Autumn is Here

Autumn is Here!

The vernal equinox arrived Thursday, heralding the start of fall.  The weather here isn’t quite in step yet and late summer still holds strong.  Of course in these parts the air conditioner won’t get turned off for another six weeks or so.

September has been very dry.  Wednesday we got the first bit of rain for the month but it didn’t last long enough to wet the ground.

Another week of work!!  The work is sorting data, collecting data, and data entry.  Nothing was too hard to pick up and for the most part there’s enough work to fill up my 6-hour workday.  I’m liking these 6-hour work days much better than the 12 I worked the week before!

My Bible reading this week started in Jeremiah and went through Lamentations and Ezekiel and ended today when I finished reading the book of Daniel.   All I have left to read are the minor prophets and I should get through those next week.  And that will complete my third reading of the Bible this year.

What’s up with the Clemson Tigers?  They’ve lost the last two games in overtime.  I sure hope they can get things turned around – soon!

I have finished stitching Christmas for the time being after stitching a raccoon, a Santa, two snowmen, and an angel.  I have enjoyed working on the beaded kits so I broke out some Halloween kits that I have had for a while.  I’ve gotten one black cat done and am now working on a flying witch.

My heart and prayers go out to everyone affected by the hurricanes this year – especially the people of New Orleans.  

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend.

Take care & God Bless,
Florence

The Last Week of Summer

The Last Week of Summer

I guess I’m just not someone who can write every day.  I usually end up thinking about this just before cutting off the computer to go to bed.  But I think I can manage to write a weekly blog, so here goes…

I finally got some work!!  The last temp job ended at the end of June so it has been a rather long dry spell.  I ended up working this week at a company that is handling the trucks carrying ice for Hurricane Katrina victims.  This is the first 24/7 office I’ve worked in since I left the Navy and the first time I had to work a 12-hour workday in a very long time.  Everybody there is working 12 hours shifts – seven days a week.  Yikes!

Thursday I got a call from another agency about a job in a bank that starts Monday.  I accepted that job and then shortly afterwards got a call saying that the job at the 24/7 place was over.  The working hours at the bank will be much easier – only 6 hours a day – much better than 12!  

Last weekend I got the stitching bug and decided to run with it since it is just over three months until Christmas so it was time to work on some Christmas gifts!  The pieces I was working on were embellished with beads, which I don’t mind working with – after all – they are stitched on. (  I do hate that I end up dumping them on the carpet from time to time…

I finished Isaiah this week and started reading Jeremiah.  For some reason this verse resonated with me from Jeremiah chapter 10:

24 O Lord, correct, instruct, and chastise me, but with judgment and in just measure – not in Your anger, lest You diminish me and bring me to nothing.

This verse is from the Amplified Bible.

So far, September has been a very dry month.  The month started out on the cool side (highs 80’s, lows 60s) but warmed back up this week with highs in the 90’s.  I always enjoy the time of the year when the temperatures cool a bit and the humidity drops.  Ophelia didn’t come close enough to affect this part of the world – although she did bring in a couple of windy and cloudy days.  The sunsets were fantastic when the sun set on the high hurricane clouds.

I hope all is well with you.  Have a great weekend!  Talk to you next week….

Florence

Information Overload

Information Overload?

It is amazing how much information that we can get with our computers today – and you don’t even have to surf the web to get it.  More and more information can be downloaded to directly to your computer to be looked at or listened to at your leisure.

I used to get my news from My Yahoo! Page but recently I found a RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed reader program called, simply enough, Feed Reader.  Now I can have website information downloaded to my computer to read.  I did a Google search for “RSS Feeds” and found a lot of interesting ones to add to the ones that came with Feed Reader.  

I like listening to talk radio shows – mainly technology and commentary.  I used to have to go to the websites to download the shows but now with podcasting, they get downloaded directly to my computer.

Of course, now that all this information is on my computer, I need to find the time to listen to and read all the stuff that my computer has gathered for me.  Easier said than done!

Till next time…
Florence

The weather has been really nice the past few days – sunny, light winds, highs in the 80’s and lows in the 60’s. I guess I’ll enjoy the pleasant weather while I can – it looks like Tropical Depression Sixteen will be heading this way soon.

Still no work. I’m signed up with two temp agencies: Accountemps and MBI Financial Staffing but nothing has come up yet. Bummer!

I have been busy posting stuff on eBay – a few auctions, the rest in my eBay store: Southern Read and Stitch. In July I posted all of my paperback books on Half.com and actually sold a few. I have started posted all of the books and VHS movies on Half.com first since they’ll tell you what will do better on eBay. It is a lot easier to post on Half.com since they take of determining the shipping cost and collecting the money from the customer. They also don’t charge for listing but you do only get paid twice a month.

Several months ago I caught a Real Life Radio broadcast that featured Pastor Leo Giovinetti of Mission Valley Christian Fellowship. The radio show talked about how important it was to spend time in God’s word. Pastor Leo’s suggestions were to spend a hour a day reading and to start reading with Matthew – that is read the New Testament first.

This was back when I was working so an hour was tough to fit in the schedule so I set aside a half-hour a day. Reading the New Testament first really seems to help with the reading. I also found that having different versions to read helped as well. So far I have read the New International Version (NIV) and the King James Version. I am now reading the Amplified Bible, which I have really enjoyed reading. I had thought that the added words and explanations would hinder reading – but found that that it didn’t and the extra stuff really helped with gaining understanding. I also have a Chicken Soup for the Soul Bible, which features the New Living Translation.

I also found two devotionals by Joyce Meyer - Starting Your Day Right and
Ending Your Day Right. There are some though provoking pages in these books.

I think that this enough musings for today. Let me know what you think of this.

Thanks,
Florence