July 2010…what a month

The month of July was very full for me.  I did a semester worth of Human Development in four weeks, came away with an A…so I guess it was worth it.  My great grandmother passed away on July 12, at the age of 97.  In other aspects of my life it feels like there were two steps forward and on step backward.  Sometimes I feel like I have no friends…if it weren’t for my cousin who feels sorry for me I wouldn’t be invited anywhere…she was gone for two weeks, life was boring.  There’s a young girl in our church who barely graduated from high school, had her life mapped out for college in STL she’s now staying home for a guy — who may be tired of her in a month or so, yet her life has forever altered because of this one decision.  Love is a crazy thing…you cannot help your heart loves, and sometimes it overlooks many things about people that should be glaring warning signals…but it’s love. :)

Tribute to Eva Maria Gentry (12/23/12-7/12/10).

She was an awesome lady, she headed a family of seventy-seven members (and growing).  When we were little her gum of choice was juicy fruit, she would give it to us in church with the promise that we wouldn’t ‘chomp’ it.  She made ‘red-hot’ pears, the best breakfast ever, and would sit and just chat.  The most important thing is that I know she prayed for me, every day.  I am in the process of going to school to be a nurse, in one of the last opportunities I had to talk with her I mentioned school and she asked what I was going for.  When I told her I was going to be a nurse, or was trying, she just looked up at me with that calm look and said “You’ll do good”.  It’s kinda weird that she’s no longer with us…she’s just always ‘been’.  We knew that Granny was there, but I know that she is better now and she has obtained the reward she looked for daily.  She went home to be with her maker and redeemer.  R.I.P. Granny…love you!!

Human Development.  WOW!!  Four weeks of intense reading and studying and I pulled an A out of the class.  Then a friend who took it at the same time tells me that she only read chapter one and she made a B in the class.  I felt like kicking her in the shins.  I put a lot of time into that class, and she took the test and quizzes and made a B without opening the book.  Makes me want to say GRRR!!!  Oh well…it’s over and I know a lot about development.  We’re born, we grow, and we die — see my money was well spent. :)

Sometimes I wonder if I really have friends or not.  I had a friend once, and I found out that sometimes friends aren’t what they are cracked up to be.  So therefore I put walls up around myself and question everyone’s motive, what they say, my own motives and how I react.  Then when you text people or try to talk to them and they don’t respond and then you feel like you’re trying to hard, or that you’re pushing yourself onto people.  It’s a crazy cycle.  I know that I shouldn’t let things affect me, and I should be able to move on and open up and just ‘be’.  Way harder than what you would think.  Ok, done with that pity-party…now to move on. :)

A friend of mine came down a couple of weekends ago (the weekend after my grandmother passed away) and we traveled around SE Missouri and Northern Arkansas just chatting and taking pics of barber shops.  It was a nice way to spend the day.  We went into this little history museum in Pocahontas and there was a Dalton Calculator there, what was cool about this is that a week before I received an email from an aunt of mine that explained that our family was part of the group that a) was members of the Dalton Gang — the notorious bank/train robbers and b) that created the Dalton calculator.  I was like, cool beans…this is what I was telling you about (I had just shared the story with him while we were driving south).

About the girl who is putting her life on hold for a guy.  My train of thought may be the reason why I’m still single…but I pretty much think that she’s an igit.  Yes, you read that correctly an IGIT…otherwise known as an idiot.  Anyone that would put their lives on hold for a guy or girl are crazy.  Who’s to say that they are going to be together two months down the road.  There is a considerable age gap between them…and they may be madly in love; but what’s to say that if the something happens to the guy next month and he’s no longer around this girl’s life is totally altered and she’s not going to have anything to fall back on.  She’s not going to have an experience outside of this little world that we live in.  I cannot understand their thinking process.  Again…that may be why I’m still single; but I would rather be single and have seen the world and have an education.

