Odds and Ends

I realized how fast time has flown when I checked the date of my last post...somehow, I can't remember having much fun this past few days as time flew by. :-)
My thanks to all of you who called or communicated in someway your wishes for a Happy Birthday to me. It truly was a rather pleasant day-all things considered. Just another quiet evening at the old homeplace with the furry girls. Oh yeah, and did I mention the trip to the Emergency Room...
I found that I can now wear some shoes with heels on them (thanks to Carol I have some more footwear choices) Well....on Monday, walking down the hall to my classroom while wearing said footwear...I did a sudden, but dare I say graceful.....wait for it.....it's coming....fall on the level hallway just in front of the video camera on the 1st hall! Yes, I stunned both my knees by promptly pressing all feeling out of them as I ever so slightly turned my ankle, which I secretly believe was the cause of the fall and not some mysterious speck of dust on the floor. I was shaken, but not stirred and continued on with my day. About 8:00 that evening, I looked down at my ankle and did not recognize it! It seemed to have grown in size and had a couple of "ripples" in it. I also realized that it was throbbing also...Knowing Mr. Murphy and his infamous Law, I knew that if I DIDN't get it checked out, it would probably fall off by morning. Also knowing that if I tried to outsmart Mr. Murphy and actually go get it checked, there would be nothing wrong with it. Since it was still relatively early in the evening and knowing that if I spent the usual 5 hours in the ER, I might still get home in time for a couple hours of sleep before school, I limped to the car and trundled myself to the said ER. Lo and behold, I was back home before midnight!! The ER doctor had taken some xrays of my foot/ankle area, and even though he didn't know it was my birthday, he gave me 4 little white pills in a rather charming small brown bottle.! How di he know that things in small brown bottles are one of my favorite things!
I am happy to report that although I am not quite ready to run a marathon and I have some new greenish/blue areas on my knees and ankle, I am no longer limping...I look forward to my next adventure with " The Shoes With The Real Heels On Them...."

Update on me

It has been a couple of weeks of challenges and triumphs for me. I finallly won the initial battle with Valdosta State. I am completely registered and have actually started the first of 9 classes I will need to obtain my Educational Specialist degree. There were some tech glitches on both my part and VSU's part the first three days of class, but I was able to access class and get my homework done on Friday--two whole days early!
I also started an intensive walking workout this evening in preparation for something I have never done before. Inspired by Travis' performance in the recent Disney marathon, Travis, Sarah and I have decided to participate in the Disney Royal Family 5K walk/run on March 7th at Epcot. I can walk a mile in about 18 mins, but I need to get it to a minimum of 15 mins in order to qualify for this. I feel "nothing ventured-nothing gained." Maybe it will help me push through the plateau I seem to be at with my weight. I have also signed up with our new WOW (watching our weight) program we have started for faculty at Eighth Street. We have our first official workout tomorrow and believe it or not, I am excited!
I had a wonderful day today. I was able to take the Elders and Sisters, along with Rodney Burns, to Andersonville today. It was a really good visit because we were basically the only people there. We especially wanted to visit the Little Drummer Boy Museum in the actual town of Andersonville because it has some really cool and unique items in it. Much to our dismay, it had a closed sign on the door when we pulled up. I noticed that although the door was closed, it did not have a lock on it and there was a light on. I pushed open the door and the gentlement sitting there told me that they were closed for their yearly maintainence. As I was leaving, he told me that I looked familiar. I told him that I bring my students to Andersonville every year. He then told me that was where he recognized me from. He asked who I was here with and when I told him I was here with our missionaries. Lo and behold, he let us into the museum and did not even charge us! I know the Lord had a hand in that particular experience.

What the heck happened! ..

