I hate MATH!!!

OK, not really, but I'm sure not happy with it at the moment.

I had to pre-test the other day for the multi-media class I want to take.
I didn't do well on the math section, so I've been studying for when I have to take the REAL test. I did really well on the main part of the test, and even on the computer section with terms and such. Math has just never been one of my good subjects.
I haven't had to use fractions and algebra for decades. Why do I need to test for it now? That's what computers and calculators are for!!!

This morning was great tho. The Bishop came for Baptisms and Confirmations. There were a bunch of them! 30 or so. It was a long service, but what a glorious day! God must have been very happy because He gave us wonderful weather today!

I should have walked when I got home from church, but had to get busy studying math. :(
Hope you got outside to enjoy some of the beautiful weather.

Blessings,
Lori

Where did the day go?

I had a long list of things to do today.....

Started out with a benefit breakfast at 8:00 for the Hutto Choir going to Disney soon.
Planned to get busy when I got home, but instead, took a nap.... the day went downhill from there. I did a few things on my list, but not very many!

Maybe tomorrow after church I'll get motivated. Think I'll go to bed soon, so I can get back on a regular schedule. I've been staying up way too late these days, then I don't want to get up!

Hope you are all having a great weekend!
Blessings,
Lori

Computer gremlins last night.....

Didn't get to post. Every time I tried to do something, I got the "not responding" message. Finally gave up and went to bed at 12:15 this morning. Had to get some rest from a busy day for another busy day today.

Yesterday was testing for a class I want to take, then a retirement party, then some retirement paperwork for myself, then rushed home to get E and head out to a presentation about our businesses to the Entrepreneur Network meeting in Round Rock.
Went pretty well, I think. We got a lot of good feedback and contact suggestions.

Today started out with getting gas, and making a business contact there, then went to the bank for retirement paperwork from them for deposits, then voted, then job club, then Sprint for a car charger since my phone battery wimped out, then HR to turn in retirement paperwork, then main building payroll to drop off ONE page for them to fill out for TRS, then home to get E to go to a fish fry in Georgetown. I'm even more tired from typing it all!!!

Hope all of you had a great week, and have an even better weekend!

Blessings,
Lori

Lots o' soup!

Tonight was the first Lenten soup supper. Ate too much! Only had one bowl, but ate bread, then drank water and it all puffed up!

Today has been a busy day getting ready to show the slideshow of church photos at the soup supper, and to present our businesses to the Entrepreneur Network meeting tomorrow night.

Seems like I did a bunch of other stuff today, but can't recall what.
I did clean off my desk some so I could find things. A little more organized now.
Must go to bed earlier than last night (actually 3:00 this morning).... tests tomorrow. I have no idea what kind of tests. Can't study for them.
Say a prayer!!! :)

Blessings,
Lori

Snow Day!

Hope everyone had a great day!

I might have been even more excited about it if I were working and had the day off because of it.
I did get out and take some neat snow photos tho. It was nice to be able to do that when I wanted to.
Took pics of the snow at church, then some kids having a snowball fight.
Got some interesting shots of snowpeople on the field at the stadium.
Then some at the old Lutheran church and cemetery.

Was a really long afternoon of photos and then half price burgers at Sonic where we watched the big snowflakes falling as we ate.

A very good snow day!!!

Blessings,
Lori

Learning something every day....

and making new friends.

Went to a couple of good classes today, and met some really neat people.
Had a good lunch with some of them.
We had Chinese.
My fortune was, "You don't have to worry about your future."
That's a good one! I'd like to believe it.

Well, back to work.

Blessings,
Lori

Wonderful weekend!

I had an amazing weekend at the church retreat!
Made a great new friend and got to know some others better.
The weather was overcast until this morning, but sunny and gorgeous today! We went to the Narrows yesterday and today. I got some great pics.... well, I haven't loaded them on the computer yet, but they have to be great since it was so beautiful out there with the waterfalls! The other times I've been there, not much water. I love just sitting watching and listening to the waterfall. The power of God right in front of our eyes!
The retreat center is a wonderful, peaceful, spiritual place! I love spending time there! Looking forward to the next retreat already!

Busy week ahead, better get some rest.

Blessings,
Lori

An extra post today....

Just got home from a networking meeting a while ago, and realized I won't be here to blog Friday and Saturday!
I'm going to a women's church retreat! Yay! I love those women and that place!
Thought you might wonder when you didn't hear from me..... maybe not.
Gotta pack my stuff!

Have a wonderfully blessed weekend!
Love and hugs,
Lori

Starting early today....

It's been a strange day.... practically the only thing on the news is the guy angry at the IRS who flew his plane into a building where they had some offices. I can't quite figure out the part about setting his house on fire with his wife and 12 year old daughter inside. He definitely snapped! Maybe he figured they wouldn't have any place to live anyway because IRS was taking everything, and he didn't want them to have to live with his death, so he figured he'd do them in too! Scary stuff!
Hope the people who got burned and injured recover.

I'm sure there are some people who think it's good that he did that to the IRS, but if you think about it, he really did it to all of us. They won't change anything, and insurance will go up because they have to cover the cost of the building, so WE are the ones who will get the trickle down from this event.
It's really sad that people get so angry and hopeless that they have to do things like that. You just never know what each day will bring.

Tell the people you care about that you love them.

Off to a networking meeting.
Blessings,
Lori

Uh-oh...did it again....

Got busy and the day slipped away from me.

I've been glued to the computer pretty much all day working on photos and catching up on stuff.

Meant to go to Ash Wednesday service, but when I realized what time it was, it was starting and I was still in my jammies. Yep, worked all day in jammies again. Better than getting out in the cold! But, sorry I missed the service. :(

I saw a neat thing about Lent on a friend's blog today, and asked if I could repost it here, but haven't heard back yet, so maybe tomorrow.... uh, I mean later today.

Should hit the pillow soon! Much to do to get ready for the retreat this weekend!

Blessings,
Lori

Forgot what day it was....

I had such a strange busy day that I forgot what day it was several times.
I slept in a bit after staying up late last night. Went to a web marketing/networking lunch meeting that was very interesting. Picked up a few tips, and met a couple of interesting people.
Did some work on the computer. Took a short nap.
Then headed to church for the pancake supper. On the way there, I remembered it was Tuesday. Was wondering why there was traffic at that time. I kept thinking it was Saturday this afternoon. When you work for yourself, it's difficult to remember what day it is sometimes. Tomorrow is kind of like Saturday.... I could go to an email marketing meeting in the afternoon. I just found out about it from someone I met at today's lunch meeting. I could just stay home and do some work here, and get ready for the women's church retreat this weekend. I'm SO looking forward to that. It's always a wonderful weekend.

Blessings,
Lori

I know.... technically, I missed a day....

How did it get to be after midnight so fast!?!
Let's see.... Two job clubs today.... got some groceries... a couple of phone calls.... a flood from E overflowing the Jacuzzi - while I was watching Bachelor! and reading email, catching up on job searches, etc.....got the recycling and trash out for in the morning... so I can sleep in a bit before a meeting....and emailing some contacts networking about parenting classes.... and a friend who is also recently unemployed. The time just zooms by! Another busy day....

Better hit the pillow so I don't oversleep and miss the meeting.

Blessings all,
Lori

What a wonderful Sunday!

It was a beautiful day, tho a bit chilly this morning. By the time we got out of church, with the sun shining, it had warmed up quite a bit. We ran an errand and did some things at home before going to a great Valentine/Mardi Gras party with our 50+ Club from church. What a fun group of people!

The weather had changed tho. On the way to the party it was VERY windy. 'Bout blew me over when we stopped to get gas. The wind died down by the time we headed home. Still chilly.

We are doing some things tonight to get ready for a busy week! Up early in the morning to go to Jobseekers. Better check the calendar to see what else is on for tomorrow, and hit the pillow soon!

Have a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Lori

Why is it????

Why is it that I've spent all day trying to catch up, and I'm not yet? Seems I mark one thing off my "to do" list and add one or two more. I keep remembering things that need to be done, or the things I already had on my list take longer than expected.

