Hey All,
It's been a long time since I've been on my blog! Things seem to change and one thing leads into another and before you know it something or another gets left behind. I started working a year and half ago and also volunteering at our school in the library. Facebook has also played a role in my lack of blogging most of my family is on there. Then I also discovered pinterest. There is the book group and coupon group I'm in that takes up a lot of time.
Life is full of surprises! I never dreamed I would be doing what I am today. I have been working as a companion for the elderly. I got a call one night from a daughter of a friend of ours asking if I could come 1 day a week to sit with her mom. She had just gotten out of the hospital and she found a couple people to do 3 days but still was looking for others for the other 2 days. I told her I would be happy to help and would do both days. She insisted on paying me because I was there 8 to 9 hours each of those days. She was a spitfire and the others didn't last long. As she started to improve I started going 5 days a week for 3 hours each day making sure she had lunch, medication, and did her exercises. At the same time I picked up another lady who is the mother of a friend of mine a few hours a week. She has Parkinson disease and it's in the latter stage.
My spitfire of a lady passed away on New Year's day. It's still hard to think of her gone! I spent almost a year with her almost every day and I've known her for the past 12 years. I guess the hardest part was because it was so sudden and without warning. Her dog passed away on Thursday night Friday she cried in my arms all afternoon. Monday when I got there she was so sick she couldn't move and I called an ambulance. Family members had been with her all weekend but I guess they didn't think she was that bad. I don't know! The next day she passed away. Her husband had passed away several years ago and her dog had become her life and I guess once he was gone it must have been time for her to go also.
I help out 3 times a week with my lady who has Parkinson disease. I help clean up her little apartment that she has in an assisted living home and help keep her closet organized. Make sure things are filled that she will need to use on a daily bases. Help her write letters and thank you notes. We go for walks, use the exercise room and go to schedules activities. She loves to make necklaces out of beads and give them away. She has good days and bad days Parkinson is a nasty disease that attacks the nervous system and there is a lot of pain associated with it.
The assistant principal at our school called me and wanted to know if I would come help with her mom. She had fallen and broke her foot. I went and helped her out for a couple months. She loved sitting and watching the birds and squirrels from the window. I got so I took my bird book so I could look up a bird or two when we couldn't figure out what they were. If a squirrel came on the deck she would point her finger at them and say you know better than that you are not allowed on the deck. The last time I spoke with our assistant principal and asked about her mom she said she was doing very well.
I had gotten a call from a lady whose mother lived in the same assisted living home as my other lady and she wanted to know if I would come and visit with her mom an hour twice a week. She lived in the apartment across the hall and saw me in and out all the time and had asked my friend for my number. A couple times a week I would spend an hour with her taking her out for walks, helping her put puzzles together or just talking. I knew this wouldn't be a long lasting job because she was on a waiting list to go into the building across the way for those with memory issues.
Each of these ladies I have helped care for have a special place in my heart. It's just amazing how each of them are so different and the lives they led. I love listening to their stories of the years past. Now I'm down to one again so it's time to find another. Those just seemed to drop into my lap and now I am going to have to figure out how to get some more business.
I have also been volunteering at out elementary school for the past 2 years. I help in the library and also find this so rewarding. Since they have had many cutbacks and there isn't an assistant in the library to help things can get overwhelming for the media teacher. She is not a librarian she is a media teacher. Some weeks I have been there 5 days. Whenever I can fit it into my schedule I am there. I am in and out of the school so much that I have become well known by all and my son doesn't think that is a good thing. He goes to middle school next school year and said please don't come to that school. I had to laugh and ask why not. He was very relieved when I told him I was staying at the elementary school. Matter of fact I should be on our library site making out our resource list for the states. We are going to do a year long of Read Across America and I'm putting together list of books for each state. Along with this project I am also in charge of all shelf displays and need to be picking out what will be going up before open house. So much to do before summer ends!
I may be starting down a new path this fall. They were asking for help with merit badges in my son's scout troop. I think every mother picked up a form. I am applying for Reading, Genealogy, Pets, and Family Life. If I get accepted I will be helping out with those in the fall. I think it will be fun! And of course because ya'll know I don't know how to use the word NO.
