No TV, New Ride

I've been without television for two weeks now.

I know!

I can hardly believe it myself. But we just got tired of Direct TV going out every time the wind blows. So we just let it go. In the meantime, Larry has been looking at other options. He had a guy with Comcast on the phone forever the other night, and I thought the deal was done. But in the end, Larry got tired, and told the guy he'd call back later. Hasn't happened yet...

 So, we've had no TV. No local news. No morning shows. No Regis and Kelly in the morning (usually only background noise). No HGTV or TLC (like I need to see which house the rich people choose for their vacation home on "House Hunters International."). And no Real Housewives of NY/Atlanta/Orange County, etc. (So long Nene, Kim & her wig, Phaedra, Candy, and all the other housewives...)

The crazy thing is that I haven't really missed it. I have come to realize what a time waster TV is in my life. Work a little...take a break and watch TV. Wash clothes...turn on TV to fold laundry. And on it goes.

I came home from Girlfriend Weekend (the book/author extravaganza in Texas, in case you are reading this blog for the first time) with over 20 *FREE* books! In the past week, I've finished one Fannie Flagg book, read "Beguilded" by Deanne Gist, and have started Fannie Flagg's newest book. This morning, instead of stitting like a zombie in front of a home improvement show, I knitted a hat. A really cute hat. And that was before 10am!

Maybe it's a good thing we are without TV right now. That means that we have no cable bill. Which means that money can now go towards my new car note--the one I'll have to pay monthly for the next few years.

That's right!

***I got a new car! ***

My 2001 Impala, with nearly 200,000 miles on it, was dying an ugly death right before my eyes. We've poured $1500+ into it over the past six months, and was just getting worse by the day. When Larry had to run errands Monday, I suggested he take my car (I'm no dummy!). He came home in a car from the Watson Hyundai dealership in Canton (where he happened to be when the oil light came on in the Impala). After test driving a car a day for five days, we settled on a sporty 2011 Elantra Limited. (I must take a moment to testify how wonderful the folks at that dealership were to deal with. EASY and not pushy at all.)

You have to understand that I'm not big into cars. I just really want something that will get me where I want to go in a realiable and comfortable manner. (I keep thinking of those obnoxious car commercials that used to run a few years ago with the guy "singing," I Want a Car....I Want a Car I Can DRIIIIIIVEEEE!!!)

It had gotten to where I couldn't even drive the Impala out of town, which had me feeling a bit trapped. I like to know I can go when I'm ready!

Well, this little car is just as cute as can be, and it is fully loaded with all kinds of gadgets like Bluetooth so I can just push a button on my steering wheel to answer the phone, built-in XM radio, seat warmers, an iPod dock, etc. AND it gets great gas mileage, which is good, as Larry said he paid $2.99 for gas the other day.

Oh, and I got something else new. A job! With some of my regular writing gigs drying up (I used to write 4-6 articles for the Clarion-Ledger/Madison County Herald/NE Ledger a week, and now I'm down to two Faith articles a month for the Herald), I had to look for steady income. So I applied for/interviewed and got a job with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (again...I know!) as their special events coordinator. I'll be planning and coordinating the annual conference in April and a big fundraising walk in October, among other things. It's part-time, so I'll still have plenty of time to write, sell Scentsy (order online at http://www.susanmarquez.scentsy.com/!), sell cPRIME (order online at www.mycprime.com/smarquez!) and knit hats to sell. Sounds like alot, but I think I can do it all. Scentsy pays for Joe's tuition, and I want to sell enough cPRIME so that I can pay for Nicole to be in Pilates at least two days a week. The hat money is for me to go to Maine in May to write a book on Nicole's journey.

That Pilates thing is important...Nicole's therapy is winding down. Funding has been depleted and she's being cut loose by Quest (a division of Methodist Rehab). To maintain her current physical status, and to continue to improve, she's going to need to keep working out with Eclecius several times a week. Adding Pilates will help with her core body strength. None of that is covered by insurance at all...and we're looking at about $400-$500/month, so if I have to go without TV to help pay for it, I will.

Let me just give you all a bit of advice: stay off the roofs of buildings if you can...the cost of falling off of one is astronomical!

It will all work out...always has. We are thankful to have the "challenges" we have. We fully understand the alternative.

I'm asking a favor of all who read this. One is to post a comment below if you feel so moved...I sure like reading them! The other is to "follow" this blog. There is a difference between "subscribing" and "following." I'd love for you to do both, but when you follow it, I can get a better idea of who is reading it. And the more followers I have, the more excited I get and more motivated to write.

Blessings to all who read this!

Susan

I'm back!!!

Wow. It's been over a month since I last posted a blog entry. That's unusual for me, but for some reason, I just haven't been able to stop long enough to write.

It's been a busy month, with lots of exciting things happening in our life. As I write this, Nicole is finishing up a "Yoga Meets Dance" workshop in Sedona, Arizona. It's a 100-hour certification course, so she'll be able to teach when she gets back. It's the next step in having a totally independent life again. The surprising thing to her is how flexible she is. With titanium rods in her neck and back, Nicole probably felt that she would be more rigid. But she's been able to keep up with everyone else in the class, including touching her toes! (The rods are flexible...who knew?) And the change of scenery has been just what she needed. And what a dramatic change of scenery!!!

