Trusting In …..

We live life sometimes feeling like we know exactly the next step. Our alarm clock will go off, we will get up, we brush our teeth, do whatever routine in the morning we do, and move to the next part of our day. However when the alarm clock does not go off, or there is no water pressure, or maybe we fall out of bed instead of getting up the usual way, well it kinda puts our synched life out of order.

We trust everything will go as planned, and yet there are the things that don’t.

It gets even trickier when we take the next step, drive the car, reach for something, heck even getting something from a cupboard. Everything we do we trust will end the same way.

Now we can try to protect ourselves from areas where things can’t go wrong, but we become people in bubbles. Less can go wrong, but things happen.

I was thinking about trust and faith to extend beyond the simpler bullet points of a day. I was reminded in my thoughts of this day, this fall day when this never could have been, had life been kept inside the bubble. I took this at an angle to show the freedom, the joy of the moment. Jeff trusted he would get caught, and he loved the feeling of freedom. The look on his face, the total relaxation of his body, he trusted thigs will be okay, and without that trust, the picture would have been totally different- it might have been a terrified face and fingers clutching so tight to the neck of his dad- like please don’t make me do this. But no– he totally trusted and because of that experienced something way out of the ordinary.

As we get older and heavier, that opportunity – that specific scenario – could not be, or would probably not end in a laugh. However, as we age, inventors have created ways to get that feeling and beyond. I takes a lot more effort from the person achieving the liftoff, however, it needs to be accompanied by trust. Trust that the winds are right, trust your legs are ready for a rather fast run, trust the equipment was not faulty. If however, you have the trust, that sense of freedom can be yours. This person was on an elevated area, beyond the takeoff area was an incredible valley, miles of land colored with the brilliance of fall.

Life has been full of trusting, we trust in relationships, we trust in our day to day activities, our jobs, our everything……and yes we also trust we will be cleaning the bruises- whether inside or outside, and some scars that show the roadmap of my life. I want to always feel that feeling that life is going to be okay, that feeling I get every time I remember that fall day with Jeff. I never ever want to stop trusting that even when things don’t go quite as planned, the trust and faith are so important.

Until later,  Mrs Justa alias Cindy

 

 

Another Year In The Rear View Mirror

Today marks yet another year of life. The moments are but footprints, soon to be washed away, yet leaving impressions in our memory banks. A year of hopefully some positive that happened, a year for some filled with one or more life-changing moments, and a year that some may want to run out of as quickly as possible.

I have a friend who married a man that is her soul mate. I mean to the max. The love you see in their eyes when she talks about him- about them- in their interactions captured on photos, it has been a truly blessed year for her.

I have a friend, she is a soulmate friend, we think alike, we just know when the other needs a call, a text, a visit, we say the same things, .. well she and her husband retired. They totally changed their living situation, sold a home, bought a place in Florida and have a permanent park setting on a lake in Upstate New York… Part of her time south, part up here. Oh, they had some major bumps along the journey, but all in all, looking at their smiles and stress-free facial expressions, it has been a good year for them.

Mark’s and my year, whoa, we look in the rearview mirror of that, and it has been full. We started the year with a 6-month mania for Mark, the incredible changes in our lives during that time and the challenges for him to face the 4 1/2 months of climbing out of depression. I experienced changing my department at work in August due to my place of employment being acquired by a very large company and learning oh so many new things. It is a good thing, just a big change. We spent some fun rewarding times with the grandkids and spent some great times with family. We helped Marks mom as she transitioned from an apartment to an Assisted Living Environment. Yes, it has been a year.

I think about life, each breath, each step, each second is like a snowflake. By itself, it may not mean much, but add them together and it creates memories, it creates opportunities. And as quickly as a snowflake can melt, so can the moment be gone. I look back on the year and think of all the things different, of the few more aches that might be there at times, and I wonder what lies ahead.

I long to treasure each moment, to look for the good in everything, and to be the best I can be.  I am thankful for what has been and what is yet to come. I realize that life is full of changes, of hurt and of happiness. I feel blessed that I am aware of the presence of those who have passed on still being here for me in their subtle ways. I feel thankful to have been blessed with my husband, our kids, and our grandkids. I am thankful for my siblings and all the members of our family, my friends, the church I attend and thankful for living my life in the comfort of God.

As I look ahead, I do not know what each day will bring, but each breath I take, each step I make will be with the intent to be the best I can be for that moment.  The saying “moss won’t grow on a rolling stone” will continue to be a reminder to keep moving…  So as I end this year with this post, I wish all have time to reflect, to look ahead. Happy New Year. Until next year, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

 

Do It Right

I am kind of amazed at the attitude of some businesses, some employees, some people who do just enough to let a person know they exist, but not enough to be done to the full need. There are plenty of people who do things well, that attitude is not gone, it is just frustrating when it is the other way.

Today it just happened to be a dealer for Honda. But it does not start and stop there. I am sure you have experienced the same thing more often than not. We received a notice in the mail stating we need to call our dealer. It seems our car has a defect within the software that can cause gas to go into the oil.

Now a couple weeks ago, we actually had the car there for an oil change early because the oil did not look right and smelled like gasoline. The service folks said it was nothing to worry about and our VIN number was not listed, so basically away with you.

Well, Honda sees it differently and wants us to be aware that we need to get the vehicle in for the repair. So Mark calls there this morning, he asks for service, he is put on hold for God knows how long by the receptionist, as jolly Christmas music plays in the background. When the service department never picks up, the receptionist comes back on and tells him the service department is very busy, and can’t answer the phone, someone will call back.

