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
