Just Checking In

I've not been blogging much lately...really not a whole lot going on. Today I'm waiting on a phone call telling me that the bus my oldest son's on will be pulling into the h.s. soon and I can go pick him up. He's been at camp all week and I'll tell you something, I don't believe I'll be sending any one of my kiddies there anymore. I've not been able to call him all week (they said the kids could not receive or send phone calls from home) so I cannot ask him how's his day going, is he okay. I cannot find out if he's okay or if he's having a really horrible time. I could of wrote but it's only 6 days and by the time I got the letter out and he received it, it would of been time for him to go home anyway. I just do not like not being able to reach my kids by phone...it's too much stress on me worrying about them day and night. My other two boys are at my mom's and I can call them everyday, if I don't my hubby does so we know what they are up to. Plus they're with people I know, not complete strangers. So no more going away to summer camp for my kiddies. Not until they graduate from h.s. and are mature enough to take care of themselves. I know the whole point of their childhood is for them to grow up and away from me, but I'm not about to shove them out the door (not unless they are over twenty, out of college and still mooching on their dad and I then they get the boot). As their mom I have the right to smother them and keep them as close to me as possible until they are old enough to whack me upside the head and tell me to let them up for air they are ready to go.
I'm still waiting on a letter from Baptist College of Health Sciences...they said they were sending them out this week. Well, it's Saturday dammit where's mine. I'm hoping and wishing I get a good letter. I'm telling everyone I know to be thinking of me that I get in (that includes everyone reading this blog ;) . I'll be a good nurse, I just have to get through college. To do that I have to get accepted into a nursing program.
Let's see what else...I've not rode my bike to work yet. I still need more practice riding time to strengthen my legs and learn to use the gears to my advantage when going up hills. I figure when I can make it to the top of my driveway with out having to get off and push the bike the last couple of feet then I'll be good to go. I have a fairly steep driveway and if I can do that I can make the hills on the highway 'cause they have more of a slope to them. I need to get confident enough to coast down my driveway without using the brakes without feeling like I'm going to crash, lol. If my kiddies and the neighborhood kids can do it then I should be able to. But then again I'm not a reckless, living-only-for-myself, child anymore (I shudder at the thought of things I did as a kid...I'm lucky to of made it to adulthood). I know if I fall off my bike it's going to hurt and I don't like to hurt. My excuse is my bike is taller then theirs and I've got father to fall so I ride my brakes going down hill even though I should be OK if I let them up 'cause the smaller hill at the bottom of my driveway will slow me down before I reach the street. I'll get there I'm nothing if not stubborn and I've got to prove to hubby I can do this. He's already thinking my bike is something I bought that I'll never really use (kinda like the home gym that's in pieces in the closet we bought last year, but if he would just help me get it put together it would get used but nooo I've got to do it all by myself...makes me feel like the hen in The Little Red Hen).
I guess that's about it up till now so I wish everyone reading this a blessed weekend.

Analyze This...

I got this from Queenie and thought it was pretty close. You can take the quiz HERE if ya want to.

Personality Type Report for Jackie

Your Personality Preferences:

INTROVERT While you may not be anti-social, you do need (and deserve) your private time and space to retreat from the world. Unlike extroverts, you need to develop a concept of the world or some aspect of it before experiencing it. Too much socializing may sap your energies. Your energies are derived from exploring the inner world of ideas, impressions and pure thought.

INTUITIVE While you do process information through your senses you add a twist to your processing by relying on intuition and serendipity. You look for undercurrents of meaning and abstractions in what you experience physically. You do not just see things just as they are, but as what they could be. While you may rely on common sense at times, you trust inspiration far more.

JUDGING/ PERCEIVING You appear to be an equal mix of both judging and perceiving types. This may cause you some conflict at times. On the other hand the balance of the two may work just fine for you. There is certainly nothing wrong with having a fair share of both types if you are happy. Below you will find descriptions of both types.

JUDGING You like decisions to be made as soon as possible. You are not comfortable with loose ends and like to see conflicts resolved as soon as possible. You have a preference for a well-structured, orderly lifestyle with few surprises. It may not be all that important who makes the decisions that gets things done as long things do get done. You take commitments very seriously.

PERCEIVING You like to have as much information as possible before making a decision. Putting off a final decision until the last moment does not make you uncomfortable. Indeed once a decision is made, a course plotted, you may feel a bit uneasy, because you feel bound to a certain course of action. You would much prefer to wait and see what happens. You enjoy the opportunity to improvise. Commitments are not etched in stone to you, and are changeable.

