Day 59

I have been blessed with another day! I was able to get my ten things done in a reasonable amount of time That word just made me think .Who really determines what is reasonable and what is not anyway? What some may consider reasonable may not seem reasonable to others. If some one says you are being unreasonable and you feel certain your are not, are you really? If four or five people say you are being unreasonable , you might want to examine yourself :)

I practiced Spanish and the piano today as usual. I read my books and listened to another lecture that goes with my course I am finishing. I decided to listen to the whole thing instead of ten minutes. I did some redecorating today and I added another recipe I created to my cookbook. I did more organizing in my home office and gave some TLC to my plants that I was starting to forget about. One of the things that I have really learned from this is to persevere even when I don't feel like it or even when something seems to get a little challenging. It is easy to quit something you are not required to do.

The Lord has taught me a lot about perseverance over the years.Sometimes when you have prayed about something for so long and the prayer has not been answered , you begin to think the answer must be no.I have tried to figure out many times why we get a quick answer for somethings and why other things seem to not get a response. I had a problem when I would try to sleep for about fifteen years. I would wake up after being a sleep for an hour and I would watch the clock and stress out about how little sleep I would get if I did not fall asleep soon.

 I would feel anxious and worry about being too tired to drive and as soon as I would start to nod off again I would wake up with my adrenaline pumping and I would look at the clock again and notice I had only slept for about ten or twenty minutes and I then would be wide awake and it would start all over. This usually happened if I had something important to do the next day or I was anxious about something. I would worry about having a bad night before I even went to bed and about it affecting what I needed to get done. I would lay there at night and pray and pray and beg God to help me stop this insane habit. After fifteen years of this I started to think there was no hope.

One night about a year ago I was still dealing with this and I when I prayed before I went to bed that night. I told God I was not going to look at the clock that night. I didn't care what time it was and that what ever the outcome was he was in control and that I was not going to give up hope and that I was still going to believe he could help me with my crazy situation.It has been a little over a year and I have not struggled with it since. I still have nights where I can't sleep as well due to pain and having a lot on my mind  but I don't deal with the same sleep issues I had for fifteen years anymore. Thank You Lord!!

" Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."    1 PETER 5:7

Day 58

It is day fifty eight. Just a little over eight weeks. I was able to get my ten things done a little early today. It has been a good day. The new year is almost here.This one has gone by so fast. I am not making new year resolutions anymore. I have always done that and it has been very rare that I have stuck to it. I always end up feeling disappointed in myself. It is so much easier to get up every morning and say today is a new day and to make the most of it and ask the Lord to guide my steps each day. One day at a time is more doable than one year at a time.

I did not end up starting my ten things until a little later in the day. I had a slight problem earlier. I had a shower curtain hook that lost the cute little shiny ball at the end. I decided to glue it back on. I went and found the super glue in the desk and proceeded to squeeze it in the hole of the ball so I could attach to the curtain hook. It came out really fast and over flowed . I had it on both hands.

Two of my fingers were completely glued together on my left hand and one of my fingers was glued to the shower curtain hook on my right hand. I could not get my fingers apart and I started feeling panicky. I could not use my left hand to pull the shower curtain ring off my finger on my right hand because two of my fingers were glued together on the left and I could not use the right to pull the fingers apart on left because of the shower curtain hook glued to it.

I was in a dilemma and I was home alone. I decided to try smacking the shower curtain hook on the counter to see if it would come off. it would not work. I finally pressed my other hand on top of it and pulled really hard and it came off. I was glad I did not tear my skin off. I was then able to carefully get my other fingers apart. My wedding ring was even glued to my finger.It took me quite a while to get most of the glue off. I will never use super glue again when I am home alone.

I did most of the same things today as I did yesterday. Practiced Spanish and the piano. I read my books. I practiced algebra and it went well today. I added another recipe I created to my cookbook.I organized my kitchen pantry again and a bunch of my cd's I worked on my course I am taking.I am still brushing up on old stuff. When I get to the part I have not done yet. I will need to spend more than ten minutes a day on it.

Last night UPS brought my molds for my concrete stones. I am very excited . Now I just need to go get my concrete. I figured out how many bricks I need to make for the size of patio I want to do. I need 720!!! It seems like a lot but I can do it. I think I need to order some more molds.I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow :)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  MATTHEW 10:29-30

Day 57

I have completed my ten things for the day. I have been up since six this morning so I was able to get an early start. I only have forty three more days to go. I think this is the first blog I have been able to get done before dinner. That is a nice feeling :)

I practiced my Spanish and the piano. I read my books this morning. I worked on algebra and it did not go too bad today. I created a fat free salad dressing. I am quite sure it needs a little more flavor.I gave myself a facial this morning and I worked on the details of my patio. After measuring it again I realized I am going to be making a lot of bricks. It is a good thing it is still December. I will need as much time as possible to get them done. I worked on my cookbook this morning. I came up with another name this morning and I googled it .I did not find it being used by anyone. That made me happy. I also listened to part of another lecture for my course that I am finishing.