Today I've had the dehydrator filled we are experimenting with watermelon, cucumbers, bananas, and mandarin oranges. Teaching Colin about dehydrating and finding different things for him to pack for hiking and camping. We have several things we want to try out this summer to see how well it turns out. He wants to be able to plan a whole meal from dehydrated foods. Wish us luck!
I better get to bed tomorrow will be filled with cleaning, laundry, dehydrating, hair cut, and resource lists.
Take Care,
Vickie
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Stay safe in your travels and cherish the moments!
Vickie
Vickie
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Oven Glass Door Cleaner
Hey All,
I came across a blog and they had cleaned their oven door and it look amazing. It was so easy I had to try it out last night. If I can find something that will work other than that awful smelling and messy oven cleaner it is well worth my time to try. They used baking soda, water, and probably a little elbow grease.
While cleaning up the kitchen last night I mixed some up... 1/4 cup baking soda and just enough water to make a runny mixture... and put it all over the glass and door. I let it set while I cleaned up the kitchen and helped the little munchkin get his stuff ready for school. It sat around 25 minutes and I went to work cleaning it off. I had to apply a bit of elbow grease but it was well worth my time. It was well worth my time and effort and will be doing this more than I have been.
I hate cleaning the oven because of the oven cleaner. It smells and it is truly disgusting washing it out. It burns if it touches your skin and nasty if you get it on your sleeves. If you are like me wearing those gloves make my fingers crack and hurt for days. So lets just say the oven doesn't get cleaned as often as it should. I am going to try this on the whole oven hopefully over the weekend. It can't hurt to give it a try and if it works on the whole oven maybe my oven will get cleaned more often.
Go check out the before and after pictures of the oven door over on DIY Home Sweet Home and see the amazing results.
Take Care :)
I came across a blog and they had cleaned their oven door and it look amazing. It was so easy I had to try it out last night. If I can find something that will work other than that awful smelling and messy oven cleaner it is well worth my time to try. They used baking soda, water, and probably a little elbow grease.
While cleaning up the kitchen last night I mixed some up... 1/4 cup baking soda and just enough water to make a runny mixture... and put it all over the glass and door. I let it set while I cleaned up the kitchen and helped the little munchkin get his stuff ready for school. It sat around 25 minutes and I went to work cleaning it off. I had to apply a bit of elbow grease but it was well worth my time. It was well worth my time and effort and will be doing this more than I have been.
I hate cleaning the oven because of the oven cleaner. It smells and it is truly disgusting washing it out. It burns if it touches your skin and nasty if you get it on your sleeves. If you are like me wearing those gloves make my fingers crack and hurt for days. So lets just say the oven doesn't get cleaned as often as it should. I am going to try this on the whole oven hopefully over the weekend. It can't hurt to give it a try and if it works on the whole oven maybe my oven will get cleaned more often.
Go check out the before and after pictures of the oven door over on DIY Home Sweet Home and see the amazing results.
Take Care :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Recipe Review #2 for 2012
Hey All,
We were wanting something different to eat. You know when you want something but you don't have a clue as to what you want. Jene` had some stuffed mushrooms at a friend's house over the holidays so I decided to see what I could find. I came across some that had sausage in them but I have one that won't eat sausage. I finally found one over on allrecipes.com that sounded like my family might eat. It was made with stuffing and had imitation crab meat in it. I had all the ingredients except the imitation crab meat and mushrooms so that was also a plus. That night for dinner we had spaghetti, stuffed mushrooms and garlic bread. I should have made more mushrooms because that is what all but one wanted to eat. They were gone in no time not a morsel left.
The mixture was made from a stuffing mix and had cream cheese and imitation crab meat in it. Shhhh we don't want the little munchkin to know it had the crab meat. He ate the stuffing mix out of the mushroom but wouldn't eat the mushroom. Oh and he also didn't know that there was also some mushrooms in the stuffing because I had chopped up the stems and put into the stuffing. I know I'm such a bad mom for tricking my child like that. But he ate it!
There was a lot of the mixture leftover and we liked them so much that I bought some more mushrooms and made them again. This time I put a blob of the stuffing mix in a corner of the pan so the little munchkin could enjoy it without wasting the mushroom. This recipe is a keeper!
You can find Gary's Stuffed Mushrooms here on allrecipe.com. The only change I made to the recipe was I decreased the butter. It just seemed like it a lot of butter so I cut it in half. There wasn't any complaints. The kids are already asking when I am going to make them again.
