Exciting Adjustments

I have been enjoying adjusting to life now that I am not working full time! Don't get me wrong, I am still working...it is just different. I have been working at Ozzie's, the boutique where I sell jewelry, and I just love being there. It is so fun. They just arrived back from market, and I have been opening boxes of new fun stuff. It is like Christmas! I am so visually stimulated by this task! I love it! I am also proud of how little I have purchased. I have only purchased a few gifts.

In the afternoons I am teaching piano lessons and doing some tutoring. I really do enjoy this. I don't like that my afternoon is interrupted everyday, but I do like the task.

I have been doing some substitute teaching. I am enjoying that. It is so nice to be in the classroom without the stress of planning, after school activities, etc.

I have also been making plenty of jewelry! I hope to be online soon, but there just hasn't seemed to be enough hours in the day for this!

I have been enjoying our garden and doing some freezing and canning. So far I have "put up" strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, peach, and blueberry jam, pepper jelly, salsa, spaghetti sauce, corn, zucchini, applesauce, and fresh fruit for pies. It is nice to have full shelves and freezers.

I hope that we will be able to adjust to the pay difference. The time at home is much more valuable than the money, but it still is a big adjustment. I have been able to make wise choices. We are doing really well. We will make it work. It just requires some major life changes! We are eating out much less because I am home more to actually be cooking. I love that!

All in all, I am very, very, happy! I thank God and my family for helping me make this reality!

German Meal

Tonight I made a German dinner. When we were in Wisconsin we didn't get to go t0 our favorite restaurant, Weissgerber's, and I have been craving rouladen ever since. So, I looked up the recipe and tried it out. I am not so great at gravy. If I could make a good beef gravy it would have been great. It was fine. I also made braised red cabbage and spaetzle. The dough might have been a bit too heavy. I need the tool that helps with spaetzle.

If anyone has brown gravy advice I would love it.

Lizard Spit

In October, right before we left on our big Disney trip/cruise, my diabetes went a bit out of control. It just happened out of nowhere. I went in because of an infection, but soon found out the reason for the problem. Since then, we have been working hard to find the right combination to produce a reasonable numbers in my blood sugar readings. It has been frustrating. About a month and a half ago my doctor put me on Byetta. It is relatively new. It has to be injected into the stomach twice a day. I was surprised at what an easy thing this was for me to do. When taking the drug you start at 5 mcg for a month. As the doctor warned me, it took a week to adjust to the drug. I was quite sick for about a week. I became used to it, and life was good. The drug not only lowers blood sugar, but it also suppresses hunger. After a month, you are then increased to 10 mcg. This happened almost two weeks ago. This has been a difficult adjustment. The plus is that weight is coming off. This is a good thing. The minus is that I am still feeling quite sick. I will have a day or two that I might feel well, but the bad days still are existing. Not fun. I went online to research how to combat the sick feeling. While researching I found that the drug is a synthetic form of gila monster venom! Can you believe that? How did they find out that gila monster venom lowered blood sugar anyway? Hopefully this side effects will soon subside. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the weight loss and the lower sugar readings!

Where does the time go?

One week of school is under our belts. I have been a free woman for a week, and I am not sure what I have to show for it? Monday, Rich's birthday, was spent cooking and cleaning for company. Tuesday, I worked at Ozzies. Wednesday, I made jewelry most of the day. Thursday, I was sick. Yuck. I was out almost all day. Friday I did not feel well yet. I did manage to do our grocery shopping that evening. It was exciting. At one store I saved more than I spent! Yesterday I worked at Ozzies for a while and then went home sick. My tummy and I just haven't been getting along. Rich and I did manage to kick out some bracelets last night. That is. Not too eventful. I need to work on that! Hopefully the week ahead will be a bit more exciting!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Today is my sweet husband's birthday! If anyone deserves a great day, it is him! He is so kind and thoughtful! Here's to a great day Rich!

First Day of School

Today is Ben's first day of 6th grade! This is hard to believe! For all of you it may be hard to believe that we are starting school already. We are on a wonderful calendar at St. John's! They call it a balanced calendar. We start now, but we get two weeks off in October, almost three weeks off at Christmas, and two weeks off in March. It is really nice. The only drawback is starting school in JULY! I find it hard to believe that my boy is already in sixth grade! It just doesn't seem possible. He is growing so very fast. He is very proud of his messenger style backpack. I guess they are the thing this year.

Not only does it feel odd that Ben is already in sixth grade, but it also feels odd to be sitting here typing this while he is at school. This is the first year since kindergarten that he has went off to school without me! I am not teaching. It actually feels great! I am excited. This morning is a bit strange, but all in all it is a good feeling. I am hoping to concentrate on my jewelry business and make that my occupation. I would appreciate all of your prayers as I embark upon this new chapter in my life! In honor of my first day as a free woman, I am posting some new jewelry in my shoebox! Check it out. I have to do some editing first, so give me a few hours!

Happy first day of school to all of you hitting the books today!

Facebook

Just like blogging, I put off going to facebook. I know how much time I already spend at this silly computer. Wow, it is fun. I knew this would happen! I have jewelry to make! I cannot be playing on the computer! YIKES!