Monday, January 9, 2012

Have You Noticed?

Have you noticed that there has been a veritable dearth (ha...that makes me smile that I used both of those words in the same sentence...wonder if they are spelled right?  or used right, for that matter...oh, no matter, they still made me smile) of homebuilding recounting going on here of late?
May need to rename the blog to HomeBuilding Slowdown...
My little husband had that little hernia incident early in December, so we planned to take the month off.  He healed fine and the doctor said he could do whatever as long as it didn't hurt...really?  You need a medical degree to prescribe that?  Anyway, we were about to think about getting back to work again and he noticed another bumpy right above where the screen repair on the 1st one is.  Now we have a 2 week take it really easy order.
Wonder what people think when they see me schlepping a 35 pound bag of dog food out of Tractor Supply with my husband walking empty handed beside me?  teehee   He does open the doors!
We are also a little bit out of money for the time being.  I refuse to eat our entire savings or the money set aside for buying the furniture and appliances and such for the inside.  The husband is starting a new job and I am loving my tutoring job so the money will come and we will continue.
Having bouts of excitement and terror when I think of all the things I want/could have in the inside of the new house.  Pinterest is dangerous.  But, hey, I USED one of the ideas I pinned for First Friday at church the other night so I am feeling justified at the looking and dreaming and pinning.
Speaking of my tutoring job - I probably could have taught for years to come if I could have found a way to do it this relaxed.  I just don't feel the pressure I did before.  My lesson plans take about 4 hours and get me through the week.   I'm having great fun with the kids and we are making progress...well, many of them are.  I checked the winter benchmarks in reading comprehension for my 5th grade group and told them they had done MUCH better.  One of the little darlings said, in a voice filled with joy and pride, "I thought I would.  I read the whole story this time!"  Oh.  There's and idea!
I have gained the upper hand with my eating habits again and am feeling much better.   Looking forward to buying some new clothes in the Spring...or maybe just getting out the ones I haven't been able to wear for awhile!
I am using my new computer, which is fun, but I don't know how to do photos on it yet, so no pictures.  Sorry.  Other Mac users want to tell me how to do pictures?  Just a program I need to load?
The weather has been unseasonably balmy for here.  Hoping that winter will come with all her white and wondrous glory any time now.

All in all, I am in a peaceful place for now.  I am feeling nudges to start a Scripture Alive group with a few of the kids at church.  I want them to learn to read and hear the Scripture as a story...
I am creating without the rush of Christmas or shows or any of that...
Reading some and yes, I even take a nap in the afternoon if I want to!
After all, I am retired.

I think that's all.

Thanks for reading.

12 comments:

K said...

This is a lot =- and you used the words PERFECTLY. I am not, however, the person to ask about spelling. I told my students that I was bound to write on the board, but if anyone every noticed that I had misspelled a word on the board and was unwise enough to point that out, it was an instant F for the day.

I am impressed with your fiscal attitude. It's the way I am, too. I don't want to pay out when I don't have the brass set aside. Stealing from peter - not good.

I LOVE to hear about the tutoring. I am so deeply glad you did it. It was the perfect thing. And I hope Little husband heals up completely soon. G has one of those, and we were going to fix it, but he got sick before the procedure, and after that, we just plain forgot.

Mac pictures: you can get iPhoto, if you'd like. It's a fancy dancy program that is, frankly, a great devourer of memory. You can do fun stuff with it - but the newer versions completely turned me off. So this is what I do: get Photo Mechanic. I LOVE those guys. I have a file in my Mac Picture folder that I just call Photo Library. You can make a new for the year. Folder: 2011. You can configure Photo Mechanic to start up the second you connect your camera to the computer and it will download inside of that folder, if you want it to.

It will open a screen that will ask you if you want to ingest???? You say, YES!! And it will download all your shots into a folder marked with the day you download. Once they are in that folder (inside your 2011folder -or just into your Photo Library folder), you will be shown the viewer screen. You find your PHoto library folder in the menu on the left side, and then you click on the folder that has today's date on it, and up will pop all your shots.

You can get PhotoShop Elements for free, I think, and do your editing in there, if you like.

Anyway, if you get confused, we can call each other and I'll walk you through it.

W-S Wanderings said...

I HAD noticed the veritable dearth. I just figured that you were on to inside work, which can be difficult and uninspiring to photograph. And I say that because I was just searching through our reno photos this weekend and noticed that they completely dry up once the project moved to inside work. Funny thing is, I TOTALLY thought of YOU when the reno photos on my 'puter petered on out. As in, "This is what must be going on in Donna's world right now." See how WRONG I was?

Wishing speedy healing to your Little Husband. And I so envy your naps!

Tanna said...

Life is sounding good in your neck of the woods, Donna! Your tutoring is shaping little lives... that has to feel good. Sorry, I know nothing about a Mac... other than people who use them love them and I'm sure you will too! blessings ~ tanna

Donna said...

*** Kristen I have iphoto I guess and will try it for now. Do I want to save first for the KFire or the Photo Mechanic? Thanks for all the info. You know, I was stressed about the money and the slowdown for quite awhile, but then I realized that I have palace to live and the other one will be done when it is done and it will be OK. Debt doesn't interest me...in fact it scares me. One advantage to teaching little kids and kids who need tutoring...spelling is the way I say it is and NO one even imagines it can be questioned! tee hee
***WSW, I am imagining it will be way harder to take photos on the inside. Detail work, but not any vista shots. We will be working on the outside for just a bit tomorrow so I may get one more outside shot for now. I am so happy you thought of me...I took two of my necklaces, like you have, to Mountainmade to sell and I thought of you.
***Tanna, one of the things I want to do in my new and relaxed life is to learn to knit....you have inspired me!

K said...

Debt frightens me, too, and I worked for seventeen years, scrimping and saving, to conquer the mortgage we used to have on this place. I agree - we have to turn around and see the amazing things we have - the palaces we live in. Why do we always seem to look at the bigger places and what we "should" be working for - or as though they are real life, and we're still students. Our LDS boys serve for two years in countries that teach them otherwise - where people live in huts made out of flattened oil drums or cardboard boxes - where there are dirt floors and earthen walls - and where there are still families who sing and play and love. It seems to me, physical suffering aside, that the singin and playing and loving is what makes a person's life good. not the nature of the house.

I checked the price on Photo Mechanic. It's more expensive than I thought. I can't remember what I paid for it, but it seems like not half that much. $150. I didn't realize that. Let me think about that question.

Donna said...

I know what you mean about paying off the mortgage. This one was paid off in half the time...I double paid until it was done....most of it before I even got the little husband. I have done mission work in those places, too. I always come home humbled. I like to think that I could live with so much less...less clothes, less dishes, less....see, then I have trouble saying less books or less creating supplies....
We try to be generous and we tithe and we try to live gently....
I am good with iPhoto for now. Maybe I will get the KFire for my birthday in a couple of weeks....

no spring chicken said...

What a beautiful post. Your attitude is exactly right and I am encouraged. I'm feeling pretty lousy today with a headache and taking my time in spurts. Go for 5 minutes sit for 10... I really enjoyed reading about your non-productive productivity!

Blessings, Debbie

Donna said...

Thanks, Debbie. I pray you feel fine again soon.

Melissa Plank said...

I'm praying for all the goodness and blessings needed come to you and your little husband. I love your "new home in progress" and love following along as you make your dreams come true!
Blessings,
Melissa

Rachel said...

I'm glad somebody is getting the upper hand with their eating! I keep fudging! I'm a veritable dearth! :)

The Native's had yesterday off for Martin Luther King day. Today they went back and I sat in my lazy boy chair with glazed eyes and drooled.

We're supposed to be getting snow this week. Yesterday it was supposed to snow. Nothing. We'll see how the rest of the week goes........ tomorrow it can hold off. I'm supposed to drive up to SLC to see my sister for lunch. I'd like clear roads. After that, it can snow because we all know this is all about me. :D

It sounds like you've some fun new and exciting things this year! Pinterest I have decided is evil. It is up there with chocolate. I can't stay away.

Donna said...

Rachel, till going strong with the eating ... on target to be -10 by the end of the month!
I am waiting and waiting for the snow to come here, but I can wait a day or two so you can get to SLC and back safely. Hope your slightly comatose bit in the big chair has you refreshed and ready for fun with your sister.
Pinterst is a bit addictive, but my theory stands: if you use it even a little bit your time is justified. Might not be sound, but it works for me!
Safe travels.

Rachel said...

Good job with your eating! I'm so proud of you! That is hard work.

I had a great time having lunch with my sister. Made it back safe, expected to wake up to snow........ no snow still.. Just rain. It is moisture though which we need and it is snowing in the mountains so I won't complain.