I start back to school in about two weeks.  I’m going to have to start collecting cans.  Between all my doctor bills, tuition, school books, and house bills…I’m starting to see a very dark hole called debt.  I really need to get some student loans going.  I was going to try and stay away from them until I actually went into the program, but I may need some money next semester…if not this semester.  It will all work out, just have to keep believing that.  My MS has been acting kinda crazy this week.  My legs are feeling a little funky and one night this week I had the sever flu like symptoms that go along with the Rebif.  I exercised three times this week and I’m starting some exercises off of Spark People, I want to try and keep as much muscle tone and stuff as possible…I may not make it to be a nurse, but with the help of God things will work out.  I will just have to get my Masters and teach about it instead of actually working in the field…though I still crave to work with the Red Cross.

Well…this about wraps it up for me.  I’m staying at my grandmother’s the past two weeks since Seneatha has been out of town.  Time to head south.  Here’s to the month of July <clink, clink> and to the month of August that we are staring in the face!!

ERM

Crazy weekend…

Yeah, I currently have laundry to fold but who wants to do that when I can sit and type for awhile and ignore the laundry while I watch Sabrina and catch up with you (the reader). :)

This past weekend we did a “Girls Night Out” with the 8-12 year olds at our church…it was crazy fun.  We rented some rooms at a motel, let them swim, do manicures/pedicures, facials, eat pizza, pillow fights, and stay up as long as they want.  Which means I went to bed around 11:30 — it was a long day which started at 5:30 am.  The girls I think ended up going out around 12:30 or so.  It was a lot of fun!!

I came home and met a nurse lady from St. Louis that did an hour and 1/2 session on how to give myself a shot.  I thought I was going to go CRAZY!!  It’s a basic self injecting mechanism that you place on your skin, push a button, and wow the shots over.  Then she went into a round of stories of ‘in case’ scenarios…just ‘in case’ I forgot to remove the cap.  It was almost as if I was a two year old — though she had just said that I could have a three year old do it if I was to break both my arms; it took her another 45 minutes to show me how to do it.  Finally she left; and had to walk away because apparently she had someone drive her down and drop her off…hopefully she caught the right ride. :)

I have an aunt country…not just a colony…a whole country living in my door frame.  I came home Sat to a pile of my door frame sitting in my kitchen floor with ants everywhere.  I pulled out the Torro, and they went WILD!!  So the exterminator is coming this week…and I get to replace the door jam.  The joys of being a homeowner.  But luckily I have a Dad who can help me out with that. :)

Sunday dawned bright, sunny, and hot.  Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there.  We went to church, celebrated the Super Dads!!  We honored the Father of Faith (Bro. Bob Adams) and the father who had the most family members there (Bo Barlow); he had 19 members there.  It was a great service.

Relaxed the rest of the day…and here we are…after watching ‘Old Dogs’ and laughing my head off — good movie — I’m ignoring my laundry and catching you up on my life.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day…week…month.  Life is good right now…though somewhat complicated because of ’self’.  Following are some links I read off the Drudge Report today:

Obama Praises Two Father Families

The World sees Obama as incompetent

It’s scary where our country is going, hopefully we’re ready when it reaches the end.

ERM

Flat tires, bills, and so much more

So much has happened since my last entry, you would think that I lived a million lives, but it’s been like a month or so.  First off, I’m out of school for a month…w00t!!  I ended up making straight A’s, which I was happy about, I apparently ended up figuring out how to be sociable and I pulled an A out of that class.  Of course it took sequestering myself into a lot of study time, alone and without interruptions or distractions…but hey, the point is that I pulled it off.  I signed up for another online course in July then A & P and Computer Literacy in the fall; as we trudge along toward our goal.  I was going to go through the summer and start the program this fall, but ‘life’ happened and things are not totally on hold but have been put into first gear and we’re going a little slower.  But it’s still happening and that’s what matters!!

