Happy New Year 2020

This happened in 2019. I learned that there is a camera and speaker on my laptop and that I could make a video without my phone. When I ordered my laptop I had requested that the camera not be installed. That did not mean that it wasn't there all along, just wasn't turned on until I started my Simpson University Orientation. This orientation took me over 15 hours to complete. Along with a video of myself discussing me, a spreadsheet with every hour marked from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m./ 7 days a week "in color", a 500 word essay on why I wanted to be in the program and another 2 page essay on what I expected to get out of the program; I had to comment on other peoples submissions and learn the ins and out of the online experience.

I'll be looking back on this post in a year to see how I did. My goal in 2020 is to continue working 40 plus hours a week and go to school with 12 units per trimesters, which will end in December 2020. My outcome will be a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies so that I can get a higher paying job in the school system.  I thirst for information to be better as an educator. Currently as a classified employee of 5 years I make just a little more than minimum wage in California.
As a three year employee of Pier 1 I just got a raise so that I will get minimum wage. Meanwhile, my rent is raised every year at least $50 a month. That alone is 30 cents a hour of a forty hour work week. Basically that would be a cost of living raise.

But Life Aint all That Bad

My Dad blessed me with a 2015 Toyota Camry this last week. My old Buick was leaking something awful and had not had A/C or heat for two years. The window went down and wouldn't go back up in November. She served me well for seven years and will be headed to the "Happy Scrap Yard" within the week. Thank you Cash for Clunkers.

In 2019 I was blessed with a Grandson in August. Judah Earnest is an amazing young man who already tips the scales at over 20 pounds.

He has two of the most adorable cousins on the planet. Ellie Anne was a year old in December and Emelia Claire is Three already!

Ellie loves her babies

Merry Christmas 2019

Emelia loves life and shopping

We had the usual 2 weeks off for school. My paychecks are averaged over the 12 months of the year, so that I always can pay my rent. Pier One Imports kept me out of trouble at least three shifts a week and I tried to attend a few extra church services in the holiday season. I especially loved the Christmas Eve service at St Luke's Anglican where I now attend. It was a simple service with 8 carols and 8 scripture readings. 

My sister from Georgia came to visit my Dad here in town from Dec. 10th to Dec 26th. She joined me for one of the morning prayers. Our oldest sister from Reno joined up for Christmas day and that was a special treat. It was hard to believe that we had not spent a Christmas together since 1975.

Cheri, Deena, Elaine and Ebony 1975

It has been a rough month and 1/2 for Dad as his wife of 33 years passed away in November. 2020 has a lot of new opportunities for him. He faithfully cared for her for many years. I pray God will bless him for that faithful service.

Dad watching his three daughters interacting 

The festival of lights as our LORD celebrated began on Dec. 21st this year, the day I got my new car. Each day I got a gift from someone who did not know that I was lighting the lights on my little menorah. The final day I completed putting the year of photo that Abbie sent me of the girls in a book for safe keeping.

Chanukah 2019

So much love in these pages

My final project of the year was to clear away the craft clutter and prepare my table for the new year. 

My Dad made this great little table

This drop leaf table will open twice this size or close down to just the width of the drawers. My Dad made it for my Step-mother's crafts and it is perfect for all my projects. The past month it has been a craft clutter as I sorted through some of the crafts from my Step-mom's caches and created my own designs, mostly from discarded items that I re-purposed. Now it is ready to be a place to eat and study. It appears from the spread sheet that will be a lot of my free time.

If you are reading this via my Facebook, thank you friend. I have uninstalled the app from my phone, but will be checking in a few times a week on my laptop. The messenger app is still my favorite way to communicate, so please keep me in touch. 2020 is going to go by very fast.

I can't believe that this is my 5th Christmas in The Nest. God has been so gracious to me these past years as I have learned to be alone. My children are all adults being productive in their own communities. I would be remiss not to add that my grandchildren are the most amazing children ever born. Now in 2020 Grammie hopes to make them all proud as I venture into a new chapter of life.

Blessings to you all in the new decade.

Shalom~