Welcome Home!

Welcome Home Ammachi & Appachan! That is Grandma & Grandpa in my husband's native language, Malayalam. They have made the long, arduous journey from Kerala, India to the United States. They'll spend a couple of weeks with us and then head to their home in Texas. It'll be a couple of wonderful weeks filled with fragrant curries, yummy Naan, conversations in broken English and lots of hugs for the boys. Oh how we love our Ammachi & Appachan!

Life Changing....

I would like to think that most of us are witnessing the amazing events that are taking place right now. Some are blessed to have the means and opportunity to attend Inaugural events firsthand. Some of us are blessed to watch them on a variety of cable channels. Some are simply reading about them. In any method, I pray that we are all witnessing the events that are defining our times, our generation.

I am a fan of Barack Obama and his intentions. I say intentions because I truly believe he wants what is in the best interest of our country. Whether or not his dreams are realized while he is in office is yet to be determined. I have faith that he will do all in his power to make positive changes within our government and our nation. I don't, however, have any false notions that our country will magically change in the timeline most Americans would like to see it. Let's be honest here....previous presidents who are now regarded as great change agents...weren't necessarily regarded as such in their time. Hindsight and time do something that we are not able to do today. They give us perspective. This give us the ability to understand what was done, what was left undone, see someone's intentions and more clearly see the results.

I believe that we all must do our part. We have to work hard for the change that we proclaim to want for this country. President Obama will not do it alone. He will be an integral part but he is not the whole. He is simply a part. Just like President Bush cannot be solely blamed for the current crisis we are in. He is a part. We are the crux of the nation. We can make a change in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our communities, states and yes, our nation. We must take the initiative. We must do the hard work it will take to change our country for the better.

If you are a Believer, I challenge you to include President Obama and our current administration in your daily devotions and prayers. They must have your support and most importanly, God's blessings. Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. --Hebrews 13:17-18. If you don't trust them---and you should not completely---trust God. In the end, it is not left in the hands of earthly beings. It is simply up to Him.

Budget Blues

Yeah, I have the budget blues. I really don't like budgeting. It's such a necessary evil and one I'm afraid, I've never quite mastered. I've tried my own templates, my own Excel spreadsheets, other people's Excel sheets and formal methods such as MS Money and Quicken. None of which quite worked for me. Probably because since I don't like budgeting, I'm still awaiting a program that will simply read my mind, look at my bank account and input the data miraculously by itself. Any such product yet, computer genuises? No? Bummer.

So in the meantime, I'll try another program. This one is https://www.pearbudget.com/. I like it so far. Easy input. Simple directions. Clear (and yes, small) results. Meaning little money leftover. But hey...at least it is accurate and so far, it is up date.

What do you use for easy budgeting?

I'm a TEACHER?!?

So today I got to teach....a teacher....someone in charge of another person's formal education. Really? I mean, teaching is such a noble calling. And it was what I played as a little girl. I played teacher. I would sit in the old desk, you know the kind that had the seat and desk attached, with the wooden top that my big brother had carved his name in. I would organize my pencils, sharpened of course. I would stack my papers and search for the one red pen in the house so I could grade my work. I would make my brother call me Mrs. I loved playing teacher! And today I got to be a real teacher! Wow!

I've picked up some teaching at the hospital where I work, teaching nursing students about
mental health. Since I've been in the mental health field in some capacity for about 20 years now, it comes rather naturally. But I've never been an actual teacher. It is fun! And exciting and a bit daunting as well. I hope to be one of those teachers that someone talks about someday. I mean in a good way. Honestly, the whole reason I became a nurse was because my community college science teachers were women. And brilliant. And so inspiring! It was the first time in my life that I realized women could be smart and scientific and good teachers. Sadly, not a lot of smart inspiring female teachers in my tiny little high school that I remember. But these two women in my first college experience were fantastic. I hope I can be inspiring, at least mildly interesting and motivate students to want more. I think that it is the key in education. You may not learn it all but be inspired to learn as much as you can.

Oh the pressure.

Hope you aren't completely lost....

I'm taking another stab at keeping up with this blog thing....for friends, for family, for bored anonymous blog readers who have nothing else to do but read nonsense..... That would be this blog...a LOT of nonsense! No, really, I'm so very sorry for leaving for...jeez, like 6 months! I had no idea it had been that long, truly. I thought 4, maybe 5. But 6??!!! I'm suprised those at Blogger didn't just drop me off the face of the web!

So I'll take another stab at blogging because once I went back and read what I wrote, I really liked it. So I'll have at least one reader, I guess. Unless I make my SH read it...then we will be 2!!

Let me contemplate on a witty and interesting topic for tomorrow....hmmmm....homemade laundry soap? teaching preschoolers at home? making soup? What will it be???