Monday, 30 April 2018

It is the last day of April...  I have been doing my prep for May... budget, goal pages, planning, and thinking about what to focus on.  I have too many directions to move in, and need to make one path to do first... well, that is what I keep trying to do, but I get "distracted" or need to do something else.  I am trying to get better at that... which is why I am working on some crafting pages for my goal notebook.  :-)

What to do first...

I cut out some future homemade stamp circles today.  I tried out some design ideas in pen and paper to decide how I want them to look.  I decided I need more of a destination to make those kinds of decisions right now... what do I want to make with mini-stamps???

I have some jewelry I need to finish.  This will be done soon... some are gifts that have been in process too long!

I want to try some candy/caramel recipes for selling options.

I have my paints on my desk, and found the papers I want to start with.  I am thinking that these ideas will ship more easily than anything else... maybe.  I need to spend some time experimenting with colors and topics... to draw, to paint, to ???    I hope I can create something decent, nice, great! as time goes by.

I discovered some old eBay details today... and I have a pile of things to photograph and list... I just haven't found a solution to my shipping problems yet.  I live in a complicated situation these days.  I hope that GOD will help me figure out a best way to deal with this.  If my printing issues go away, that will make the shipping problems go away.

My ideas for different types of clays are in need of dedicated time.  I really am getting excited about some of them.  I need to deal with the process, storage, equipment, mess...  it's always something... I think I can tackle the various creative destinations I want to go if I find a way to do them one at a time.

That is what I am trying to figure out these days.  Today I was clearing spaces for that goal.  :-)

I have a new (used) mini fridge now... my son and his wife brought it back from California... from my mother's belongings.  She downsized recently.  It is much taller than the ones I have seen in the stores here... and should work out great if the mechanics of the appliance are OK.  I'm going to let it run for a week or so before I trust it enough to live with it permanently...  I'm holding the older, bigger one as a back-up in case this isn't a good used deal.  :-)   Food is everything.  Fresh produce is expensive.  Refrigerators matter.

I voted today... here in Oregon voting is a mail-in process.  I really think they need to limit elections and save money... all over the country.  I discovered they cost millions and millions of dollars to hold, even if you mail ballots.  We don't need excess elections.  We need to save money.  I decided the national elections are every two years because of the Senate races, so that seems like the only option.  I think we can save more money by not having divisive primary elections.  Let's just list all the candidates and have a run-off if there is a too-close race.  If we can't do that, I also think we need just one primary option, with all the candidates listed and everyone eligible to vote for whoever they want... end this party separation... let the vote be about the person who is best for the job, no matter what party you are.

Ideally, that would be great... but, we know that people will still vote along party lines.  The big difference is that they have the citizen option to vote for anyone they want to in any particular election.  This is why we don't really need a primary.  Let everyone be available for the big day... lots of choices!  If we have to have a run-off election, it is still better than what we have now.

You see how I think...

Yardwork keeps calling to me but I never seem to answer it.  :-)  I know it is there, needs to be done, and it is MY task... so... I hope the sun won't beat too hot or the rain be too wet and cold... then I will get out there...  really,  I am sure I will.  haha

Life is really ordinary, isn't it...   We think everyone else has such a better life than we do... mostly because we really don't know what their lives are like.  Ordinary is nice.

You know I am praying for the big bucks to do Working Together... well, I always wanted a big secret check so I could have the cash but not have everyone know about it.  I don't think that will work totally, but maybe for a little while... I guess it depends on how GOD brings the money.  A lottery win... that would be public.  I haven't figured out too many other options, but I still pray....

That's my life... always praying for blessings and struggling without them...  :-)
One of the funniest cards I ever got was a sign of my life... the message was that when my ship came in, I would probably be at the airport.   :-)   These days, I have been thinking of the verse/thought about how GOD moves in our world, in our lives...

The Lord moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform...

We don't always understand it, we may not even see the way things connect, but GOD achieves His goals in the most amazing ways at times.  I try to watch what happens and figure out where He is going... just in case it involves me.  :-)

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May your days be good, filled with faith, and meaningful.
May our country find its way back to holiness.
May the Body of Christ unite.
May our governments remember their GOD.
May GOD provide for all the things we need.
May we become One Body.
Amen.

Thursday, 26 April 2018

Been working on my GOAL pages with the new (used) computer and Open Office as the creating system... lots to learn about how different it is from the version of Microsoft Office I was working with.

I didn't want to replicate the pages I already made, so I am trying to find a new format.

I decided to do a weekly page with all my repeating activities... to keep track of everything.  I have a page to plan out some of my crafting projects.  I made new calendars for planning... one with squares, one with lines to write on.  I have a new monthly budget and a new letter list...no, I haven't done the letter list yet as I have some copies of my other form.  I am working on a new budget form, which is going to be tested as I make entries...  that means there may be more revisions.  I am trying to decide how to follow/record my social media activities, figure out costs, etc.

