Wow, it's almost April!

Here it is, the end of the month already. Mark only has two more months left of school, and I think he's counting the days. The kids are at the end of their spring break, so they are now in the home stretch to finish the year at school well.

Mai called last night. It was nice to hear her voice. She has a little more than a week before her classes resume, so she can unwind and reflect on her visit her before she has to hit it hard again.

I'm hoping Tim and I can get away for a weekend in May to celebrate our anniversary. It looks like Terry could be able to stay at our house to look out for things (namely teenagers). So, we just need to decide on a place to go--maybe a nice B&B not too far away? Any suggestions?

Till next time,


Suzi

More sad news...

We received word last week that one of our conference pastors was diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer. This morning we got the call that he had passed away. Wow--that was quick.

So, along with sending updates on Pastor Paul's condition after his biking accident (BTW he was taken off the ventilator yesterday--praise the Lord!) I'm now e-mailing our constituents about Pastor Ross's death. He was a great servant of the Lord, and since his recent retirement, he has served as interim pastor to two churches.

This serves as another reminder to me to be grateful for every moment, for every day I wake up to the birds singing and to the loved ones around me. I may have earned a few more gray hairs recently, but I'm thankful for life and for friends, family and most of all my God.

Now, if only I can remember to be thankful in times of frustration...

Till next time,


Suzi

Hump day

It's midweek, which is in a way the start of my "short" work week, at least at the conference office. I'm answering emails, emptying my mailbox and listening to phone messages. Guess there won't be staff meeting today because two of the Big Three are out of the office. We may have an abbreviated meeting with those of us Left Behind, though.

Next week will be full--we've got a Leadership Forum on Tuesday so I'll be working every day--I'll probably put in a real 40 hour week. Then we'll have a full week after that of tax season, ending on Monday April 17. I think this Sunday we turn our clocks back, can anyone confirm that?

I'm still climbing up the hump of Wednesday--I'll look forward to the slide down Friday afternoon.

Till next time,


Suzi

Hellos and good-byes

Mondays are always busy days, and yesterday was no exception. Things were hopping at the office with just three weeks left in the tax season. Then it was back to BSF, which I didn't realize how much I had missed until I was back. We had a snow day one week and then last week was our week off for spring break. It was good to be back studying the Word with other women.

Then today Mai went back home. It's been fun to have her here, though we really haven't seen her that much--she's been so busy with friends. I tell you I've worried about her more than once when she was out late, but somehow we all survived the three weeks and now she's gone till her next excursion here. I teased her that she's responsible for many new gray hairs, and said next time she comes I will get a wig.

Tomorrow is back to work at the conference office. News of our former superintendent can now be found at this website. Looks like he's in for a long haul, and his wife was briefly hospitalized, too, as she had an emergency room visit in another hospital with dizziness--possibly an inner ear infection. If it's not one thing it's another...

Please also pray for our friend Rick. After losing his brother's wife, now his mother-in-law has passed away.

Life sure has its ups and downs and series of hellos and good-byes. As for me, I'm looking forward to the Big Hello we'll get when we see Jesus face to face one day. I hope you'll be there for that greeting too.

Till next time,


Suzi

Crockpot on Friday?

Yesterday was another busy day at work, updating the website, and sending out updates on Paul Erickson's condition (see Thursday's blog). The latest news is that he is still on a ventilator, and still hasn't spoken, but he recognized his wife and daughters and was able to squeeze their hands with both his hands. His wife said she has felt the prayers of many and was able to sleep Thursday night for the first time.

I also was working on the finishing touches of our conference newsletter, the Leader, and got that out Friday morning. It's kinda fun, because we have an e-mail service that tracks the responses. By the time I left the office, 25 percent of the church staff I send it out to had opened the e -mail (of course, who knows if they read it.)

After I got home I unwound with the Gilmore Girls. It was Friday, so I didn't have supper on. Just as I was wondering when Tim would get home or call, his cousin Terry called. "What's in the crockpot?" he asked.

