Hot Days, Hot Water

At 10:15 last night, my fav weathergal, Barbie Bassett, announced that the heat index was 91. I went outside with Roxie and I believe she was right. It was HOT outside. It just makes me want to sit under a ceiling fan set at helicopter speed and sip on a glass of iced tea.

I don't do hot weather well. We went to dig daylilies last Sunday, and it wore me out for the rest of the day. Now I have to go to Leslie's and separate them, bring them home and plant them. I'm considering admiring them in Leslie's garden instead of my own...

For anyone who has to get out in this heat, I'm sorry for you. It's times like this that I'm especially thankful that I work out of my home. I can hang out in shorts and write. And thankfully, I've been writing alot lately. Assignments seem to be picking up, which is good, because we've had a run of unexpected, yet necessary expenses. Aging vehicles have needed repairs, things are wearing out in our 15-year-old home, and just this week, a crown needed repair and I got word that I need a root canal ($1000....out the window)...

I think back to the Good Mood Blogger contest and how I wish I had won. That would have been $5000 a month. My writing skills were there, but Bridget from California had it all over me on "social networking skills." I had 10,000 votes to her 17,000. I've learned alot since then--I've actually been to workshops and conferences on blogging and social networking skills. It's times like this, when we're in a bit of hot water, that I wish I had known then what I know now!

But, like so many others, I trudge on...working hard to get ahead. And I'm fine with that. As a matter of fact, today I'm doing a Scentsy party at Methodist Rehab. I'm taking my 80+ scents up to the sixth floor physical therapy office at lunch time where I'll be taking orders. It will be fun to see all our favorite pt's and ot's. I have such a special place in my heart for them, because they truly taught Nicole how to walk again. And to dress herself. And to do so many other little things that we daily take for granted.

Speaking of Nicole, she continues to improve every day. She walks on her own with more confidence, and it's amazing to see her go up and down our front steps with no assistance at all. She works so hard in physical therapy and with her trainer, Eclecius, and working with her Bioness devices which help to restore her hand function.

The next step for Nicole is INDEPENDENCE. She needs to be on her own or she'll go crazy. That means she needs to be financially independent as well as physically independent. She's working towards both. She's getting more and more speaking gigs and she's been hired to do choreography for a summer theatre camp in a couple of weeks. Baby steps, but encouraging.

Son Joseph is watching all the progress his sister is making...it inspires him in school, as he works towards his degree in physical therapy. This summer, he's taking Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II. His girlfriend, Emily, is in his class (she's in nursing), so they are studying together.

Because of their drive, I don't feel so bad about working hard to stay afloat. I know I'm blessed to have two beautiful children who have overcome adversity to excel. I'm happy that I can use my talents to supplement our household income.  And just as we know this hot weather will eventually pass, Larry and I know we can weather anything together--from tragic accidents, financial downturns, and anything else life throws at us.

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

I'm in a good mood, dammit!

As ALL of you know, I ran a heated campaign to win the Nature Made SAM-e Good Mood Blogger gig. If I won, I would have gotten paid $5000/month for six months to blog about being in a good mood. That would have been $30,000 toward Nicole's ever-increasing medical bills. The medical fund that the Ridgeland Chamber started for her is dwindling fast...we have used it to pay medical bills (we are completely paid up through Select Specialty Hospital), as well as for prescriptions, supplies and her personal trainer sessions. I thought the Good Mood Blogger gig would be a fun and creative way for me to contribute to her bills. BUT, the judges had other ideas, so they picked someone else. But that's OK...I got a cool consolation prize. Check this out: I got SIX boxes of SAM-e (a natural mood

enhancer, and bottles of vitamins and supplements, a yoga mat, a calendar, a note pad, a water bottle and a little iPod shuffle. (Roxie jumped in the shot to show off her new pink collar.) The gesture by Nature Made did wonders to enhance my mood...

I've actually been a little "testy" the past few days (translation: don't look at me funny or I'll bite your damned head off!!!!). I guess the disappointment of losing, and all the holiday hoopla caught up with me and I'm tired. Add on top of that the incredible Christmas gift my husband gave me--a Cellular South HTC Hero phone...nice, except that you have to have an advanced degree from MIT to operate it.