4 1/2 hours later, Mark calls back…. again jolly Christmas music, and no one answers, and the receptionist comes back on again to say the service department is very busy, and can’t answer the phone, someone will call back. Mark says- “You said that 4 1/2 hrs ago” . She apologized and said someone will call, that the phones are busy because people are calling back because no one has called them.

No one has called back yet. I think if the company cared about the customers, someone could at least return a call to help to get an appointment scheduled. Or just to give an update on when we might expect a callback. But no, nothing. And this is supposed to be ok?

It seems there is a thought process that some people have, that so much effort is good enough, but to put only part effort in, no matter what it is, is not something to be proud of.

Briella did these puzzles, and she never gave up, she concentrated and gave them her all, you can see her self pride..

 

 

You can see it when the boys helped grandpa and cleared the deck of snow last winter.

It just makes you feel good to do something and do it well.             To do a task, and give it 100% attention, that is self-satisfying, it feels like a sense of accomplishment.

Life is like that, no matter what it is. Our interactions with others, our time by ourselves. Time with our youth, at work, in public or at home… we need to set examples and help others see how doing it fully-     (whatever “it” is)  is something we all should strive for. From the moment we wake up until we go to sleep, no matter what our actions, our task, our missions are, no matter the scenario, we need to be the best we can be. Driving, living, walking, doing… do it and do it well…

Okay, that is my thought for this moment in time.

Until later, Mrs. Justa alias Cindy

 

 

From the Beginning to the End

There is always a beginning and an end. Some beginnings come so slowly that we want to grab the timeline and yank it a bit, we want to get to the end. It is that darn middle between the beginning and end, it is kinda stuck in one spot. or at least the accomplishment we are anticipating seems suddenly so far away.

I have run across this so many times. I take on a project, I have a goal and ugg it all of the sudden seems to be dragging on.

That trip you wanted to take forever. It is finally here. You, you and your spouse, you and your family,  you and your friend(s)- ( whatever the situation); you have planned and packed and checked things out and the moment is here. The 6,or 8,or 11, 22 hr drive awaits you, you have picked places to stop, things to see.

The end it out there somewhere, as the road seems to keep on going. 

Oh the chatter in the car or the music blasting, the excitement that the time is here, those first few hours into it, smiles, dreams yet to fill….and there comes a point where you realize the seat is kinda not comfortable, you really need to pee, you can not believe how long the construction held you up, and that voice inside your head is like the child in you saying “Are we almost there?” And after what seems like a week of traveling, instead of a mere 6,or 8,or 11, 22 hrs…. you make it, all is good, you have a wonderful time.

Maybe it is a meal you are excited about trying this totally from scratch recipe. The list of ingredients and what you have to do with each of them is more detailed than the secrets of the universe. You are ready, choppers, shredders, cutting boards, washed off fresh herbs, veggies, whatever is needed. You start in on it.  All of the sudden your back is a little stiff from standing, your feet might be a little sore, you are wondering how the author of the recipe said prep time was 25 minutes and you are about 1 1/2 hrs into prepping for this anticipated end result. There comes a point when you might think you have already chopped ____ in the freezer, or in a can… but you endure. It comes out wonderful in the end. You are so thankful you endured…

The list of situations goes on. As I am about to conquer another day,  it is yet another scenario of morning to nighttime sleep—-I am thinking about various things  I anticipate will fill this day, what needs to, and what I would like  to get done, and I will ponder more on how to make the middle- that space, how to make that as exciting as the beginning and end.

Until later, enjoy the middle of those starts and finishes… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

 

 

 

 

Challenges or a Way Of Life

On any given day, I can look out the window and think “Oh look, the sun is up”…. period… But no- there is more… see beyond the noticing of the sunrise in the quiet of things in front of me was a glistening world of diamond-like sparkles. A cold crisp early morning gift, a gift that many may have not seen, a gift that can turn into a snowy plain ol day.

 

 

 

 

Yet, right there for all to see, a refreshing light show of sparkling colors.

It brought once again to mind thought about life. How when we are faced with things that seem monumental, we look at the proverbial mountain ( or in this case maybe a quick noticing the sun is rising) and we are overwhelmed at the tasks at hand at the end of a particular journey. Sometimes it is easier to dwell on that obstacle, which takes us longer to put it behind us.

Life can feel like it is hard at times, life is full of mountains to climb, sometimes valleys to drudge through. Plenty of times I have slipped on the proverbial mountain wandered off the proverbial path and had to retrace my steps, maybe find a slightly less challenging path to go on.

There was one person in my life that told me once she never had challenges in life. I remember thinking “heck let me share some with you” but I did not offer, and she never asked to take a few from me, so I have gone on in life realizing that at least for me, challenges exist, they can be heart wrenching, they can be touch and we conquer them one by one step at a time.

Photo by Alex Smith on Pexels.com

As I look back at this person who said this to me, as I came to know her a tad bit more many yrs ago, I now wonder- maybe just maybe she had the ability to look at those diamond-like crystals, and not just at that sunrise from afar. I think that because I truly believe we ALL face moments when life has tried to knock us down.

Maybe this person was able to anticipate but not look for that next roadblock or detour on her journey of life. If we know that challenges will lie ahead, but if we look at them as not roadblocks but the way the path takes us, then maybe we too can feel that life has been good, no matter what part of our journey we are on.

I, myself, and going to try to work on this. As I take each next step on this road of life, I will anticipate some bumps and hairpin curves, knowing the road will straighten up. To now look so far ahead, but to look at now and a few feet ahead. Not so much only living for today,, but planning for tomorrow and in those plans, the “challenges” will become part of the process.