I went to St. Louis on May 11-12.  I went up for a doctors appointment, and was able to hit the town with my friend Ethan; we went to the Cafe Ventana (awesome), the downtown sculpture park…it was a great night even the horrendous mother of all thunderstorms that occurred couldn’t take away from the fun.  Caught lunch with Mel on Wednesday after the doctors appointment…it was great to catch up, even if only for an hour.  I went to the Advanced Medical something 0r another building for an appoint (part of Barnes Jewish)…the people there were amazing.  They were all very nice, helpful, and my wait time was not bad at all.  I know that at some point they will probably have some wait time (and I was prepared with my Sociology book and some other homework); but I didn’t even get to do any of it.  The doctor (Dr. Luethardt) was great…the only downfall was that he did not give me the news I wanted.  He told me that my spine was that of a healthy 33 yr old, the fluid and all the bones were good.  Bleh!  No surgery (which is good, but bad); and if I want physical therapy in the future he will write me a scrip…yes, I want to be able to go in for a massage three times a week and let my insurance pay for it for ‘therapy’. :)  Anyway…I go back to another doctor this Thursday…and I really hope that he has no news either.  I’ll just be a healthy 33 year old with a numb left arm/hand.  I can live with that!!

Pictures from STL Trip!!

I got my bills from my foray into the medical world.  They are oh so lovely!!  I have insurance, but it has a $2500 deductible…so I think I’m going to start picking up cans!  Medical bills and school bills do not compute very well (one of the reasons things have been kicked into lower gear).  I’ve decided that I’m going to go have about twenty children…then the government will help pay for things.  As of right now, they don’t help out single white females who work and own a home…for some reason that equation does not compute for free funds.  Oh well, my dad helps me out when he can…which I appreciate, he’s my government funds!! :)

I had a flat tire the other night.  It was great.  I could tell my car was running kinda weird, but there was no distinct ‘hey I have a flat’ feeling.  I let go of the wheel and it stayed in the road, didn’t jerk, or veer off in any direction.  I came up to a church and decided I would check it out, so I pulled over.  I definitely had a flat.  It was about 1:00 am; so I called my friends house I had just left to inform them I wouldn’t be a little late letting them know I had made it home, because I had to change the flat tire.  Luckily that was some basic info my dad made me learn!  I proceeded to empty my trunk out onto the church parking lot and got down to business!!  Put my lovely do-nut on and was on my way in about 2o minutes.  Then Saturday, I got to spend some quality time at the tire shop to get some tires on my car…gotta love male orientated businesses.  I felt like I needed to spit a couple of times and wipe my nose on my shirttail…or better yet just hold one side and blow it out! :)  At least they had a girly magazine to read — better homes and gardens.

Sunday (May 23) was Pentecost Sunday…it was some awesome church.  God is so good to me!!

I’m going to wrap it up here…I could go on and on still, but I think I’ll give those two people that read this a break. :)

Later..ERM

Proverbs 31 Mother of the Year

Today is Mother’s Day (Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there); today in church we honored my Great-Grandmother, Eva Gentry (a.k.a. Granny Gentry) as the Proverb Mother of the Year; based on the passage of scripture in Proverbs 31:10-31, where it speaks about the virtuous woman.  Granny turned 97 on December 23, 2010, and though her mind is still sharp her body is starting to give out.  She was unable to be in church today, due to getting sick last night; so we all went over to visit with her this afternoon after church.

Here’s Granny in her crown:

I’m full of Poo and this week was Poo!!

I love the show Scrubs…well the older ones, the new season is o.k….but anyway, back to my train of thought.  Here’s my theme song for this month, “Everything Comes Down to Poo“.  This week was one of the longest weeks in history I think, and my stress level has went up about twenty notches, which in turn has activated my IBS, which makes everything about poo…or the lack there of.  So as my title indicates, I’m full of poo! :)  Wanted to know that right…well it’s life and I’ve gained about 8 lbs from stress eating and I’m feeling like a big bloated whale and I just want life back to normal…with my left arm non-numb, my IBS dormant, and money back in a savings account.  But alas, I don’t think that will happen soon…therefore I will consciously need to make myself eat healthy (bought some good food the other day); only eat when I’m hungry (that will be a hard one), and start exercising again (stress/depression causes a lack thereof), will drink lots of coffee (natural lax), and hopefully be back to my happy 8 lbs lighter self in a week or so.  Plus I get to see a doctor this coming week in STL that will hopefully shed some light on the numb left arm and get some answers and solutions.  If not then I get to see another one on May 27…hopefully he doesn’t give me the answers because I don’t want the ones he’ll be giving.  Curse the numb arm and crazy shooting tingles that run down my back and legs when I bend my head forward!!  (I have a new respect and empathy for my brother!!)

This week had all the crazies out.  That happens occasionally around my neck of the woods, but sometimes you hope that they stay home or that they took some smart pills over the past month.  But they never let a person down, and they show up.  But I hold out hope that it’s only for a few days, then they fade away and you only have the occasional one here and there.  It keeps life interesting, and gives one things to chuckle about when sitting alone, or when one needs a break.  It all works out.

Got awesome news about my Sociology grade this week…as long as I do decent on the final next week I will more than likely come out of the class with an A.  With all the curves, the ten point paper, and the option of retaking the second test…things have worked out in my favor.  Though the teacher did not specify that you were only allowed ONE ten extra point paper…and since I did mine prior to the one she offered everyone, I thought I would get the extra credit for the assignment she posted…not so.  I watched shows about lost childhoods and did a paper for nothing.  Even after I had asked a question concerning the assignment, she let me do it…then informed me that I wouldn’t get the credit for that paper.  GRRR!!  Oh well…I guess I gained knowledge if not extra credit! :)

Loving the weather today!!  It rained non-stop for awhile, then got HOT and HUMID (two other givens for my area); but yesterday afternoon we had a freak rain shower and things cooled down.  I’m sitting with my windows open and my house is a cool 61 degrees.  It’s awesome!!  My house got aired out and I got to leave the air off…and to snuggle down in the blankets is always a bonus.  Life is good!!

I need to get myself motivated and get the house cleaned…I have been selected to help with Mother’s Day preparations today (putting flowers together and doing last minute candies bags); we have an awesome day planned tomorrow for our Mother’s at West Point…I’m really excited and cannot wait.  They are going to be very happy and blown away I think.  (Shout out to my own Mother…Happy Mother’s Day mom…you’re the best ever!!  Thanks for always doing the things you do, and for being there with a helping hand…Love ya!!)

Well…here’s a sign off to this past week…when I found information out or confirmation about some questions that I had in the back of my mind, was haunted by a former friend who I cannot seem to get away from regardless of how much I try; was faced with the knowledge that if I continue on the path I’m on I’ll be 200 lbs by Christmas (if not before); had to curb my natural instinct of not doing stupid well and had to pretend that I cared about some of the situations I was faced with; realized that my schooling was going to be put on hold and would not continue on the time schedule I had set out for myself; and came to the realization that friends are what matters…the ones that you can joke around with, laugh with, and make comments about or to and everyone knows that it’s a joke and you can be yourself.  To FRIENDS!! <clink, clink>

Later online world…take care…ERM.

April 21, 2010 — 12:49 am

Well a lot has happened over the past weekend/week.

One.  I was able to retake my Sociology test (see  below for details on the first go round); I ended up making 51 out of 60, which is an 85.  Then the teacher gave a 10% curve…which brings my test up to a 93…an A!!  Totally excited!!  She also posted on blackboard today that we have an opportunity to do a paper for ten points that will be added to our lowest test score.  I am going to work on that tomorrow, so I will have some cushion for the final.  Lord help us!!

Two.  After work on Saturday I went to Jonesboro with my mom.  Our main goal was to go so I could pick out some scrub tops that my boss is purchasing for us (since I missed out on the week before trip).  It took me an HOUR…yes you read that correctly, an hour.  My body is shaped not to fit into the scrubs comfortably.  I found a couple of styles that were, as Goldilocks would say, ‘Just Right’…so I bought like all five of them in that style.  Just kidding, but not really, at least three of them are the same type shirt…and they are OH SO COMFORTABLE.  After doing that, we hit the mall and then mom took me out for my birthday (which was Monday 4/19).

