Maybe a change of pace???

When if graduated high school, I started out at a Tech school about 30 miles from my home.  College life for me wasn't what it was for others.  I worked around my school schedule...so if my classes were on M W F..then I worked T and Th 8-5, if my classes were on Tu and Th then I worked M W F 8-5.  I guess that's a pretty normal schedule...but throw in the weekend shift at a weaving mill (2 twelve hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday, but you get paid for 36 hours) and dance competitions and that was my schedule.  I didn't want to quit dance, because my goal was to be a dance teacher.  So I had to pay for dance, my car, costumes and anything else that came along.  Plus my brother was in school too...he went off to school... so it was hard for my mom.  She was a single mom, and now that we both graduated the same year child support stopped. 

Anyway, college, work and dance proved to be too much for me.  So I quit and got married. I continued to teach dance on a part time basis for a while, then I got a job teaching that paid a lot more with more hours.  So when I was expecting Cam I was working my "real" job at a CPA firm as a bookkeeper from 8-2:30, and teaching dance from 3:30-7:30.  Once Cam arrived I quit my "real" job and kept teaching dance.  I made more money there anyway. 

Right after Cam's first birthday I decided to open my own dance studio and go back to school.  I was going to finish up the accounting program.  Being a single mom, I couldn't afford daycare so I was trying to do the classes online with a toddler running around the house.  That didn't work either, still I felt like a quitter.  Three years ago I decided to try again.  Lets try one more time to finish up this degree.  I shouldn't have that much more to do....

Well I started back to classes in June of 2008, started working where I am now at a CPA firm, and was thinking I can do this.  I sat down with an advisor and she told me the classes that I needed to take and it would take me 1 year to complete the courses for my associates degree...and I would be able to transfer to a 4 year school and keep going for my bachelors degree.   About half way through I thought...I've taken this class before.  Sure enough of the 4 classes that I was in I had taken 3 of them.  I was so disappointed.  But I had to finish because if I withdrew at that point I would have a lower grade.  My grandmother got sick that next semester.  So at that point I was working full time, taking a full load of classes and helping to care for my grandmother.  The next semester she passed away, again I was taking a full load of classes and her sister fell ill.  Again I found myself working full time, taking a full load of classes and taking care of my great aunt.  The classes this time were much harder and now I have to retake 2 of them :(  very disappointing.  After 4 semesters of taking a full load of classes, working and taking care of ill family members I had to quit.  I was exhausted.  Mentally &  physically exhausted and I needed some time with my husband and child.

I went the other day (now that it seems everyone is healthy) to see what I need to do to finish up, this is what i found out....I have another year and a half of classes before finishing my associates degree.  The first advisor was wrong, had me in classes that I didn't need...then had me in classes that wasn't required...I'm frustrated to say the least.  I waisted a whole year and a half of classes.... I did find out that I can switch my major to nursing, take 4 classes and enter into the nursing program and be completely finished in a year from the time I enter the program in August.  I will be an LPN at the completion of the course.  The only problem is that the program is so rigorous that it's almost impossible to work during the week while in the program.  To make this work it will definitely need to be His plan.  He will have to make some things just fall right into place to work it out for me.

I have been feeling the urge to do something in this line since the accident.  Not long after that accident there was another accident that I witnessed when a man was ran over by a truck, the second guy survived.  I started thinking, maybe I should do something where I can help others...I wanted to help so badly but I just didn't know what to do other than call 911.

So I am praying on it.  If it is meant to be, then He will make it possible.  If you have time, please pray on this with me. 
I guess I'm feeling lost because here I am just a couple of weeks before my birthday.  I am in a job where I will never make more than I do now, I will never have insurance, never have benefits and there is no growth here.  This is as far as I go.  When I look for jobs, they don't pay much for college drop outs....  I guess I'm feeling sorry for myself and feeling like a real looser right now :(  Don't worry I bounce back quickly..but it really motivates me to do SOMETHING about my situation.  I would like to think that at some point in my life I will be financially secure, you know, not sweat thinking how can we make it to Friday (when I get paid).  Am I always going to be the receptionist/bookkeeper making well...not much.  Seriously, what if something happened to my husband..Cam and I would never survive on my salary alone.  Not that I think something will happen, but we are never guaranteed tomorrow.


Well thanks for checking in today and listening to my rambling, and thanks for praying over this with me.

Horse 101- Part 2.....How (not) to Catch a Horse

Okay so yesterday I told you how (not) to catch a horse.

Today I want to follow up so you know that I have a sweet girl at home :)

Last night I was waiting on Cameron to get out of baseball practice, I thought we would be finished around 6:30 since that's when they have been ending up each and every other night.  When I got home from work I was thinking that it was too early to feed Honey, so I thought we would wait until after practice.  It stays day light longer now, and Cameron could help...right???  WRONG.  At 7:45 (when I should have left for dance class at 7:30) I called Wes to come to practice and wait the rest of the time on Cam since I had to leave.  I ran home thinking great...now i have to chase her down and bring her over to feed her before I leave and I will never make it before class is over :(  sigh  Oh well..she has to eat.

So I start to whistle (the "it's time to eat" whistle) while I'm getting the food and feeder.  I look up and be still my heart.....here she come over the hill....I didn't even have to go into the pasture!!!  Yay!  I was still late to dance, but I did make it and i didn't have to run her down or even search for her!

I did have to go find her this morning, but she wasn't far and when she heard me whistle she started walking my way!  Progress...sweet progress!

Horse Lesson 101: How (not) to catch a horse....

Well, I would like to announce that we are now the proud owners of Honey...

A very beautiful, Tennessee Walking horse.   Cam is in the orange sweat shirt..riding Honey.