It was nice getting an early start and finishing all my things early today. I was able to go have a cup of coffee with my husband at Global bean and pick up some things at Trader Joe's. I love that store even if it is small. Now it is time to head out and visit with family.Doing those ten extra things every day for just ten minutes has really made my life more enjoyable and seem more manageable.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  1 Corinthians 15: 57-58

Day 56

I have made it to day 56. I finished my ten things early today so it made it pretty easy. I have found that it is easier to try and do all ten things in a row rather than spread them out through the day. It has been a really good day today. I find when I am doing things I enjoy , it helps me take my mind off of how I am feeling physically.

I practiced my Spanish and the piano today. I read my books. It is hard to stick to ten minutes per book when I am reading but I try to do my best. I worked on Algebra today and the course I started up again. I went  out today and bought a couple of powdered colors I can add to my concrete when I make my blocks. I can't wait for my molds to get here.I have been working on more ideas for my patio. I have decided to forget about the birdhouse for now. It lost it's appeal to me after my attempts at sawing wood. I really enjoyed shop when I was younger. They had saws that were user friendly.

 I remember when I made my Mom an apple cutting board when I was in junior high. I was so proud of it.
Several years ago we were having a rummage sale for a fundraiser and my mom donated some bags of stuff for our sale. I was pulling items out of the bags and to my horror I saw my apple cutting board in there. I thought she could not have possibly meant to put this in here. It must have been an accident. I set it aside and decided to ask her later.

 I thought I would be funny and save it until christmas that year and wrap it in a box and attach a little note to it saying " Are you missing something?" but I changed my mind. I did take it out the next time I saw her and let her know she accidentally put her apple cutting board in the garage sale bag. She got a smile on her face and said we all made so many things in shop she could not remember where it came from and she took it back home with her.

I also worked on my cookbook today and started entering recipes I created. That is so much fun. I spent a little extra time on that. I came up with a name for my cookbook about a month ago , but today I decided to google it and make sure someone else did not use that name for a book and I was a little sad to see it has already been used. So I am back to square one on that ,but it won't take me long to come up with something else. We had a great time with some wonderful friends this afternoon and had an enjoyable time with my fun sister in laws this evening.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
JAMES 3:17-18

Day 55

I have finished my ten things earlier than usual. I was determined to get them done early so I could go and lay down the rest of the evening. The change in weather is always torture. Especially when it becomes rainy and breezy. I thought taking all the extra vitamin D I was prescribed would cure that. Wishful thinking!

I practiced Spanish and the piano today. I  read my books. I listened to part of another previous lecture that goes along with my course. I organized the office and  put up some new pictures. I made more soaps today. I used a cool breeze scent and tinted them a light sea green and added ground apricot seeds. I did not work on algebra today . I opened up the book and looked at it and quickly decided I was too exhausted to deal with anything challenging today . I did order molds for my cobblestone patio I am going to put in on the side of the house. I looked over colors I want to add to the concrete and I worked on some other ideas.

I am really looking forward to that project. I enjoy being outside when the weather is not too bad. It is peaceful and quiet and it is where I enjoy my time the most with God. It is fun to watch birds. It is amazing to me how they can fly down to the ground and within seconds find a worm. He must have created them with  bionic ears( kind of like mother's).

 I love the sound of birds chirping and the sound of my bamboo wind chimes when it is a little breezy. I also love the smell of salt water. I missed that smell when I moved to eastern Washington for two years. Everytime I came home to visit Mom and would get on the ferry and smell saltwater I would feel like I was home. Even though I get tired of the rain we really have it pretty good here.We are near everything. We are close to the ocean, city, mountains, and forests and we don't have killer bugs crawling around or really scary weather. I am very thankful .I look forward to my next things tomorrow.

Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, " Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."     MARK 6:31

Day 54

I have returned after taking two days off. I tried doing my ten things Christmas eve but after I finished three of them I knew I would be up until midnight with everything I needed to get done if I continued to finish them all.  I knew I did not have it in me. Christmas day I went to Church and spent the whole day with my family :) It was a little hard to get back into it today but I can't give up after coming this far.