I got up early this morning with the goal of getting to school about 7:15 so I could beat the crowds to the copy machines. I know no one will believe me, but I actually did not do a lick of school work over the Christmas break. I thought about it...but then several good books, a wedding reception, a couple of short jaunts to Orlando seemed to grab my attention more. Therefore, I was not even close to being ready for today. Thus, my eagerness (?) to arrive early to get a jump on things. WELL...it was shortly after 9:00 when I discovered that even though I was dressed, I did not have my phone in its usual "holder." I discovered this when I needed to make a really important phone call to Valdosta State. Thankfully, Catie arrived at my room about the same time my panic started to set in and while I was in the first meeting of the day, she walked home for me and got it. She had perfect timing (again) because she returned just as the meeting was breaking up. I called VSU to see if they had received my transcript from Albany State yet. Albany State had already set two transcripts to VSU in the month of December which somehow did not make it there. I was told that I should call back about 4:30 to see if it had arrived. I was also told that it VSU didn't have my "official" sealed transcript, I would not be able to start my Specialist degree program until MAY!! Mind you, I had started the process of application back during the middle of November. Knowing that Murphy likes to mess with my life, I decided that the only way for my transcript (and thus full acceptance, financial aid process, etc.) to go from ASU to VSU today was by courier...ME! When I reached that decision, I could not find my principal, nor my team administrator to ask permission to leave . I finally came across a 7th grade administrator and she gave me permission. So Catie and I went from Tifton To Albany to Tifton to Valdosta and back to Tifton--all by 2:30 today. By the way...the Graduate School business office is on N. Patterson just a couple of blocks down from where we used to live when we were in Valdosta. I had no problem finding the "old homeplace" but finding N. Patterson after some 37 years was interesting to say the least... On the way back from Valdosta I received a "courtesy" call from VSU to tell me they had received my transcripts! I was too tired at that point to relay to the lady just exactly how the transcript had been delivered to her...I just told her thank you for the info. Then she informed me that the "committee" would be meeting on Wednesday and I would get an email on Thursday telling me whether the committee had decided to accept me for the program or not! Did I mention that classes start next Monday...a week from today...two school days after my fate had been decided by the committee...Nothing like taking it right down to the wire! Needless to say, my Blood pressure meds have really had a workout today!

And the new power word is....

Resilient: springing back, rebounding, returning to the original form after being bent, compressed or stretched; recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity or the like, buoyant.
I like this word because it expresses an attitude I want to have within my soul. I like to hope that there is still some energy somewhere deep inside me to help me spring back to my former happy, content and peaceful self. I might be a bit tarnished, bruised and even cracked on both my inner and outer self, but I feel there is enough hope and faith mixed with lots of praying that will help me become resilient. I keep thinking of the saying "Be patient with me...God isn't finished with me yet!"

What happens in Orlando...stays in Orlando!

Hey! Even I let loose once in a while !

Pics of Ally and Ryan's Tifton reception

I am not good at adding slide shows (yet) so please forgive my amaturish attempt. Also, I did not pick the music that goes with this presentation.... Hey...it's the pics that count!!

http://www.photoshow.net/watch/Kh8XZ9Jg

Someone in my family is getting old...

I cannot believe that Sarah is officially 29 years old today! Boy, she sure did get old fast! Seriously, I cannot believe that I have been blessed to have had her in my life for all these years. She is tall, has naturally curly hair and can sing....all attributes that I do not have! However, I know she is mine because she is so much like me in many ways. I am so proud of her accomplishments thus far in her life. She has done so many things "outside the box" and continues to raise the bar for her own personal expectations. She has such a strong testimony of the Gospel and the power of prayer. She is not perfect by any means, but I think she is pretty well on her way! I can still remember in vivid detail the week surrounding her birth. I was feeling so lonely and pregnant when all of the sudden there was a knock on my door. Lo and behold, Carol and Nancy were standing there. They had decided to come up and keep me company until I had "whoever" I had. (I had no idea of the gender of either of my children prior to their birth. Even with Sarah, there was some temporary doubt because of the size of her shoulders. She was (and still is) absolutely beautiful to me. There are so many things about her personality that I adore. Most of all, I love the fact that she loves her family so deeply and will do anything for anyone who asks. Since I was only blessed with one daughter, I am sure grateful she picked me!!!