We actually bought Honey a while back, but waited until now to bring her home.  She started out on a farm with about 8 acres of pasture....we have about between 60-70.  In our pasture Honey tends to go to the very FAR side of the property where there is a smaller section that is separated by woods from the rest of the pasture.  I'm not sure why she "hangs out" over there, but I'm not feeding her there.  So I have to walk to the other side of the property, and try and catch her.

Well....she didn't want me to.  She is bigger than me, and moves much faster than me...needless to say I didn't catch her for quite some time.  I actually gave up and left, then came back. 

So I though that mabye you would let me tell you how NOT to catch a horse...since I can't exactly tell you how TO catch a horse...

Kelly's Guide to (Not) Catching a Horse:

1.  You don't just walk up without some sort of food or treat in your hand.  You must have something that makes them want to come to you.

2. If you have a treat, you don't hold the treat in one hand and the lead rope in the other, you also don't hang the lead line around your neck/shoulders where the horse can see it.

3. When giving said treat you don't try to grab the halter with the hand that is holding the lead rope.

If you do these things you WILL be following a horse up and down a hill that my son has always called "The Mountain" for no less than an hour, and your butt and thighs (although they need the workout) will hurt for at least a day or two...

What I learned

What I did figure out though is this:  When I spot her, I drop the lead rope at my feet and hold out the treat and walk up.  Then I give her the treat and grab the halter.  Then I walk her to the lead rope and pick it up and bring her home....where I feed her the grain/oats (whatever it's called)...  :)

This morning before work, I walked over, got her, brought her home and fed her before leaving to take Cam to school....We even got there early for a change :)

Y'all have a good day now.  If any of you horse people want to lend some advice to us beginners please feel free to do so!

School...

It seems like all I do these days is complain about school.  From the moment Cam gets home he is calling me...the teacher this, the teacher that, blah blah blah blah.


I truly feel like his education is not where it should be.  I'm not saying that he is dumb, I"m saying that I don't feel like the school is teaching the kids.  I feel like they are only concerned with MAP testing.  That's it. It really does seem like they only teach for the MAP test, which is the standardized test that we use here in SC.  I'm tired of feeling like he's not learning anything.  I'm tired of hearing how his class is always in trouble.  I'm sick and tired of hearing the complaints...not to mention that he is barely skirting by....this is odd for him.  He's usually a pretty good student and it just amazes me that he can go from being a fairly decent student to failing.  He brings nothing home, he does no homework and now here I am fussing about school again.

Not to mention, it gets old hearing your child come home everyday from school complaining that again he's been in trouble, not individually, but as a group the class is in trouble.  I dont' think it is fair that they are punished as a whole when all of them are not misbehaving.  Yesterday his complaint was that they were not able to go outside because of the rain, so they went into the gym.  In the gym, they were playing tag and the same teacher that he complains about everyday was the one over the prime time.  She got on the loud speaker and said "Y'all are fool, just fools" and took the rest of the prime time.  Now I'm going to assume that they were being too loud...I understand that....but really??? No warning, nothing...just call them fools and set them down?

I'm sick of it.  I really wish I were in a position that I could home school him.  At least then I would know what he is/is not doing and I would know what is going on.  I found out that the prison system is modeled after the school, honestly I don't think that says much for the school.  I mean, these kids have not broken the law...they are not criminals.  Am I the only one that sees a problem with this???? Really???

Now that I'm not so angry...

I hope you forgive me for my rant. I had just found out that my mother and step father was scammed and I was furious! I truly hope that God lays a very heavy burden on this man’s heart...



There is never a reason for stealing. NEVER. We have all come on hard times, but I am less likely to believe that his problem is hard times. I'm more likely to believe that he takes advantage of people like my parents, and sits on his lazy bum and laughs about it.



On a better note:

I'm really excited to say that my venture with Thirty One is taking off pretty good. I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon, but I'm making enough in extra cash to pay for dance and costumes. I had a party last weekend and one this weekend, and hopefully I will have one the weekend after next too! I really like making extra money! My director (she just promoted) is about to quit her job! She's a CPA and she is leaving the CPA business to do Thirty One full time....I guess that says a lot for what she is making with Thirty One!


I'm really excited about something else too..... Dance competition is coming up. We were supposed to start this weekend, and then we cancelled two, now the 3rd was cancelled. We are definitely starting in April, and I can't even begin to say how exciting that is. I have not competed in dance in 17 years!!!!! I'm really excited! I can't help how excited I am...

I hope you enjoyed my randomness today!!!   Anyway have a happy Monday!

I'm Just Sayin'

 I'm joining up with Amber today to release some of my frustrations, on a couple of people that have really irritated me this week. 

To the person that works for the store that houses Western Union it is a very sad thing that you don't know the difference between Seattle, Washington and Washington DC.  You are probably one of the many people that skipped high school because you were "too cool" , and now you sit around talking about how unfair it is that so-n-so makes more money than you......I'm just sayin'



To the JERK in Seattle Washington  (the state, not where the president lives) that was "selling a car" to my mom, and having it brought here.  Yea she should have known better.  What makes you think that you should have money that you did nothing for?  Why is it that you think it's okay to take from someone that has worked their whole life so that they can afford things??? What have you done in your life?

     *I hope that bad luck follows your sorry ass butt everywhere you go.

     *I hope that what ever you buy with that money brings you great misfortune.
 
     *I hope every electronic device you own breaks

     *I hope your car never starts again, and

     *I hope that every vehicle you buy from here on out is a POS!!!

 You Mr. Scammer are a piece of trash that good air is waisted on......I'm just sayin'