Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Another day...

I sent off five letters today, including one to a son of mine.  He is in the Orange County Jail in California.  I still don't know why he is there, but I need to find out if I can add money to his account.  His 2017 birthday gift finally got back to me.  He went to jail right after I sent it to him. 

When they are incarcerated somewhere, it's better to send magazines and books... at least, I think so.  They will have something good to read each month (magazines) or can learn something by reading a book.  It's a challenge to find people who know how to send to prisons, so I generally only buy books for them at HamiltonBooks.com  --  they have cheap books that are decent, and they have the mailing options.  I send books on business or the hobbies they are interested in... writing, art, math, whatever I find on the day I look.

When I had more money, I would try to send them money.  Now you have to add it to their account (for that particular prison) via an online process.  I have had problems in the past, but the systems are getting better.

They have video phone calls now.  I haven't done one yet.  They also have email access, which is approved by the staff before being sent.  I vaguely remember getting one of those.

I like to write regular letters when I can.  Now I am trying to figure out how to order photos off my tablets so I can send some to them.  Photocopies are the thing I use these days.  Printing photos uses a LOT of the ink I have to buy for the printers... I think it would be cheaper to get regular photos again.  Printer ink is probably the biggest expense in my budget... almost $50 for the set for my printer, about $29 for the black cartridge for the copier I use.

I think I already told you how it upsets me that the "rules" for inmate contact are different at every institution... some of the letters I have gotten back have been for the most ridiculous reasons!

When I win the big lottery prize/s............  I will hire people to start working on some changes.   :-)

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I made some more bulgur salad... I used 1/3 cup of the dry bulger this time and it was a lot!  I sacrificed myself and ate it during the day's time.  I'm going back to making 1/4 cup at a time!  I use equal parts of bulgur and hot water.  I let it sit a bit longer that others do, I think.  I'm getting a formula figured out for the size of "salad" I want.  Today I used most of a sm/med zucchini, diced small... and some diced onion.  I have chopped almonds these days so I put a handful of those in.  Added the bulgur and some spices.  Later the dressing... the same one I have been using on my lettuce salads... 1 T olive oil and 1 T balsamic vinegar.

I am looking for some other varieties of dressings... it gets old at time to have the same dressing.  I did measure it out in the food container for dressings from the beachbody.com set... it was so great to see that I wasn't having too much dressing on all my salads.  :-)   I had thought I was.

Today I made copies of some old forms for keeping track of things, like food.  I may try one out for the ten items each day (like the Biggest Loser cookbook formula)... and see how that works out. 

I found my son's weights and will be trying to improve my upper strength... whatever it is... by using the 3 pound weights to lift with my arms. 

I am still looking for the right chair to use for my Peddler.   (Such a pain!)

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I was going to work on my goals today... that must be why I ended upstairs in front of the TV.  (haha)  I am mentally struggling with the elimination process still, but I did grab copies of some SMART goal forms I have, and some of my own creations to work with.

Making a goal is relatively easy compared with figuring out a way to reach it.  I think it's that last part that always leads me to "procrastination!"   :-)

I found some of my ETSY listing help forms, too.  I will be working on those.  I can put some of my books and other things under the Vintage category there, or put them on eBay somewhere.  First I have to figure out the shipping charges, with packaging!  AND, how to get them to the post office from here.

I am working on it, just slower than I would like to.

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So, today looks like a catch-up and complain day.  What do you think?!   :-)

Time to go... I need a nap before bedtime!  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May the giant GOD in the sky that is so much more powerful than I am finally open the heavens and pour down blessings on me!!!!

(Not too selfish, you think?!  :-)

You can have some of the blessings, too... just not TOO much!  haha