OK, I am off to try this out, Until alter… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

 

 

 

 

Working Hard

In life every minute can be a challenge. We can waste each minute or take advantage of the gift of minutes we each have.

We have different abilities, different talents, sometimes talents lay dormant because we have not discovered them yet. In this world we live, it is easier to let the world take our moments in a pace paced chaos if we let it.

I am inspired and in awe at the events of yesterday/ and also last year around this time. Preston earned his 1st degree Black Belt and the ceremony was yesterday. Brandon was on the “demo” team, and also was a part of the ceremony. Brandon received his Black Belt last year.

Watching the kids as they have gone from a new karate student to this level is amazing. It is such a commitment, incredibly hard work, however, the work is a desire, and not a “just do it because I said so”.

Each and every candidate forBlack Belt knows it is not given to you. There are goals to achieve, endurance to demonstrate, and hours upon hours of being focused on the tasks, the life-changing things you learn and commit to.

The students have actions of respect that they need to follow. Respect for the studio, respect for the people in their lives, respect for themselves and for the experience of those who are above them in experience. Yet also a compassion to help those not yet at the level they are at.

Yesterday was an incredible ceremony, the demo team doing performances that display their ability to go beyond their previous Black Belt Level. The candidates, no matter what level of Black Belt they were going for, their group became one. You funnel all of the students together, from 8 to probably 60 yrs old, and it displays a Karate family. Not in words on a paper, but in their total respect for the leaders, for each other.

I was so glad to be a spectator of the event, to see this commitment, and it was weird but as I observed people in the audience ( and the auditorium was packed!!), not anyone took their eyes off the stage. The entire experience was amazing.

I remember last year when Sensei said to his class- the day of the Ceremony is a fun day, enjoy the acknowledgment of your hard work, the next day, it is looking forward to your next steps. Watching the participants at the gathering after, it was amazing how confident the trainers are, how welcoming everyone is with one another, how respectful they were. Even on the “fun” day, they never lost the skills of life they have learned and will continue to learn.

 

Mrs Justa and work ethic

I look at these buildings, they are very old buildings, and they were made by people with work ethic. They had to have strong ethic…To carry stones and blocks and mortar, to precisely lay each piece, to build a structure that withstands all seasons…. they worked hard and succeeded.

We have a niece and her husband who live in Vermont. She is a teacher, he works on s ski slope grooming trails in the winter at all kinds of weird hours , he does various things at the ski slope…. and they have a farm, and they run a co-op..they are 2 people who have learned work ethic. They live a full life , with many responsibilities, and seem to love life.

My husband has incredible work ethic. Before he was injured, he worked 6 days a week sometimes, driving a 18 wheeler around this country, on time for every load.. and he did it whether he was sick or healthy… he just did it.. and did it well.

I was watching some cams of doggie day cares at lunch today..and I saw a variety of people working at them. At some ..the dogs are just there… the places looked crammed, and plain…. the employees are just leaning against the wall..like they are holding the wall up. One guy was scratching his back, his belly…and acting super uninterested…The dogs all laying around, or sitting and staring. Like they are biding time until something happens. They actually look bored.

While other places the dogs  are playing,the places looks like they are fun… the dogs are  interacting with each other and with the people. The employees are bending down and petting the different dogs. They are mopping the floor if someone has an accident. They are walking with a spring in their step. These people have great work ethic.

I am always amazed when a person acts as if their work is their when it is convenient for their life… instead of their life needs to be at work—when they are supposed to be at work… and at home when they are not at work.

Some people believe they have a right to having their cell phones on, and their electronic devices on all day. I know of a teacher who states that all the kids have their cell phones on and do not feel they need to turn them off.They slouch and scuff as they walk, as if school is an inconvenience… . Can you believe it !!!.

… have you ever gone somewhere and the employee puts you on the back burner because they just got a personal call? We need to teach our children, our grandchildren how to be responsible adults, How to know the they get out of life what they put into it. And they are not entitled to everything.

We need to smarten up folks… demonstrate what hard work is. And help to mold the youth of today into people who will succeed in the future.. People who learn to work with their hands and not to just reach out for others to put something in them. It is not too late….

Love to all,. Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: life,determination,respect,work ethic,challenges,entitlement

 

Mrs Justa and remembering let downs

Who do you trust, who do you not trust? What can you believe, what can you not believe.

I was on facebook the other day and there was a picture of a guy who was holding up a winning lottery ticket. It was the gigunda one…400 million or some unbelievable amount. Well on it he had a message saying he was going to give 1 million dollars to a random person.

People responded to him, blessed him, I too joined in with a word of support… low and behold it was a prank. I felt embarrassed, I felt naïve, I felt foolish…. but at least it was not just me who was rolled over by the guy… thousands of people liked him, commented, blessed him… and he set us up.

I want to believe people are good, I give people the benefit of the doubt, I work to find the good in people … and poof….someone let’s me down.

I remember with a job I had many many moons ago…. I totally loved the job. The manager told us what a great group we were, we were praised for our efficiency, I had part of my day when I worked on a print cutter , it cut the people’s  negatives and prints at the same time. I learned how to get it to work beyond its settings, by clicking certain switches I bypassed stops… I remember the manager telling me that Kodak was going to send a group of people there to see me run this print cutter. I totally LOVED coming to work. I trusted my boss, trusted the corporation…and than one day poof… the dreaded words… we were closing, relocating to another state.

Trusting people who make promises to you… that always hurts too. The world is filled with promise breakers. People who promise to call you when your vehicle is ready, people who promise a product is great and as you are taking it out of the package it breaks… people who promise to meet you at a certain time..and no show… people who promise to love you forever..only to one day say they never loved you…..