Well, I thought Terry and Tim's other employee Christian were coming over to pick up Terry's snowmobile on Thursday after work, so I had a ham in the crockpot then. But Friday night's my night off the kitchen (usually). My response to Terry was "Nothin'."

Mai was home, so we made plans for the four of us to have dinner out (Mark and Christina were off with their own friends.) We decided on Byerly's, and as Mai and I pulled into the parking lot to meet Terry and Tim, I saw Terry--who has been sober for years--wandering from the liquor store next to the restaurant. I called his cell to ask what he was doing in the liquor store. He claims he got lost--Tim has a habit of parking and taking off, leaving any passengers to fend for themselves. We have eaten at a restaurant in the same vicinity as Byerly's on a number of occasions with Terry, so I suppose I can understand his confusion. And he's really a country/small town boy--having grown up several miles north of the Twin Cities.

Anyway, we had a nice evening with no liquor and enjoyed the salad bar. It always reminds me of the salad bar of the little restaurant I worked at on my college campus--The Royal Oak Room. Once a week, we would transform the coffee shop on campus into fine dining--with a salad bar of meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Of course there were other wonderful things on the menu like steak, chicken kiev (I think) and Red Snapper. Unfortunately, college students were terrible tippers so I didn't make a lot of money there.

Turns out our waitress at Byerly's and Mai were acquaintances when Mai lived with us--they both attended the same high school and almost went to prom with the same guy. But that's another story...

Till next time,


Suzi

In the blink of an eye...

We just got word here at the conference office that our former superintendent was hit by a car as he was bicycling on vacation in Florida. This happened yesterday. I've e-mailed dozens, probably hundreds of people, and the prayers are going up all over the country, if not the world. He cracked his skull and is in intensive care--and is still unconscious. He's on blood thinning medication so he can't have surgery yet, but they need to do it.

Through difficult times, it is wonderful to know how God's people come together in prayer. I'm getting e-mails and phone calls with support from people who care. I did not really know Paul (the superintendent) though he's been at our former church before when he was superintendent, and his parents were members there. He's probably in his 60s--retired from his position here, but serving as an associate pastor in a Twin Cities church.

We've had other prayer requests for an interim pastor who was just diagnosed with liver cancer. Churches and pastors are struggling throughout our conference with various issues. It is a privilege for me today to be a vehicle to help others pray.

We don't know the outcome of our prayers, and we may not always get the answers we want. But there is something about the joining together with other believers that is powerful and awesome. It is because we come together before a powerful and awesome God, humbling ourselves as we petition his throne. What an honor we have that we can come before our Creator with anything that troubles us--or that brings us joy!

Please say a prayer for Paul and his wife Joan. And as you do, be mindful that you are joining a chorus of petitions being sent heavenward. Thank you!

Till next time,


Suzi

Sorry too tired or busy to blog...

I'll try to blog tomorrow. SOrry--busy day, tired. But good.

Till next time,


Suzi

Snowmobiling

Well, yesterday I celebrated the first signs of spring--which by the way included an ant crawling on my desk at the tax office. But I wasn't ready to let go of winter just yet. Last night the long-awaited snowmobile ride came--on our neighborhood lake.

Tim's cousin Terry had brought his snowmobile home from up north, and he coaxed our son Luke into loading it onto his pickup truck and bringing it over to our house. Mai and I were not sure we wanted to go out on the lake in mid-March, but Terry promised it would be safe.

So, I dug out the boots, scarves and gloves for Mai and myself. Luke let Terry out in the backyard and Terry drove his sled right up to our front walk. Mai was the first to go--and she had a wonderful time. They did encounter some open water under the bridge, and because it was the only way back, they had to go through it again. Somehow they survived. The rest of the lake was pretty solid. I survived my turn, too, and we actually had a lot of fun. Terry taught Mai how to drive the sled (I declined) and he stayed on back to help her maneuver the controls.

So now I can cross snowmobiling off my list of things to do before I die. Now the snow can melt, the lakes can open up, and maybe this year we'll actually get our canoe and/or Tim's sailboat out on the lake.