Take Care :)
Friday, January 13, 2012
Random Thoughts
Hey All,
I planned on blogging every couple days and look at how that has worked out. It's been one of those weeks that nothing has gone as planned. But it hasn't been a bad week just a busy one. At the beginning of the school year I had started volunteering at the school library once a week for a couple hours. The least I could do to help out with all the budget cuts. Once a week turned into twice a week and sometimes more. It was getting bad right before winter break and I just thought after the break it would get back to normal. We only had school 3 and a half days this week and I worked in the library all 4 days. That sounds like a lot but I was only there about 11 hours.
I remember going to the library in elementary school and you picked out a book and went back to your classroom. Our library wasn't even a room the halls had shelves lined down them filled with books. Today the librarian has more to do than check in/out books and reshelf them. Our librarian teaches every grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Let me rephrase that our media teacher teaches. Because the library is no longer called the library it is the media center. Our librarian is no longer the librarian she is the media teacher. I have seen the 4th graders learn how to use an atlas and a phone book. The kindergarten kids learn the parts of a book. The 1st grade students learn what a fable is and the 2nd graders learn how to use the computer to find a book. The 3rd grade kids learn how to use a dictionary and 5th grader's learn how to use reference books or to look up information on the computer.
Maybe someday when the economy gets better and the schools don't have to worry about budget cuts I could get an assistant job. The way I see this new experience is I'm learning a new skill. Maybe someday I can get paid for the skills I'm learning. I help the students find books and check out, check in books and reshelf. Run copies, lament, and cut for different projects that are going to be done. Do the displays on the tops of the shelves. There is still a lot more I need to learn but I am enjoying every minute of this new experience.
Now to get the weekend underway. The teens are spending it with grandpa and to visit with their aunt and uncle from Florida. The little munchkin has a history project he has to work on and study for a huge social studies test. So I think I'll try to work on this ornament project I started. I have it pictured in my mind what I want now it's just doing it to see how it turns out. I also need to raid hubby's closet and find a shirt that he won't miss. Hmmmm.... still trying to figure out that one. Hopefully next week I will have two projects to share.
Tomorrow my baby girl turns 20. How can my little princess be 20 already? Ya know what I think we will skip her birthday this year. I know I have tried that in the past without success but she isn't going to be here so we will just pretend the day hasn't come. She will just have to stay 19 for another year or two.
The little witch is impatiently trying to get my attention so I guess I had better go walk her. Buuuut it's cold out there!!!!!!!!!
Take Care :)
I planned on blogging every couple days and look at how that has worked out. It's been one of those weeks that nothing has gone as planned. But it hasn't been a bad week just a busy one. At the beginning of the school year I had started volunteering at the school library once a week for a couple hours. The least I could do to help out with all the budget cuts. Once a week turned into twice a week and sometimes more. It was getting bad right before winter break and I just thought after the break it would get back to normal. We only had school 3 and a half days this week and I worked in the library all 4 days. That sounds like a lot but I was only there about 11 hours.
I remember going to the library in elementary school and you picked out a book and went back to your classroom. Our library wasn't even a room the halls had shelves lined down them filled with books. Today the librarian has more to do than check in/out books and reshelf them. Our librarian teaches every grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Let me rephrase that our media teacher teaches. Because the library is no longer called the library it is the media center. Our librarian is no longer the librarian she is the media teacher. I have seen the 4th graders learn how to use an atlas and a phone book. The kindergarten kids learn the parts of a book. The 1st grade students learn what a fable is and the 2nd graders learn how to use the computer to find a book. The 3rd grade kids learn how to use a dictionary and 5th grader's learn how to use reference books or to look up information on the computer.
Maybe someday when the economy gets better and the schools don't have to worry about budget cuts I could get an assistant job. The way I see this new experience is I'm learning a new skill. Maybe someday I can get paid for the skills I'm learning. I help the students find books and check out, check in books and reshelf. Run copies, lament, and cut for different projects that are going to be done. Do the displays on the tops of the shelves. There is still a lot more I need to learn but I am enjoying every minute of this new experience.
