‘I’m on food stamps. Don’t hate me for it.’ - Chicago Sun-Times

‘I’m on food stamps. Don’t hate me for it.’ - Chicago Sun-Times

Thanks Tom

   I want to publicly thank Tom, though I doubt he would find my blog. A fellow this morning had a stack of his "Free" coffee postcards from Starbucks and he gave me one. Normally, I would be in my Sign Language Class, but I have a doctor's excuse.

    I don't think I have had a doctor's excuse in 40 years. I got an infection that makes it difficult to set down for long periods of time and this is the "grand-daddy" of infections according to one of the veteran Doctor's aids at my Clinic. 

    So, what do you do when you can't sit, have to pick you son up in an hour and it is 15 miles home? Go to Starbucks and sit on your own blanket in the chase-lounge, of course. To make it all the sweeter I am drinking my "Free" ice coffee thanks to Tom.

    No one know the wiser. It is a relaxing place with nice musik.  In the 80's when I was living in the L.A./ Orange County area and had the opportunity to use an elevator this was "musik". 

    The doctor ordered rest and a number of creams and pills. That's funny. Rest, I will try. I also was asked about my diet. Avoid white bread, bear and wine. I  don't eat wheat and haven't had alcohol for  a  while. I did get dehydrated on Saturday and had a "natural" sugared drink. That  drink along stress and change of season to "WHAM".

    I have been on a gluten free diet for the past few years. That helped a lot. I avoid sugar for a while, but chocolate called me down the path or over weight and waiting for the right day for an explosion.

So, for now I am on a yeast free diet. That is no sugar, no fruit until the infection is gone or even high- glycemic foods. I will be losing weight without trying, but I didn't want a cold turkey situation.

     When the rash is gone, I will start with the low glycemic fruits like: apples, strawberries and cherries and will be able to add exercise to the equation. For now the fruit is like nice smelling candles, "I like them but I wont eat them". Two nights ago a friend of my daughter who works at a bakery stopped by with fresh Cinnamon rolls. Again, I can smell them, but not eat them.

     I needed to go back to the other diet. It is healthier and I will remember for a long time the price it cost me. Meanwhile, I count my blessings. The infection is better, except on my fingers (what's up with that) and I have a free ice decaf, with sugar-free peppermint. Thanks again Tom.

Spring is Finally Here

    The rain and wind has gone for a few days and we have been feeling Spring. My iris have not yet bloomed, but my friend who took some of my bulbs a few years ago has beautiful "purple flags." These iris are very special to me, because I got them while tending the garden of my dear friend, Earlene. For about 10 years I was: "Deena's Overall Cleaning and Garden Service". Earlene was one of my first and last clients. She has gone home to be with the Lord, but  she left big mark in my heart.
     I had the pleasure of being in the dressing room before heaven of a wonderful group of people. I liked to picture it as the place in a fancy hotel were the maid hands you a towel before returning to the dinning room. I only went to one of those kind of places once, but I often felt that I was allowed that kind of personal service to my clientele. They came to me from all walks of life: Earlene had worked in Kraft's factor, she would say, "You know, like the Mac n' Cheese" and as a secretary for a union. My last two clients were a retired teacher and a housewife who was born in a Basque sheep herding family. All my ladies were in there 80's and 90's when I released them to heaven or a nursing  home.
     That was one of the reasons I returned to school to get a degree and start my own career. Up to that time being a momie was good enough, but as my children were well into their teens, I knew it was time to prepare for the next career. Our oldest daughter is 21 today, the next daughter turned 19 in March, daughter number 3 is 17 and my son will be 16  May 5th.
       All my children are reasonable, polite, resourceful and believe in serving their community to make the world a better place. That was my goal as a parent to bring them up with this in mind and there is no disappointment in my heart. I am by no means a perfect parent. I don't think there is a perfect parent. We each have our weaknesses and strengths.
       Now my degree hangs on the wall and I am enjoying my first internship with GIS. This last weekend I was involved with a geo-chasing event at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA.
The weather was perfect and we had a variety of ages participate. A week ago Friday we went around the park setting points for the GPS units. On Saturday I deposited plastic eggs at the spots with a clue inside. When all 7 clues were put together it spelled out: "Happy 15th Birthday Paul Bunyan Forest Camp".  What fun!
     A group of  Girl Scouts were one of the first to complete the hunt. It was exciting that they were completing their GPS badge. Turtle Bay works with the local girl scout to help them with various badges. This was the first GPS badge to we awarded from one of our GPS geochasing days.

