Monday and Holy Week

Another good night, so thankful.  It must be the extra movement with those 30 degree leg curls.   Hubby is not requiring as much pain medication and that is great!  Less pain means healing is upon us.
It is Monday of Holy week and we have not been to Church in a month due to hubbs injury.  It feels weird not going, thankfully our pastor posts his sermons on Facebook.   I miss seeing our friends and the boys have missed the youth activities.  Right now we all cannot fit in one vehicle and I am the only one that can drive so we are homebound for right now.  Today is what I think of as the beginning of Holy week and my hubby pointed out we would not be going to any of the Holy week services.  The hubbs and I have, in the past, read scripture during our Holy week services.  I am going to miss that.  I do have our prayer books, so I guess I will be reading to my family this week. 
It is a glorious week and yet a sad one too. 
Did you know that at the very time Jesus was riding in to Jerusalem that Palm Sunday, Pilate was also arriving in Jerusalem at the other end of town?  Everyone was crowded about to see Jesus come in, they even lay down their coats and palm fronds for his donkey to walk over.   Pilate came in to much less pomp and circumstance because everyone wanted to see Jesus.  That is my Holy week trivia for ya. 

Feel Good Saturday. . .

After not sleeping in these last weeks due to hubby's pain and discomfort,  I did not see restful sleep in our future for awhile.   The doctors appointment yesterday proved positive and somewhat negative. They were pleased with progress on the finger and are starting some flex moves with the knee at home.  Only 30 degree curl up and only while lying on his stomach.  All other times the leg is to be locked straight.  Hubby was thrilled with the thought of being able to bend the knee, even if only for a moment at 30 degrees. 
The set back part comes from the fact he may be out of work until June.  He was quite upset at that.  My hubby enjoys his work and he feels like he is letting his clients down by not being there for them.  We are very lucky his manager is great and has been very supportive.  
We had the best rest last night that we have had since he fell even with our little crank call at 1am.  We were able to sleep in till 7:30, it felt like vacation.  
Funny how when the chips are down that the little things can make you feel like a million bucks.  Feeling blessed and rested.

What I See on Wednesday. . .

I know I am supposed to share a recipe today but it was an exhausting day and we had pizza.   We have a little place that has a special on Wednesday that you can get two large one topping pizzas for for $14.  You cannot beat that, feeding a family of four.  
It is so funny what you see when nobody thinks you are looking.  It is funny what you hear when nobody thinks you are listening. These days not much shocks me.   Today while pumping gas I watched as our local bum gets out of her brand new Hyundai and walks across the street to her perch to beg for money.   We have a group that share this particular spot to beg from and they rotate on shifts.  This strikes me as funny because I am sure they make more money begging than most people do working.  They are not paying taxes on any of it.  Every time I see someone give them money I just want to shake them and tell them to wake up and see the brand new car sitting in the gas station parking lot  that they are funding.  
People are stealing wallets out of women's purses in stores as they are shopping.   People are stealing pocketbooks off women's shoulders in the parking lot.  This is happening in the morning hours not at night when you might expect this kind of behavior.   People are breaking down doors and breaking into homes in broad daylight.   It has become a normal thing to hear in the news or on the street.  We are gradually going to a state of what ever you want just take it, whether it is yours or not.
When I go shopping I am going over in my head what I am buying and what I am looking for and most days I am not thinking about anything else.   Since all of this theft and purse snatching I have been paying more attention to my surroundings.  I usually do my shopping first thing in the morning, 8am.   The other day while I was in the store where these thefts have happened I decided I would do a little people watching while I was shopping.  I have to say I was amazed at how many women had their pocketbooks laying open in their buggy.   A couple of them even walked away from their buggy with their purse still in it open.   It is easy to get distracted when shopping, especially in this type of store.  Ladies please keep hold of your pocketbooks and keep them closed.  
When these stories hit the news (Facebook) I began watching more closely those around me.   I have seen a couple of out of place people wandering around.  I always keep my purse close to me and I keep my eyes open for people that do not belong and at the Mart you never know what you might see.  Please be safe when out shopping or going to and from your car in mall parking lots.  I remember one of our friends that just happened to be a police officer was out shopping with his wife when a would-be thug attempted to rob them.  The shock that must have fallen on this fellas face when our friend pulled his gun and pined him to the car to wait for back-up.   This was in our local mall parking lot more than twenty years ago.  
These are my tips for women when going to and from your car with packages or not.
1.  You should always have your keys out before you leave the store.
2.  Walk with your head up and with a purpose.  Do not look like a victim.
3.  Look around you, who else is in this parking lot.
4.  Look at your car as you approach it.  Is there anything odd about the vehicles parked near you?
5.  Once in your car, lock it and immediately start your engine.
6.  Do not sit in your car and balance your check book or check receipts.
 If anything looks odd when you go out to your car, go back in the store call a friend or alert mall security and let them walk with you to the car.  I promise, if they are worth a grain of salt they will not mind and they will applaud you for calling them.