Spring, here we come!

Till next time,


Suzi

Happy spring!

Even though there's still several inches of snow on the ground, this morning was a beautiful one. Birds are singing, morning is dawning earlier, and this morning's dawn was nothing short of spectacular. The sky was almost blood red--reminding me of the "red sky at morning, sailor take warning--red sky at night--sailor's delight." However, even though it was cloudy on the way to work, I think I see the sun peeking out now (10:15). The snow that was threatening to come our way yesterday and today (forecast earlier last week) has instead hit Nebraska. Sorry, folks, but I'm not sorry to have missed this one.

It was nice to get into work at a decent time instead of like last Monday when I battled snow covered highways and backed up traffic. Tonight is spring break for Bible Study Fellowship, so I don't have to rush off to that, though I miss it because it was cancelled last week.

Oh, another fun thing about the morning, I saw my first robin! He/she was up in a tree, and when Raven barked a spring greeting, he/she flew away. The robin looked healthy enough, so perhaps it will find food when the snow melts in a couple of days.

Hope you are enjoying your spring wherever you are--or your fall is you are south of the equator!

Till next time,


Suzi

Money woes

It seems like a lot of people are having money woes lately. As a drywall contractor, Tim knows his share of carrying builders' debts--sometimes for months. He is owed as much money as we used to make in a year not so many years ago.

But today, two checks came in the mail, one from a builder that paid for two large jobs. Hurray! Of course, a lot of the money is already spoken for--much of it for materials for drywall.

I'm thankful that during tax season we both have other sources of income, and I have my part time job at the conference office. We have never gone hungry or really needed anything. God is good.

So, we'll keep working and I suppose I should learn a few tips from my tightwad sister. Then maybe someday we can take a vacation and even turn off the cell phones (but not the computers!). Well, maybe not even the cell phones--but it would be nice to get away--especially now as I'm looking at inches and inches of snow and icicles hanging around past mid-March. Ugh! Once spring really comes--the heating bills will go down...

Till next time,


Suzi

Why I blog

What is it that makes me face the computer each (well, almost each) day and sort through the jumble that is my brain to transfer words from said brain to fingers to keyboard to screen to you?

Well, I have to admit part of the reason is the hope for feedback. In college I wrote articles, assignments and papers because they were required or because it was my job as an editor on the college newspaper. I got feedback from teachers on my assignments--not always the encouraging kind. I'll never forget the fiction writing assignment I did in grad school. It was common to put our stories up on the overhead for all the classroom to see. This particular day my professor really ripped my work. He encouraged others to chime in, but after a while I think my classmates took pity on me and stopped contributing criticism. It was all I could do to hold back tears. After class, I was consoled by other students who had "been there."

As a writer, or one who aspires to be a writer, I'm certainly not immune to criticism. I hope I've developed a thicker skin over the years as I've shared my thoughts and ideas via the written word. I could probably use more phlegmaticism in that regard--I tend to think of my writings as like my children or my home--if you attack it (or them) you are attacking me. I'm still working on separating myself from my "art."

It helps somewhat to think of myself as a wordsmith (implied by the Swansmith--my initials {sort of} with the smith thing going). Perhaps I'm not an artist, but I hope I'm a craftsman. I come to work every day and face the computer. If people respond to my craft, I am grateful and blessed, but if not, I've at least shown up for work and perhaps improved a bit through my effort.

Thanks to everyone who commented yesterday. Melissa, it was especially nice to welcome you to my blog. Thanks for reading--and I do hope to meet you in the Northwoods country some day.

Oh, and by the way, Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone. I'm wearing a wee bit o' green today since I'm a wee bit Irish--me socks and some decorative stripes on me sweater are how I'm celebratin' with the leprechans today. Tim's cousin Terry and his dad Patrick are celebratin' in St. Paul and watchin' the St. Paddy's day parade in the town decked in green. (Lori, that means the town is decked in green, but Terry & Pat probably are too.) Have yourself a good one.

Till next time,


Suzi

Rick Warren hasn't commented...yet

Now Cheri has posted a comment again, as has my younger sister, Lori, even though they didn't really have much to comment about, but just wanted to encourage me (I think). I thank you. Rick and Warren are actually two different people who have commented. I've read Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, a good read, although controversial I guess in some circles. I'm not really sure why. I think his is another voice out there, a good one in my opinion, and that a person should take what is helpful from his writings and not worry about what's not applicable.

The Rick and Warren that I know have not written any books that I'm aware of. It could possible be that they are both very prolific, I just haven't had opportunity to read their works. Except, of course, that Rick blogs over at Rick's Ramblings. Hope you don't mind the plug, Rick. Rick is an old family friend (well, he's not old) from my high school days. He writes about fishing, traveling, fishing, traveling, his kids, fishing, and did I mention fishing? Really, his blog is fun to read and he does have an interesting outlook on life.

Warren is Tim's Dad's cousin, though he seems a much closer relative than that. He and his brother Lowell are the ones who got Tim's Dad started in drywall, so I can thank him for the steady income that has provided for our family and now for our sons, too. He is a gentle and thoughtful man, and I always appreciate when he comments.

Anyway, today we got some more snow. Mark and I shoveled (much easier than on Monday) and I made it to work without too much trouble. When I work my "normal" job I take side streets, which were plowed (till the last block or so), so I made pretty good time. We've had a lot of people in and out of the office today, which is nice for keeping busy and out of trouble.

So, thanks again for the comments and keep 'em coming, whether they're insightful, encouraging, inspiring (always for me they are) or just a way to say hey.

Till next time,


Suzi

Thank you!

Thanks to Dad, Cheri, Rick and Warren for their comments on my post yesterday. It's always encouraging to get feedback.

Mai and I didn't go snowmobiling with Terry yesterday--Terry was operating on just a few hours sleep after plowing all night, though he was still game to go. Mai decided to shop instead and go to the health club with a friend.

Back here at work, we've greeted Nicole, back from her adoption experience in Colombia. She looks great and happy, and I think she's glad to be back at work. I know we all missed her.

We're supposed to get more snow tonight. I hope I won't be sitting in traffic for two hours like I was on Monday--due mostly to stuck semis and cars on a major ramp.

Till next time,

Suzi

Love does not envy...

I am not phlegmatic, or however you spell it, like my sister Cheri. She is a very calm person, roll with-the-punches type gal, not the easily offended sort.

I tend to take things personally. My daughter would say that I am easily irritated, impatient, and intolerant. My foreign exchange students would say I worry too much. My husband would agree with the comment that I am sometimes too self-absorbed.

These things are true of me sometimes--I hope not all the time. But I do tend to be envious of phlegmatic people like Cheri. But even in her phlegmatictism, I know she enjoys getting comments on her blog. On the other hand, it doesn't bother her a wit if she gets no comments. On her blog over the weekend, she got 16 comments on one post. I, however, have not received one comment in over a week.

It's not that I have an uninteresting life. Over the weekend we had ex-cons and international students over for dinner (it was an interesting mix). The challenges and lack of sleep that come with raising teenagers is always an adventure. My dog is a source of constant amusement and pleasure, but maybe not everyone appreciates that.

So, I guess I'll go on being envious of Cheri. It's not a pretty trait, envy, so I suppose I should work on it. I also envy my younger sister for her amazing brain power and vocabulary, and my little brother is just, well, likable. I don't think Roger has ever had or ever could have an enemy.

So, I'm not my siblings. So, I may not get comments. I may not be the world's best blogger and certainly not writer, but it really doesn't matter. I like my life and who I am, I like who is in my life and especially I like my Tuesdays (my day off work). So, I'm going out to enjoy my Tuesday, and try to give thanks for those I envy rather than wish I could be like them or be them, and appreciate the special gifts I do have.

Especially the gift of rambling--the gift that brings me back to this blog day after day, commentless or not.

At least I'm finally responding to my college English professor who told us to write EVERY day--it didn't matter about what, but in order to hone our craft, we must practice it.