I sent off two more of my monthly letters today, only a few more left.  It can be an expensive challenge to keep this effort up... especially since no one seems to acknowledge any of my letters... or respond.  This makes me suspicious, but I am not sure how to deal with it in my current situation.  Ordinary people are at the mercy of those with greater knowledge and money.

I saw the end of NBR today and it was the last part of a segment on teen hackers that got caught... and they were attached to the Russia story... One said he was 15 years old when he hacked into the Russian network and bought the information they stole from American victims.  Our nation is in jeopardy when teens, who do not really understand the implications of their actions, can hack into computer systems and networks that may cause real harm.  Kids are so easily manipulated, and harmed... they have no way to protect themselves from some, and become the minions of others.

A teen in rebellion is a force to reckon with... which is why some end up in prison, etc.  I had no way to control my sons when they went beyond my borders into drug land and more.  I suppose this is another consequence of single-parenthood.

I haven't quite gotten to yardwork today... at least not yet.  I'm not sure I can still conquer my pile of clippings tonight.  Mornings are going to have to be my commitment... before it gets hot.

I started a file to try to get my book going... my update for What If There Is NO Rapture? I am not sure what to write, so I am making notes... trying to create an order to my thoughts for chapters and details.  This should be fun.

I also want to create a give-away PDF, and I was thinking I need a new PDF for membership and other purchasing options for Working Together programs.  So, I'm thinking about what to create for them...

It would be nice to be able to have two accounts on this computer, one with Microsoft, one with Open Office, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that... Windows 10 wants me to make everything link to their email accounts... I just wanted a separate account on my computer, like a guest account.  This is such a pain... and why I figure I have to get separate computers for everything... I haven't even gotten to an Apple model yet.  :-(

I'm getting into my "hate the evil in the world" space, so I better let you go for now...

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May GOD help our world to find a way through the End Time changes that are already upon us and will get worse.
May GOD provide for His people.
May GOD help us to love, and share, and grow, and become better than we are today.
May our loved ones be saved and meet us in Heaven.
May we all create resources for our local communities and global outreaches... preparing for when our resources may not be as plentiful as they seem now.
May we not be filled with fear, but wise in our efforts.
May our possessions find the right value in our lives.
May we create a place of refuge for the future...
Amen.

Wednesday, 25 April 2018

Hello to all... what a beautiful day!  
Lots of sunshine and a warm wind.
I love to look at it from inside the cool house...  :-)  

Well, I love the sun, but it doesn't love me... it makes me ill if I get too much of it... I think I was close to heatstroke once, when I was young, so I try not to push the envelope on dying.  I went out to do some yardwork this morning... now that I have it started, it will be more motivating to get it done.  There ate so many berry vines and ivy patches where I live.  I have one space I am trying to clear out.

My son got a new (used) rototiller so I am wondering what parts of the yard will get a visit.  I hate to think of doing all this manual labor and then a machine comes in and destroys it!  

There's some kind of plum tree in the section I am working on.  I was able to eat a few of them, and then made some kind of sauce out of them.  I am finishing it up this month.  I only was able to get two canning jars... the large jam jars... of plum sauce.  I think I will make it into plum jelly if I can this year.

I have plans for the blackberries, too... I wonder how many we will get this year.

I figured out one time that it would take about ten years to really get some good fruit from a new tree... and that is planting one that has been growing in a nursery.  I am not sure how long it takes to grow a fruit tree from seed.  My son planted a fig, a mixed cherry tree with five different grafts on it, and I think he may have planted an olive tree... some other kind of food tree, I'm not sure right now what it is. He has also been growing a coffee bush, but it looks dead today... I saw one coffee berry on it last summer, so it is possible!  And the Meyer Lemon is popular in these parts... he has one of those.

They like blueberries, so there are several of those bushes.  Herbs, too.

Growing your own food is really great.  Someday I hope to see my own food harvests.  You know it's healthy, you know where it came from, you know how it was grown, and fresh is so much tastier than store-bought... which is why Farmer's Markets are the next best thing.   :-)

I hope you will be able to grow a lot of your own food.

What else?  I'm not sure...  I just started checking my online stuff... I have an Amazon selling video to watch...the last of the four in their series.  I have some other work to do online, too.

I cut some of the lilacs in the yard and brought them in the house to see how they would do... how strong the scent would be.  Not many, just a small vase.  I haven't seen any roses yet... it is pretty early for them, I think.  The neighbor raises LOTS of roses, so I need to check his yard!  :-)  I did discover some pretty white flowers.  I wonder if my son and his wife planted them... I don't remember seeing them last spring... they are pretty.

I guess I better get busy... doing something useful...  maybe I need a nap...  :-)

Until next time,

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

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May GOD be good to those who love Him.

May our hearts be good, our words kind, our thoughts pure, our habits godly, our nights safe.

May the power of our Enemy and his minions be thwarted at every turn.

May our prayers be filled with faith, and be answered quickly.

May GOD help our country.

Amen.