Digital Footprint continued. . .

I posted last week about our digital footprint and I would like to talk some more today about it.  I was reading an excerpt from an article for my online class this weekend about this very thing.  I will have to share their statistics on how many employers actually look at social media sites of prospective employees.  These statistics are very interesting.  The employers surveyed for this article used Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter to investigate potential employees.  When looking at these sites employers are looking for potential behavior or attitude problems.  This article reports that 91% of employers it surveyed used social media to scope out prospective employees and 69% reported they had rejected prospects based on their social media sites.   There were a few employers that had requested Facebook log in and password information for prospects.   Just remember that is only the ones we know of, I am sure there are many more.   If you really think about it I would bet if the company really wanted to see your private Facebook information they could find a hacker to get it for a nominal fee.  I hate to say all of this but, it is our reality of a technology crazed world.
Here are my tips for surviving  a job search or even a college entry in our techno savvy society.
  1.  Do not post questionable content (lewd pictures, pictures of you drunk or passed out etc.)
  2.  Do not criticize past employers or colleagues
  3.  Do not use foul language in your posts.
  4.  If you think something is questionable ask someone 20 years older than you, if you are embarrassed to do that do not post it.
  5.  Use strong passwords for your accounts and do not use the same password for multiple accounts.
  6.  If you have posted something that may be questionable go in and delete it and clean up that profile.

According to this article these employers said they had hired employees for something they had posted and they had also rejected someone for something they had posted on their social media sites.

Parents, please be proactive with your kids accounts.  As a parent you should have all of their passwords and log in information for each account they have.  It is our job as parents to make sure they do not ruin their reputation before they are old enough to even have a reputation.  Stay vigilant.

Wife on Monday. . .

Warning this is going to be sappy.

My husband and I are getting ready to celebrate 23 years together, 22 years of marriage and we may love each other more now than when we were first married.    I have posted about his accident and I have joked about it.  It was a serious injury and I guess I was joking about it because it was my way of dealing with this fear that I had.  The injury itself was crazy and I do not think it would happen again if he fell ten times the same way.  He tore all of the muscle and tendons from the knee.  He had to have surgery to put all of that back together.  He also dislocated his finger on the opposite hand.
These 23 years we have been together the most serious thing we have had to deal with was two c-sections.  Yes, they were serious and I was terrified but he was there and he was my rock.  He held me together.  I think this was hard because he was the one in need and I am not used to that.  I am not used to him being dependent on me, it is usually the other way around.   It is scary seeing the person that you saw as your rock needing you and depending on you to be the rock.  I am far from a rock when it comes to things like this.  If you know me personally you know exactly what I am talking about.
It is hard to see the person you love suffer in pain and not be able to help.   I know I am not the first to face this situation and if you have, I sympathize with you. Now that he is home and that dependence is in your face, it is hard.  I had to take him to see the doctor about his hand on Friday and it was very tricky trying to get him in the truck.  His dear sweet brother had helped get him to the doctor up to now.  I do not know what I would have done with out him.  Bless him because he has been here to sit with hubby while I had class and had to take the kids for practice.   Hubbs cannot stand up by himself and once he is up he is using crutches.  He is determined to get back to normal.  I love his determination but it does scare me just a little.  I am afraid he is going to try and do too much too quick and set things back farther.  This is a long road to recovery for him but I know we will survive.  I know that the good Lord is watching over us and that He will get us through it.   I have been at my end a couple of times these last two weeks and I have felt the prayers and love of our family and friends and for that I am truly thankful.  