Now to get the weekend underway. The teens are spending it with grandpa and to visit with their aunt and uncle from Florida. The little munchkin has a history project he has to work on and study for a huge social studies test. So I think I'll try to work on this ornament project I started. I have it pictured in my mind what I want now it's just doing it to see how it turns out. I also need to raid hubby's closet and find a shirt that he won't miss. Hmmmm.... still trying to figure out that one. Hopefully next week I will have two projects to share.
Tomorrow my baby girl turns 20. How can my little princess be 20 already? Ya know what I think we will skip her birthday this year. I know I have tried that in the past without success but she isn't going to be here so we will just pretend the day hasn't come. She will just have to stay 19 for another year or two.
The little witch is impatiently trying to get my attention so I guess I had better go walk her. Buuuut it's cold out there!!!!!!!!!
Take Care :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Recipe Review #1 for 2012
Hey All,
I have two recipes to tell you about. Sorry no pictures I forgot to take them. The first recipe is from Grandma's Vintage Recipes it's a Spinach Casserole I made to take to our family Christmas dinner. I love spinach and wanted to make something different to take this year. This yummy spinach has sour cream and onion soup mix in it. Out of 7 adults only 1 didn't like it but then again he doesn't like spinach to begin with. The 3 teens liked the spinach but they didn't like the bread topping. The 4 tweens wouldn't even try it they avoided that dish as if it had poison in it.
I will be making this again but I might try putting french fried onions on the top instead of the bread topping to see if the kids like that any better. But I thought it was very good just the way it was.
The second one is a chicken sandwich recipe I found over on allrecipes.com. I was looking for some crockpot recipes and came across this and had to try it. Savory Chicken Sandwiches and let me tell you that word savory should be yum-a-lishous. I did make one change to the recipe it calls for bone in chicken breast and thighs and to take them out after cooked and shred them and then put the shredded meat back into the pot. I used a 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken breast instead and about a half hour before I was ready to serve I took a fork and shredded them right in the pot. Easy Peasy!
This recipe will be going onto the 2012 menu often. Everyone loved them and it's a good thing it makes a large batch because we each had 2 of them. And still had enough leftover for lunch the next day.
If you are wanting something different for dinner both these recipes are worth checking out.
Take Care :)
I have two recipes to tell you about. Sorry no pictures I forgot to take them. The first recipe is from Grandma's Vintage Recipes it's a Spinach Casserole I made to take to our family Christmas dinner. I love spinach and wanted to make something different to take this year. This yummy spinach has sour cream and onion soup mix in it. Out of 7 adults only 1 didn't like it but then again he doesn't like spinach to begin with. The 3 teens liked the spinach but they didn't like the bread topping. The 4 tweens wouldn't even try it they avoided that dish as if it had poison in it.
I will be making this again but I might try putting french fried onions on the top instead of the bread topping to see if the kids like that any better. But I thought it was very good just the way it was.
The second one is a chicken sandwich recipe I found over on allrecipes.com. I was looking for some crockpot recipes and came across this and had to try it. Savory Chicken Sandwiches and let me tell you that word savory should be yum-a-lishous. I did make one change to the recipe it calls for bone in chicken breast and thighs and to take them out after cooked and shred them and then put the shredded meat back into the pot. I used a 2.5 lb bag of frozen chicken breast instead and about a half hour before I was ready to serve I took a fork and shredded them right in the pot. Easy Peasy!
This recipe will be going onto the 2012 menu often. Everyone loved them and it's a good thing it makes a large batch because we each had 2 of them. And still had enough leftover for lunch the next day.
If you are wanting something different for dinner both these recipes are worth checking out.
Take Care :)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
What's for Dinner?
Hey All,
Do you have a meal you fix every year on the first day of the new year? Is it a tradition or a superstition? Or maybe now has become a little of both? We will be having our usual southern style New Year's Day dinner it is has become a tradition for me but a superstition for my hubby. He believes if you don't have collard greens, black eyed peas, and pork roast you will have bad luck all year.
New Year's Day Menu:
collard greens
black eyed peas
pork roast
mashed potatoes & gravy
green beans
mac & cheese
cornbread
Whether it be tradition or superstition the good news for me is I won't have to cook tomorrow. Leftovers!
Happy New Year's and may 2012 be good to you!
