December 31, 2011

Another year has come to an end.  We had lots of new stuff in our lives.

The little guy tried snowboarding this winter, and of course he loves it!! No surprise there, he also loves skateboarding and they are similar. Second grade has been good for him too! Had the fall conference and learned some good new things about my boy!!  He continues to thrive in school.

I also started school. It was huge for me to step out of my comfort zone and actually go to school. It was even harder for me to stand up in front of 30 people and give an oral report, but I did it and I am glad I did!! I am taking two classes starting January 9.

My husband continues to do well at work. He is active with the boy scouts, and I volunteered to be popcorn mom next year! I'm sure he'll help me. Hubby and the boy are still trying to go up north ice fishing at his brothers house, but, surprisingly, it's not been a cold even winter yet to get any safe ice.  Maybe in January or February.

My daughter is doing well, though I wish she were closer. She comes to visit when she can though.

My mom continues to do well too.  She is getting older and stairs are a bit hard for her with her knees, but she's doing well. I continue to go at least twice a month to clean her house. Sometimes we run errands too. We always go out to eat lunch on cleaning days.

As I reflect back on 2011, it's really been a good year for us.  We are all healthy and well.  Trying new things and just going on with life.  I think of friends from my past, as I always do, and wonder how they are doing.  Hoping all is well with them and their families.

I hope 2012 is good for all of us!! Enjoy the new year!!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! 

We went to the candlelight service last night and it was beautiful.

Yesterday we had my family over to celebrate and today my mother in law was over.

The little guy had fun!!

Winter Solstice

It's that time of year again. Today is the shortest day of daylight of the year.

From now on til June, the days get longer.

We have no snow here in Minnesota and none in the forecast through the new year.  The last time we had a brown Christmas was 2006.  I'm ok with that since I know we will not go through the whole winter without snow.

School update

I finally received my grade for my History class. I got a 93 on the final and an A for the class. I am very happy with that grade.  It was a great first class to take to get back into the swing of school.

I registered for the Math and Writing classes and bought the books. Unfortunately they were not rentable. What a scam college book prices are!! 

So, I start school in January two days a week.

Six years and counting!!

Today marks SIX years that I have been a non smoker!!!

I got a new toy this week......

Oops, I mean a new phone!! In my life, I think the greatest invention has been the iPod. And now, the iPhone!

When I was a teenager, there was no such thing as a cell phone. I listened to a transistor radio, later an 8-track and tapes, and finally  stereo instead of mono records!

To have this thing called a cell phone, that isn't just a cell phone is wonderful. It has all my music on it, games, GPS, and it has texting! Oh, and it's a phone too. I can finally text people now and I am thrilled with it.  It may seem silly to some, but to me, it's just great.

And I do love my iPhone as much, if not more than my iPod!!

Thanksgiving

I'm here with a belated Thanksgiving update.  We had a quiet Thanksgiving this year, just our moms were here with us. Hubby smoked the turkey and I made all the fixings.  It was yummy.  Made a homemade pumpkin pie again this year and it was so easy and tasty.  We will be hosting about 20 for Christmas dinner and gift opening.

School is almost over for me. I received my final test last night and I will turn it in next Wednesday. I am glad I have a week to complete it.  I also signed up for Spring semester classes, two of them this time. I signed up for a basic Math class and a basic Writing class. I need to take more than one class at a time if I am ever going to finish.  But I am glad I started with History. It was a fun, easy class and I actually learned a lot.

Our new windows are all in and they all have new coverings!! We especially love the bay window, it really opens up our house!

For the second time in about a year, my mom was thinking of moving. Mostly because the stairs up to her condo are becoming an issue. So, we looked at another place that she really liked. Until she figured out her finances and decided she didn't really want to move. I don't care what she decides, I just want her to be happy!!  So we have been looking at Stair Aids. It is a chair thingy that attaches to her stairs and it brings her up the stairs. Her building management allows these in the buildings and it isn't that expensive. I think it will be the perfect solution for her.

I got my hair cut a few months ago, a little shorter, then I went and got it cut even shorter. I wasn't sure at first, but I really like it shorter. I think I'll keep it this way. And, in May, I quit dying it, so everyone can see my gray now!

I also went for my 5 month dental hygiene appointment and I need another root canal. The dentist fixed the tooth a year ago and was skeptical that it would work. It didn't and I now need a root canal. The silver lining is that the tooth already has a crown! Yay me. So, I now will have NINE crowns and FIVE root canals in my mouth. The dentist told me some of this is genetics (thanks dad).  Because I do brush and floss every day.  Meh...............

My little guy is doing well in school. He likes school a lot and is a quick learner. Thankfully he loves to read too!  He keeps busy with boy scouts and Awana during the week. He's busy, but not too busy, which is perfect.

Husband is doing well too. He has done a lot of Christmas shopping and between the two of us we are done. I just need to wrap, and I will have my little helper helping me!!