The pile of papers on my desk does seem a teeny bit smaller than it was this morning.
I think it's about time for me to take everything (well, almost) out of this office and put it back in a much more organized fashion. I might get more done then.

Tomorrow is another busy day. Church and a party. Then some things to get ready for a very busy week, leading up to a wonderful retreat! I'm sure looking forward to that!
Now, where did I put that yoga mat....

Have a blessed Sunday!
Lori

Finally Friday.....

Not that it makes a lot of difference when working from home, but I do get to sleep in tomorrow and actually have NOTHING on my calendar. A big change from 2 to 4 events every day this week. So far next week isn't quite as hectic, but it is still shaping up, so it could be.

Today was a great day! Went to Job Club this morning. Met a friend there. Ran into a new friend from Monday's job club. Then met two new friends! Three of them used to work for UT!!! Had lunch with one of them. Very inspiring day so far, but that wasn't the end of it!

I went to Curves for the last time for a while. Had to drop that for a while. It's just not in the budget. There were a couple of people there I hadn't seen for a while, so that was a blessing.

Tonight we went to the Lion's club chili supper. Ran into a couple of old friends there. I didn't have to cook AND met a couple of people who may be helpful in promoting our businesses. We have to put together a presentation specifically for Lion's Club and Rotary Club about our parenting classes. Seems every day I meet someone or something happens that leads us farther in the direction of pursuing our dreams. It's a wonderful adventure!
Keep us in your prayers!

Blessings,
Lori

Another busy, hectic day!

Hit the ground running today! Had an interview this morning that turned out to be two - back to back.

Then finally got to return the loaner phone (since the 26th when I dropped mine), since my new one (3rd time's the charm) arrived yesterday. I get to learn how to use it now! Gee, that's one of my favorite things....learning a new phone.....

Grabbed a burger and headed for yet another interviewing class. Interesting stuff, but I actually got a lot more out of the two yesterday.

Made it to Curves this evening, but when I came out, there was slushy ice on my windshield and it was still coming down, so I decided to head home instead of going to Round Rock to the networking group I've been going to. Hated to miss it since the speaker was talking about marketing, but really didn't want to be driving home on ice sometime after 9:00. You never know what this crazy weather is going to do in a couple of hours!

Job Club in the morning, so I'd better hit the pillow soon! Just a couple more things to do tonight.

Sweet dreams, All!
Lori

Very interesting, hectic day!

Originally, I only had two things scheduled today. An interview with the guy at workforce at 9:00 a.m. and a women's photo group I just joined at 6:00 p.m.
The workforce guy gave me a list of classes he wanted me to take, so at 9:45 when I finished my meeting with him, I checked the calendar. One of the classes was from 10:00-12:00. Since I was already there, I decided I may as well go, especially since it was about interviewing, and I had two calls this morning before 9:00 to set up interviews. The class was very interesting and informative. There was a second part to it, that hadn't been highlighted, but I decided I wanted to go to it anyway, from 2:00-4:30 (actually ended about 4:40.) I figured I had just enough time to run down to Precision Camera for some ink for printing photos, and grab some lunch. It was perfect timing, even with the sleet. I got back at 1:50, just in time to catch my breath before class. The second class was just as good as the first one. Glad I went. They should be helpful with my interview tomorrow. I have to check on the second job to see if I still want to interview for that one. As I recall, it doesn't pay what I need to make, but at the time I applied, it was one of the very few posted that was along the lines of what I used to do.

As soon as I got out of class, I headed out to Cedar Park for my photo group meeting. What a fun group of women! I got there just before 6:00, and left just before 10:00. There were still a bunch of women there when I left. I'm looking forward to getting together with them again. They are all different levels of photographers, from beginners to advanced. I'm sure I can learn a few things, and maybe help a few of the new people too.

Well, better check on that other job posting, and prep for tomorrow's interview before I hit the pillow.

Hope all of you are having an interesting week too!
Blessings,
Lori

Running late!

