Pressing On

  Ok, I might have a problem. My husband and kids would hear me say that and go " Oh, she's finally going to own up to her Starbucks addiction." Sorry to disappoint but no, still not a problem! I have that one totally under control. In fact, I'm sipping on a Starbucks now at O'Hare waiting to board a plane to Phoenix to visit the kids. If I play my cards right, I will have just enough time to grab a free refill before they start the prebaording. Problem solved.   I'm talking about the extra baggage and stuff I tend to bring along on the journey or hoard. I've gotten better over the years but considering my mom called me a "pack rat" for as long as I can remember,  it must have been one of those so-called problems that began way back....I used to save everything from gums wrappers and ticket stubs to ditto jeans and leg warmers. I was  just sure they would come back in style one day.  I still own a pair of Levi 501's that are about 25 years ol

 We found a house! It's beautiful and although it was originally built in 1984 it has been renovated. In 2010, the owners took it down to the studs and completely transformed the house. I was fortunate enough to meet the builder and see pictures of the original floor plan and lovely 80's decor package.   Walls were knocked down, rooms extended and the spiral staircase was straightened out. Slate blue carpet ripped up and the kitchen was relocated to another area of the house. It's amazing the vision this builder had when he renovated it.  Needless to say, it doesn't even look like the same house!  I read recently about the difference between renovation and restoration. I can't remember where I read it since I am currently reading about three different books. But as I recall, restoration is taking something old and or worn down and restoring it while keeping its original intended state or purpose. While renovation is more of making new, better, maybe even more practi

 I really should have invested in frequent flyer miles. I used to think I wanted a career that allowed or even required travel from place to place via airways. It looks so sophisticated, rushing from the security check point to the gate. People dressed all business like and only having a small carry on and briefcase with a rolled up Wall Street Journal or USA Today tucked inside. Wait, do they still call them briefcases?   I admire the person who can conduct business amongst the crowd and noise. I'm too easily distracted and enjoy people watching way too much. After these past few months of flying here and there, I can now say, I am happy my job does not require me to travel. Well.... It does for the time being but.....it won't always be this way. Traveling isn't all that it's crack up to be. Delayed and canceled flights, deicing the wings, fuel leaks, baggage fees, security check holdups because " someone" forgot she had a bottle of water in her purse. Th

 When Jim was asked to come to Chicago, it was in the beginning of July. The weather was a gorgeous 80 something degrees. Quite refreshing from the blistering 110+ in Arizona. They flew us in for the weekend to visit, meet with his would-be  boss and see the sights. They even gave us tickets to the annual festival that was going on in the city; A Taste of Chicago. It's a street fair kind of thing where the local restaurants set up booths, tents and trucks to sample their dishes in hopes to leave you hungry for more of what they offer in their restaurants. The public buys tickets and then picks and chooses which dishes to sample. Most booths I saw offered a sample taste for  x amount of tickets or a meal portion for x+ amount of tickets. I was super excited to try the infamous Chicago style pizza that I had heard so much about. Jim was keeping his eyes peeled for a Chicago dog. To that he was on his own, you could not pay me to sample a Chicago Dog! I'm all about cheese and choc

I'm new to Blogging, although I have always enjoyed writing my thoughts, feelings and life lessons down. I have been journaling for a while now. Sometimes I will post, as some of you may know, a very lengthy " status update" only to share what I am experiencing or what God is teaching me on this journey through life with Him. I'm not an English major or scholar so please forgive my grammatical errors, run-on sentences and anything else you find annoying. Funny thing is, I'm not even sure anyone will read these but that's ok.. I'm doing it mostly because I feel driven to and I find it helpful to my heart and soul. I also hope to encourage others in some way whenever possible. And to be honest, a part of me has always wanted to write something and I figure this is the closest I will get to publishing that great novel. That and my mother-in-law has always encouraged me to write. So, besides my own mom I know Judy QT will read it. I may post entries from m