SharonBissett.com

Bit of a break there, found out my dad was taken to the ER and ended up having emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix!  He’s doing okay now, but is terribly uncomfortable and in his words “miserable”.  Can’t say that I blame him…he’s already had a couple minor complications, but was hoping to come home today.  I haven’t heard if that happened or not, there’s a bit of an issue with communication or the lack of it, so I’ll check in tomorrow and see what’s new.  It’s a bit late to do that and I’ve reiterated many times to call if things change, so unless I’m called I’ll assume everything’s fine.   Hopefully by the end of the week, he’ll be home and we’ll see how he’s healing by then.

Trying to get ahead of some school work so I can have the weekend free…the on-line classes at PHCC aren’t cooperating, I’m currently hung up and can’t even get to the logon screen.  Grrr.  Anyway, Adam has a parade at a senior community Saturday morning, that I plan on video taping.  Then my girls at church have practice for Easter…I run the sound for them.  Beyond that, from noon on Saturday, I’m looking forward to some fun!

Doug’s coming down over his semester break in 2 weeks!  I can’t wait…he booked his flight today.  Hard to believe he’s only got one semester to go before he moves down.  Lots of things happening…hope to have an answer as to which Nursing school I’ll be attending by then.  I’ve got an Open House and an interview with the hospital Earn As You Learn program at the end of this month.  Meanwhile, I’ve got mid-terms next week  so I’m studying on my Spring Break.  Bleh.

In between the everyday cleaning, studying, and stuff that normally goes on, I’ve gotten all the embroidery handwork done on my Spring wall hanging.  It helps to unwind at the end of the day and I figure a little bit here and there will get me farther along than hoping I can block out a bunch of time to do it.  Here’s where it was last year:

I’ve also pulled the dark green ric rac stems…they just weren’t doing it for me.  I’ll put in a lighter green instead.  Next up the outer borders…and more ric rac.  I <3 ric rac!  I’ll do another photo after I get to that point.  Hoping to at least have that much done before this Easter.  I’m embarrassed to say I started this one in Feb/March 2005!  Yeah…5 years ago.  Oh, look a squirrel!  Easily distracted by new projects or priorities, I guess.  LOL.

And I found my pattern sheets for Winter Wonderland.   The next morning, I was in the shower, thinking about where that “safe place” is that I always put things.  Hmmm.   Ah ha!  Put my robe on and went right to it!   Gathered up the embroidery floss, fabrics, and put together a plan.  Given my attention span (and eyesight!) there’s no telling when it’ll be done though!  And to be honest, I do have a few other projects ahead of it.

Alright, PHCC is letting me back in, so I’m going to see if it kept my answers on the quiz or if I have to email the instructor to reset it.   Much to do…

Sh@ron

My 1st Toshiba Laptop from last night:

Yeah…once I started, I just couldn’t stop! It wasn’t really dirty, but it’s underlying problem wasn’t that it was shutting off due to overheating. This one doesn’t hold a charge, and even when it’s plugged into an outlet, it acts like the battery is the primary and will shut down after a short amount of time. I *thought* they had fixed the problem many moons ago, but after looking at the motherboard, it still looks like it needs a new DC jack - it’s all corroded. No wonder the poor thing can’t hold a charge. It’ll have to stay in pieces until I can find someone who’ll do the unsolder/soldering for me…it’s just not something I want to invest in. So, tonight I’d better get my homework that’s due Monday done before I tear into this laptop. It needs to be cleaned out because it is shutting down due to overheating…but if it’s like the other one, and the whole thing has to be taken apart to clean it, I’m going to to have to save up some patience.

Worship was awesome this morning - it felt so good to be back after a 2-week absence (tooth & head cold). We had a few glitches with the sound system, which is never fun, but we got through it. Here’s the last song we did today:

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

Imagine 6 of us singing…along with the whole congregation. It was so moving! I wish you all could be there…I even soloed on the last line. Not that I rocked it, but it was a first! Lots of those today…praying out loud after music practice and then praying out loud at the send of service. I think Pastor’s trying to push me out there to do the solo that I mentioned last year. Hmmm. We’ll see about that one!

5 Guys Burger & Fries opened over at one of the nearby malls, so I picked that up on the way home from church for lunch. Not the same as dining in…but still pretty darned tasty! Definitely, not an every week event…all those potatoes!!…but a nice treat.