Three.  Church was Sunday (of course)…and it rocked!  Sunday was a crazy day for me.  I had an amazing roller coaster ride emotionally, and I didn’t know weather to be happy or sad that my birthday was the coming up, and how I was going to deal with another situation that I was facing.  Then to top it all off I acted like a crazy lady in another situation…it’s a wonder I’ve not been committed to the funny farm yet.  Then Sunday night arrived and God moved in to our church service, and He reminded me of some things and let me know that He was there…regardless.  Topped the night off with chicken and dumplings and then friends over for Smallville.  A good day.

Four.  Monday.  My birthday.  April 19.  A day of many sad occasions that have transpired over the years.  The first was the beginning of the Revolutionary war, with the shot that was heard around the world.  Then there’s Waco, TX, and the Davidian compound incident.  Then you have the Oklahoma City Bombing.  Many of these things did not even get a bleep on the radar this year…of course with under water volcano’s erupting and disrupting flight in the Northern Hemisphere…well ya know.  Then this year, this past Monday, my aunt lost her mother.  I worked all day, skipped class and studied for my Psychology test this Thursday instead (two chapters to read and go over).  Relaxed.

It was a busy and somewhat crazy weekend…but hey, that’s life.  I’m looking forward to the end of the semester (four weeks away)…just so I can start again the next week.  Summer classes here I come!!  Hopefully I get into the nursing program and this all works out…testing in July! :)

That’s all for now.  Until later! ERM

Sociology — bleh!

Now I know why I’m a wall flower at gatherings, and I can just as easily entertain myself with a good book or quiet time and be fine with it.  I apparently am terrible at sociology, or so my test scores are telling me.  We just had a test this past weekend over chapters 6-10, I failed (with a 68%).  Come to find out, once I started looking at some of my papers…the information was over chapters 1-10 — no wonder some of it was beyond comprehension, it’s been six weeks since we covered chapters 1-5.

To give some back history, this is my first online course.  The teacher has it set up that the entire semester is based on three test scores, each test is over five chapters.  We read the book by ourselves, have the option to do online ‘pre-test’ (that have NOTHING in common with the regular test), then take the test at the assigned time by the teacher.

We had a test this past weekend…apparently EVERYONE did as bad or worse than me (the average was 33 out of 60), and the teacher is opening the test back up this weekend and she will be taking the higher of the two test scores.  YEAH!!  Which means that I will just spend this week studying ALL of the information that we have read up to this point…I remember some of the questions and the information was from chapter 5.  Oh well, this is what I get for taking an online course.

I have come to the conclusion that I am an auditory learner…my other classes I have passed with flying colors and have an A average…this class is pretty much going to take me down. :)

Oh

April 10, 2010

Life is so crazy sometimes…yet so fun and frustrating at the same time.  I am nine days away from turning thirty-three, part of me is wondering where time has gone and the other half is wondering what in the world I’ve actually done.  Some would look at me and say ‘nothing’ because I’m still single with no children; others would think I’ve conquered the world since I’ve actually been outside of Ripley County, and even the United States. :)  I think that I’m balanced somewhat, though I wish I would have decided earlier in life what I wanted to be when I grew up so I would not currently be back in school with no funds and trying to make ends meet…but hey, that’s life and I’ve been very blessed to travel and see a lot of cool stuff in my life.  Though the March wanderlust is starting to stir up a little and I’m becoming very antsy…it’s time to get out of Dodge and see something different.  To bad Dodge consists of a house (that won’t sell), a job that I have to keep in order to pay the bills for the house (that won’t sell), and school that I am financing out of pocket because the government doesn’t give money freely to single females who have a house (that won’t sell) and a job that actually pays them a little bit of money so they can keep the house.  So the cycle continues! :)