I have learned from these situations, from these people to carefully say my words… never promise something I can not provide, ..when I say I love you..I mean it…and when I promise to be there forever..I will be.

What you see is what you get..I will not pretend to be something I am not ( LIKE THE CREEP ON FACEBOOK) … We need to all work on being real,,, telling it like it is…. and not trying to bring false threats or false hopes to others.

I hope as the holiday season fills you with real things, no fake promises, no heart break, no disappointments. Love to all, Mrs Justa alais Cindy

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Mrs Justa and not so mechanically talented

So today my numero uno project after errands, and changing towels sheets and stuff was to get the spreader put together. We bought it earlier in the week, and took all the parts out and it sat in the living room, waiting for some attention…. Mark had just fallen asleep in the recliner and I thought “Oh goody..I can surprise him…” Well let’s just say—I DID surprise him. I am an instruction freak. I mean I take reading instructions to a new level of nerdness. I read all the instructions before starting any project ( even changing the light bulbs !) I stop every few seconds to see the labels on the parts and try to figure out the drawings….

So with his snoring in the background I carried carefully each bulky big ass piece into the kitchen. We do not really have a work area- so the island was gonna be my work shop. So I read each word SLOWLY..the various parts are coded… ( this was made in CHINA ( I KNOW THAT IS A SURPRISE!!) and well their translating instructions and the way they label and draw things kind of affects my comprehension sometimes.

So I get this axle on the island… they have this pipe piece and call it by 2 names—but it is only one item.. that took me quite a while to figure out !. The first tire goes onto the axle after I slid on 4 washers and the wheel spacer ( alias small pipe_.. Than the tire slides on and there is a hole in the hub and in the axel—just slide the bolt through the holes after lining them up….and tighten the washer. ( DONE !!) ..As I am trying to get the second part of the axle done—Mark wakes up …. so his surprise is that I am trying to do this. HE comes out to help. It was a rather interesting venture—but we got it together….. sweat, a couple slices here and there..but the old foggies got er done.

We had to work on and off the island as we created this master piece  due to it’s very large size. We get it on the floor and I push it, but the spreader part that spins as the axle turns is not spinning…

Wouldn’t you know. the VERY FIRST STEP !!! I messed up. Yep… I got the bolt thru the hub, nice and snug fit..BUT I DID NOT ALLIGN IT WITH THE AXEL> ( I thought I did..) but as the tire was falling off—it became apparent to me that step one failed.

So now we have this whole gigunda spreader together and step one is in need of being done correctly.

UGGG> there is a reason this is STEP one !!. iT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO PULL TEETH FROM A RABID ELEPHANT THAN GET THIS TIRE ON THE AXEL NOW !!> But finally after beads of sweat, huff and puffs, a few relooking at the instructions.. and shining a flash light into the hole trying to see when it was lined up… well the spreader is now in the shed—

We are a couple of determined old farts… but I had to laugh.. Mark and I trying to figure out tools, and the this goes there and that goes here…. ugggg. I am glad it is okay…

Mark said ..” I should have left it at Jeff’s and asked him to do it…” but had we done that… well I would not have this adventure to share….

I am going to go grab a nice cold glass of Red Cat and relax now…. laundry is washing, house is 1/2 way to done…. dinner is baking….. spreader is done…

Have a great night…. Love to all, Mrs Justa… alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: instructions,assembly,China,determination,messing up,frustration,sweating,life,events

 

Mrs Justa and getting older

I read something today..it kind of has locked itself in the front of my mind. It is about retirement and it said that retirement is when we stop living for work..and we work on living. I read that and thought wow.. We do live for work!!! for most of our lives. Alarm clocks, clothes to wear, appropriate answers to give, dodging traffic, commuting, paying tolls and in many peoples cases paying extra auto insurance because of distances driven. We look forward to Friday nights because Saturdays are not work days, and than hustle on Sunday evenings to get ready to go back to work.

When I worked on the hospital floor my “Saturdays and Sundays” were any day of the week. But it was the same. A breath of ahhh ..to know a day was off..and than a time of hustle bustling around because work is about to start again.

I am having trouble imagining what life would be like without work. For me, I totally love what I do at work, yet I do wish there were more hours in each day so I could do stuff with the grandkids, take the dog to the dog park, camp more. So maybe that means I am beginning to evolve into the retirement mind set… so maybe by the time I am ready to retire, I will be thinking in that direction.

Retirement to me seems scary. Having bills, and health needs, and insurances, and fuel… having taxes, and unknowns… yes that seems scary without any working  income coming in. Social Security for over 65 yr olds is not great, and in our days of youth..there was not savings accounts created for the retirement years. SO ti will be winging it.

I laughed tonight as I was eating a bowl of cereal for dinner and thinking this might end up being dinner when I am retired!.

A good friend of mine is retiring this Friday. She told me she was scared. I guess as I try to personalize it for me… I would be scared too.I have years to go, but she has days. Some day my years will be changed to days. What will life be like than> What will the future hold? Unknowns….and I know I am not independently wealthy, so I know it will be tight. It just is not what I thought getting older would be like.

First I thought I would feel old.. I DO NOT>>>

I thought I would feel wise…. I DO NOT>>>>

I thought I would be like my mom was to me when she was my age… but I do not feel that way. I still feel like I wish my mom and dad were here..hmmm. I wonder now…. if they felt this way..but I never knew it.

I hope this finds you well, I am off to get ready for bed and play a few words with friends on facebook. Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and sight

Look carefully..through the haze..do you see the stop sign?

I ask this because I was thinking about a man who had walked through a part of  my life.