FEELING You make decisions subjectively based upon your values and what is important to you. How people will be affected by your decisions is important to you. You are likely to make decisions based upon what you feel is acceptable and agreeable rather than what is logical. Your truths are founded in your values and those of the society you live in. It is important to remember that we are discussing how you evaluate data and make decisions, and that you rely on your feelings to do so in no way implies you are overly emotional.

Your Personality Type

Your personality preferences suggest you may be one of two personality types, so both these types are listed below.
Introvert/Intuitive/Feeling/Perceiving
You are devoted and compassionate. You have a well-developed distaste for rules, orders and schedules. You are a natural born learner and can get so absorbed in your projects that you forget those around you. You are passionate about your beliefs and love ideals. You have very high standards for yourself. You are very creative, sensitive, reserved, and introspective. You respect the values of others and expect them to respect yours.
In relationships you are loyal and totally committed. You prefer a few deep relationships over a horde of acquaintances. Because you are somewhat reserved, you do best in one on one and small group situations. When you feel comfortable, you can be very entertaining and capricious. You are nurturing and supportive by nature. You greatest social challenge is to balance your need to withdraw into your inner-world with your need to keep a strong connection with those you care for. .
Famous People of Your Type:
Homer, Virgil, Mary, mother of Jesus, St. John, St. Luke, William Shakespeare, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A. A. Milne, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Helen Keller, Carl Rogers, Fred Rogers, Dick Clark, Donna Reed, Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, Neil Diamond, Tom Brokaw, James Herriot, Annie Dillard, James Taylor, Julia Roberts, Scott Bakula, John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Occupations Suited to Your Type Include:
Actor, architect, artist, composer, editor, translator, journalist, librarian, musician, occupational therapist, psychotherapist, educator, researcher, scientist, and writer

I got me some new wheels

I found a pretty blue mountain bike at the flea market for 60.00. It's a Mongoose and has only been road a couple times. It's probably a little big for me but I think I can get used to it. Never thought I would be so nervous getting on a bike though. I was attached at the hip to one growing up then hit those teenage years where it quit being cool. Hubby's not so sure about me riding it on the streets, but I'll have to show him I can do it. He's trying to convince me that your suppose to ride the wrong way on traffic but I'll have to teach him otherwise. I'll post pictures of it later.

Tupperware

Okay I don't like to do too many posts advertising stuff, but I really really need to make some Tupperware sales this month so I can remain an active consultant. So I'll post some of our items for sale here and if you see anything you like just go to my site at http://www.my2.tupperware.com/jackiefrench and find it or email me at jackiefrench(at)my2.tupperware(dot)com with the product discreption and/or order number and I'll order it for you. I will except paypal if you don't have a credit card or just prefer to use paypal to pay for stuff online. Well anyway here's this weeks/month's specials:

a Heat ’N Serve™Square Round 3 Pc. Set
Maximize fridge and freezer space with modular, microwaveready
containers. Automatic valve enables steam to escape
while reheating; center hub eliminates over-heated edges and
under-heated centers.
Includes two 2-Cup/60 mL Containers
and one 5-Cup/1.1 L Container.
Retail Value: $44.50 Save 65%
With every $100 purchase: $15.50
889104



Tupperware® Impressions 14 Pc. Set
Make a lasting impression with your guests.Includes
Tupperware® Impressions 10-cup/2.5 L Bowl, 18-cup/
4.2 L Bowl, four 10-oz./350 mL Impressions Mugs, four
3½-cup/830 mL Square-A-Way® Containers with handle (not
shown), Tupperware® Impressions 1-Gallon/3.8 L Pitcher and
Small Hourglass Salt & Pepper Shakers. Note: Colors may vary.
Retail Value: $118 Save 50% $59.00
89106


Summer 10 Pc. Set
Perfect for picnics. Includes 2 Square-A-Way® Containers,
4 Large Duo Bowls, FlatOut™8-Cup/2L Container,
2 Rectangular Keepers and a Fix-N-Mix® Bowl.
Retail Value: $114 Save 50% $57.00
89108


Modular Mates® 10 Pc. Set
Solve your kitchen storage challenges with this value-priced,
10-pc. collection. Includes Oval 1, 3 & 4 with three Oval Pour-
All Seals; three Mini Rectangular 1s, one Mini Rectangular 2;
and two Square 2 with one Square 4. Choice of Brilliant Blue
or Passion seals.
Retail Value: $122.50 Save 40%
89110 Brilliant Blue seals $73.50
89109 Passion seals $73.50