Need to stop in at JoAnn’s and pick up some interfacing for a quilt top that Aunt Eileen & Gene are doing, the pattern is here:

Gene has her top done…in all blues (very frosty-looking!) and I think Aunt Eileen is doing hers in blue too. Me? I’m a red girl…love redwork! So, I need to get some interfacing for behind my stitchery panels in the center to help keep some of the thread tails from showing through that snowy white top. I’ll probably add some borders…I’m just not loving the star blocks going right to the edge…but that’s me. Gene tells us that some of those star blocks are a bugger…especially the small ones with lots of pieces. Not looking forward to those and may substitute some of my own star blocks into it.  Went through some of my fabric/bins but have realized I’ve misplaced the pattern/instructions (man, I have a lot of fabric)!  Good thing I’m not really ready to start it yet.

Okay, long day and it feels later than it is…and tomorrow is catch-up on homework day.  Though it’s supposed to be the start of Spring Break.  Ha!  What a joke…next week we have our mid-terms.  How cruel is that?!  Tests in 4 of the 6 classes I have.  Will try and head out to the beach one afternoon for a Pina Colada & a sunset…just because I can.  Have a great one people!

Sh@ron

After doing some blog hopping the past few days, I’ve decided that I want to get back to posting on my blog.  For a time, I had some privacy issues and felt a bit “stalked”.  I think after all this time, they’ve probably given up and moved on by now.  The whole purpose of having a blog in the first place was for my family and faraway friends to be able to feel connected and keep up with what was going on in our lives.  So…with that in mind, I’m diving back in.

Today, was sunny but still cool - in the 60’s.  I spent the afternoon at one of the many thrift stores in the area while Adam went over to a friend’s house.  I found a Coach purse for $10 (I know, right?  And I’m not even one of “those” women but I couldn’t pass it up…it’s near new), about a dozen PC games for Adam…3 of which he’d been asking for at $40 retail…I got all of them for $9, add in a white Cherokee scrub top (cute), a few embroidery hoops, 2 old canning jars (glass lids/wire bales), a Marimeko hot pad (hey, it was a quarter) and gee, I think that was it.  All under $30 people!  Feeling pretty good, headed over to Staples, but got sidetracked by the Girl Scouts outside of JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts.  Yeah…I bought some Thin Mints, Do-Si-Do’s and then headed over to Staples to get the thermal glue I may need for a computer maintenance issue. Then I treated myself to an early dinner at Applebee’s.  You know, I like Applebee’s…but the menu has totally changed.  No more Sizzlin’ Beef Stir-fry!  The waiter offered to “try”…but I said no thanks, let’s just leave me with the good memories of the real thing.  I had the 3-Cheese Chicken Penne - total comfort food!

I picked up Adam, who was really excited over the PC games, and we headed home.  Him to the desktop and me to set to work on maintaining the laptops.  The Dell laptop is really sick…boots up to a Blue screen.  So, I wiped it clean - back to the factory settings.  It was also missing some keys (very flimsy keyboard Dell!), so I opened up the case and put in a new keyboard (been meaning to do that for years!).   Just installing all the virus and spyware protection and the monitoring stealth software on it now.  Next up I have have 2 Toshiba’s.  One I don’t use but I’m going to open it up to see what it’s going to look like on the Toshiba I use for school…see what I’m in for!  Yikes.  It’s shutting down spontaneously because of heat build-up.  Apparently a known issue (to most people but me!) after a couple years.  So, I have to open it up and clean out the dust/build-up on something called a heatsink.  Which may involve removing/detaching it from the CPU, cleaning it, then reattaching it and putting it back in the laptop.   Might be tricky.  We shall see!

So, that’s about it from the home front today.  In other news…someone appears to be playing nice after the verbal smackdown from the judge earlier in the week.  I’ve also initiated implementing a set visitation schedule.  The boy flat out needs to spend time with his father.  Left up to the 2 of them, they’ve been getting together about twice a month for a few hours each time.  To eat.  And that’s it.  Maybe 3 overnights in the last 6 months.  Maybe.   New date to get with the General Magistrate late May/early June…so hope to have that issue resolved as the summer starts.  Hopeful, hopeful.