His name was  Bob… he worked with me long ago. He was a good man.He reminded my of the Pillsbury Dough Boy… He had told me he had full vision until he was 4 years old. He fell onto some sticks and injured his eyes.  He would tell stories about when he worked in the State Tower Building in the newspaper/candy shop. He said it was before he totally lost his vision. He described how when someone would pay for something he would have to hold the money super close to his face to try to make out if it was a single bill, a five, a ten… a quarter, half dollar, dime, penny or nickel. He said he did it for years, until one day..he could no longer make out the money. He longed to be able to see it… and it must have been as hard as seeing this stop sign when he worked there.  When I met him, he had a blind mans stick. He tapped it to the left and right as he walked from bus stops to where we worked.  He lived in Syracuse, yet worked in Liverpool. That is a good 8-9-  miles apart from each other.

He had to walk from a high rise apartment..I think he lived on  the 11th floor..down an elevator, down about 7 city blocks to the center of town where all the buses came to get people. He depended on the drivers telling him what bus they were driving. He would get on the bus, take it to Liverpool and have to walk down some pretty busy streets to get to where we worked.

And do you know he did it with a smile, a whistle and a spring in his cautious step. He was one of many people who have left a footprint in my life’s journey. I never once heard him say anything about his life being short changed. He loved every day. He volunteered at “The Light House” a charity for the visually impaired. He did what he could with “what God blessed him with” he would tell me…

I thought about his the other night as we sipped some iced tea and had a wrap in Oswego…and I thought that he would never have been able to see this but he would have been able to  appreciate this…

See he would ask what I saw.. he would ask colors, he would ask if there was clouds, he would ask for words to make the scene..

Me I was there..Yet I was not whistling, I was not walking with a bouncing step, I was smiling though. and thinking about how great it was to see this sight,

To all those with visual deficits.. I dedicate this post to you… Love to all. Mrs Justa alias, Cindy

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Mrs Justa and doing something for ME…and charity

jToday… one of those first days for the rest of my life days..These last 3 weeks have not been conducive for the gym and me meeting. Oh there are a number of reasons… one was that I had not been feeling really great 3 weeks ago.. terrible flank pain and urinary infection…So 7 days of antibiotics and lots of fluids…and that led me into weeding the garden and trying to seal the house from the squirrel….for a zillion hours that next weekend. It was a full time job for 2 days….

During the next week , I was just not feeling 100%, than we went to Roch the next weekend to meet up with Emily( would not trade that for anything in the world ) last week I was spending weeknights getting stuff in order to go camping—push mowed the edges of the yard one evening, did the lists for camping, laundry, packing….than last weekend camping. During the week days at work- I do try to get out and stroll for 20-30 minutes— but that is not the gym.

Monday and Tuesday were not working for me this week—last night I was weeding the mulch on the sidewalk and the front of the house-plus weeded the flower garden by the sign..and Monday night—well I planted the vegetable garden…and between the 2 evenings—I was a buffet dinner for a bunch of bugs…. dang!!!! sooo tonight was the back to the gym night.

It is that time of the year that I think even more about a friend from the cyber world Stephany..she is an awesome person who has inspired me more than once to be more than I think I can be. She has dealt with life challenges and does not let them get her down…the time is coming for the Chase Corporate Challenge. Now to many this may seem like nothing… but to me—it is rewarding to finish it. I am not a jock, not slim and trim, I am not a runner…I am not out to prove to anyone anything. All the money donated for participating in this event goes to a charity—. The company shares in the cost for it, and it is good to show support for the company we work at. So tonight I started the getting ready for the challenge…
I am no athlete— never claimed to be. So I walk the 3.5 mile –last year with my Mp3 player pushing me down the hot humid pavement path…. I made it to the end….

They close the lake parkway and thousands make the journey down and back….I hope it is in the 60s to 70s… ( not in the 90s like it has been..) and I hope it does not rain—as this is mosquito heaven….last year it was delayed because of rain—and when we started going… well the mosquito corporation decided to join in…

But with each step I take, I think of Stephany… and as songs play and steps add up….I count the songs….think about anything but the firm hot pavement…and smile when I finish…

Off to rest… tomorrow will be here before ya know it….I hope you can find something in your life that inspires you …..Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: run,walk,gym,training,inspiration,life,goals,music,challenges,Corporate challenge

 

Mrs Justa and people in the wrong business

Have you ever come across a person that just should not be doing the job they are doing? I mean maybe they are a good worker..but the job they have… just not meeting their mannerisms.. Ya just wanna say… “HELLO__ANYONE IN THERE??”

Tonight we went to our main  grocery store and there was a new cashier there. She was pretty focused on her work, but see this grocery store is a bag you own grocery store, so the cashiers put the rung up  items in your cart and you bag your groceries at a huge counter area after they are through.

She was scanning stuff and I noticed the more she did, that she was dropping the groceries in the cart. It really did not matter what the item was… can, bananas, lettuce… nope they all got equal treatment… swing arm over cart with about a foot clearance above the cart…. –open hand—and plop… GRRRR… the turn the other cheek part of me was ready to stop turning and say something—but than I thought that might increase her distance from the place she held the grocery items to the place they landed.

Now she might be good as a female boxer…. but a cashier at a grocery store –not so much…

There is a place just up the road from us that changed owners this past summer. It is a gas station with an eatery and it is a  lottery ticket place, has some aisles with some food items for those in a hurry and not worried about paying 3 x the cost in a grocery store… well the people behind the counter—they almost growl when you come up to the register. No eye contact, their movements and mannerisms are as if the customer is bothering them. They are probably late teens early 20s..and man oh man… I just want to say something… Like  “NEWS FLASH>>> without the customers..you would not be here!!!” and than slap them a couple times   ( Just kidding about slapping them!)