Maybe someday practice will make perfect.

But don't hold your breath. Or your comments.

Till next time,


Suzi

The need to Make a Move

This morning my commute to work was two hours long. I suppose part of it was my fault--I tend to want to stay on the highway instead of slippin' and slidin' on side roads. Oh, I forgot to mention that we received 7 inches of snow or so overnight. It was so bad that on our walk this morning Raven and I got disoriented (the snow was covering my glasses and all the roads) and I took a wrong turn for awhile. Yes, I took a wrong turn walking.

School was cancelled, so the kids were happy. BSF is cancelled tonight, too, so I can either work late or relax this evening. Next week is spring break for BSF, so as much as I enjoy it, it is nice to have a little breather.

Mai and Mark are planning to go over to Luke's today to hang out with Luke's roommate (Mark's friend Shawn). Terry isn't helping Tim today because he is out plowing parking lots. It's possible that Mai and I may talk Terry into taking us on his snowmobile for a spin tomorrow. Stay tuned to see if that becomes reality and if I survive the ride!

Till next time,


Suzi

Oh, BTW, "Make a Move" is something guys do (and according to them, everyone should do) when traffic is bad. When you're stuck on the highway, you need to get off at the first exit and take alternate routes home. Of course, it helps if you know all the alternate possibilities--something Tim knows, but unfortunately, I am more challenged than he is in the move-making department on the roads.

Sorry for the lapse...

Well, it's Sunday, but since it's been a few days since I've blogged I thought I should drop a note at least. Work has been busy and home has been too. On Saturday night we had my grad school friend Thomas's son Timothy over for dinner finally (he's a college student in St. Paul and we've been meaning to invite him for supper since September!) Anyway, it finally happened and we had fun with Timothy, Tim's cousin Terry, Tim's employee Judd and Mai. But we had so much left over food that we invited some friends over after church today.

Then today Tim got a phone call from a guy whose house he had worked on who had four Wild (hockey) tickets. I was planning to go, but it worked out for Mai, Tim, Terry and Judd to go. The Wild won 4-3! I stayed home and started and finished my BSF lesson, and cried through the Kirby Puckett tribute that was televised from the Metrodome.

Mark just called and he is almost home from his weekend band (he plays tenor sax) festival in Wisconsin. It's snowing here and we may get enough to shovel. Mai and I are hoping to snowmobile with Terry on Tuesday. We'll see.

Till next time,


Suzi

Another busy day at the office...

Today I've been having a different kind of busyness--wrestling with the copy machine, for one thing. It is an amazing machine that will sort, staple and three-hole punch, but it has about a dozen places where paper can get jammed. Fortunately I was able to figure out where the last hidden paper was after quite a bit of maneuvering and enlisting Mark's help. However, if I use the staple function it still says there is a problem. I figure, as long as it can sort, I can easily staple a few stacks and hope that someone else can figure this out next week.

Co-worker Nicole was supposed to arrive last night with her new little girl, but I haven't talked to her yet. Don't know how soon she'll be ready to come back to work.

In the mean time, we'll keep working away--Mai went shopping last night at Target and Marshall's so that was fun. We got a Dairy Queen in with cousin Terry too--my blood sugar was plummeting and I needed something quick so I did a Dilly Bar. (At least, that was my excuse...)

Till next time,


Suzi

Mai is here!

Well, Mai arrived safe and sound yesterday--her flight was actually 45 minutes early, but of course she had to go through customs and everything so when I finally saw the whites of her eyes it was about the time that she was scheduled to pull up at the gate.

We stopped at the tax office to see Jeff and Dawn (don't know if she'd get to see Jeff any other way before we leave)--turned out they were having a very busy day. We posted some tax returns for the mail and then headed out to meet Tim and the crew for lunch at the job site. Tim's cousin Terry and Mai really hit it off--they have similar senses of humor. Mai still wasn't tired, but we went home anyway. She finally got a nap in and had planned to go out for the evening but decided she's better stay in. I made Cheri's spaghetti lasagna for supper (first time--delicious!) and it was a hit.

