Mind Bogged.....

I have had such great blog topics come to mind the last couple of days, sad thing is they left before I could write them down. lol My short term memory is on overload lately, and well, blog topics seem to have been pushed, not just to the back of my mind, but totally out of my mind. lol

It has even started to effect my dreams. Last night I had a dream of someone cleaning carpets with this great stuff that actually worked...and in my dream I kept thinking "remember the name so we can buy it when we wake up"...lol...BUT, do you think I can recall the name of said stuff? NOPE! LOL Does that mean the stuff was real stuff? No, but it still bothers me that I cannot recall it at all.

I do have a lot on my mind right now, so maybe that is what is putting a damper on my blog ideas...hmmmmmm possible. :)

I got a phone call yesterday about a job application I did a couple of months ago and I go for an interview tomorrow morning! :) It is for the position of Lab Assistant, which is either PRN (as needed), Part time or Full time...not sure as some more positions are opening up in this dept. Whats really nice is that not only do I enjoy running labs and drawing peoples blood...lol...the clinic I will be working at is where one of my best friends, K, works at. YAY! :) I know more people who work there, but none of them are K. lol

I woke up with a stuffy nose, cough, scratchy throat and watery eyes, soooooo I am taking some cold medicine to ward it off so I do not go into my interview hacking all over the nice lady. lol Lucky for me, I have had my flu shot; they gave it to me when I was in the hospital in Nov. I have to call today to get Katie and Rick in for their shots, I just don't want to take any chances with those two and this flu strain is NASTY...we have had 18 deaths total between here and Illinois. NOT GOOD!

OK, my rambling is done....I still feel "mind blogged", but hopefully I will start retaining my blog ideas or at least start writing them down. lol

Peace, Love and Blogging!
The Steel Workers Wife
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Circle of Friends

As a kid we seemed to be over loaded with friends, but as we grow older (and wiser hopefully) we learn that we do not need everyone around us to be our friend. I have been thinking about my circle of friends lately, I mean, sure, there are people that I am friendly with but would I count them in my "circle"? No, I would not.

I have learned over the last several years that the number of friends a person has does not make them a better or more likable person, it just means that they aren't as choosey as others are when it comes to who they will or will not have around them. I, myself, choose to have a small circle of true friends...I guess I should stop now and explain that "true friend" statement.

Think of it like this: We all have friends that we go out with, maybe have over for dinner once in a blue moon or we may even invite them to an important event; BUT, we also have those few "true" friends that we would want by our side in crisis, ones we KNOW, without a doubt, would be there by our side to cheer us on when the chips were down. Those are the "true" friends. The ones you trust your children's lives with.

I have a very close circle of these true friends, I like it that way. When I was a child I loved having a lot of friends, but as I have grown up and moved away from childish things I have come to realise that it's not the number of friends you have that counts, its the friends whose number you can call at 3am because your sad or just because...or maybe even because you are drunk and need a ride home. LOL

My circle of friends may not always get along with one another, hell, they may not all even like one another, but I know if push came to shove they would rally together to help me in any way they could. And, I believe they know that I would do the same for them...in a heart beat.

I try my best, and sometimes it is hard, not to pass judgement on anyone, especially a friend. God made us all different for a reason, I personally think that sometimes he did this for pure entertainment. ;) I have friends who have money and I have friends who don't....money cannot buy you true friendship, it can just loan you a friend. lol I heard that somewhere, not sure where, but it has stuck with me.

My truest friends are wonderful and I wish we all lived closer to one another, but we don't, and that is why we have FaceBook. lol It's true ya know, what they say about true friends: You can go a long time without speaking and one phone call, one minute, it's like you never stopped talking at all. I love that about my bestest friends, they love unconditional and they get that back in return.

So, maybe it's time for some of us to stop and take stock of those around us....or maybe we are happy with the choices we have made....whatever your situation is, I hope that your truest friends stay true; and if you haven't found your circle yet, may you find it soon and may it bring you just as many blessings as mine has.

The Steel Workers Wife
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Dinner for 5....

Rick (hubby) and I were lounging in bed last night, watching some show on the food network, when I asked him:
     "If you could have dinner with 5 other people, living or dead, who would you choose?" I thought he would need some time before answering me, but I was wrong. He looked at me with a serious look and said: "My Dad, My Mom, My Son, JFK, and Obama." I told him that I was impressed he answered so quickly and that I liked his choices; he then asked me the same question to which my reply was:
     "Einstein, Lincoln, My great-grama B, My Grampa B, and Mark Twain." (actually it was  Twain or Obama...but I went with Twain. lol) When I looked back at Rick he was looking at me with an odd expression and I asked him why the odd look...he said that my people surprised him a little bit. He said he expected more family, since I am the one who is more family oriented. I laughed and explained why I chose who I chose....

