Still Learning!

How I am feeling at the moment!

Here are some things I have learned this week:

1. Although it is nice to have some quiet time, I do miss Jim and wish he'd hurry home.

2. Even though you have paid into Medicare your whole life.....when you reach 65 and become eligible you still have to pay for it every month and it is not cheap. Really? Am I the only one that did not know this? I guess I never really thought about it. I am glad I got a few years notice before the bill rolls in.

3. Oh, and while I was getting educated about Medicare, I also learned that in 2013 we will all start paying taxes to cover the new Health Care Bill. Just what we need a few more people to support. Is it a coincidence that this is the year following the Presidential Election? I think not...
(You probably all knew this already, but I purposely try to avoid most current events. I don't watch TV, sooooo I am often the last to be in the know. I do read the news on the internet, but I am selective. Call me crazy, but I think it helps me stay a little more sane really. I don't like the sensationalism of the media, mostly.

4. I learned that Laura and Robert's garbage issues in Italy are almost evenly matched with the garbage issues in RI. You are allowed six tall kitchen bags of garbage per week, period. The Good Will and other charity shops will not let you donate anything on site. They come to your home and take only what they want. You cannot have a garage sale without a permit. Welcome back to America, kids!

5. In our state one man can over turn legal changes to the constitution made by voters in an election. I have been reading too much about WW2 over the past year for that not to scare the pants off me.

6. We have a son-in-law, Lowell, that turned 40 today and I still think of them as kids. But I kinda love that they are coming over to our side of the hill, don't you? He has reached that point where the old people start looking younger and younger. It is also when you start feeling less and less secure as all the cops and doctors look 12.

7. You can be fine one day and in surgery for a brain tumor the next. That happened to my friend, Carol Nielsen, yesterday. Tumor out, size of an orange, awaiting lab results. Through God's grace prayers were answered.

8. Never even think that you are almost done with your work...someone will ask you to teach a lesson on Sunday with two days notice! And I am singing that song..."Because I have been given much, I too must give"...and I am happy to do it!

9. Panhandlers get up early. I went to the store for Jim on Saturday morning for a couple of things @ 7:00 am and there they were...targeting me. Do I have a big sign on me somewhere?

10. I must be a full-fledged adult now because in spite of a bad hair cut and color and I still love my hair stylist and I didn't cry or get mad! My hair never comes out the same twice anyway, but never have I gotten a bad cut and a bad color at the same time. Yikes. But it is just hair and it will grow and that is a far cry from the way I would have reacted when I wasn't a grown-up.

11. It is a good idea to check on your monthly bills occasionally to see if you can get better rates, etc. I did this at the beginning of the week and saved $600.00 on car insurance, got a $100.00 refund from our cell phone company who had been charging us for our daily horoscope reports since last November. I don't do horoscopes and I never ordered it...whoops. They wanted to refund me for two months but a little persistence got the entire refund.

12. Once again, I have learned that you must be an expert in every field to protect yourself and advocate for yourself because no on else is going to actually try to save you money while trying to take your money.

13. The only peace we can really have is in our God, our values and standards, and our beloved family and friends. Therein lies our Title of Liberty.

14. I cannot stand blog posts with no photos (coming out of my house) so here are some pretty flowers to balance all this out a little.

Ahhh, God's beautiful handiwork
always eases the ruffled features!

15. You have to write something like this when you are in the house by yourself for days on end with no one to listen to your belly aching! Sorry, love you...Bye!