Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Pocket Corners

How do you make your bed?

With my physical challenges, making the bed is exercise.

I love clean sheets.  I hate changing them.

I love my adjustable bed; but, getting the sheets to stay has been almost impossible.  Since I push and pull myself off/on the bed, the sheet often comes with me.

A few years ago, I got bed garters.  However, this posed a problem as well.  I had to lift the corner of the mattress, clip it to the edge of the sheet, and close the clip with one hand.  I had to do this twice on each corner.

Putting the first two corners of the sheet on the bed isn't very difficult.  But, in order to stretch the sheet over opposite corners means actually laying on my stomach on the bed, rolling around to pull the sheet, and hoping I have it stretched far enough.  Then, if it just pops off, the first time I get off /on the bed, I get to do it all over again.

A few months ago, I found the solution to a lifetime of bed-making woes. I found a home hospital bed sheet with pocket corners, on Amazon.com.

Instead of elastic gathers on the sides of the sheet, the elastic is on the bottom and the top of the bed sheet.  In addition, it has pocket corners that fit more firmly to the mattress. Finally, a sheet that stays on the bed as long as I want it to!  It is a simple pleasure, or comfort, that most people probably don't even consider.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Wonderful Weekend.

This weekend was wonderful!  My sister, her daughter, and my great-nieces came to see my mom.  My daughter also came home for the weekend!

Of course, it went way too fast!  I was feeling a bit nostalgic, watching my little nieces and thinking back to when my kids were little.  (My "baby" is going to be 17 this week!)

I also got to babysit my friend's dog, which used to be my dog. (Long story) So, I felt blessed.

However, I am also a bit sad.  Now that my girl is working full-time, she doesn't get a long Christmas break.  With the iffy weather in this part of the country, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to spend Christmas together.  It will be my first Christmas without my girl, since she was born.

On the other hand, I am very grateful that she has some really good friends.  She won;t have to spend the holiday alone; and, she will not be risking her neck on slick highways.

I am so proud of both my children.  They are nice people.  God truly has really blessed me, in so many ways!

My heart is full!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Think Positive

Yes, I know.  I should think positive.  After all, God is in control. Besides, as long as I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food I am rich.  Right?

Well, I must confess, there are just days it is a little more difficult than others to think positive.

Wednesday was a very ouchie day.  What didn't ache just downright hurt!  Well, my head was fine.  By the time it started snowing, in the summer, I was feeling much better, physically.  But, the 1-3 inches predicted was more like 8+.

Thinking positive, I reminded myself that I didn't have to go out into the storm; we can always use the moisture; by tomorrow afternoon, it would be gone.

Then today happened.

Steven's birthday is in less than 2 weeks.  So, I ordered his present.  I am making something for 2 different babies that will need mailed.  So, I signed up with the post office to start printing my own postage, since going to the Post Office is difficult.  For $10, they are sending me a scale for small packages.  I figured that was a good deal.  I was very pleased.  When the projects are done, I just need to stick them in padded envelopes or something, and stick them in the mailbox.  I was pleased with myself, until . . .

My computer screen turned into about a thousand colorful lines across the screen!  Ugh!!!

It happened a couple of times last night.  I forgot about it, until it happened this morning at least 4 times.  I turned the computer off, turned it back on, and they went away.  But, they were soon back. With pictures and files on my computer that I don't want to lose, I found my external hard drive and started backing EVERYTHING up.  This has been going on for at least 2-3 hours, and it is only half done!

The computer still works fine.  It is the screen.  But, if it goes out, how can I tell when things are done?  So far, so good!

I have spent the last 3-4 hours shopping for a new computer.  I looked at refurbished ones.  But, they are almost as expensive as the new ones.  There is no way to tell whether the previous owner just didn't like it, so they are selling it as used; or, was there a major repair job?

Now, I am using my kindle to blog.  It works great.  But, even with my glasses, the print is very small.  Since I am starting to freelance again, it isn't what I need to write, proof and post professional articles.  Plus, I can't send bulk emails, or work on the church website with my kindle.

So, once the backup is done.  I need to get on the church website and get what I can finished, before my computer conks out on me for a 5th time. Who knows if it will be the last?

I looked at 3 reputable sites for a laptop.  I found one that was just over $200.  What a deal!  Then, I read the cusomer reviews.  The keyboard vibrates, when typing.  There was something about what you can see, underneath one of the keys.  Another advised to be sure and purchase the repair plan, as the keyboard was VERY flimsy.  Maybe it wasn't such a deal after all.

I finally settled on a computer that was just a bit more.  It doesn't have an optical drive; but, I usually watch tv and movies on Netflix anyway.  If I miss watching our collection of DVDs, I can always purchase an external drive later. They are not very expensive and a lot less than what it would cost, if it comes installed in the computer.

Guess this just means I will have to spend more time writing articles. Surely, I will come to a point when I can actually spend less and save more.  Right?? Think positve!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

It's Coming!