Emergency Fund?????

Do you have an emergency fund?  You may have your $1,000 quick cash emergency fund but I am talking about the 3-6 months of income emergency fund.  They are both important and are both very necessary.  The $1,000 quick cash is cash on hand that you can get to easily for emergencies like broken pipes and pay day is a week away or broken heat pump in the middle of summer.   The 3-6 month emergency fund is for times when you may not have an income.  Maybe you or your spouse are hurt and cannot work or you get laid off.  Unfortunately both of these situations can be your reality in today's economy.  
If you follow Dave Ramsey you have heard him talk about both of these items in his Financial Peace lectures.  I told you earlier you would get tired of me saying, "Dave says."  I do believe what he has to say works, we do not do everything according to Dave but we do most.  If you read what he has to say and really sit back and think about it, it makes sense.  I would not do it or recommend it if it did not make sense to me.
I have dipped into my $1,000 emergency fund and I replaced it as soon as dear hubby was paid.  With all of our debt paid except the house, any extra money we get is divided between the 3-6 month emergency fund and extra house payments.  We have already taken two years off of our mortgage and saved a good deal on interest.  You would be surprised what a mere $200 extra could save you in interest.
Now to figure out how much you need for your 3-6 months emergency fund.  Take your expenses for the whole month, be honest, short cutting and lying to yourself will not help you in the long run.  When you have your expenses for the month multiply them by 3 to get a 3 month estimate and multiply by 6 to get a six month estimate.  Last time I checked we had about a 5 month emergency fund.   This is very important for us because my husbands' business is very volatile, he has survived 5 lay offs in the last 4 years or so.  You just never know when you might get that call.  With our emergency fund in place it is not quite as scary.
Since my dear hubby had his injury and had to have surgery and is facing short-term disability and lots of rehabilitation, that emergency fund will be a cushion for us.  Dave always says you need that rainy day fund, because it will rain.  
I think when you have an emergency fund it is insurance against the rain.   We may need ours for doctor and hospital bills too.
I would recommend setting your 3-6 months emergency fund up in a money market account if your bank has one.  As your fund grows you can take advantage of that extra interest.  If it is in a money market account you are less likely to spend it on something that is not an emergency.
I do not get kick backs from Dave Ramsey, this is just something that I believe in and am passionate about.  

Garden Tuesday

Dear hubby has been fretting over not getting the garden planted this year because of his leg.  Today his dear sweet brother came, while I was in class, and tilled the garden to plant.  He planted lettuce, radishes, potatoes,  peas, broccoli,  cabbage and onions.   Hubby was able to get out for a little while to see it.  That little trip outside wipped him out.  He still has a way to go on recovery but he is making good progress.  He has been doing his hand therapy everyday and his finger has improved greatly.   I know that he will approach his knee therapy the same way.  It is just a matter of time when they will start that.  He is still straight legged until further notice.  We see the surgeon again in another week.
I am so thankful for our friends and family, everyone has pitched in to help us out.  Our family is blessed.

Here Comes Monday. . .

Like it or not here comes Monday.   We had a rather quiet weekend and my dear hubby is getting better with his leg.  Spent an exhausting Friday at the doctors office and I do mean the day.   They looked at the finger and the knee.   They took out the staples and he got a new brace that is more open than the last one.   The leg must still remain straight, no bending yet.   This also means no driving, just getting in a vehicle is a tricky task.  My dear hubby's brother was kind enough to take us in his truck so that he could stretch out in the very back.
After getting a new brace and more x-rays on the finger we were sent to hand therapy.   We spent three hours at the doctor and that did not include wait time.  These doctors are the best, they have taken very good care of my sweet hubby.
Several people have asked if we have gotten tired of each other these last two weeks of constant companionship.  I am definitely not tired of him and I do not believe he is tired of me.  He says he is not tired of me, he has not thrown me out or sent me away yet.   I guess this is a good trial run to see how things will be when he retires and our kids are grown and gone their separate ways.   I know a lot of people say that married couple grow apart through the years and I have always wondered about that with us.  We will be celebrating 23 years together, 22 married and I guess those things do cross peoples' minds every now and then.   I think we will be fine.  We do enjoy spending time together, we are still interested in the same things we were when we dated.  We carve out time for just us periodically, even if it is just a night watching a movie and getting take out.  We both enjoy being outside, working in the yard and garden.  Hubby is worried about not having a garden, he loves working in the garden and that may prove tricky this year.   I told him we would have a garden and that I would find a way to make it happen.
Stay tuned for recovery updates for the knee and finger and for garden updates as I figure out how to get that going.  It is going to be an interesting season ahead so, hang on.