I am continuing to practice the piano and Spanish. I am still continuing to read my book by David Jeremiah , It is interesting but grieving to read at the same time. It is hard when you know things are going on around you and you can feel it with everything in you and you see how much precious time is being wasted on trivial things You can't do anything about it except pray for the situations and ask God to show you what you need to do. I have started reading another book . It is a book off my reading list that goes along with the course I started working on again. I brushed up on that today also.

I worked on algebra again today. I am struggling with simplifying distributive properties for some reason.I also organized my other bathroom cupboards and I put scripture verses all around my mirror. I thought it might be helpful in the morning. Mornings seem to be the hardest for me and I don't think my brain works well until after 10:00. It takes me a while to process anything before then. I also downloaded the master cook program to my computer this evening and used it to select healthy meals and create shopping lists. My Mom gave it to me about a month ago. I don't know why I did not use it sooner. It is easier than writing out all my lists.

 Sometimes it is easy to keep doing things our way and to forget about the tools we have on hand. How many times have we done that throughout our lives with prayer and reading scripture? God always has the answer for us but when something comes up it seems so easy to instantly try to solve the dilemma on our own and then seek God when all else seems to fail instead of automatically seeking him first. As our relationship with him continues to grow it gets easier to look for him quickly as we have often found in the past our own solutions didn't work to well .

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  JOHN 16:33

Day 53

It has been a busy day and it is time to rest now. I have finished my ten things for the day. I am starting to lose track of what day I am on. I have forty seven days left :) I am starting to look forward to it. I would rather spend more time on some of the things I am doing. But for now I am trying to keep each thing to ten minutes and not go  to far over that.

I practiced my Spanish and piano again today. I read my books and finished one of them.I will start another one tomorrow. I worked on algebra and I figured out what I was missing. That made me very happy.I did not want to ask for help. I worked out in the yard today. I thought I would get more done before rain comes. It was beautiful out at about eleven o'clock this morning .

It was sunny and it felt like spring to me. I did not keep to my ten minutes. I stayed out for about half an hour. I also went over back stuff on the course I started up again. I did some organizing today and then it was time to wrap gifts and bake.I think I spent about half an hour looking for cookie cutters I thought I bought. It reminded me of an insane morning I had about three or four years ago.

It was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right and I did not sleep well at all the night before. I had my mind set on what I was going to wear and a plan B was not an option to me. I had most of my outfit all together except for the khaki pants I wanted to wear. I looked everywhere. I checked the laundry room two or three times . I went through my dresser drawers and went through the closets. I could not find them for the life of me.

After about an hour and a half of looking I started having a temper tantrum. I refused to look for anything else to wear, I wanted those pants. I decided I was going take every last item out of my closet and drawers until I found them. I started flinging each item of clothing in the center of my bed room , griping to myself the whole time. Finally I have this big pile of clothes in the middle of my floor and I still could not find my pants. I went over and flung myself on the bed and I was laying there thinking how can a pair of pants just walk away. This is ridiculous.

Then all of a sudden it dawned on me, I don't own a pair of khaki pants like that. I looked at them in a store a few months earlier and I tried them on along with a brown pair. I was going to get both but I ended up just settling on the brown pair. I did have a pair of khaki ones but they looked nothing like that. I just sat there in disbelief . I spent a total of two hours searching the house and having a fit over a pair of pants I didn't even own. I looked over at my pile of clothes I flung on the floor and realized not only do I have to look for a different out fit to wear, but now I had to put all those clothes away. I never did that again.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.   ROMANS 15:4

Day 52

I have finished my ten things for the day. I was not quite sure I was going to make it. It has been a long day, but a very good one. I have been so Thankful for the sun we have had lately. This fall was pretty mild. It makes it easier to get things done outside when it is not raining. I did not get any yard work done today though.

I practiced my Spanish and piano again today. I read my books. Tomorrow I should be done with one of them. I watched more of the lecture and went over more of my old notes from the course I am going to finish. I did more organizing today and worked on algebra. There is still something I am missing.

My grandson and daughter came over for a little while this evening and I almost asked her for help but every time I wanted to open my mouth and say something about it I would instantly think don't you dare do it. Don't you even think about it. Pride is such a hard thing to swallow. It is right up there with sauerkraut. It just does not want to go down.

You know what really made my day? It was my trip to Safeway this afternoon. I think it was yesterday I was just mentioning the lack of common courtesy these days and how we don't see it as much as we use to. I went to get in the check out line and a man a little older than I got there about the same time I did. He told me to go first and I told him he only had one item and that I would like him to go first because I had more stuff and it would take me a little longer.