Busy day! Well, after sleeping in a bit. I worked out at Curves this afternoon and then had an opportunity this evening to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time. It was nice to reconnect, and I learned some things too. Went to a Young Living Essential Oils meeting. People from Utah's headquarters were there. I met a couple of really nice women from south of here. It was a pretty good day, except for the computer gremlins are at it again.
Oh, and I should have my new phone tomorrow. This will be the third one they sent since I dropped mine on about the 26th of January. First one was the wrong phone. Didn't have all the features my old one had. The second one was a nice phone, but they didn't send a charger. Found out today, after it was supposed to be here Friday and then today, that it was on back order. They had no idea when they would get one to me. So, they are sending a completely different phone. I'm hoping it comes while I'm in town in the morning so I can return the loaner I've had for what seems like a really long time. I miss having my phone numbers in my phone, and speed dialing! Not to mention the calendar, notepad, etc. Hopefully all will be well tomorrow! Which is almost today! Better get to Nappy's house since I have to get up early and have a big day tomorrow. Meet with the unemployment guy tomorrow morning and then have a photo club meeting with a bunch of women tomorrow evening. New group I joined. Hope to learn a lot from them, and make some new friends of course!
Nitey, night!
Blessings,
Lori

Encouraging day!

I got up EARLY today. Had a job club meeting at 9:00 on the other side of town.
I spoke with two very encouraging men there about ways to follow our dreams of teaching more parenting classes. Along the lines of what we talked about with the small business counselor last week. Too early to tell how it's going to work out. I still have to talk with two or three more people there to see if we can work out details.

One of the challenges we have been having building our businesses is my not having enough time to devote to them. God has removed that obstacle.... whether the people involved think it was their idea or not.... I feel it was His hand. Every day there seem to be more things happening pointing us in the direction of teaching the classes.

Then I went to another interesting job club meeting this afternoon. Got to catch up a bit with friends from my old job. There it is again.... my old job.
Life goes on!

I can't wait to see what adventure tomorrow brings!
Blessings,
Lori

Ahhhhh, Sunday.....

Would be just like any other if not for church and great friends!
Lots of hugs! Great sermon. Great meeting with the ladies after the service. Such a supportive group. Interesting Bible Study topic.... "Cutting back after job loss".... how appropriate! Yummy food. More hugs.

Then home to figure out my email.... Gremlins seem to have gotten in there and rearranged everything, and I can't EVEN find the address book and bookmarks that I emailed to myself the last week of work.

If you sent me anything since about Jan 26th, and haven't heard from me, please resend. I'm not sure when things were supposed to start forwarding, but I seem to have missed a lot. Several people have told me things were coming back to them.

I'm changing addresses with everyone when I remember they don't have the new one, but seems I haven't caught up with everyone yet.... so, here is my new email for family and friends.

lorissareynolds@gmail.com

A busy week of meetings and job hunting, and promoting our photography business and parenting classes.
If you know of anyone who would be willing to sponsor a family to take the class, or want to know more about that, please let me know.
A lot of the people who contact us for classes are foster parents, or going through divorce, who can't afford the classes. We are seeking folks to sponsor them with a scholarship. Good for the family, good for the community, good for the world. Peace begins at home!

Well, much to do before I sleep....

Blessings,
Lori

Losing track of what day it is.....

What a great Saturday!

Kind of hard to tell the days apart since I'm working on working..... finding a job, building our businesses, paperwork, forms, and more....

Today was special because I went to my granddaughter's birthday party and got to spend some time with family and friends. A big switch from working on working all the time!
I love playing with the kids. Took lots of photos. Hopefully will get them loaded on the computer tomorrow and sent out.

Off to bed soon so I can be alert in church tomorrow. :)
Sweet dreams everyone!
Blessings,
Lori

Fat and Sassy.....

Well, feeling fat anyway!

Had a nice lunch today with friends from my old job. Seems funny to call it that since it's only been a short time since I was there. But it is.... my old job.
The friends are the best still! I do hope we will still get together sometimes as time goes on. Maybe they'll remember to invite me when they have lunches out for other folks. Hope I can go when they do!

I worked the last two days in my jammies, so it was different to get dressed and go out this morning. Luckily after rush hour traffic. I sure don't miss THAT!

The job club meeting was interesting today. I took a lot of notes and thought of ways to apply what the speaker was saying to what I'm doing. I can see ways to make it fit. It was definitely worth the time to go.

I collected a few more business cards today. I can see right now I'm going to have to find a box for them, or one of those books, before they are all over the place!

Tonight is stamp group with the girls and working on a scrapbook for my granddaughter's birthday. Tomorrow afternoon is her party. Better get busy!

That's about it for today!
Have a great rest of the day!
Blessings,
Lori

Putting myself out there....

My prayer since the beginning.... well, after the initial shock of not having a job after 20 years of loyal and dedicated service.... that God will put the job in front of me that I'm supposed to have and I will get it, if that is His will. Since the job hunting hasn't been going very well, must be that we are supposed to pursue our dreams.
Photography and helping families. We are working on some ideas to make them both be very rewarding AND support us. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

We are very busy going to networking meetings and events, and a couple of social things too.
Our next parenting class is scheduled to begin Feb 23rd! Now to get busy to fill it.

If the gremlins would just stay out of the "little" things, I could certainly focus a lot easier on the "big" things! Why do some things have to be so complicated!
E has been having challenges getting my old email into some format at home that I can easily get to it. There is a lot of stuff in there that I want to be able to access! It's very frustrating, for both of us. I haven't been able to get to any of that for days. Hopefully he just found a solution.

Going to what sounds like a promising networking meeting tonight. It's along the lines of what we discussed at the business counseling session earlier this week... Tuesday, I think. Hard to keep up with what day it is when I'm working at home!
I do like it tho. Sleep when I'm tired, work late nights, eat when I'm hungry. Very busy all the time tho.

Must go work out soon! Better get ready!
Hope you are having a wonderful day!
Blessings,
Lori

Busy Day!!!

Hit the ground running today and haven't slowed down yet!
Lots of phone calls, paperwork to fill out and stuff to gather up for insurance, early retirement, etc..... not to mention the task list from the SBA counseling yesterday.
So many things to consider. What is God calling us to do? Seems to be pointing us in the direction of building our businesses so we can help families grow closer and children grow up to be responsible, respectful and make good choices.
And of course to pursue our artistic goals and dreams with our photography business.
So many things pointing in that direction.

We put the white board up to keep everything in front of us. Don't want anything important to slip through the cracks.... now to remember everything we need to put on the board! Open to suggestions!

New beginnings..

We had a very encouraging meeting with a small business adviser this morning! I'm feeling REALLY good about being self-employed. It's not so scary after all!
There have been so many things pointing to this being the best option, starting with the phone call within the hour of my coming home on Nov 30th when I got my pink slip (wasn't even pink!). The phone call was from a foster parent who needed more credit hours before the end of December. We taught a Redirecting Children's Behavior class in Kyle. All of the jobs I've applied/qualified for pay only about 2/3 of what I was making after 20 years with UT. I'm only two months from being able to take early retirement. There are just so many things pointing us in this direction, that it's really hard to ignore what must be God's plan for us.
Besides, I don't want to live under a bridge! So, best get busy pursuing our dreams!
Prayers, please!

The first Monday.... on my own....

Slept in a bit this morning to catch my breath since it's my first Monday unemployed, ...I mean self-employed. Of course, since I didn't go to bed until after 2 (that's what happens when you're self-employed), I didn't sleep in that much! Got up at 9:00.

Had to go by the office this afternoon anyway to clean out the rest of my desk. Fun stuff. It was weird being a visitor!

Have to go back tomorrow for some copies of paperwork to turn in to different places.
Everyone was glad to see me. No tears today. Just lots of hugs. "Someone" (yes, I know who but I'm not telling) even said to me it was good that I came in because they have to get used to my not being there gradually.

It's not the end in some ways. I will see my "family" - just not as often as I have.
And you can follow me on this blog. I'll hopefully have a few minutes to post daily.
Blessings!
Lori