while they ate.  Burton & Arlota came on home and the girls and I went to The Rock Pizza place for dessert, who was hungry and how could we have eaten anything else?  Well, we gave it the good old Kearney try and managed to put away a lot of it.  We had a chocolate chip cookie baked in a 8" cast iron skillet, topped with 2 big scoops of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup drizzled over the top and they also ordered the cheesy bread they make (I'm not sure why we ordered any of it because we were already stuffed from Happy T but it was really good.) We sat and talked and had a GREAT time then it was time for Kim to start the long trip back to Bothell so she could go to work the next day.  Thanks girls!

April 17th:  Burton has been taking Arlota to visit the rest of the family while she is up here.They (Burton, Arlota & Bethene) drove up to Darlene & Dicks in Stanwood , they seem to be doing better that the last time we saw them.  Andy comes out in the morning and helps Darlene get Dick up and ready for the day and comes again in the evening and gets him ready for bed. They stopped by Mark & Colleen's on the way back and visited with them for a short time. Mark tires easily and had to go lay down a little after dinner but got up again right before they left so they visited a little longer.  Since then hospice has started coming out and giving him his shots and meds and making sure he is doing ok.  They got home around 8 or so.

April 18th: Kimmer's birthday!  Thirty eight wonderful years. 

I had been thinking about Kimberly's birthday all week.  Ever since the week before when Kimberly said she needed a little bigger purse because she only brought her wallet and keys into the restaurant and then wished she hadn't left her phone in the car I started thinking that I could probably make her one but the time keep getting closer and closer and if I was going to embroider on it I needed to have started a week ago because I have to figure out how to use the embroidery machine again.  And I have to decide on a pattern and fabric, etc, etc, etc. . .needless to say I did not get it made.  So on the 18th I was going to take a card from home and get $50.00 to go in it and sent off to her, I planed to do that a couple of days earlier but didn't so I found a decent card in the cards at work and went to the bank at lunch and got the money then realized that I had left the card on my desk at work. I drove back to work, ran in and got the card, ran to the post office and finally got the card mailed. Whew! What a job that was!  Hope you got it Kimmers! ( She didn't!  I received it back today. . .none deliverable address. Arrrrrrrrgh!) 

About 4:15 my boss, Jerry, came into my office and asked if I would meet him down in Yvonne's office, HR.  So I went to her office and I had a hunch but when I got sat down and we exchanged a few pleasantries with Yvonne he got down to the business at hand. I was laid off due to "reduction in staff".  This is the way people are let go, laid off. at CCI.  I was given a months pay & insurance, I can draw unemployment after the month is up. Jerry was a little surprised that I was joking and did not have a problem with being laid off.  I told him that he could have waited a week because I had in-laws visiting!  I offered to go on a cruise with Yvonne and Bruce since they were leaving on Sunday and I wouldn't have to be at work!

I am glad it was me and not anyone else at work that could not afford to lose their job.  God brought me to that job and he will take care of me now on my next venture.  Arlota was a little shocked too that I was not upset or worried, I've heard her on the phone telling everyone that I seemed happy about it and I am happy.  I've been kinda looking for something new for some time.  I had just put my application in at Simpson's Credit Union but they had just filled the position.  I've had people asking me when I am going to retire and like I told Jerry when he asked me the same question a while back, "They would probably have to kick me out the door when they close".  Not that I want them to close because the workers need their jobs.

When the JCPenny's catalog store closed on Dec 31, 1999, Jerry's wife was a customer and when she found out that it was closing she tole me to go talk to her husband at CCI Solutions.  I had never heard of CCI Solutions and did not want to stay in sales.  After a month or two of being on unemployment I finally decided to go check it out and was hired. I started working there on March 6th, 2000. I worked there for just over 13 years. I was a sales assistant. At the time all of the sales guys had an assistant.  Then it changed and no one had an assistant anymore. I and another person were the two assistants for all of the sales guys.  When we started the online business I was the one that processed all of the orders. A few years ago I started being the front office supervisor and back in Oct of 2012 I moved to the front office area and was the backup for answering the phones and backup for the new person that was the web orders.  I also ran reports for Jerry and did a few extra things for him.  I had prayed that God give me a different job because things had changed there over the years and I was ready to move on. God did not move me on for quite a while after I started praying. But when he did move me on it was with a big flourish and now I am waiting for the next door to open for the next step in my life.  

I am not sure what I am going to do yet. Paula told me about a job that a lady at her church does for Arise.com and I am going to check them out.  I would like to bring in some money and this job is working from home, setting your own hours and in my jammies if I desire! Definitely something I'll check out.

Sis Rosalee Nicholson passed away this morning.  She is in 70's. she has always been a wonderful, kind, dependable person.  Her husband is one of Burton's cousins.  She was the Ladies Aux Leader when I first got married and started attending the UPC church in McCleary back in 1968.  She was the piano player then and up until a couple of years ago. She taught Sunday School and was very involved with the young people. She was the church receptionist and the church cleaner and floral arranger.  She struggled with cancer for several years and at the end was in a lot of pain but now she is resting in the arms of Jesus, pain free. Her funeral is Friday, April 26th at the Olympic Christian Center in McCleary.  We will miss her so much.

