Obstacles

It never fails that when you get a plan, a vision, obstacles come about to prevent you from reaching your goal.

I made 2 resolutions this year. One was about a business, of sorts, that I wanted to start. I needed, very much, to supplement my income. The first thing that happened was that my computer--that I need to start this business--lost its ability to connect with the Internet. I also lost my part-time job that might have given me the income to have my computer fixed.

I still intend to pursue this plan.

My second resolution had to do with trying to get myself in better health. Several things have happened on a positive note. I found that I do have some health issues that had gone untreated.

For those of you who are reading this and live outside the U. S. our health care is good, but it is sometimes tricky to get the treatment you need. I was unemployed for almost a year, then underemployed. I lost the health care that I once had. Now I am playing catch-up.

1. I now have the arthritis medication that enables me to move about with far less pain.
2. I found out that mysterious breathing problems that I thought were signs that I was out of shape, actually had a medical cause and am now taking medicine that allows me to actually exercise again!
3. I found out that I don't have any kind of skin cancer.
4. I am about to see a specialists that may be able to change my life--for the better.

On a random odd little note. My general doctor is no longer on my health plan, so I have to find a new doctor.

I guess you can't have everything.

Is This Legal?

That's what I'm trying to find out. It is a long story, but the short version is this. I had some financial problems and fell behind in cell phone payments. While I attempted to get back on my feet, the payment went to collections. I tried to make arrangements to take care of that bill with EOS CCA collection agency. I gave them my debit card #so I could make monthly payments. I wanted to make payment of 50.00, but they insisted on they would take two payments of 140.00. When I said, "No." they said there was nothing I could do about it because they had my debit card number.

I called my bank and was assured that I had taken the right steps to keep my account safe. You can imagine how surprised I was this morning to learn that EOS CCA had, in fact, removed the 140.00 from my account and First Tennessee Bank allowed them to do it. When I called my bank and asked why they had allowed this when I made 2 phone calls to prevent it, I was told that I had talked to a new girl and had been misinformed about the steps I needed to take to protect myself. Isn't that just like a bank. They make the mistake and the common people pay for it.

Now I am wondering, how am I going to get an extra 140.00 to pay my mortgage this week?

It sure seems like something illegal happened to me.

Disaster Again

Another earthquake and our hearts go out to those in Chili. I haven't heard from Hollywood like we did a few weeks ago after the disaster in Haiti. I think that is the point I was trying to make with the last blog on this topic. Hollywood people are unpredictable. One week's cause is to adopt children from undeveloped nations and the next week it is to sing to raise money for a disaster-ridden country. The Hollywood elite will hop on a private plane to fly to Brazil to tell us that we must carpool to fight global warming, er-uhm-sorry, the new phrase is climate change--not global warming. How foolish of me to forget.

The point is that we need to make our own decisions about the causes that need our help. Then we don't have to wait for Hollywood to decide for us. Yes, I will give to a charity that will helps both the people in Haiti and Chili. I didn't need anyone from Hollywood to pick the charity for me. I did my own checking and found it to be on many lists of effective charities, too.

Enough of this rant. Be safe my dear readers. Share your love today.

Procrastination

I was watching TV while getting ready for church. Professionals were talking about why some people procrastinate I didn't really have to hear why--I procrastinate about most things. It is about fear for me. I am afraid of failure, of the unknown, or of being in uncomfortable situations.

Now that I have begun the process, I am not as fearful about this job venture. The problem I am finding now is that it will be difficult to find my clients. These are people who are scattered about. All the addresses and phone numbers that I found on the Internet were old and outdated. It will take much research to find anything new.

In the meantime I am asking people who might know people and hope that word of mouth might give me enough people to start this venture. I have a couple of leads and hope that they might lead to a couple of more. So on and so on.


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God is Good!

For the past 2 weeks I have received less than what I expected salary-wise. I won't go into great detail about the matter, just that it had something to do with snow. Anyway it put me under a good deal of hardship at a time when my son was also unable to make up for the difference.

Both weeks I prayed that God would give me the grace to deal with this hardship and prayed that I would trust Him to help me make ends meet. On the 1st occasion someone walked up to me and told me not to worry about my medical insurance bill, that it had been taken care of. I was both stunned and grateful.

The second week someone from church came to my door and gave me a months worth of groceries. He just said that God had put us on his heart. Again I was stunned and grateful.

On both occasions, the amount that was given was about the same amount as I lost from my paycheck. I am in awe. God is good and I have surrounded myself with many good people.

Progress

I have always heard that necessity is the mother of invention. I didn't really understand that until just recently. I need extra work and no one is hiring so it is necessity that I get this new business underway. I need to get it going by summer because it looks like summer will be very rough otherwise!

I guess that is the way God has to be sometimes. He has to push us into trying new ideas, that we might not otherwise try. This idea is very uncomfortable for me, but I guess my biggest fear is failure, or looking like a fool. If I don't ever try, I will have had a good idea. If I try and fail, I won't have even had a good idea. I will be a total failure.

Anyway, I do now have at least one location that I can afford. That is a big step forward. Up until this week the biggest stumbling block was an affordable location. It is out of the way though. That is why I might also look for an alternative location, too.

Baby steps. I am taking baby steps.

My deadline is Mid-May.

Today's The Day

I have an idea for a part-time business, a way to earn extra income and help my community. It may be a risk, though. Right now money is tight.

I have been putting this off for awhile. I guess I am a bit afraid. I know there are a few steps I need to take, but I'm not sure which to take first.

I made some calls and a couple of contacts. I spent some time on the Internet to do research, but since my computer is down, that is difficult, too.

Anyway, I am tired of not doing anything. Today I am going to make up a questionairre. I won't be working on President's Day, so I think I will make a few calls then.

Hopefully I can visit some support groups this summer so people will know me. Then maybe I can drum up some customers and get things started before the fall.

FYI: It is a good thing to have special friends who pray for you. I got a call from a good friend, Susan, who said she had been praying for me. I believe her too. After talking to her, my spirits are always lifted. Surround yourself with good people. It does make a difference.

After the Snow

I live in the South and we just don't know how to handle snow here.

The South and snow is a lot like San Diego and rain. I was in San Diego a couple of years ago and had to laugh when the noon news did a special alert because there was a summer shower. It wasn't even enough rain to wash the dust off the roof of the apartment.

I heard they have been getting a great deal of rain lately.

--And we have gotten some snow, too.

My dogs, Dixie Belle and Taz don't like it either. They sniff the ground and get snow on the tips of their noses and then want to go inside. They look at me, blink their eyes, and cock their heads as if saying, "Can't you make it go away? I know you can. You can do anything."

You just have to love dogs.

* * * * *

Now about my New Year's Resolutions:

1. I went to a training session for work and hoped I would make some contacts. I am not sure I made any, but one has to try.

2. I made some follow up visits to the doctor. Without going into detail, things didn't really go as I hoped and I found one problem I didn't know I had.

I am like an old car. You don't know anything is wrong with the car till you go to the mechanic. He can always find something wrong to fix.

On the plus side, now that I have a name for the problem, I can be proactive and fix things a bit.

--Oh, and I can't forget, I think I lost the 3 pounds I put on during the holidays.

Yeah, for me!