Vickie
Do you have a meal you fix every year on the first day of the new year? Is it a tradition or a superstition? Or maybe now has become a little of both? We will be having our usual southern style New Year's Day dinner it is has become a tradition for me but a superstition for my hubby. He believes if you don't have collard greens, black eyed peas, and pork roast you will have bad luck all year.
New Year's Day Menu:
collard greens
black eyed peas
pork roast
mashed potatoes & gravy
green beans
mac & cheese
cornbread
Whether it be tradition or superstition the good news for me is I won't have to cook tomorrow. Leftovers!
Happy New Year's and may 2012 be good to you!
Vickie
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Memorial Weekend and Bandana Pocketbook
Hey All,
The kids are out of school! Where oh where did the year go? I swear they just started if time starts going by any faster than it already is there won't be any reason to get up. Of course the boys are excited about no school and wanting the summer to stroll along slowly. Colin is not looking forward about the 4th grade but Dale is excited about his senior year.
Memorial Weekend was a fun filled time. We spent the long weekend on the go and only came home long enough to eat or sleep.
The kids are out of school! Where oh where did the year go? I swear they just started if time starts going by any faster than it already is there won't be any reason to get up. Of course the boys are excited about no school and wanting the summer to stroll along slowly. Colin is not looking forward about the 4th grade but Dale is excited about his senior year.
Memorial Weekend was a fun filled time. We spent the long weekend on the go and only came home long enough to eat or sleep.
We spent Saturday afternoon at the YMCA for the first day of the season of the pool opening. It was HOT! Colin had a blast.
After returning home we decided to go to a friend's house at the lake.
As you can see we weren't prepared to go swimming. I didn't even think about taking his swim trunks I thought they were going to fish. But there were so many boats and jet skies out that it wouldn't have done any good. So they decided to go swimming instead.
Monday we went to Columbia and went to the zoo. One advantage to having a large family is sometimes it's cheaper to buy a season pass for a year. That is what we did so now we can go back whenever and it's paid for. It was going to cost more for us to get in than a family season pass cost. Duh! Family pass it was. Jene` even showed up to spend the day with us and she brought one of her friends to hang out with. It was a fun filled scorching hot day!
Oh Dale you and your texting! Colin, Zac, Jene` and Dale
Oh my this was so cool!!!!! You got to walk in with the kangaroos. It was a blast watching them hop along with you.
Oh yes there is even a Botanical Garden to go through. It was beautiful! I can't wait to go back in late September when it's a bit cooler so we can enjoy it more.
Crazy kid couldn't wait to sit on the elephant. Dale won out on that one.
Look at the size of this turtle! If we wasn't standing there watching it eat the grass you would have thought it was a statue because of the coloring.
Oh yes then it was time to sit on this little turtle. Just look at how good they are getting along. It was a wonderful family day!
Today we went to a birthday party for my niece. She has decided at the ripe old age of 7 that she is too old for baby dolls, tea parties, and anything associated with being a little kid. So I made her a pocketbook out of a bandana and filled it with bracelets, beaded necklaces and silly bandz.
Sunday afternoon we went to Riverwalk Carolinas which is a new walking trail to walk next to the river. Sadly part of it was closed because of all the downed trees from the storm we had a few weeks ago.
After returning home we decided to go to a friend's house at the lake.
Monday we went to Columbia and went to the zoo. One advantage to having a large family is sometimes it's cheaper to buy a season pass for a year. That is what we did so now we can go back whenever and it's paid for. It was going to cost more for us to get in than a family season pass cost. Duh! Family pass it was. Jene` even showed up to spend the day with us and she brought one of her friends to hang out with. It was a fun filled scorching hot day!
Today we went to a birthday party for my niece. She has decided at the ripe old age of 7 that she is too old for baby dolls, tea parties, and anything associated with being a little kid. So I made her a pocketbook out of a bandana and filled it with bracelets, beaded necklaces and silly bandz.
I cut a bandana in half and folded one half together wrong side facing. Sewed down the two sides and then turned it right side out. I took a shoelace and cut it in half and used one to sew each end to each inside seam. The other half I placed in the middle and sewed to attach it on the inside of both sides. I then cut it in the middle so I could tie it to close the purse. So with one bandana and one pair of shoelaces you can make two of these little purses.
I better go see what everyone is doing it's too quiet.
Take Care :)
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