I love these photos...and I'm so impressed, because they were taken with Nicole's iPhone. Look how blue that sky is! Twelve days of that would be good medicine for anyone!

My iPhone wannabe, the HTC Hero, still gives me fits. The phone and I are just not a good match. BUT, I did discover a cool app on the phone...it's called "Retro Camera." I had alot of fun taking photos of little things around my home. The app gives everything a vintage, grainy look. And I love the boarder.

I've been spending more time with Joe (yes, I have another child!) lately, and I've enjoyed it so very much. At 21, he has matured so much and has become such an impressive young man. He and I both signed up to be distributors for C-PRIME, a fashion technology company that sells bands (designed by Fossil) that help with balance, flexibility, strength and endurance. Everyone in our family has had great results, so we have decided to step out and sell them ourselves! It's been amazing...I have a team of over 65 people! I figure if it's good enough for Harry Connick, Jr., Tim Tebow, Evanka Trump and a laundry list of other celebrities and athletes, it's good enough for me!

This is my blue band...

Joe wearing a scarlet band and a grey band...

And Nicole wearing her signature purple band! (That's her yoga teacher, Beth)

Joe and I took a road trip to Dallas last week for a C-PRIME corporate meeting, where we learned more about the company and met the key players. We were both impressed and we're really excited about the possibilities C-PRIME can have in people's lives. Check out my website to learn more about it.

This weekend, he's gone to Atlanta with Emily (his precious girlfriend) and her family. My parents have gone to Nashville, and my dad will be taking a class (woodcarving!) up that way. So, it's while our family are all over the country, Larry and I are holding things down here at home.

I'm also doing my Scentsy thang...lovin' that, too! Don't know what Scensy is? Then check out this website!
It's alot of fun, and I love the products. I'll be doing an open house tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon to celebrate 10-10-10! What a fun, cool date that is! If you didn't get one of my social media invites (email/facebook/twitter), then consider this your invitation to come experience Scentsy tomorrow afternoon!
I've been getting ready for it all day today...the fun part is sniffing the over 80 yummy scents!

The monkey is one of the "Scentsy Buddies" for children. Each one has a zipper in the back that holds a scent pack. This one has a French Lavender pack and it smells sooooo good!!!

The bad news is that I scheduled the open house at the same time as the St. Philip Goat Roast, which we've gone to for the past two years. I'll miss that this year, but look forward to opening my home to friends and neighbors.

So that's it for our exciting life...busy, full, happy, and blessed. We're moving forward, not looking back as much, but when we do, we are still amazed at the miracle we've witnessed. And as we move forward, we don't dismiss that miracle, but we don't dwell on it as much. We are living life in the here and now, and for the first time in a long time, we are able to look ahead with hope, ready for the next adventure!

Blessings to all who (still) read this!
Susan

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

Blanketed with Memories and Experiences

"What you talkin' about Willis?" Gary Coleman is dead.

So is Dennis Hopper.

And sadly, so is Aunt Mary, a sweet, wise woman who was 103 when she went to her final rest last week. Her memorial service is this afternoon. My childhood friends have come from Texas to lay her to rest. Hal, Gayden and Paul Scott all drove over for a family reunion-turned-memorial service. I'm sorry about the passing of Aunt Mary, but so happy I got to spend time with such long-time friends yesterday.

Hal came to visit me at View Gallery, where I was working for my neighbor, Phyllis. We talked about old times, and caught up on our lives. I met up with Hal and the rest of the gang last night at Keifer's, where we sat out on the deck, reminiscing, laughing and reconnecting. Gayden's two beautiful daughters, Jordan and Lauren, were there as well. Sometimes, life just hands you such sweet moments.

It's been a long, full week, but it was made a little easier after such a relaxing time last weekend. I went on a girl's weekend to a beautiful lake house in Carroll County, Mississippi with five fun, intelligent, creative women. We cooked, ate, laughed, kyaked, read, and just generally enjoyed each other's company. I had a Scentsy party there one night, and we discussed blogging. I shared what I know to help the others work on their own blogs. So it was a "working" weekend as well...but in a most spectacular place.

We ate like queens and our souls were rejuvenated, making it easier to take on life for another week. And in case you're wondering why I didn't put photos of these wonderful women on this blog...it's because it was a no-make-up, wear-what-you-want weekend...with a rule that we wouldn't take photos of each other! Even Cole, the dog, had a phobia of cameras. If one came out, he would hide under the bed!

On Wednesday, we celebrated the soon-to-arrive Liam with his mom, Courtney ("Cricket"). Jonni, Diane and I had a baby shower for Cricket and Jason, and now I think they're more excited than ever about Liam's arrival in late June (I'm betting he won't wait that long!)

So, it's fitting that I began this blog post with the passing of lives...and end it with the beginning of a new one. Life continues to renew itself...we have rites of passage, both good and bad, and they all help to weave the fabric of our lives. Like the super-soft blanket we got for Liam, all of us are blanketed in our memories and experiences. I'm thankful for the experiences and memories I've had this week and look forward to a great week ahead.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day, and please take a moment to remember what the day is all about.

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan