Stiff neck, mowers, luncheons, retirement, UGH

I feel like letting off steam about a whole host of things. First off I slept really good last night but I woke up with this stiff neck that is really driving me nuts. I can turn my head and all but there is this nagging ache at the base of my neck. I think a good long relaxing massage might do the trick. Kim and Eric gave me as a present a massage the day before Jim's and my wedding. It was the most wonderful thing I have experienced in a long time. It was for an hour and I told them, I don't think I can do it for an hour, but know what? When that hour was over, I said, done already? And wow,, the masseuse helped me up and I got dizzy and I had to sit there for a while, my whole body had gone into such a relaxed mode it hardly knew how to function. It was awesome.

Mowers: We just got ours back from a tune up. $90. That was about 3rd the price we paid for it. We should have gone out and bought a new one, as this one had only been used 2 years!!! Disgusting. It is terribly expensive to hire a lawn service, or I would do it. I keep saying it is good exercise for Jim and I but the thing is we both hate it so much. I suppose when we are retired, we can mow for 15 min and then rest and so on. But this working and keeping up a house and yard is hard, and I am ashamed to say so much just gets left until it HAS to be done.

Luncheons: Saturday our little church is having a Mother/Daughter luncheon. I am excited to be working on it as a lot of the women in the church wanted this. It has been fun planning it and getting it together. BUT,, there always seems to be a fly that gets in the ointment, and this time it came in the form of one of the gals that is part of the planning committee. I will go no further, but just a few comments can take the joy out of things, cant it?

Retirement: I so am looking forward to it. Yet I think, will we be able to make it if I retire? Part of my retirement funds are invested in stocks and we all know how volatile that can be. But then I look around and people my age or a bit older are getting sick and dying and never able to enjoy a day of retirement. Right now I am planning on retiring the end of 2012. I was going to quit on my birthday, but I would have earned too much money and would have had to pay back all my social security, so might as well work till the end of the year. Usually time goes fast as you get older, but I have to say these last few months have crawled by!!!

UGH: Just UGH

This economy

It is a frightening time to be living. How I wish we could go back to the 50's and early 60's before the world went nuts. But, that is impossible, so we have to live with what we have made.
Oh I think that I will leave this world before things get really nuts, and especially since the new healthcare may decide that anyone over the age of 62 who does not actively contribute to the economy will have to be the last in line for healthcare. But even if that does not happen, I suppose I will be gone in the next 20 years or so and I don't think the US will be totally gone down the crapper by then. But I do feel so so sooooooo much for my kids and grand kids that will be living in this land that was once so proud and free. They are going to be burdened with so much debt that it is inevitable unless we tighten our belts and bite the bullet and take back our country and get out from under that burden, it really makes us stand in the shadow of Greece. We are just a breath away from where Greece is today. I don't get it, I really don't. Why do people want to be in bondage when they can be free? Haven't they learned from history that when the government promises to take care of all their needs that they are in prison. They are at the mercy of every mad politician there is out there. And there are those that stand there saying,, yes yes,, take care of me... at what cost? Freedom? Do you really want that? It has been creeping in slowly over the past 30 years, lulling us with a little bit here and a little bit there, but this last year, it has been a bold face push for socialism. Wake up American,, Wake up!!!!

Lord help us to wake up.

Foot/Ankle pain

Well it was back to the foot doctor today. He is the nicest man and I have faith in his knowledge of the foot. He gave me a cortisone shot this morning and I am hoping that will settle things down in there. It feels good after the shot. But he said it would as it has Novocaine in it. I am hoping it does something. The next step would be for him to go in there and do arthroscope. So I am hoping for good results. Say a prayer for me!!

Home - Heaven

Today is one of the days that I wish that I were going home.. to my eternal home. I feel so tired of fighting. Fighting weight, fighting pain, fighting for my rights, fighting emotions, fighting feelings, fighting guilt, you name it , it seems I am fighting it these days.

What would happen if I just quit fighting? I wonder. I cant imagine just letting go of everything that restrains me. For one I don't think it would be good for me and I don't think it would be good for the people around me, and I don't think that God would be too happy with me.

I should have stayed single, it would have meant a lot less things to fight. But then there would have been other things to fight I imagine... Is life all about fighting yourself?

Sandi

Clogged drains and rain or lack thereof

I stayed home from work yesterday because we had a clogged drain and Jim and I could not find the source of it and get it open. But ouch,, it is hard on the pocketbook. $200 for less then an hour at the house. BUT,, I do have free flowing drains. AND,, I took the morning to stay in bed and rest my foot. I think it is getting better, but I do know that if I lost a few well ALOT of pounds I would feel so much better. Now if someone could just give me the what ever it takes to change my lifestyle and way of eating. I keep hoping, but truthfully, I think it is more possible that my boss would say you can quit and I will pay your wages for a year!! I have been trying for almost all my life to take and keep off weight.

I was listening to the forecasters talk about all the rain we got yesterday. Well not one drop fell at our house. We so need it too. I talked to my daughter last night and she told me the monsoons had hit there and they had flooding and were hoping they wouldn't float away. But they live in bluff country and when it rains, it all goes down hill. You know when I was a kid I would remember the rains coming in April and it would rain for a week straight just that soft rain. I haven't seen one of those in, I cant remember how long ago. Anyway, when I talked to Tonja last night she told me that Emma wasn't home and she didn't know where she was. I hope she was safe. I am sure she was or I would have heard by now.

Well today I am back at work and on lunch break right now. And it is about over, so I am going so sign off

Sandi

How Can Anyone Be So Blessed

Wow,, what a fantastic weekend. Tonja came on Thursday night with the 2 little ones. Eric and family came out on Friday night and stayed as they needed to be here Sat morning at 9:30 as they were singing with our little church choir this morning and we were doing dress rehearsal. They ended up staying Sat night too which is fine. We all had a good time. I DO NOT KNOW what I would have done with out Tonja. That girl is a real work horse. The Easter dinner today would not have happened without her here. She did most of the cooking yesterday to get ready for today. Thank you Tonja.

I am so blessed to have the family I have. I feel unworthy at times that I have been so blessed. But I do thank God for it.

This morning, we went to church and then it was home to a dinner of meatballs and gravy,, mashed potatoes (made yesterday and warmed up in the oven today - fabulous), ham, corn, peas, all kinds of fresh fruit, dinner rolls, and relishes, jello poke cake and carrot cake. It all tasted so good,

We were blessed to have Jim's son Nick and 2 children come and Jim's daughter Rebecca and family also come for dinner. Always great to have them here. The kids played together so well and had a ball doing the Easter egg hunt. The day was gorgeous here which added to the day.

We went on Skype and got to talk with Maurissa who is in Scotland. It was so great to talk with her and to see her. But after the talk, the tears rolled down my cheeks as she could not be here. But she is enjoying her time in Scotland. What an adventure for her.

All in all...I have to say "Thank you God for all the blessings".