Play eerie music now.  It's coming!  I can feel it in my bones.

I feel like having a pity party.  If you don't want to join me, I will party all by myself.

We are expecting snow tomorrow night and Thursday morning.  Snow, mind you!  We barely had a summer! What happened to Fall?

Ok!  Get out your teenie-weenie violins.  If I thought crying would help, I would.

Thank goodness for my house, my electric blanket, and my furry friends who like to snuggle at my feet.

I just have one question:  Why is winter 3x longer than the other 3 seasons combined???

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Part-Time

Recently, it seems like I have been bleeding money.  It has been one un-budgeted expense after another.  I am not complaining.  It just is what it is.

The last major bleeder, (sorry Mom), was the vet.  Just in the last week and a half, over $700.  But, it has been a bit of a struggle, since I was in the hospital, and my new and pricey prescriptions.

Anyway, I was told, when I went on disability that I could work up to 20 hours a week to supplement our income.  However, since I was self-employed, she would not recommend it.  Because I would not have the proper pay stubs to prove I wasn't working/earning too much.

Obviously, we need some kind of supplement to keep up with all of these unexpected expenses.  So, I have decided to go back to writing part-time.  I am signing up with a company that takes a percentage of what I make.  But, they send out W-2's.  So, I can prove I am not taking advantage of disability.

Now, if you think I will all of a sudden be rolling in dough, forget it.  The articles requested are posted by category, and it is basically first come, first serve, unless a client really likes your work and asks for you.  That rarely happens, in my experience.  Most articles are cheap for the consumer, which means $5-10 for me.  If it takes me an hour to write them, and some require research, I am still making less than minimum wage.

However, I can choose how much I want to write.  So, if I am having a bad pain day, I just won't write.  This is a very uncertain means of earning money.  But, English and writing is my thing.

So, even if I could just make a few extra bucks a month, it would help pay down some bills.  So, wish me luck.  If you are the praying sort, I am good with that.

I am starting over from scratch, without the resources, and clients, I once had as a freelance writer, so I had to reapply and send a test article. It is virtually applying for a job.  A few years ago, they readily accepted me as an author.  But, they also rate your work.  The better my rating, the more the client has to pay for an article.

I am a bit anxious to hear from them and get started.  I am not worried. (There is a difference.) I know God has always taken care of us. But, it seems He was waiting for me to talk to Him.  Once I did, the plan came to mind for short and long-term goals.

The prep work was my day.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Positively Pitiful Pup

It seems like I have been bleeding money, since last Spring. I am sure you know how it is.  The latest drain on my wallet was a very expensive trip to the doggie dentist. I wish I had taken a video; but, he was having a bit of trouble standing, after he got back home.  He walked a bit like a drunk doggie.

He was very wierd.  He wanted "Grandma" back, when she dropped him off, even though she was the one that took him to the vet for me.  He wouldn't settle down and just go to sleep.  He wanted to be outside.  In fact, he spent most of the afternoon sitting, and swaying, in the breeze.  It was kinda funny to watch, if he hadn't been so pitiful.

Almost 10, he had to have his teeth worked on, because it was to the point of possibly influencing his overall health.  Some of his teeth fell out, when they were cleaning them; still others had to be pulled.  But, I was definitely surprised to get a call in the middle of the procedure and asked, "Does your dog chew on rocks?"

What dog chews on rocks? Why?  His canines were fractured, as were some others, I think.  What in the world?  Then, I remembered.  As a young dog, he used to chew on the chain link fence, trying to get out to terrorize the neighborhood. "That would explain it!"

After 3 days, he seems just fine.  It is a real wrestling match to try to get him to swallow antibiotic capsules.  He is no dummy! He will tuck the pill somewhere, swallow a  few times, until I let him go, and spit the thing on the floor. Then, we have to go through it all again, assuming I can catch him!

Of course, he can't eat kibble for 2 weeks.  So, he gets the yummy canned soft stuff.  You would think he would be quicker about the pill process, since good eats follow.

Then, we have the added problem of our huge black cat.  I can keep the cat food up, where the dog can't get it; but, I can't keep the cat away from the yummy dog food.  So. . .  I give him a blob of canned cat food.  He gulps it down so quick, now. Thus, he still has time to help Goobie finish his, since he is a slow eater. (Wonder what dog food will do to a cat?)

Goobie and I have both learned a few things.  He knows to back away at breakfast and supper time, because Mom is going to try and poke one of those nasty pills down my throat.  Mom's bed makes a good napkin, especially the once-clean white sheets.

I have learned to ask the vet for liquid meds, if he ever needs them.  It is easier to mix with food, and he won't bite it open, making me taste the particles that escape into my air space.  Also, if I ever have another dog, it will be smaller and not built like a tank. (I don't know about him, but I feel like I have had a workout, by the time he swallows his medicine!