The daughter is doing well too. Keeping busy with her job and cats and going to school.

I think that's about it. I've been crocheting, though not as much lately. I have a few things to post and I'll get to that soon.

Have a happy December!!

11-11-11

Today is Veterans day.  I've made posts about this day before, and there isn't much left to say other than "thank you".

There is one new Veteran to add to our family list. My husbands nephew is currently serving in the Air Force.

More Dishcloths

The ones above are just plain white dishcloths I have made over the summer and am just posting about now.  I think plain white is pretty!

The ones below are colored dishcloths. I never think about which color to crochet, I just grab a ball that looks pretty and crochet!! I have cotton yarn in a lot of different colors and sometimes I crochet the same colors.

Well, OK then..............

This about sums me up.

Portrait of an ISTJ - Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging
(Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking)

The Duty Fulfiller

As an ISTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.
ISTJs are quiet and reserved individuals who are interested in security and peaceful living. They have a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends them a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in their approach, they can generally succeed at any task which they undertake.
ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. They are "good citizens" who can be depended on to do the right thing for their families and communities. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun - especially at family or work-related gatherings.
ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If they are able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, the ISTJ will support that effort. However, ISTJs more often tend to believe that things should be done according to procedures and plans. If an ISTJ has not developed their Intuitive side sufficiently, they may become overly obsessed with structure, and insist on doing everything "by the book".
The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying "no" when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.
The ISTJ will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which they see as important to fulfilling a goal. However, they will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to them, or for which they can't see a practical application. They prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when the situation demands it. They like to be accountable for their actions, and enjoy being in positions of authority. The ISTJ has little use for theory or abstract thinking, unless the practical application is clear.
ISTJs have tremendous respect for facts. They hold a tremendous store of facts within themselves, which they have gathered through their Sensing preference. They may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from their own perspective. However, if they are shown the importance or relevance of the idea to someone who they respect or care about, the idea becomes a fact, which the ISTJ will internalize and support. Once the ISTJ supports a cause or idea, he or she will stop at no lengths to ensure that they are doing their duty of giving support where support is needed.
The ISTJ is not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others. They may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately, as they are presented. Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.
ISTJs are likely to be uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. However, their strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows them to overcome their natural reservations, and they are usually quite supporting and caring individuals with the people that they love. Once the ISTJ realizes the emotional needs of those who are close to them, they put forth effort to meet those needs.
The ISTJ is extremely faithful and loyal. Traditional and family-minded, they will put forth great amounts of effort at making their homes and families running smoothly. They are responsible parents, taking their parenting roles seriously. They are usually good and generous providers to their families. They care deeply about those close to them, although they usually are not comfortable with expressing their love. The ISTJ is likely to express their affection through actions, rather than through words.
ISTJs have an excellent ability to take any task and define it, organize it, plan it, and implement it through to completion. They are very hard workers, who do not allow obstacles to get in the way of performing their duties. They do not usually give themselves enough credit for their achievements, seeing their accomplishments simply as the natural fulfillment of their obligations.
ISTJs usually have a great sense of space and function, and artistic appreciation. Their homes are likely to be tastefully furnished and immaculately maintained. They are acutely aware of their senses, and want to be in surroundings which fit their need for structure, order, and beauty.
Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.
In general, the ISTJ has a tremendous amount of potential. Capable, logical, reasonable, and effective individuals with a deeply driven desire to promote security and peaceful living, the ISTJ has what it takes to be highly effective at achieving their chosen goals - whatever they may be. 

Careers for ISTJ Personality Types

---

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.
ISTJs generally have the following traits:

• Value tradition, security, and peaceful living
• Will work long and hard to fulfill duties
• Can be depended on to follow through on tasks
• Loyal and faithful
• Stable, practical and down-to-earth
• Family-minded
• Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
• Dislike abstract theory, unless they see the practical application
• Natural leaders
• Prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when necessary
• Extremely observant, they take in facts via their senses and store them internally
• Vast, rich inner store of facts which they rely on to understand problems which they encounter in their lives
• Profound respect for facts and concrete information
• Make decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking
• Dislike change, unless they are shown it's benefit in a concrete way
• Have strong opinions about the way things should be done
• Appreciate structured, orderly environments
• Have very high standards for their own behavior and the behavior of others
• Not naturally in-tune with other people's feelings
• Able to accomplish almost anything if they put their minds to it
• Community minded "good citizens"