FridgeSmart® 8 Pc. Tower
Extend the life of fruits and vegetables. Includes two each of
the Mini, Small and Medium FridgeSmart® Containers, plus a
Medium Long and a Medium Deep container.
Retail Value: $115.50 Save 50% $57.75
89107


14 Pc. Refrigerator Storage Bowl Set
Bowls feature large, tapered handles and virtually liquid-tight,
One-Touch® Seals that close with a simple push. Includes four
2-cup (16 oz./470 mL; four 3¼-cup (26 oz.)/750 mL; two
6½-cup (52 oz.)1.5 L; two 10-cup/2.3 L; and two 13-cup/3 L
Serving Bowls. Retail Value: $128 Save 40% $76.50
89105



For more sales you can visit my Tupperware website (link is on the right side and in this post). There are online only specials that are listed there and many other items as well.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

I almost had a bike...well I'm not real sure how almost I was since the person selling the bike said they had, had a lot of emails on it. It was a hybrid for only 55.00. Well the money I was going to use I had to use for an unexpected bill so I have to wait 10 days till my next payday to get it. This lovely person said that they were cleaning out their bike garage (so to speak) and getting rid of the bikes they no longer use and they would email me when they came across a similar bike before they list it on Craigslist. So hopefully I'll get a great bike at a great price and be on the road soon.

Wordless Wednesday

This is what I followed part of the way home the other day. Scary.

To see more Wordless Wednesdays go here

I'm seriously thinking about...

...buying a bicycle and riding it to work. Okay so I won't be riding much this or next month, maybe on weekends when Hubby is home to watch the kids. I just don't see me taking 4 kiddies to the daycare all of us riding bikes for 4.5 miles. That's too scary of an idea for my little brain to wrap around. I am thinking about getting one to ride the approx. 5 miles to my place of employement. It's a fairly flat area (the worst hills I have to ride on are on my own driveway). It's a four lane road (two on each side with a big meridian in the middle). Most of it is a 45mph zone (okay so everyone drives about 60mph but there are wide shoulders on each side of the road). Occasionally you do see someone else riding a bike or running so it's not like the motorists have never seen someone on the shoulders. I only have two intersections to worry about. One is a busy 4-way intersection. The other I just have to cross a street that's not too, too busy and then I'm in the parking lot of the nursing home I work at. I've been reading online and it seems a lot of people do ride a 5mile commute. It should take anywhere from 15-45minutes depending on traffic and personal strength. For me, at first anyways, it'll probably take around 30 minutes.
Only cons I can think of are: High traffic on the highway to the street I work; Stupid drivers; Chance of being sweaty and tired when I get to work.
Really that's it. There are more pros: I'll be in great shape fairly quickly; Gas is 3.77-3.81 a gallon and rising. Not getting caught behind slow motorists; Being able to go and ride bikes with the kids on days off. contributing to the good health of others(if I start riding a bike it may start a trend around here, a lot of people walk short distances to work, not so many ride bikes).

The cons I can work with I just follow traffic safety rules and should have little or no problems there. Get me a small backpack to carry a change of clothes in and some wipies and I can be refreshed enough to work. I can't do anything about stupid drivers except to watch out for them, I do that anyway when driving. I think I'll do this, I'll buy a decent bike (and a helmet) in a few weeks and at least make trial runs to see how long it takes me to get there. I'm bound to get a lot of questions from friends, neighbors and coworkers. With gas prices they are bound to agree.

Happy Birthday Little Man

I want to call you my baby boy, even though you haven't been a baby for a while and you probably would get upset if I did. 7 years ago today I went in to the hospital to be induced and introduced to you. 7 years ago tomorrow when we were getting ready to go home I would be told that there was a problem and we had to wait for the pediatric cardiologist to come in. You had two holes in your heart. The next week you developed jaundice and had to be taken in every day to the pediatrician's office to heel sticks...for the longest time you wouldn't let anyone touch your feet, poor little guy. Jaundice cleared up after I had to quit breastfeeding you for 24 hours(not much makes you feel worse then hearing that it may be your milk making your baby sick). Then thrush. Your first few weeks just wasn't the easiest for you. The jaundice and thrush cleared up and by the time you were 6 month's old, the holes in your heart had healed and you were chubby and happy and smiling you would of never known you had anything wrong in the first place.
Love you son, now you and your brother's and sister can quit getting older any day now.

Wordless Wednesday

MMMMM...nothing like the smell of bread dough.
I'm trying out the master recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (http://www.artisaninfiveminutes.com). Top picture is my big o container of bread dough, the second very blurry picture is inside the container. It has that yummy bread smell to it. I can't wait to bake some I'll show pictures later of the finished product.

***EDITED TO ADD NEW PIC****