Yep…than earlier  today one of the nurses was on the phone with an office that needed an authorization for an MRI for a patient. The nurse reviewed the info and was ready to give the person the authorization number..and she said—“Oh wait a minute..I have to put down my MAGAZINE !!!” Are ya kidding me????? Bet the docs would love to know their employee is reading magazines while working… Oh the list goes on and on….

I am just amazed…. so I am off now to cut one of the bruised bananas up…life goes on… (at least she did not drop the eggs !!!. I was worried she was going to..) Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy  Thanks to free clipart/google images for these images tonight…

Technorati Tags: workers,jobs,responsibility,self pride,caring,compassion,unbelievable

 

Mrs Justa and a welcoming morning

As the sun rose this morning , and as I was getting ready to start my Monday, I was reminded that every single day is a chance to start over.

The golden sun opening the new day, welcoming the challenges that lie ahead, and assuring me through the soft light, that it is a new day.

I was thinking about what the day will bring? What smiles, what challenges, what will today be like.

   Now the sun has set, and as I look back over today- there was a time for a smile or two, and there was lots to do at work. The drive to and from was peaceful, and I left at the time that traffic and jerks come together. Yep—if I am not 15 miles from here by 7:15—I know I will be faced with all the self centered, speeding people driving to work.

To my amazement today—at 7:30 this morning—when all heck breaks lose on the interstate—it was peaceful. It was non stress. It was not crowded. There were no brake lights at 65 mph. And it hit me !!!!— The people who did not have to work because of Presidents Day— they must be the jerks !

And who might that be??? Well it is a Federal Holiday…sooo it impacts all government institutions, banks . That means all federal, state and local government offices are closed. That includes City Hall.There is no postal delivery, except for Express Mail, and post offices are closed. And in most areas the  public libraries are closed.
Most banks and the major financial markets, including the New York Stock Exchange, are closed. So I hate to tell these folks—but at least some of them  are super annoying on the morning commute! Schools are closed for the week… I am thinking it is not the school people who annoy the heck out of me on the way in…. tomorrow will tell.

Tomorrow will be back to normal- I will have to leave here by 7 to avoid the folks who slept in today…and maybe tomorrow I will be blessed again with the comforting golden glow of a day about to begin. Reminding me that it is never to late for a fresh start.

Life… life is good….. I can not complain….I will just avoid those who make me want to complain. Have a good night… Love to all… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and friends dilemma

Today a friend of mine was sharing with me her recent experience. It brought me back to similar experiences, and it really sucks.

She works in a place , where a business consultant team was hired to overlook the programs and make recommendations. The recommendation was to lay off almost 20%  of the staff!!!!!!!!!!

Can you imagine…. this type of thing happens everywhere, every week… I personally have been through it twice in my 40 + years of working.

When the time comes- there you are. You and your co-workers dreading when anyone of authority wants to talk to you, for fear you are next.You go to work with a feeling of knots in your stomach, you feel insecure, and uncertain what the future will hold.  Depending on where the employer is, what type of business it is, the lay off can be instant—and it can give you a couple weeks notice. Where I have been—it was instant…same thing where she works.

If you are not a chosen person to go—than you feel guilty about staying— and guilty that you feel relieved you are not being laid off. If you are one getting laid off ( as I was back in 1978 ) depending on how much commitment you gave to your now x-employer—will depend how it effects you. Me- I became my job at the first place it happened. I lived and breathed for it, I loved being there, I would come to work—work extra time—but punch in and out for just regular hours. So in essence- many days I gave them 3 hrs of my own time. I never ever regretted that either.

And than one day—after I had been an employed there for 7+ years— poof…. some genius of an accountant decided that our company ( which was the most profitable in the corporation) would close—and maybe the key people would uproot and move to another state to help the company in the corporation  that was deeply in the red! Well, no one went….. and we were crushed.

I remember my last day there, I went home and listened to broken heart love songs. I could not stop crying, sobbing… a part of me had been taken away from me… it was like my core of myself was ruined, like a very big part of me had died….. …..  I felt lost, no where to go, no idea what I was going to do. There was a small severance package- nothing great-and there was unemployment—but that does not meet the money I was making working. It was ALL I knew how to do. Where I was- we totally closed— so in the end— it was the end for all my co-workers.

The second time—- uggg—we were slowly cut down to nothing. So at first- 15 people laid off- poof…. and I ( like my friend today) was one fortunate to have not lost my job. I could not rejoice over not being picked- why… because I hurt so much for everyone laid off. The people laid off would call me and ask for guidance- they did not understand when their insurance ended, what pay they would get… and I would not be able to help- I had to refer them to HR. But as I spoke to them- I could feel their sense of loss. The people left behind did have an option to join the bigger corporation that had bought us out in a merger. Some went— me I chose to leave and work at an MD office.

The sucky thing is… that when this happens—the people who made the decision—they move on to straighten out another company—they have no personal attachment to where they go— it was a spread sheet wonder—- dollars and cents—without thinking how the remaining people would be able to handle the same work load with many less people.

And THAT is what my friend was saying—- when Monday comes—the work is the same—just  less people there to help get it done. My friend does not believe her job is in jeopardy, which is good for her… but she is feeling the pain of all those she watched go into her bosses office ( which is right next to where my friend sits) and than watch them walk out-looking like they were just hit by a Mack truck.

I think it is safe in saying that most of us go to work because we need work…. I hope those people can find something…..