Though I complain it does no good…hehe…because the cycle is continuing…but it’s good.  I have been blessed!!  The above litany may not sound like it but I am blessed.  I am blessed BECAUSE I have a house, a roof over my head, and one large enough that my brother’s family has a place to live.  I am blessed because during these crazy times I have a job that allows me to keep my house, and provide a roof over my brother’s family’s head.  Every once in awhile we get groceries!! (lol…j/k)  God has been good to me, sometimes I get frustrated and I tell Him how it is…then He comes by and wraps me in His arms and reminds me how much He loves me.  It’s all for His purpose, and He’s apparently molding me into an great being! :)

Things are going good…I have little over a month of school left, so that means four weeks.  Then I will have summer classes and take the test in July to see if I get into the nursing program.  I’m ready to find out what’s happening with my arm — it’s been numb for three weeks now, and I’m waiting to get into a doctor to see what’s happening.  Been going to the chiropractor with no change (less money at $33 a pop), but other than that still a numb arm.

We started a West Point U at church, it’s a group that is going to focus on individuals between the ages of 18-25, and some of us other stragglers that are out of that age group, but since they are the ones that we hang out with we’re allowed to join in and go along with this awesome new thing.  I think it’s going to be great…they are going to dig into the word and open up avenues that will allow the students to be focused and get a great foundation in finding out who they are at a crucial point in their lives.  It’s going to be a great journey!!

Well that about wraps things up here…I could go on and on today, but alas I have two test I need to get crackin’ on and some chocolate gravy to go eat at Coffee and More!!  Life is good…and we take it one step at a time…and eventually I will be able to travel again and go see new places!

March 3, 2010

This year is going so fast already…we’re into the month of March and things are going strong.  Good things are happening at work, we have a girl that’s coming in to take over the Oxygen (and the angels are singing Hallelujah course).  This will take a load off of me, trying to keep track of everyone that has to be re-certified BEFORE their twelfth month is up…and getting the doctors to actually get the paperwork back to us.  Ah, the joys the government makes us go through…but maybe if Obama gets his way this will all change shortly.

There is so much happening in and around my life lately.  Sometimes it makes one stop and say ‘hmmm’, and other times it makes one want to SCREAM and run away to a nice little quite place.  And I have come to realize that guys are crazy and very frustrating.  Maybe that’s just a girls perspective,  but sometimes the way they act and the things they say are so contradictory…then they wonder why we don’t ‘get’ them.  But they make life interesting.  Now just if I actually had one to make my life interesting. :)

Love.  A crazy thing.  A good thing.  Something that is elusive, yet strong.  It’s good to let people know that you love them, regardless of the cost to self…because life is short.

Take care online world…until later…ERM.

Roseann March (7/8/63-2/2/10)

Today we will lay to rest a very special person in my family, my aunt Rose.  Her passing was a shock, but God’s timing is never wrong.  We may not understand it now, but He is with us and will sustain us.

Rose was what some would term ’special needs’.  She was born with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.  Though she didn’t always understand what was going on, she knew that Jesus loved her.  She would sing the song “Jesus Loves Me” and smile from ear to ear.  Sad to say, I didn’t always spend time with her or see her when I went to my Grandma’s house; but this past month I had the opportunity to help Grandma with her and got to see her personality and get to know her better.  The week before she passed, I was there and she was aggravated at Grandma and not speaking to her.  I had her cooperation, so to distract her from what Grandma was doing I sang a line from one of her favorite songs  “Don’t Mess With My Toot-toot“; she loudly sang ‘toot-toot.  From there I started the lyrics to Jesus Loves Me, and she proudly sang the song word for word.  To have the understanding that regardless of life, Jesus loves us…that is priceless!!

Another one of her favorite songs that she would sing while I was growing up was “Don’t Worry Be Happy“, and I think if she had the opportunity to say one last thing to us it would be that Jesus does love us and not to worry, be happy.  She is in a much better place today, free from the confines of the body she was born with.  It’s sorrow in our hearts that she is no longer with us here on earth…but we can be happy knowing that she is in Heaven.

RIP Roseann…see you soon!