ISTJs have one character trait which puts them at a definite advantage in terms of career success - Perserverance. An ISTJ can do almost anything that they have decided to do. However, there are areas in which they will function more happily and naturally. An ISTJ will do best in a career in which they can use their excellent organizational skills and their powers of concentration to create order and structure. ISTJs seem to fit extremely well into the Management and Executive layer of the corporate business world.
ISTJ

responsible, planner, private, loner tendencies, perfectionist, organized, detail oriented, organized, would rather be friendless than jobless, realistic, observer, clean, focused, does not talk about feelings, finisher, punctual, private, does not appreciate strangeness, not adventurous, not spontaneous, follows the rules, dutiful, avoids mistakes, conventional, likes solitude, insensitive to the hardships of others, prepared, anti-tattoos, things rules are important, cautious, security seeking, prepares for worst case scenarios, logical, analytical, does not accept apologies easily, hard working

favored careers:

data analyst, scientist, researcher, engineer, financial planner, statistician, office worker, government employee, lab technician, nuclear engineer, office manager, biomedical engineer, account manager, ceo, investment banker, analyst, academic, systems analyst, pharmacy technician, network admin, genetics researcher, research assistant, strategist

disfavored careers:
entertainer, artist, filmmaker, musician, actor, fashion desinger, singer, music journalist, comedian, massage therapist, photographer, dj, model, author, bartender, painter, school counselor

Mid-Term exam

I got a "B" on my mid term exam.  

My paper..........

I received an "A" on my report. I'm so relieved.

Had the mid-term exam this past Wednesday and I feel good about that too! I was prepared and knew all the information.

School and stuff

School is going well. I gave my first oral report in a million years. I was a bit nervous, but it went ok.  I also wrote a five page report. It took me forever to write the outline and all day to get to the final, turn in paper.  I think it will be ok. I will find out on Wednesday how I did.

Wednesday is also my mid term test. Lots to study for, but I will know the information by Wednesday.  I will be prepared.

My boy is selling popcorn for Boy Scouts again this year and doing very well at selling.  He will outdo what he did last year, and then some. He loves getting the "credit cards"  which are really just gift cards.

He is doing well in school again this year.  I am so thankful that he likes school and I hope he continues to like school!!  He thinks it's funny that we are going to school at the same time and that I have a backpack now too!!

I have some crocheted stuff that I have made over the last few months. I need to put the trim on a shawl, and there are piles of dishcloths to post about.  I am giving those to my Sisters-in-law for Christmas.  Then I am making a few blankets for another dRaffle.  A woman I know husbands passed away about two months ago from cancer. She and her little boy are alone now and I donated two baby afghans for the dRaffle.  I am almost done with one of them.  I find that I don't have as much time for crochet, since homework comes first. There is a lot of reading.

  We are getting new windows, and a bay window in our house, that should happen any day now. They are much needed and I hope to see improvements with the sound, and with our utility bills. When we got our new roof, we noticed a huge difference.

We also redid our one bathroom. Took off the border, repainted, got a new sink cabinet and counter top with sink.  It looks nice.  The only thing in the entire house we have left to re do is the master bathroom sink, cabinet and counter top. Otherwise we have redone everything in this entire house. Floors, carpets, walls, cabinets, roof, windows, patios, driveway and yard.

Hubby is doing well. Mostly working straight days with some weekends thrown in there. I sometimes miss him having a few days off during the week but we make it work.

We bought my mom an early Christmas present. We got her a flat screen TV for her den and a small flat screen tv for her kitchen since she likes a tv in her kitchen. I told her she would LOVE it and she does!!! I'm so glad we got them for her early, I just knew she would like watching tv on them with HD.

I tired my hand at canning this year and I think it went well. I did applesauce and some tomato sauce. Hubby helped and I am grateful for his help!

That's about all I have for now.

September 24..............

1994.

Today is our 17th anniversary. I'm so glad that God put me and my husband together.

I love him just as much, if not more, today than the day we were married!!

Speaking of school...................

There is a group on Facebook from my hometown. Just reminiscing about the town we grew up in.  It's fun and interesting and a great way to reconnect.

There was recently a thread talking about Kindergarten, and how some people didn't go to K, or went to a private K, or in someone's house, or church.

This wasn't too surprising to me but some people didn't even go to Kindergarten!!!  In my town, it was not required to attend K until 1970!!  I am one of the people that never attended Kindergarten.  But I remember learning to read in first grade with the Dick, Jane and Spot books.

A couple of my older siblings went to private K,  but my parents had to pay for them to attend.

It was an interesting memory for me about my very early school years.

School.......

Second week of school and so far it's going well.

Little guy starts next week, then we will really be busy.  He will have Boy Scouts one night and every Wednesday he has Awana at church.

Dishcloths

Here are some more dishcloths I've been working on. 

They are easy to work on.  I've been bringing yarn and hook to the little guys swim lessons and sometimes I can finish a whole dishcloth~!

More baby blankets from summer

These are all more baby blankets I made this summer.

Most of them,  except the big blue one,  are going to the NICU charity.

Getting caught up

These are some baby blankets I have made over the summer.

They are called Round Ripples and they are fun to make and they work up quickly.

These blankets are going to an NICU charity.

School.............

I am ready to start school on the 24th!! That is really soon.

I bought my books last week. I just need three books, but I was shocked at how expensive they are.

I am shocked about how expensive three credits of a college class is too.

My daughter has told me what to bring in my backpack so I am all set to go.

I'll update again after school starts.