Later we went over to Terry's because he had pre-paid phone Mai can use while she's here. (It's hard for Japanese people to be without their cell phones! Heck--it's hard for many Americans, including me!)

Today we're all at work or school, but Mai is resting and planning. We are looking forward to spending as much time with her as schedules allow.

And, we're enjoying many Japanese treats....

Till next time,


Suzi

Mai is coming!

Well, I better make this short, because I just checked on Mai's flight and it is scheduled to arrive 45 minutes early. Woo hoo! We are very excited to see her.

Yesterday was eventful. Mondays are always busy for me, with work and BSF. It was another full day at work, but pretty productive. Tim was home all day and got his desk CLEARED! He has signed up for almost everything (bills, banking) online so we don't have to deal with paperwork and clutter as much. I'm very proud of him.

Meanwhile, Tim's cousin Terry closed on his house that he's been trying to sell for quite a while. That, and he helped move a friend to get treatment and turn her life around.

Luke's ceiling in his room in his house has started to come down. Yesterday he tore it all down and today Tim and Terry and maybe Judd (another employee of Tim's) may help him finish cleaning up, framing it and building a new ceiling. The old ceiling wasn't sheetrocked--it was some sort of fibrous something. Tim said the house was originally built as a hunting shack and should probably be gutted and sheetrocked. It is an awfully cute house, though.

Well, this was supposed to be short. Next time I post I can write about Mai!

Till next time,


Suzi

Oh, I almost forgot the sad news here in Minnesota. Kirby Puckett, the famous world series former center field Twins player passed away yesterday. Everyone in this state loved Kirby and his infectious smile, his positive attitude, and his passion for baseball. He had a massive stroke at age 45--he was living in Arizona. This Hall of Famer will be greatly missed.

Phew!

Well, I called the doctor's office and rescheduled my appointment for May 9 (mom's birthday) so I probably won't forget that. Just to be sure, though, I think I'll call home (I'm at the tax office) to remind myself on the voice mail. Or I could send myself an e-mail. And I've already written a note.

The doctor's office was nice, although they called me Susan and asked if I was new since they couldn't find Suzanne spelled Susan. Sigh. They will send me my lab sheet (which I misplaced from last time) so I'll schedule my lab appointment the week before (May 2). Okay, now I have this in my blog, too, so I should be sure to remember.

All this stuff in my brain was beginning to bug me. Plus, as a wife and mother, I'm supposed to be the one with a clear head who remembers things and schedules stuff for my husband and children. Just when I was feeling low and overwhelmed, my big sis called to cheer me up. Then after that I got a phone call from my parents from their new place. I talked to my dad (he called me on my cell) while out on a rare afternoon walk with Raven, which helped me put things in perspective too.

Anyway, Mai is coming tomorrow and now I can focus on that! (After work and BSF tonight, that is). If her plane is early or late, I don't have to worry because my schedule is now clear.

Then after I pick her up, we can go to the grocery store, get my hair cut, clean the house....

Till next time,


Suzi

Jumble of stuff

Now I'm starting to get dates jumbled up. I know I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday (the day Mai is coming) but I forgot to schedule a lab visit a week prior to my doc appointment. This is a fasting lab, so it's really only one I can do on Tuesdays, with work every other day. Add to this, I can't find my lab paperwork, so I couldn't try to show up on Monday morning with the hope that they could do the lab work in one day (after going to the doctor's office to get the lab paperwork) and get it back in time for my doctor's appointment. The easiest thing to do is cancel my doctor's appointment, ask them to send me a new lab work up, and then reschedule--preferably sometime in May. Hopefully they will continue to refill my multiple meds until that time. Ay caramba. And this way I don't have to worry about being late to the airport to pick up Mai. My main concern now is remembering to call the doctor's office to reschedule on Monday.

Good thing Mai is low maintenance. She'll slip right into our family routine (she lived with us through tax season before) and she has kept in touch with multiple friends. Her friends all drive and know where we live. She'll probably even spend some nights at friends' houses--though of course we want her with us as much as possible.