   In two weeks I get to go to the CA Geographical Society Conference in Davis. This will be my first big event to see lots of GIS people together.
    Back to the now and here. I wont hang up the "mommie hat" for another few years, so I need to put some clothes on the line and enjoy some wonderful spring air.

Shalom,
~GIS εїз

5 weeks 5 disciplines

      Today I ran across this site through Proverbs 31 ministries. The rain outside doesn't seem to be giving up for me to walk without getting wet, so here is my answer to the challenge.

    The 5 areas of Discipline 

Mind : Remind myself daily

 " If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
(James 1:5 ESV)

Body :

  "... for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
(2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)

 Spirit  :

     But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
(Luke 18:27 ESV)

Work :

  " She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."
(Proverbs 31:26 ESV)


 Time :

   " And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
    (Romans 8:28 ESV)

My goal for this week is to memorize all these verses with the references. I know a lot of verses, but the "address" are a challenge. I printed up a great plan from Cortney's blog. I will be working out how to implement the plan and for today....I will go walking in the rain.

♫  Singin' and walkin' in the rain.♫

Shalom,

 GIS  εїз

Green Pastures

    The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
        He makes me lie down in green pastures.
    He leads me beside still waters.
        He restores my soul.
    He leads me in paths of righteousness
        for his name's sake.
    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
        your rod and your staff,
        they comfort me.
    You prepare a table before me
        in the presence of my enemies;
    you anoint my head with oil;
        my cup overflows.
    Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
        all the days of my life,
    and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
        forever.
(Psalm 23 ESV)

      My youngest daughter (on the left) is our photographer. After looking at our Easter photos I was told over and over, "It is so green there". "We live in  a tin can in an irrigated pasture", is my response.
        Psalm 23 has meant different things to me at different times of life. As a small child I memorized the passage to help myself sleep when I was frightened. In my early teens I remember reciting it as I walked to church. It was only less than a 1/2 mile, but in the frozen fog one night I remember especially the peace I had walking in the quiet of the fog on a Sunday evening. (I looked like a snow princess when I got there as my long blond hair for covered in hoarfrost.)
         In recent years I have lived in a Pasture by still waters. I haven't looked at it quit that way, but now I see that He has restored my soul. Often I did feel I was in the shadow of death and with His help I feared no evil. As I close this blog post I will ask that goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Shalom,

 GIS εїз

 

It is finished.

"Finished" is my favorite ASL sign, favorite word, favorite favorite!  

     ^{After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
(John 19:28-30 ESV)}


END OF ACT 1


                                                   Three days later.

           ^{Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
   
(John 20:15-16 ESV)}
   
       


That was just the beginning of  Act 2 I suggest you read on for yourself.


And...by the way I finished that counted cross stitch project.

Shalom ~ Happy Passion Week and may you have a bless Resurrection Sunday.


GIS εїз

“…with God.” ~ Matthew 19:26

I wish I had a quarter for every time someone asked me, “What is GIS?” Geographical Information Systems is basically making maps with information collected to provide a service. It is much more than that, but that is the basic use. The service could be trails, a system of maintenance for trees on a campus, or providing marketing information for a possible new location of a supermarket, the purposes are unending in the civilian world as well as the military. The part that makes this different from just making a map is that there are attributes with the maps that can be keyed in to: created, review, updated, and a number of other possibilities.The greatest part is that these maps are changeable and can even be 3D and time lapsed.
      This last week I have been working on a class assignment that involved 3 D images and raster layers that are comprised of cell data. 
       Last night I worked on the project and told myself to put it on a mental shelf and get back to it after I had more information from my instructor. I took out my counted cross stitch and worked on that until I was ready to fall asleep.

      My mind obviously was not finished trying to solve the GIS puzzles. In a dream I was working on my GIS project again. But in the dream... I had my base-map of the aerial view of our house, a building shape file for the house and pump house, another vector file with the entire yard of wild violets in the lawn (basically a page of dots) and I was working on the project of how to map the need of fixing a bad spot in the lawn caused by a dead carcass.  A little disturbing to say the least. I was so glad to look out the back door and only see overgrown grass.

I told the instructor today that everyone should be required to do a counted cross stitch in the g
class to work out their projects when the computers is being gluggish.   I’m not sure the spelling of that but it is when you want to fix it with a hammer.

      So, I got the new instructions to go through tomorrow. I am almost finished with this beginner project  in counted-cross stitch so that I can submit my intermediate project for the sisterhood  of farm girls badge. I was submitting my bird picture as an intermediate badge, but I needed a beginning project. It has been nice to have a simple project.

                                            

    But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 
(Matthew 19:26 ESV)