I have always had a "thing" for Einstein and Lincoln, not a crush type of thing but an interesting type of thing. I had my interest peaked at a young age, it was in the 5th grade and each of us had to memorize a speech given by Lincoln and I was given The Gettysburg Address to memorize. I had so much fun with that and I can still remember how the words jumped out of the school book at me that I just knew I was destined to have this speech assigned to me. (I laugh at that now, but I can still recall the joy I felt when my teacher assigned it to me. lol)  And, as I sit here typing this, I can still hear those words being said in my mind. Anyway, I digress, Loved that speech and thus started my "thing" for Lincoln. lol Einstein, well, again I think I was in the 5th grade when my teacher showed us a movie about Einsteins life and I was just so engrossed in it that I wanted to learn more about this man who others thought of either a lunatic or a genius. I would love to sit and talk with him and pick his brain about what is going on in our world today, and the same goes for Lincoln...what would he think of how our Country has been run since his time? Just how angry would he be? I would love to add Twain into that conversation and I can just picture him trying to play referee with those other two. lol Twain has been an interested of mine ever since I read Tom Sawyer, or well, my Grama started to read it to me and then she handed it to me to finish on my own one day when I was visiting and went to work at the Library with her. lol

The other two people are, of course, very personal choices for me. I was a very small child when my Grampa B died and I would love to be able to catch him up on whats been happening in our family's life since then....and same goes for Great Grama B, who died when I was a young teen. (She is his mother) I would love to break out the photo albums and share them with these two, to see the looks of wonderment on their faces as they see their children grown, their great and great-great grand children's smiling faces.

I know, I have rambled on and I hope you forgive me and I would love to hear who you would invite for your Dinner for 5.

Steel Workers Wife
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The simple pleasures of life...My Life....

 

Today is Sunday, except for whatever one day off my hubby has off work, Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I get to sleep in, if I want to, but that never really happens. I actually set my alarm to wake me by 7:45am so I can get my coffee brewed, wash the sleep from my eyes and get ready for my guilty pleasure, a television show called Sunday Morning; this show is a type of news show, but they break things, interesting things, down into segments that actually keep a viewer interested and looking forward to the next interesting segment. They are not so depressing as watching the regular news, but I have found myself spilling a couple of tears now and again as a segment touches my heart or pulled at my heart strings.


I remember watching this show when I was a kid, my parents used to watch it and back then, of course, I never saw the draw of this show; until I was 19 and living on my own and then it became a part of my Sunday routine. I have tried to sit and watch Sunday Morning with friends, it doesn't work, I have tried to lounge in bed and watch it with a lover, but that never worked either. When I met my hubby for the first time, via match.com, we were talking about our favorite television shows and when he mentioned he enjoyed to watch Sunday Morning I knew there was a connection. :) And, back in the day (lol) when he had Sundays off, we would both get up early, make our coffees and maybe some toast and then settle in to enjoy one of our simple pleasures of life. It was a great bonding experience for us, we were never at a loss for something to discuss as the show kept our minds working and giving us the topic(s) of the day, I sooo miss those times.

Another one of my life's simple pleasures is being able to be home to help my daughter with her school work. Not many parents have the opportunity to be home when their kids get home from school, so I truly feel blessed to be able to be here for her. I really like that special quality time with her, as I know one day soon she isn't going to want me around as much. lol

Lastly, for today, another simple pleasure is baking/cooking. I truly love baking and cooking good food for my family. It fills my heart with love to see them enjoying something that I have made for them. I love baking especially, but cooking comfort foods is a close 2nd. My mind is wandering to what I can bake up today...yup, got too many things flying through my head to even give you a clue as to what it will be. lol

I wish you all a wonderful day...filled with your simple pleasures. :)

The Steel Workers Wife
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Blogging....Just Blogging

Well, it's morning here in NW Indiana and to say it is cold outside is an understatement....it's freaking cold outside! :)

A friend of mine on Facebook posted how she missed blogging because let's face it folks, FB does not give us that intimate connection like blogging does and well, after a while we tend to crace that interaction. At least that is how I feel about it. Don't get me wrong, FB has it's good points and I will not be giving up my FB 100%, but I do plan on putting more into my blogging than I have been. :)

A lot has been going on here in this Steel Workin' house since I last posted. I never really got my whole Christmas spirit back, but I got enough of it to get through the holidays. lol Kbug had a nice Christmas and loved all her gifts, especially the MP3 player we got her and the giftcards her yaya and papa got her. :) (I took her out yesterday to finish her shopping and she had a BLAST!) Drew, well, I did a stocking for him and will be taking him shopping for some clothes here soon. He is 20 now and does not live at home, and it really sucked not having him here Christmas Morning....but I got through it without calling him in tears. LOL We spent Christmast afternoon at my parents home and had a very nice time...its become kinda a tradition to do it that way over the years. My mom had so many YUMMY snacky foods out before dinner that by the time dinner (prime rib) was done...we were all too stuffed from the snacky foods to eat it. lol

New Years, hubby and I were in bed by 10pm because he had to work in the morning and well, I was just plain tired. lol Kbug made it all the way to midnight and then crashed out. It has been a few years since I stayed up to watch the New Year come in, maybe next New Years I will try and make it til Midnight.