Love to all… Mrs Justa alais Cindy

Technorati Tags: life,work,lay offs,loss,sadness,jobs,consultants,advice

 

Mrs Justa and a day at the hospital

This is where I spent the day yesterday. My younger brother needed to have a surgical procedure done and I spent the day with him.

It was a day of major reflection and a day of watching many people as they waited with the “What ifs” and the worried looks.

It was an unusual experience in a way, for I was a nurse at this hospital 17 years ago and some things were similar, but many things different. People I worked with are still there, I saw them in the halls, and in the cafeteria and in the elevator. They were not sure who I was, but they looked like they thought they knew me.

In the role of a hospital nurse, I saw a lot of people, from all walks of life. And seeing a patient in the hospital is when they are very vulnerable. They are uncomfortable sleeping there, they are out of their element, they are made to wear gowns with openings in the back, and take off everything. Strangers are coming in and doing all sorts of things… some stuff you never could have imagined. So the folks I worked with, they would not know if I looked familiar because they were my care giver. See they were in their scrubs… so that was a real give away to me.

And aged…. whoa… I always feel like I am the same… but I have no secrets… so as aged as they looked… I must look the same. I saw a doctor I used to work with in his office… and it was like looking at a photoshop aged version of him… Kind of like when in Mr Magoos Christmas Carol he is a youth, a middle aged man and a very elderly man.

No matter how long I have been away from hospital nursing, there is a passion for it. It is my favorite type of nursing. Man being there, I just felt the hunger for it.

The school of nursing built a new building the last year I was in school. Actually my orientation for the hospital job was done at this building. I stood there and watched people going in and out… people with the passion for this type of profession, and it was like going back in the sands of time to 1986….and standing in the line the first day of school. Wow..so much has happened since than.

My brother… he should be fine…. and I was thrilled and thankful I had the time to be there with him. No one should go through surgery alone. Tomorrow is a new day, and I will be in my nursing position in a management role on the administration side of heath care. I like that too… but I truly believe I was meant for hospital nursing, and I am so very blessed to have been able to do it… I cyberly salute all those nurses who day in and day out give 100% to people in need, What a very rewarding profession to be a part of. Thank you. Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: hospital,life,worries,surgery,unknown,nursing,professions

 

Mrs Justa and I am not snubbing you off !

Okay, I owe a bunch of people a HUGE apology. Yep… I am feeling a little technically challenged.. alias stupid.

I went on my “dashboard” of this blog and saw there were comments sitting there..not posted… not anywhere..just there.

See I did not really work on the intricacies of setting up the blog, so I really do not know the technical stuff about it. When I had tried to change my photo so it was mine, it got lost somewhere.  Every time I try to do setting up of computer stuff, well I feel almost like I am unqualified to go to the areas I am trying to go to. Than when what I am trying to do does not work..I use the good ol back arrow and proceed down the road I have been on.

So sorry folks… I have not been snubbing you off , I just did not know how to get your comments on there. Maybe now will be better. HA… I LMAO when I read this one from quite a while ago that said basically it was pretty bad ( or pathetic) I had to comment on my own post. !! That is funny, cuz that is how it appears. We are still working on that one. See Mark ( my hubby) started this a LONG time ago… he had 2 blogs.  To keep this one going when he was feeling really overwhelmed with the 2 of them, he asked me to be a guest or ghost writer. Well I am one of the guests that never leaves… Heck I have been doing this for 2 + years now. Someday I will figure out how to make it clear that it is  me posting a comment or him. Until than.. If you see a comment like “Nice post Dear” …it is not me writing that to myself.

Life is advancing so quickly that it is tough to stay caught up  on the technical challenges . I had to laugh today..I was warming up my lunch and there is a fireplace surrounded by a love seat and 2 comfy chairs for people to relax in on their lunch. Well the love seat had 2 people on it and each chair had folks nestled into them.. 3 of the 4 were reading e books..and the one was reading a real book. How totally weird it was the the person reading the real book looked like the one out of place.

Our3 yr old  grandson yesterday held up his dads I Phone and showed us a video clip of himself demonstrating a stuffed snoopy coming down the chimney—like Santa..and bopping his head. I do not even know how to turn on an IPhone and here is a 3 yr old navigating to the video clips.

Yes we ( me) have to stay alert… try to stay abreast of the continuous changes… or in a blink  of an eye.. we will have no idea how t get through a day..

Now off I am to see if I can clear up this double identity my husband and I share…

wish me luck..and have a great night…

Love the technically challenged at times…Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: life,stupid,technically challenged,foolish,computers,lost,inadequate,snubbing

 

Mrs Justa and challenging ourselves.

Whether you think you can or think

you can’t, you’re right.

– Henry Ford

On a daily basis I feel there are times when I am challenged with can I or can’t I choices…. Life is filled with opportunities to say I think I can.. or I know I can’t. I think it is often   easier for people to say “I can’t” because that closes the chapter to that challenge or opportunity. Poof..chapter closed… do not have to look at it… do not have to open the next chapter.

But to think “I can” well that opens doors to turn the rocks of life over and see what is under them. To look deep inside ourselves and see how creative we can be to take on the challenge and see how well we come out in the end of that next chapter.

Where would we be if no one took the challenge to figure out how to get over the rivers, steams and bays? Where would we be if no one took the initiative to find a way to propel ourselves down the road? Where would we be if people did not take the time to figure out what causes diseases,  injuries, health issues….

we would be a nation of people , stranded from travel, dying at young ages, walking everywhere.

It is amazing as I type on this keyboard that at one point I was a tiny baby..I knew nothing, I could not walk, talk, feed my self, cloth myself…and even before I could rationalize  the thought that I could do it… I did do it. We all as infants chose to learn to walk, talk, eat, and become dependent… but than…after climbing so many mountains in life… we stop..and it becomes easier to think..”I can’t do ____” whatever we are challenged with.