Well, I think I have made up for not getting on here sooner all at one time.  I still need to go back and enter some other days that I have not blogged about but want to.  See you all sooner rather than later I hope!

Monday: March 6th

It has been almost 3 weeks since I quit taking any Meds.  I feel Great!  I've always felt that some day we will have to put all of our trust in God for everything; provisions, health, housing, clothing, protection everything!  I had been thinking about this ever since Dona told me on New Years that God had healed her of diabetes.  The more I thought about it the more I decided to trust God for healing.  I have been prayed for several times and felt that God had healed me but then I had doubts and wasn't sure so I just kept taking my insulin and other meds.  This time every time I thought about it I thanked God for healing.  I quit taking insulin, metforman, thyroid med, blood pressure med.  All of it.  I had a couple of Dr appts so I called to cancel them.  When I looked at my calendar and saw that I had appointments the thought popped in my head. . .why do you need to go, do you believe that God healed you.  If He healed you, you don't need to go; so I cancelled two appointments. God is my healer. . .we sing about it all the time at church but do we really believe it.  Proof is not in feelings because our feelings are wishy-washy.  It's not in our emotions because they are up and down just like feelings.  Proof is in holding on to God's love and grace and word.  I believe

Monday, March 11th

Wednesday, March 6th:  Addy came to spend the afternoon with Poppa.  He was busy doing something so she cleaned house for me.  She folded all of the blankets in my bedroom and stacked them on Poppa's amplifier so neat and tidy!  She put my skirt (that had grease on it) that was laying on the bed in the dresser drawer so my room would be tidy and she straightened the book case behind the blankets.  She took the Christmas cards that I am going to cut the fronts off of and set them on the dining room shelves all nice and neat and hung some on the back of the bookcase.  She did an excellent job!  I may have to have her come over more often!

She also took the little chest at the end of the Entertainment center and the foot stools and put them in their place to keep Stinky Pete from going behind the Entertainment center and the love seat.  We still don't trust him to let us know when he needs to go outside so we try preventive measures.

Charly pushed his bed (that is suppose to be on the couch and that he is suppose to lay on) off on the floor and pulled all of the cushions down so he would have a comfy place to sleep.  He is worse than a kid!

What a day it was at work!  We can tell that Easter is on it's way.  It has been crazy, crazy!  Everyone should have ordered last month but NOOOOO they wait until 3 weeks before Easter and want it yesterday!  Crazy people!  I guess they've never heard the saying that you can't keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.  At least we're busy so that will make us enjoy the slower times.  

Monday, March 4, 2013

Well, the weekend has come and gone and now Monday is here and I'm back at work. Two more days and it will be my 13th year anniversary of working for CCI Solutions.  Talk about time going by fast!  So many things have happened over those years.

Burton bought a motor home, retired and has become a pretty good househusband! He has been a great help at home since I'm the one bringing home the bacon, so to speak! :0)  He built the greenhouse, he keeps busy with his carpet cleaning jobs, mowing the lawn and washing cars, loads the dishwasher and empties it, makes the bed and takes care of Charly! His most important chore.

Baby Charly!

Grown up Charly!
Lazy dog!

Paula worked at CCI, married Jim Carey on and gave us our first and only grandchild, Addison Rachelle Carey, on June18, 2006.  She will be 7 this year.  She is such a blessing and keeps us hopping!  She is so much fun. 

Paula

Heather worked for the State of WA, went to college in Wyoming and is now working for VSP the vision insurance company for about 5 yrs..  She is the assistant to the boss.  He just had back surgery so she is the boss now! That's what I think anyway.

Heather

Kim moved to Bothell to manage the Cookie Store, then was recruited by Kits Camera and managed stores in several locations before getting hired at Pacific Vascular.  She has worked for them almost as long as I have been at CCI.

Kimberly

I love your expression!

This is enough for today! I can see I'm going to have to learn a few more things about this blogging thing!

My first blog EVER!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

I am launching a blog for my family.  I don't have any idea what I'm doing but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later!

It is beautiful out. The high temp must be 50 degrees today.  It is cooling off now but it was really nice. It feels like picnic weather out there.  We need to get the picnic table put .up.  It will be time to start planting flowers soon.  The greenhouse temp was 90 degrees when I went out earlier. I should be out there planting in it now.

Burton & I put dark bronze kick plates on the front and back door today.  It looks nice and hopefully the pets will scratch on it and not on the door.  Or maybe not scratch at all!

I want to change my Mt Rainier picture at the top of this blog but have not figured out how to do that yet.  I'll try to make if smaller tomorrow.  I cropped the picture in PSE but haven't found the place to go back in and change it!  Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

My moms birthday is March 9th.  She would have been 90 years old this year.  So many times I wish I had asked her about something but I didn't and now it is too late. I miss her! Wish she was here to be with my kids and Addy!

My hubby's birthday is also coming up on the 13th!  He will be 68 this year!  We will be married 45 years this October.  Wow, where does the time go!  This is the cute young guy I married when he was 23 yrs old.
He's my personal chauffeur! Then he tells me his left eye is blurry and he can't see out of his right eye good either!  And I'm sleeping while he drives!  Not sure that is too safe!  Forty five years, three girls, one son-in-law and one granddaughter and many more to go! Oh, and one spoiled rotten dog. . .can't leave Charly out!