Thomas is about the same.  I’m not sure about his living situation.  He says he’s “not really” staying at his dad’s house, but with a friend.  Hmmm.  Okay, he’s almost 20-yrs old.  Still working at Sonny’s, still procrastinating about his GED, car still not running, but he’s considering selling it and getting something else.  Bleh.  Can’t seem to light a fire under this one and he seems to still be hanging on to some of his old bad habits…and I’m sure when questioned, it’ll be due to his hand.  Or some other major stressor.  I wish, I wish…

On a happier note…everything is still going great with Doug.  We’ll see how things play out once he gets moved down here.  He’s doing awesome in school - just finishing 3rd semester/starting clinicals and he made the Dean’s list!  So proud of him.  He works hard at it, and it shows.  He’s already applied to start school for the next level as soon as he gets this first license (June-July).  No laziness in this guy!

Okay, next time…more pictures, fewer words!  Have a great night!

Sh@ron

I’ve been blogging off and on in 2009 at my other blog, but it was just random and not very consistent.  The intended focus was going to be whatever I was creating at the moment…quilts, scrapbooking, photography, etc…but after being laid off I really didn’t have much extra time because I went right out and signed up for some college courses.  Now, with two semesters behind me, I’m even busier this semester trying to finish all the prerequisites to apply to a couple different Nursing schools in the area.  Six classes: Microbiology lecture and lab, Intermediate Algebra, Statistics, Microcomputer Applications, and the Science of Nutrition.  Whew!   I can start sending out applications in March and hope to start hearing back in June, for the Fall 2010 program.

So, I’m going to start back blogging here - one place, one site to manage.  May not be much at times.  It may be a mixture of topics - just depends what’s on my mind at the time.  Okay, that’s enough words for the moment.  Hoping to add some more photos to my blog posts this year!  Looks like I have some cleaning up to do as well…

Pe@ce…

Sh@ron

Life is too short… to live in suspense; waiting on other’s to make decisions that may affect you.

Life is too short…to not live each day in the here and now.

Life is too short…not to have beauty, joy and love in your life.

Life is too short…to always wonder, what might have been.

Life is too short…to stay standing still.

“Are you living a life of action or reaction?”

“Why be afraid of something you want?”

“Is it really always better to be safe than sorry?”

It’s time to move on, take some chances and open myself up to what life brings.  It’s about finding and maintaining balance in a life already full of change!

Pe@ce!

In beautiful Maine - click on this link for more information.  I have personally seen/been to this lovely home and have gone to this particular area of Maine for many years now.  In fact, if I had the financial means, I would buy it myself for a summer home.  Living in Florida means the summers are beastly hot, humid and miserable.  Maine’s summer are beautiful, warm but not bad and it actually cools off at night where you might even need a jacket.  In July!!  There are also lots of beautiful sights to see, mountains and trails to hike, the fresh seafood is fabulous and it’s near the coast of Maine, not inland.  Close to the Bangor airport.  So, check it out…pass the link along (enter for Jenny’s giveaway yourself!) and leave me a comment if you’re interested.  I’ll be happy to answer what I can and if not, get you to the person that does know!  Thanks!

I’m sure this will come as no surprise to anyone, but I’m taking a break from the virtual world.  At least for the summer, possibly longer.  We’ll see how that goes.  Ciao!

…since I’ve felt much like writing/blogging.  Tons going on, which hasn’t helped either.  Moved.  Went to Maine for Jenny’s graduation.  Enrolled in school for the summer.  Applying for Federal Aid to go back to school in the fall.  Stressing over bills.  And dealing with all the typical things that go along with being unemployed.   Exciting?  No.  But busy.

Today I start an accelerated 10-week course in Anatomy & Physiology I.  I feel pretty good about it since I’ve already had 3 semesters of it in massage therapy school (no, none of it transferred).  We’ll see how much I remember how much comes back, and how well I do.   I’d like to take one more class, Psychology, but I may be kidding myself that it’d be an easy 3 credits.  Well, compared to Intermediate Algebra, it will be!  (Yes, that’s on my list too - dang it - some remedial work WILL be necessary).   More as the process unfolds - no sense getting the cart ahead of the horse.  Still trying to sort it all out myself - but there are several core courses regardless of what program I eventually choose, so I decided to just jump right in.  I’m going to focus on moving over into the medical field.  Whether that’s in IT/Medical Records, Radiology, Physical Therapy, or even as an RN…I’m not sure yet.   It definitely seems to be a more stable/almost recession-proof field (though I know there are exceptions) that pays well.   I’ll also be looking for work in the medical field while I go to school, as often the hospitals offer tuition assistance for those continuing their education in medicine.  And besides, Jenny’s boys both agree that their Mom going through Nursing School has been the ultimate/most effective form of torture they’ve ever experienced (and now that I’m no longer repressing those memories of my own Mom going through Nursing School, I can agree!)…and how could I deny my boy’s that same experience?!!  LOL…

That’s about the biggest news.