Today is the day that I figure out which college I will be attending to get my Bachelors Degree. I'm really excited! :) Im not sure if I will continue on for my Masters or not yet, I am taking it one degree at a time. lol

Well, the real world is calling and my mom is IMing me..sooooo, I wish you all a wonderful day!

~Steel Workers Wife
Lu

Christmas Spirit...Where are you?

Yup, here it is December 13th already and not one...not a single Christmas decoration is up in my home. Nope, not even the tree. We did get all the boxes and totes holding all our decorations and tree out of the corner of the "junk room" and have them stacked near the bottom of the basement stairs...does that count, at all?

I wish I could pin-point exactly where my Christmas Spirit has gone, but I can't. I have thought long and hard on this one too, but I got nuttin'. *sigh* I have not even baked one goodie for this Season..I know right? WOW, eh? I just now, today, addressed some Christmas cards and put them in the mail. (So, if you get your card a lil bit later than normal, now you know why.lol)

It is true that we have had a  pretty hard year this year, both Hubby and I have been sick...Hubby was out on short term disability from July to October, my hours got cut at work and then I got sick and that has really put me in a downer mood Im sure. Kbug, our daughter, is the only one keeping healthy so far this year...THANK GOD! I must say that I am also missing my son, who moved out this past January. It's just not the same without both my kids in the house at this time of the year. I am also missing all my great step-kids, grandkids and great grands too...we just never seem to have the time to all get together in one spot at the same time anymore. :(

We have been through harder times and I know that we will get through this too...we both have our faith in God and in one another, and that always brings us through. So, again, Im just not sure what has me so down and missing the Christmas Spirit this year. Is anyone else having similar issues this year?

This weekend, starting tomorrow, I am going to start some baking and maybe even put on some Christmas songs and see where that takes me. My goal is to get the tree up and decorated this weekend..yup, thats my goal. lol I am trying my best to stay positive and not dwell on the negatives of life around me...With that said, I will say that I do feel very Blessed to have this day on earth with my family. I am truly blessed with my friends who may not always understand or agree with me, but they stand with me. lol I hope that you all are Blessed in the same way in your lives.

Lu

Fall Ramblings

Well, it's official I believe, Fall is here in Northwest Indiana...SIGH. Don't get me wrong, there are some things I truly love about this time of the year; then again there are probably just as many things as I don't like about this time of the year. lol I'm one of those "special" people who would be happy living in an area that still has the seasons changing, but the snow at a minimum. lol I mean, it can snow on Christmas eve and be gone by New Years Day and I would be just fine with that. :)
I enjoy taking drives down through the lake area and the smell of the leaves that have fallen, I enjoy the smell of burning leaves too. :) I really do love driving around the area and looking at all the fall colors on the trees, but sadly this year they are not as bright and vibrant as they have been in the past. I believe this is due to the horrid heat of the summer this year.

One thing I love most about this time of the year is the cooking! Like right now, I am boiling chicken up on the stove to use in dinner tonight....enchiladas! And, whatever I don't use in tonight's dinner will make its way into tomorrow night dinner or lunch. I enjoy the cooking of summer, the light salads and sandwiches and the BBQ, of course, but by the same token I enjoy the hearty cooking of this time of the year. I, like most people, find themselves using their crock pots, roasters and stock pots a lot more during this time of the year...do you agree?

I hope to be able to get some more baking done this year over what I did last year, which honestly, shouldn't be hard to do. lol I am starting to get orders, yes, paying orders for cupcakes and I am really enjoying that...not just the money (which is nice) but the ability to use my creative side a bit more. I just finished up some Halloween themed cupcakes and just got an order from that party for "princess" type cupcakes...I'm going to be making crowns out of pink chocolate. I was going to just buy the candy crowns, but they seem cheap to me...and these cuppacakes have my "name" on them, so yeah, nothing cheap looking. lol Then, I have another order for December already, but those are for cake balls in pink. Still have to get together with that customer and get the details all ironed out yet. I don't plan on making a ton of money at this, I just really enjoy the baking for others. lol
I also have some great DIY and Homemade ideas for Christmas pressies this year...just hope I can get the energy to get em all done in time. lol The daughter is pretty much taken care of for Christmas, but there are still the son and parents to gift and some close friends...well, might as well call em family cuz that is what they are. :)
I have been pouring over crafty and DIY gift books from the library and getting some great inspiration! I just have to fit the time to get started into my busy schedule. lol

Well, I have rambled on enough...will return you to your regular scheduled program now. LOL

Fall Blessings!
The Steel Workers Wife
*Lu