My mom used to say..”The easy way is normally not the right way..” and “you have to work for what you are going after in life.” How true that is….nothing that is“ too good to be true..” is worth going after.

Look back at your own life… the things you remember, the things that brought you the most satisfaction… did you work for them..or were they just laid in your lap?

For me… I worked HARD to make the things most worthwhile in my life exist…

So tonight I say… take the high road… climb the mountains of life… turn those stones…and find satisfaction at the end of each journey..

Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: challenges,life,rewards,satisfaction,earn,weakness,strength

 

Mrs Justa looking for the weekend ?? U seen it???

Okay, the troops are out in full force searching for something I think I lost…

Don’t know where it went…. Have u seen MY WEEKEND!!! It is gone.. can not find it anywhere.

It is not in the living room under the end table… Nope not there…

And

 

It is not under tiger…

…kind of glad it is not there… I think I would just leave it there………………………

hmm I wonder where it went.

I remember it was Friday,

I remember Friday… it was after a really busy week…

. And if it is somewhere in here…

well they can have it.

I feel like someone froze me for 48 hrs… poof it is gone.

I do not think I stopped this whole weekend, except to sleep- dang it went flying by.

I went to work both days, I think yesterday was 6:30 to 3:00,we stopped at Jeff and Amanda’s for about an hr,and then we went to dinner with friends last night,we went grocery shopping at 9:30 last night ( God Bless 24 hr stores on weekends like this !!) ..today got up at 7:40…. made breakfast….showered… and off to work…  10:30 to 3:30…. did some cleaning and changing sheets and towels after work today,  just finishing up the laundry now for the week,,,zoom , bang, boom—gone… Sorry God.. I kind of missed church—but I had to go in to work…and I am really glad I did, I got a lot done today and the whole group of us yesterday did some terrific work too… Just one of those weekends..a  time fly zone !!.

The lack of dog here is still deafeningly silent. Kind of feels hollow in a way. One day at a time. This weekend the dog would have been a hassle with all the hours away… there is good and not so good with him gone. The cat is more cuddly… the bed is bigger, and we are not waking up 2 times a night to seizures… …and I no longer have him cuddly me after every meal..I do not have him cuddling when the alarm goes off., and when we are trying to catch up on the DVR programs from the week that just past… well I have my lap to myself. .. It is different…

So I am going to leave here now..go to the washer and get stuff in the dryer and put my last load in… we still have 2 more DVR programs…. and than I am off to bed…I can not believe tomorrow is already MONDAY!!> Love to all… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and training for things you do not want to have happen

After a very long 2 1/2 days, yesterday at noon the computers came back up at work . AMEN> But what that means is to enter everything on paper that was done for 2 1/2 days- we have to spend another 2 days entering what we did on paper while all along more stuff is coming at us fast a furious.  This has been really exhausting on all our brains, and I am so thankful for the people who have faced the challenges with me.

Tonight after dinner we went to the gym. Dinner has been late this week, I have not been getting home till anywhere from 6:30 – 8 each night. Today was the earliest- I think I arrived home around 6:30. So a quick dinner, washed the dishes, threw in a load of laundry, and off to an hr at the gym. As I was elipticaling and biking , I was thinking about the various jobs we have in this world. 

Like a lifeguard… now that is a job you train for the worse..someone in trouble, someone drowning, keeping people safe, assuring they follow the rules, watching for potential problems . Now with all that training, it is a job where you really do not want to ever have to use the things your are certified to do. And if you have a really crappy day, and have to use those skills, the terrible thing etches a memory that will never go away. So as I was moving around in the gym, I was wondering WHY would someone want to be a life guard? I look at the lifeguards at the gym and they look bored out of their minds…. I hate to be bored at my work…. but I think a lifeguard would want to be bored… if they weren’t—well that is where memories are made!

Than I was thinking about a police officer. Again , you are trained to shoot when being in a life threatening situation; you are taught how to tackle people who are aggressive; you are taught how to Taser people you might have shot in yester-year…; you are taught how to drive super fast and give out tickets; you are taught how to protect the public and help innocent people in situations. Some of the things I think a police officer would look forward to…. but I would not think they look forward to the fatal accidents, the violent criminals, the dark situations of life. Now do tno get me wrong… I am so thankful for people who chose to be a police officer..but I am too much of a wimp to be one myself. If I was a police officer,, I would want to have REALLY boring shifts…

Nursing…. another profession  where you do not want excitement..I chose nursing to help people who need help in their most vulnerable times . And to help people who are dying, to dye with dignity and NEVER alone. I am so far away from reasons I went into nursing, now my position is administrative, and not hands on . But when I was in the hospital, even though I was trained in CPR, and how to stop massive bleeding, and how to do pretty intense procedures, dressings, trach care, enemas, …what ever a pt needed….my best days were those when CPR, hemorrhaging , and respiratory arrest were not part of the day!.

In  so many jobs we train for the worse… yet we really do not want the worse to happen… where I am now – the worse was no computer… but that was nothing like the dangers of other jobs. Yet for some, I think the stress it caused was almost as bad as a person having a massive heart attack on my watch at the hospital . We become complacent with life I think, at least at times, and when we are faced with challenges… I think some of us have a tendency to panic, to forget we are trained to get through the crap..and life goes on.

And ya know what???? I would not trade the challenges for anything. I kinda like them. May you have a non eventful evening…there are some folks out there that are weighing heavy on my mind, for various reasons… you know who you are….My love to all..Mrs Justa alias Cindy 

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