Older, big news would be the move.  I’m still dealing with boxes and stuff.  It’s just going to take time to go through it all and decide it’s fate.  Yes, we downsized, so this was inevitable.  Staring at and walking around the evidence of it everyday is annoying.  But, I’m saving some money (almost $100) a month this way and after a time (when I get to the “good boxes”!), I’ll be able to sell some things and it’ll all be fine.  Less is more, right?

More later…maybe even some pictures - I know all the text is boring!  Want to see some boxes?  No, I didn’t really think so!

Sh@ron

The long and the short of it is, I was laid off from my job yesterday.   When people (specifically our clients - some of them huge corporations) don’t pay their bills, this is what happens.  And it makes no sense for 99% of them to refuse to pay on services that they’ve signed a contract for and which have been provided.  These companies are doing well - it’s not like they don’t get paid, so we don’t get paid.  To me, all it boils down to is greed and selfishness.  Well, thank you very much for putting me out of a job.  One that I loved, by the way.  Things could/might change but it’s impossible to predict.  And hats of to the state of Florida…cheapskates…the maximum you can qualify for on unemployment is $275/wk.  That’s it.  I do qualify for that, but what the heck?!!  And as far as I can determine, the maximum duration is 26 weeks.  Wow.  Time to reinvent myself again.  Honestly, it wears on me.

On the bright side, I had lunch with my friend Daniel today (he was laid off back in February, but has a part-time job he’s happy with and can live one ).  The weather was beautiful and it really was hard to feel sad about the job situation.  I always seem to land on my feet and I doubt this will be any different.  More time to finish the websites/quilts/crafts/writing/insert whatever I’ve started but have been unable to finish!  The shock of it, that it was actually happening took a bit to soak in.  I’m okay with it.  Even with the plans to move.

Yes, I’m moving!  Because things were iffy at work, I didn’t re-sign my lease, I just opted to go month-to-month.  I asked about moving into a smaller, less expensive apartment but was told that I could only upgrade, not downgrade.   That bothered me, so I started looking.  It was between two different places, but ultimately we settled on a community that is within walking/biking distance of A’s friends & his father.  We’ll be on the first floor, have a washer & dryer in the apartment, it has wood floors (except in the bedrooms), a storage room attached, and I can paint!  Pets were no problem and I signed up during their open house, so we got a good break on the fees/deposits, etc.  Moving day is April 25th with the idea being to get it all moved and have plenty of time to clean the old place and get the new set up before I go to Maine.

It’s not only the annual trek to the great state of Maine, but my BFF Jenny is graduating from nursing school (RN) and getting her degree.  The pinning is Friday and the graduation Saturday.  So excited and happy for her to *almost* have this all behind her.   And then she’s planning on going back to school in the fall - OY!  More power to her!

Well, that’s about it from here.  The boys are well…T just turned 19 - has his car back, working lots of hours and trying to find time to get his diploma.  A is studying for his FCAT and looking forward to attending high school with his friends next fall (not as much as me though!).

Hope you all are well!  Hugs…

the debut of a new weekly sketch site. Challenges are posted Saturday morning so that working folks have a shot at making the top 25 on Mr. Linky and getting the kudos and praise they deserve too!

With that, I’ve decided to separate out some of the crafting news from here to a new site: www.everydaycrafting.com so that I’ve kind of got a more personal blog for family/friends and a crafting one that I don’t mind publishing and advertising out for all the world to see. I’ll still share what I’m doing here, but it won’t be so detailed. Here’s my project for the week…and of course if you want to know more, pop over to Unscripted Sketches or to my “other” blog Everyday Crafting.

We’ve assembled a top notch team of ladies to help us out.  They are:

April

BR-T

Caryl

Fink

Jenny

Jeryn

Stephanie

Chrys

Other news coming soon!