Ya-Hoo! Finally got an appointment!

I can barely contain my excitement. I got a call from the bariatric doctor's office & they finally got my files from the Weight Loss Clinic in Harrisburg! It only took two weeks and a couple not-so-nice phone calls, but they finally got them.

I am anxious to talk to this doctor to see what his thoughts are about why I continue to lose weight even though I am eating - not a whole bunch mind you, but I do eat.

All my jeans are too big & I swim in my shirts. I need to go try clothes on again so I know what actual size I am. If it wasn't for the excess skin, I think I would be a two or four. That would have been fantastic when I was in high school, but at 36 - not so much.

I see the doctor on December 4 at 9:15 in the morning. He should then be able to tell me if and/or when I will need an endoscopy.

At least there is a light.

I am a Genius

Okay maybe that's a bit extreme, but I was very proud at my own resourcefulness.

I am a greeting card collector. I buy cards, bring them home, put them away for future use & NEVER use them. This is because I had several different places I kept them & then couldn't remember where I put them. It was frustrating!

A few weeks ago, I was looking at a fundraising brochure that Aidan had brought home from school & inside there was a greeting card organizer. It was cute, but not big enough to house my collection of cards. I thought about buying it, but then I thought "That will never be big enough to keep all my cards and stationary." I then thought about the box that I had the majority of my cards in. I had bought it at Ollie's several years ago and would just haphazardly throw stuff in it.

Hmmm...I could MAKE my own greeting card organizer! All I would need is some dividers & labels. I could then customize it to my own needs. PERFECT!

I started by cutting file folders to fit in the box. The box measures 9" square, so I cut the folders 8-1/2" across and 8-1/16" high.

I then organized my greeting cards by occasion. By doing this, I could make a list of what labels I needed to make.

Then I made the labels using clip art that is on the laptop & a funky font I found on the internet.

I staggered the folders (left tab, middle tab, right tab), adhered the labels and then put the cards in the appropriate spot.

It felt so good to get all my cards organized. And then when I want to send a card, all I have to do is look in my organizer to see if I have an appropriate card or need to get one.

I must confess that I love Walmart & their selection of economy cards. Whenever I am there, I pick up 5 or 10 cards for various occasions, bring them home & then I always have a card on hand.

So when you get a card from me, you'll know it came from my new system.

Organization does work!

Amazing

I e-subscribe to a monthly newsletter that is called Mentoring Moments for Christian Women. Most months (okay every month) I take it out of my Inbox & put it in a folder specifically for these newsletters & NEVER open them up.


Something (someone) spoke to me on Wednesday & told me to open up the newsletter that came. To say I was moved is an understatement. God is AMAZING!


This month they are starting a new series called Our Favorite Things. I checked it out & there was this article that really hit close to home. And then there was a section of playlists you could click on and I did just that. Bits and pieces from the article just touched my heart. It's about her grandfather & if you read it, you will understand why it touched me. The song is "My Tribute" by Andre Crouch and it is one of my all-time favorites. It was sung at my wedding.

"Angela Sackett recently published this beautiful testimony about Grief and the God of All Comfort on her blog, Dancing With My Father. "

Election 2008

Early this morning, Aidan & I went to the Brecknock Township Building & stood in line for 25 minutes to cast our vote for the next president of the United States.

I think it's important for our children to participate in the voting process. It made Aidan feel really good to push the buttons to select our choices & then push the big green "VOTE" button.

I cautioned him after we left the building to not tell everyone who we voted for. He was proud to tell his teachers that he already had voted this morning.

Austin went with Jerry to vote this afternoon. They waited about 30 seconds. Jerry let him push the "VOTE" button.

It amazes me that both of our sons formed opinions about who would be the best candidate for the president and they formed their opinions on their own.

Jerry & I don't talk about politics that much. Other than the occasional "He is really doing a bad job" or "I am so tired of the price of everything going up, up, up" we don't discuss it. Jerry's a Republican. I'm a Democrat. It usually ends up with him siding with his party & me siding with mine.

Austin said that he has been for Barack Obama pretty much from the start & doesn't think that we (his parents) influenced his decision. Austin said he will register as a Democrat when he is old enough to vote.

Aidan said that he likes Obama because he's young. Aidan said he is going to be a Republican.

I hope he asks me how to spell it - D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T.

It would make my grandmother proud.

Halloween Parade 2008

The Halloween Parade at Brecknock Elementary was this past Friday.

Here are a couple pics of Aidan who was dressed as a Skull Ninja.

Aidan was not happy that there were other children dressed as Ninja's and informed me that next year Shamma will be making him a costume.

Look out! Who knows what his mind is thinking!

Austin did not dress up. Apparently he is too old for that!