Thursday Laughs

Yesterday, I really thought I would be able to catch up on some much needed rest after I got the boys off to school.  Not!  Dear hubbys' needs come before anybody these days and I am not being sarcastic.  Bless him, because he has to have someone help him up and down from a seated position,  he cannot dress himself, and he cannot get something to eat or drink when he wants.  This must be very frustrating for him. 
My much needed rest went out the window when he said his stomach did not feel good.  Grabbed his crutches and helped him up.  Off to the powder room, I can call it that because the new handicap toilet is in my bathroom.   I sat in the bedroom till he was ready to go back to the couch, he made his way back and I helped him sit down and raise the foot part of the recliner making sure it did not bang the hurt leg.   He was now ready for a pain pill, I go in to the kitchen and hear what sounds like water running.   I get him some water and a pill and return to the kitchen and try to pin point where the sound is coming from.  I see something running down my back splash beside the oven.  I hollered and of courae hubby thinks something is seriously wrong.   I assure him I am fine and tell him we have a leak.  I have to help get him up and he comes to see what he thinks is going on.  The boys bathroom is above the kitchen so I ran upstairs to cut the water off.  There is no visible water on the ceiling above where the water is dripping.   I decided to open the cabinet and see if I could see anything there.  I found the culprit and it was not a water pipe.   I had a large can of pineapple juice that had exploded in the cabinet.  I spent my needed nap time cleaning out my cabinet and my counter top. 
You just have to laugh at how completely off the wall that is. 

Techno Tuesday. . .

People are losing jobs, being arrested and getting divorced all because of some type of technology.  A woman posts something nasty about her job and she gets fired.   A man posts a picture of himself with another woman and ends up divorced.  Two girls post pictures of themselves in dresses that they had shoplifted earlier that day.   They are later arrested.  These are just a few of the headlines I have seen just this year.
Anyone looking for a job these days better clean up their online fingerprints if they expect to be taken seriously.   My brother in-law had a job interview more than 10 years ago and his prospective employer looked him up.  Funny thing was the employer could not find anything on him.  He has no profiles on any social media. The employer asked him about it the day of the interview,  my brother in-law replied simply that he did not have time for things like that. 
I share this story just to show you that this does happen and more frequently than you think.  I am shocked at the teens and young adults that post pictures of themselves and others intoxicated and passed out.  These do not say I am a reliable employee.   I would not be surprised if colleges do not look into prospective students' online fingerprints.  They may not advertise that they do this but you can bet they are.  
I am thankful I grew up and did all my stupid things before the internet. 

Moments of Monday. . .

Every day gets better.  Still requiring pain medication every three hours day and night.  You could equate this to having a new born  again.  He did rest more last night and I guess I did too, I just do not remember.  Feel like I am operating in a dense fog.
Our plumber came today to put in a "handicap" potty, it is taller than a standard toilet.   This extra height will help hubby since he cannot bend or put weight on the one leg.  They also installed two hand rails to aid in the up and down.   I must say if you are going to remodel and you are over 40 put in a "handicap" toilet.  I know, not the glamorous decorating tip you thought you were going to get.  I am all about practicality these days.  The rest of our house is perfect for any injuries that may come, everything we need on the main level.   My dear hubby is looking at a very long road to recovery and anything that I can do to make that easier, will be done.
Our 22nd wedding anniversary is coming up and we bought a new sofa recliner as our gift to each other.   That was another great thing to have during this recovery period.  It has been a huge blessing, without it poor hubby would be stuck flat on his back in the bed.  It is like having twin recliners but it is still a sofa.  Another must for our golden years.  ha ha ha ha  We are only mid 40's so we are not golden, yet.  Injuries do find us though and I am determined to be prepared.  

Meatloaf Monday. . .