So, let's put all this together: I'm a little "testy," I have a phone that makes me feel stupid, and I have the patience of a gnat right now. Not a winning combination.

A few facebook entries and a couple of phone calls with the kind folks at Cellular South later, I am now scheduled in a private CLASS to learn how to use my new phone. I go at 11:30 this morning. I hope the "teacher" is kind and understanding, as I may just cry or go postal. I'm just sayin'...

This morning I took my first dose of SAM-e. The box said it will take seven to 14 days to feel any real effects. As I swallowed the pill, Larry looked at me and said "only 13 more days..." He's a real comedian.

So, I didn't get the Good Mood blog gig, and that's the LAST time I'm going to even type those words or do any promo work for Nature Made (I figure they got at least $10,000 in p.r. value from the work I did on the contest, and I got six--count 'em--six bottles of SAM-e as a consolation prize...). But I'm going to write my own blog about being in a good mood, right here on this very blog you are reading now, beginning on January 1. And if you like what you read, tell your friends, and I'll grow my list of followers, and someone, somewhere, will want--BEG--me to write/blog for them, I'm sure.

And again, THANK you for your votes, support, kind words...you all rallied around me in such a big way and I'm so grateful. So even though I get a little "testy" from time to time, I really can't help but be in a perpetual good mood with that kind of love coming my way.

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

Post-Christmas bliss

I have had the best time in these days after Christmas, enjoying the leftovers (I could eat for a week and still have food!), the decorations, the wonderful gifts I received and spending time relaxing. My favorite thing to do lately is to cruise many of the wonderful blogs online. I'm getting lots of ideas and slowly learning a few things. As I said before, I plan on writing my own "good mood blog" right here, on this site, beginning January 1. I'm going to do it five days a week, and I want it to be something you'll want to read every day.

One of the things I found online is a conference in Nashville on blogging. It's called "Blissdom '10" (http://www.blissdom.com/) in early February, and I REALLY want to go. The registration fee is $299. I can't really swing that now, post Christmas, especially when Nicole has so many financial needs. So, I'm putting this out there...if anyone wants to sponsor me, they'll get frequent mentions on my blog! For any of you business-owners out there, you know that $299 is way cheaper than most ads. Right now, I have a registered following of 62 people who regularly log on when I have a new blog post. Imagine reaching 62 people--potential customers--over and over again for only $300. And my list of followers is continuing to grow. So it could just be the smartest $300 you'll ever spend! Think about, but please, if you are interested, please hurry. There aren't many slots left at the conference. I have a place to stay in Nashville (with a friend).

Now that I've got the begging portion of my blog over with, I will let you know that the Marquez family had a wonderful Christmas. We had a house full of people on Christmas Eve, which just made Larry and I very happy. People came and went...or came and stayed...and we all had a special time together.

This time last year, Nicole was on a pass from Methodist Rehab. She was still in a wheelchair, and we had to hire LeFleur Transportation to pick her up in a lift van to come home. Her power chair was so big and she kept knocking furniture and walls with it as she tried to navigate around our house. So, a year later, we are all thankful that she is walking around our house without her cane!

Christmas morning, my parents, my sister Sarah and her family (Big Bob, Matthew and Lauren) all came over, as did Joe and his precious girlfriend, Emily, along with our "other sista" Jacqui. We had a huge brunch with breakfast casserole, cheese grits, homemade sticky buns and lots of coffee, mimosas and bloody marys. Around noon, we commenced to opening gifts...which we did easily for the next hour or more. It was lots of fun, with lots of laughs and my house was a huge hairy happy mess when we were done.

Larry then went to the kitchen to get ready for our next meal of the day...chili and gumbo, along with my dad's Mexican cornbread. We kept it casual...everyone served themselves off the stove and ate where they could find a place.

That afternoon, Joosy Claus made it by for a visit, followed by a return visit from Jake Smith and Margaret Dutcher. The guys watched football, of course, while the women-folk hung out in my keeping room, visiting, laughing, and yes, EATING. (How?)

It was a great day, and we all went to bed full and fulfilled. It was a great celebration of Christ's birth, and we were grateful to have family and friends surrounding us.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan