The word is out - there is not going to be an announcement of layoffs today - "they" say it will be next week and "they" say it is going to be 23 or 28 people laid off depending on who you are listening too.
Good news - I brought the brownies in and another co-worker brought in homemade Red Velvet Cake - and Bojangles just came by and dropped off boxes and boxes of heart shaped biscuits (they are right down the road from our office) - so we are eating our way into oblivion!
More good news - suppose to be 70 tomorrow and Sunday and I am taking my books and going to the beach!!! I'll go for a really good walk and then sit in my beach chair and do some reading!!! Time to regroup!!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tick Tock
So the word is out that there are going to be more layoffs announced on Friday.
I remember the days when I looked forward to going to work on Monday morning - it could have been because I had been a stay at home Mom and then worked as a nursery school teacher for eight years and was finally working in a place with adult toilets and not having to wipe 18 noses or put on 36 snow boots - perhaps - but I liked being a part of the newspaper - loved the adrenalin of deadlines - seeing a "new" product produced every morning - walking back through the press area and wondering if the "smell of the ink" was getting in my blood - smile - and now there is tomorrow and Friday to get through - the sadness of seeing something that I have been proud of slowly disintegrating before my eyes.
Perhaps I need to bake something chocolate for Friday - brownies with chocolate icing - we need some good things happening on Friday!!! No matter what!
I remember the days when I looked forward to going to work on Monday morning - it could have been because I had been a stay at home Mom and then worked as a nursery school teacher for eight years and was finally working in a place with adult toilets and not having to wipe 18 noses or put on 36 snow boots - perhaps - but I liked being a part of the newspaper - loved the adrenalin of deadlines - seeing a "new" product produced every morning - walking back through the press area and wondering if the "smell of the ink" was getting in my blood - smile - and now there is tomorrow and Friday to get through - the sadness of seeing something that I have been proud of slowly disintegrating before my eyes.
Perhaps I need to bake something chocolate for Friday - brownies with chocolate icing - we need some good things happening on Friday!!! No matter what!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Economy and My Life
This week they announced that they are outsourcing the printing of the newspaper and laying off 58 people in the press and production department of our newspaper where I work. They have stopped the matching 401k and all pensions are frozen with more layoffs coming up - but - because of a nifty thing called the *WARN* Act they now have to give us 60 days notice instead of two weeks before laying anyone else off. All of our artists have been laid off except for two full time and two part time artists and the artwork and design of the our newspaper ads is all outsourced to the Phillipines.
This is a quote that I keep on my refrigerator from my Streams in the Desert book - November 27th reading:
"Face it out to the end,
Cast away every shadow of hope on the human side
as an absolute hindrance to the Divine,
heap up all the difficulties together recklessly,
and pile as many more on as you can find;
you cannot get beyond the blessed climax of impossibility.
Let faith swing out to Him.
He is the God of the impossible."
I refuse to lose my sense of adventure in the twists and turns that my life takes - and what the next chapter is going to bring - God really is in control. I have been reading a really great book called, "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day - How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars" by Mark Batterson. It is the perfect book for me for this time!
This is a quote that I keep on my refrigerator from my Streams in the Desert book - November 27th reading:
"Face it out to the end,
Cast away every shadow of hope on the human side
as an absolute hindrance to the Divine,
heap up all the difficulties together recklessly,
and pile as many more on as you can find;
you cannot get beyond the blessed climax of impossibility.
Let faith swing out to Him.
He is the God of the impossible."
I refuse to lose my sense of adventure in the twists and turns that my life takes - and what the next chapter is going to bring - God really is in control. I have been reading a really great book called, "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day - How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars" by Mark Batterson. It is the perfect book for me for this time!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Walking the Talk
Today I had a half day at work because I worked the Bridal Show last Sunday. Left work and when I got home I changed and decided to go for a walk on the beach.
It was 3 p.m. by the time I got there (I only live a block and a half from the beach so it wasn't the driving!) - it was great - blue skies - clouds going across the sky - the sun was shining off and on through the clouds - it was chilly but I was layered up - you could see forever in either direction and the ocean was producing a fair amount of waves. I walked 20 mins. in one direction very briskly and then turned and headed back the other way - I always have such a sense of peacefulness when I can watch and listen to the waves.
I am hoping to get up and go for another walk tomorrow morning - my trainer is sick so she might not be able to come.
I don't want to talk about what I did for dinner - went to Steak & Shake with my Mom and sister - I really have to walk alot tomorrow! You don't want to know.
It was 3 p.m. by the time I got there (I only live a block and a half from the beach so it wasn't the driving!) - it was great - blue skies - clouds going across the sky - the sun was shining off and on through the clouds - it was chilly but I was layered up - you could see forever in either direction and the ocean was producing a fair amount of waves. I walked 20 mins. in one direction very briskly and then turned and headed back the other way - I always have such a sense of peacefulness when I can watch and listen to the waves.
I am hoping to get up and go for another walk tomorrow morning - my trainer is sick so she might not be able to come.
I don't want to talk about what I did for dinner - went to Steak & Shake with my Mom and sister - I really have to walk alot tomorrow! You don't want to know.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Exercise and other things
Monday night Karen came for my workout - killer - as always. I am so thankful she makes me work so hard. Tonight I promised myself that as soon as I got home - 7:30 pm - that I would change into work out clothes and do one of my exercise tapes - went upstairs to change and turned the TV on to watch while I changed - and started watching the crazy U-Haul chase in LA - finally turned it off at 8 pm - went downstairs and did the 30 min. tape - Success!!! Accomplishment!!! Now if I can just do it the next three days Karen will be so proud of me and so will I!!! I'm putting it out here so that I can report whether I do it or not.
Procrastination - it is what seeps into your life and takes over and stops accomplishment from being part of your life. It steals so much from you - especially self-respect - why can't you stop making those wrong choices - okay maybe they're not wrong - but they're not helping you accomplish your goals - and I am all about goals this year. I make lists only to have them mock me - I set alarm clocks - timers - I am an intelligent human being who wants to change and tonight was a baby step for me - and now here is the next one - I'm going to shut this down and go to bed at 11 p.m. - no matter about the list - I've done two things on it - exercised - oh three - ate dinner - and now go to bed at 11!!! If I could open up my front door and throw Procrastination out into the street I would!!!
Procrastination - it is what seeps into your life and takes over and stops accomplishment from being part of your life. It steals so much from you - especially self-respect - why can't you stop making those wrong choices - okay maybe they're not wrong - but they're not helping you accomplish your goals - and I am all about goals this year. I make lists only to have them mock me - I set alarm clocks - timers - I am an intelligent human being who wants to change and tonight was a baby step for me - and now here is the next one - I'm going to shut this down and go to bed at 11 p.m. - no matter about the list - I've done two things on it - exercised - oh three - ate dinner - and now go to bed at 11!!! If I could open up my front door and throw Procrastination out into the street I would!!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Full Weekend!
Friday night I went out to dinner with my Mom and my sister - and when we got to the restuarant my brother and his wife were there and they seated us next to each other! I had really good salad and fish and chips - in fact we all did except for my sister-in-law.
Saturday my niece came over - she is my personal trainer - and we worked out for an hour. I have to say that this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have not been exercising and it appeared that I was only going to do it sporadically at best - and then Karen came to mind and I called her - she comes to my house twice a week - the holidays messed the schedule up a bit but we are back on track now - there is no escaping her - she is knocking at my door - the decision has been made and I am going to exercise. She has me working out with 5 lb. weights - for now - crunches - standing push ups - stair climbs - she really explains things to me and makes sure that I am doing them right - every time. My goal this week is to exercise for 20 mins a day between now and her next visit on Saturday! and write down what I am eating.
Saturday night I went out to dinner with Kik, Ken and his family - Olive Garden - ohh the breadsticks! I did eat a salad.
Sunday I went to church - came home at 10:45 - changed - got back in my car and drove to the Mariott Grande Dunes to work a Bridal Show handing out my brochures and brides's magazine for my newspaper to all the brides and their moms - because I write the weddings and engagements. Had to work that show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - left there - went home - changed my shoes and drove to my Mom's house so we could all go to the Long Bay Symphony at 4 p.m. because we have season tickets - just writing this is exhausting! The program was excellent and the last thing they played was Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky - and the music was so powerful and wonderful - the whole orchestra seemed to enjoy it - you could just sense that wonderful magic when everything comes together and the performance really becomes perfection! Everyone gave them a standing ovation and cheered and clapped.
I am reading a wonderful book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story and people are really great - it is about the British island, Guernsey, and how it was occupied by the Nazis. You want to laugh and cry when you read it - though I did lend it to my next door neighbor and she returned it after awhile and said she didn't care for it because it was written in the form of letters - which I find really great - maybe because I'm being allowed to read other people's very interesting mail! I can't wait to see how it ends - but then I don't want it to end. Two other books have been recommended to me, The Space Between Us by Thrity Unger and Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Has anyone read them?
Saturday my niece came over - she is my personal trainer - and we worked out for an hour. I have to say that this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have not been exercising and it appeared that I was only going to do it sporadically at best - and then Karen came to mind and I called her - she comes to my house twice a week - the holidays messed the schedule up a bit but we are back on track now - there is no escaping her - she is knocking at my door - the decision has been made and I am going to exercise. She has me working out with 5 lb. weights - for now - crunches - standing push ups - stair climbs - she really explains things to me and makes sure that I am doing them right - every time. My goal this week is to exercise for 20 mins a day between now and her next visit on Saturday! and write down what I am eating.
Saturday night I went out to dinner with Kik, Ken and his family - Olive Garden - ohh the breadsticks! I did eat a salad.
Sunday I went to church - came home at 10:45 - changed - got back in my car and drove to the Mariott Grande Dunes to work a Bridal Show handing out my brochures and brides's magazine for my newspaper to all the brides and their moms - because I write the weddings and engagements. Had to work that show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - left there - went home - changed my shoes and drove to my Mom's house so we could all go to the Long Bay Symphony at 4 p.m. because we have season tickets - just writing this is exhausting! The program was excellent and the last thing they played was Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky - and the music was so powerful and wonderful - the whole orchestra seemed to enjoy it - you could just sense that wonderful magic when everything comes together and the performance really becomes perfection! Everyone gave them a standing ovation and cheered and clapped.
I am reading a wonderful book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story and people are really great - it is about the British island, Guernsey, and how it was occupied by the Nazis. You want to laugh and cry when you read it - though I did lend it to my next door neighbor and she returned it after awhile and said she didn't care for it because it was written in the form of letters - which I find really great - maybe because I'm being allowed to read other people's very interesting mail! I can't wait to see how it ends - but then I don't want it to end. Two other books have been recommended to me, The Space Between Us by Thrity Unger and Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Has anyone read them?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Catching Up
I haven't been "sharing" a lot lately because I didn't know where to start. So I will just try to start where I am.
Thanksgiving weekend I was really spending time putting together an application for the Centurion Program that is part of Prison Fellowship Ministries - you can read about it here: http://www.breakpoint.org/generic.asp?ID=2748
I had to wait until December 19th to hear whether I was accepted and I was - I am very excited about it - and overwhelmed by putting myself in a "learning environment." But I have just begun and am really enthusiastic about it. There is a lot of reading, writing, analyzing - even watching and writing about movies - check out the book list and movie list! Babette's Feast - one of my favorite movies is on the list!
Christmas was great - though very disorganized for me - and I am really planning on changing all that - this is the year to clean out - organize - and especially the "chaos room" that is suppose to be the guest room.
Last Thursday I drove up to DC - where Lauren, Caed and I then drove on up to PA - stayed overnight - and then next morning Heather, Lauren and I left for Bird-in-Hand, Pa. to stay at the Amish View Hotel for a scrapbooking weekend! Before we left Heather had to go to the ER to get three stitches in her hand because when she was packing up her scrapbooking supplies she sliced her hand open on an x-Acto knife - the drama and excitement never ends in our family - Lauren - who is pregnant with twins had breathing problems and we had to get a humidifier for the room. The three of us had such a good time - this was my first time scrapbooking and I actually did six pages of a memory book about my husband. We really had fun and it was just relaxing not to have any real responsibilities for a few days.
When we left the hotel on Sunday it was really snowing and that was fun to experience - and leave behind! - Sunday night Jonathan, Lauren, Caed and myself drove back to DC and then Monday I drove back to Myrtle Beach - going in the opposite direction of all the inauguration traffic - the drive was peaceful and a time for quiet reflection as I headed back home.
Thanksgiving weekend I was really spending time putting together an application for the Centurion Program that is part of Prison Fellowship Ministries - you can read about it here: http://www.breakpoint.org/generic.asp?ID=2748
I had to wait until December 19th to hear whether I was accepted and I was - I am very excited about it - and overwhelmed by putting myself in a "learning environment." But I have just begun and am really enthusiastic about it. There is a lot of reading, writing, analyzing - even watching and writing about movies - check out the book list and movie list! Babette's Feast - one of my favorite movies is on the list!
Christmas was great - though very disorganized for me - and I am really planning on changing all that - this is the year to clean out - organize - and especially the "chaos room" that is suppose to be the guest room.
Last Thursday I drove up to DC - where Lauren, Caed and I then drove on up to PA - stayed overnight - and then next morning Heather, Lauren and I left for Bird-in-Hand, Pa. to stay at the Amish View Hotel for a scrapbooking weekend! Before we left Heather had to go to the ER to get three stitches in her hand because when she was packing up her scrapbooking supplies she sliced her hand open on an x-Acto knife - the drama and excitement never ends in our family - Lauren - who is pregnant with twins had breathing problems and we had to get a humidifier for the room. The three of us had such a good time - this was my first time scrapbooking and I actually did six pages of a memory book about my husband. We really had fun and it was just relaxing not to have any real responsibilities for a few days.
When we left the hotel on Sunday it was really snowing and that was fun to experience - and leave behind! - Sunday night Jonathan, Lauren, Caed and myself drove back to DC and then Monday I drove back to Myrtle Beach - going in the opposite direction of all the inauguration traffic - the drive was peaceful and a time for quiet reflection as I headed back home.
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