I know it is not Monday but, I was making meatloaf on the Monday that my hubby  was ice dancing in the driveway. 
I thought I would share what I was doing with my meatloaf.  One child  likes it spicy, one does not like sauce, and hubby and I like a little spice and sauce.  I have a four mini loaf bread stone and I decided I would make 4 mini meatloaves. 
Basic meatloaf:
1-2lbs ground meat
Worcestershire sauce
Texas Pete
1tbsp chili powder
1tsp thyme
1 tsp dry mustard
2tsp garlic powder
3tsp paprika

ketchup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1egg beaten

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.   Combine meat, Worcestershire, Texas Pete and mash together.   Then spoon dry ingredients mixture and mash with meat then add egg and bread crumbs last.  Divide into 4 balls.  Once divided I let Sprat fix his loaf how he wanted it.  He added shredded cheese and buffalo wing sauce.  I know, I did not think it sounded very good.  Big T was simple I just put it in the pan.  The last two for hubby and I, I wanted to try a stuffed meatloaf.  I folded a slice of fresh mozzarella in each loaf then topped with a little BBQ sauce.  I like to use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup over the top, I think it adds a little zing to the loaf.

Bake at 350 till brown and bubbly.  Mine cooked for almost an hour but they had been in the fridge for two days.

I baked mine last night and it was good.  Oddly enough Sprats' looked the best of them all.   Sprats' is in the lower right with the cheese bubbling out of it.  Big T still did not like his but he ate some of it to appease me.  They were very filling.  

Like most of my recipes it is never the same but the above is what I used for this one.  Until we eat again. . .

All About the Hubbs

My hubby has completely ruined his chance for a career in the ice-capades.  His piroet in the driveway landed him on his back for the next six weeks.   It is very hard to watch your spouse suffer and not be able to help as I posted yesterday. 
This experience has shown me several things about myself and others that I did not know.  You know the saying, God will not give you more than you can handle.  After this week, I do believe that God must think I am a beast.   My little shoulders are shaky today.  Here is what He showed me about others.  Our family is truly loved.   We have had a huge out pouring of support from our family and friends.  It is not necessarily what they do, but what they are willing to  do that amazes me.   I am very thankful for each and every one of them.  
We have a very long road of recovery from all of this but, I know we can make it.  I keep using "we" while talking about everything we are going through because it is a team effort in our marriage and our life together.  So, we will get through it and this will make us and our marriage stronger.
I will leave you with this:  if you do not have friends, make some; if you do not have a Church that you regularly attend, find one; and if you are at odds with your family, resolve those issues.  These are the people that will sit in that hospital waiting room with you and fetch your kids to and from school and hold you in prayer when they cannot be right there.  They will drive two hours to be with your child that is having a hard time with the whole situation.  Without our friends, Church family, and our family I would not have made it through this week.  I am thankful.

Family Love. .

I sit here listening to my dear sweet hubby breathing.  We are in the hospital, he fell on the only patch of ice in our driveway yesterday.   He dislocated a finger and tore his quadricep from his knee.  They finally admitted him last night so they could do surgery this morning.
It is a helpless feeling standing, no pacing around waiting on an ambulance to help get your loved one off the ground.  It is a helpless feeling sitting in an emergency waiting room, knowing the love of your life is in pain and you cannot do anything to help.   I have sat helpless all day.
My dear sweet hubby is stubborn as the day is long and has more determination than the law should allow.   He thinks he is going home today,  me not so much.   He has not been up out of the bed yet.  I am not excited about that prospect.
I am home now to my Big T throwing up and my sweet hubby still at the hospital. 
They are finally getting his pain under control.  I am hopeful that everything will work out. 

February 2015 Snow

Such a peaceful sight.   We got a good bit of snow this time and it was beautiful.  I am renewed this morning, my kids are at school and I have been able to get back into my routine.  It is amazing how we all need structure in our lives.  We think we run around by the seat of our pants but really there is structure and routine in all of the chaos.   I lost my structure and routine these last two weeks, I hope I have it back and will be able to keep it.   We are after all, animals that need routine.   I am blissfully at peace today sitting here thinking about everything I have to do this week.   My ducks are in their rows as they should be.   Thank you for listening while I had my nervous break down this last week.   I will try to stay on track this week with my posts but, you never know what might happen so, hang on.