Another thing--I had invited an old friend's son (he's attending college here in the Twin Cities--long way from home in New Jersey) over for dinner on the same night we have a dinner scheduled for our small group (this coming Friday). Ooops. Well, the son's (his name is Timothy) spring break is that time so hopefully we can take a raincheck sometime during his break.

On the record keeping side of things for Tim, I missed a whole day of payroll for Tim's cousin Terry (but we caught it the next day) and also made an addition error. Now I'm using the sum function on Xcel's spread sheet--it's pretty slick in the 2003 edition. And we all know computer's don't make mathematical errors.

My head hurts with all this stuff. I think I need a vacation, and I know Tim does. Mark was chosen to play in a select band festival in Wisconsin next weekend. If things don't work out to meet Timothy next weekend, maybe we'll head to the cheesehead state (near Madison) for a concert next Sunday afternoon. It would be fun to do a mini road trip with Mai--but then again, she may have her own travel/shopping/excursion plans by then. She will have been here four whole days by then, doncha know.

Till next time,


Suzi

PS After I wrote this, I posted it on the wrong blog!!! Finally I got it on the correct one.......

A busy Friday

For a Friday, things have been pretty hopping down here at the Conference office. Our internet/e-mail was down for awhile, but at least we got warning of it first so it wasn't so frustrating. Now we're up and running and I'm catching up on e-mail.

This weekend I'll have to try to get ready for Mai--I can't believe she'll be here in FOUR days! I'll try to get my beauty sleep in on Saturday (ha!).

Last night I was up till 11:30 working on payroll for Tim's corporation. This morning he was able to get a couple of invoices together based on that data, so I'm feeling a bit useful.

Here's to a restful, yet productive, fun, and useful weekend!

Till next time,


Suzi

Whew--the day flew by...

Well, today was busy at work. I spent the morning preparing a mailing to go out to all our conference churches (131) and then the afternoon putting the finishing touches on the newsletter I do quarterly to get it ready to e-mail. I sent it out and then got an assignment to design an envelope and 1/3 page tear-off thing that will be used for a fund-raiser in two weeks. Any ideas how I can print a logo and address on an envelope without using a professional printer? We only need about 150 envelopes but I'm wondering if I can do something up in Publisher or even Word and then easily print it to envelopes--do I have to do them one at a time? Maybe I can find an answer on the web somewhere...

Anyway, the day raced by and so now I'm home, having another quiet evening. The kids aren't home yet, and Tim isn't either. He's either at his mom's or still coming home from a job he's been doing up north. So, I guess I can get supper on, take out the garbage, clean out the refrigerator, etc. etc.

I think tomorrow won't be quite as busy, since it's a Friday and I tend to be at the office by myself. But, you never know...

Till next time,


Suzi

Wearing different hats

These days I feel as if I'm a juggler--working two part-time jobs, plus helping Tim with some paper work (or at least trying to be a moral support) at his full-time job. Then I'm trying to keep up on what the kids are doing at school and with friends, as well as checking the mail at home, trying to keep on top of bills, keeping up with the dog and his meds (for itching), managing my diabetes, etc. I'm always thinking before I answer the phone--is it "Northwest Conference" or "Nelson & Associates" or just hello? There's the phone at Jeff's office, the phone at the NWC, the home phone and my cell phone.

Then there's e-mail--two e-mail addresses at home and one for the NWC. I can also access e-mail for Tim at home (he's got two or three e-mail addresses) and Jeff's at work, which I don't really look at much.

In an era of so much communication (I forgot to mention the fax machine) you would think everything would be crystal clear and well documented. But it seems that we just go from one method of communication to recording it in another ("If you send me an e-mail, I'll print it and then fax it over to so-and-so...")

Perhaps we should simplify everything to blogging. I'll just write what's on my mind and you can leave your comment here.

Now, we won't even mention that sometimes internet service is down or Blogger may be down for maintenance or whatever...

Till next time,


Suzi