  He insisted that I go and said ladies first and he said that was the way his mother raised him. So I thanked him and went first. Another man came up right behind him and gave him a big smile and said hello to him. I instantly felt joy. We said Merry Christmas to each other and wished each other well and went our separate ways. It was so nice .I thanked God as I headed out to the car.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ROMANS  12:10-12

Day 51

I have made it through another day. I have forty nine more days to go until I reach my goal! To some making it through another day and getting your things done seems like no big deal , but to others a day can feel like an eternity. I am sure most of us would like to fall into that first category. But unfortunately for many that is not the case.

If you live with chronic pain a day can feel like eternity, if you are grieving over the loss of a loved one, if you are battling addictions, if you have a loved one in the military away from home and you are counting the days until their return, if you are working more than one job to support your family or maybe you just lost your job, you might have someone close to you dealing with a life threatening illness.

 There are many things that can make getting through another day feel like a big accomplishment. The good news is we don't have to go through it alone.Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to lay it all down .I can picture him in my mind with his hand extended out to us and a smile on his face.

I have seen things change so much over the last thirty years.There now seems to be more people experiencing health problems at a younger age.Things were a little slower paced , people were more respectful and kinder to one another . People held the door open for each other and smiled as they were passing. More quality time was spent together. When someone had a baby , went through surgery, or a tragedy people provided meals for weeks and stopped by to help.

If someone tailgated you and cut you off and gave you the bird you were certain they were a lunatic. You didn't have to put your hands over your preschoolers ears because someone was cussing up a storm in the grocery line. Common courtesy seems to have gone out the window. Times have changed and so have people but the one thing that is constant is God's love for us and his grace and mercy.

I did most of the same things today as I did yesterday except for the yard work. Standing out in the cold with a pair of clippers did not appeal to me today for some reason. I did draw up some plans for my patio on the side of the house. I looked for molds the other day at Lowe's to make my bricks for my patio but they only had one kind and it was not what I wanted . I found some really cool looking ones on line the other day and they also have lots of colors to choose from that you can add to your concrete to give it the effect your looking for. So many options :)

For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand , and says to you; Do not fear; I will help you.      ISAIAH 41:13

Day 50

Woohoo! I am half way there. God is so good! I could not have made it this far without him. I only have fifty more days to go. I think the last half will go by quicker than the first half. Sort of like a road trip. I was one of those children that asked their parents if we were almost there yet about every half hour. I am sure on those long drives to Kansas I must have drove my Mom and Dad nuts.

I wonder how many times God has had to hear from his Children "are we almost there yet"? I have often thought about all the questions he has been asked and all horrible things he has seen people do since the beginning of  time. I think about the few things I see in the media and feel horrified ,but he see's ALL. It is still amazing to me how much we have grieved him yet he still loved us so much that he sent his one and only son to earth to die on the cross for our sins so that we could  spend eternity with him once we repent, accept him in our hearts and surrender our lives over to him. Our part that the Lord asks us to do is so small compared to what he did for us. Yet we continue to hang on to things and make our lives more difficult than they have to be. He wants us to just LET GO! It is funny how two very small words can have such a huge impact on our lives.

I managed to get my things done fairly early tonight so I could spend some time hanging out with my fun-loving husband. The first thing I started off with was yard work again , but my eyes did not adapt so well to the dark tonight for some reason. I think I need to eat more carrots. I practiced the piano and my Spanish. I read my two books .The one I am reading by David Jeremiah " What in the world is going on ?" is a really fascinating book. I worked on algebra and I listened to another ten minutes of an old lecture on the course I never finished. The rest of my things revolved around organizing.


This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. " This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.    ISAIAH 65: 1-2

Day 49

Yeah, I am done for the day! I have completed my ten things. It was a little bit of a challenge today but I still made it and that is all that matters.This week will be busy so I need to use all my time wisely. I can do it!! That is what I am going to keep telling myself anyway. I remember when I was an image consultant for Beauti Control Cosmetics many years ago. Their motto was" fake it until you make it" I always thought that was funny .

I started my ten things off with yard work again today. I was clearing more blackberry vines out of my shrubs. It is amazing to me how you can have this long thick vine that wraps around everything and takes over and when you get to the bottom of it there is a little skinny root. As I was pulling the vines out it made me think of sin. That little tiny root gets in( like sin) and if it is not pulled out and discarded ( if we don't repent and surrender it to Jesus) it grows and entangles us and chokes us out and stifles our growth ( spiritually).

I practiced my Spanish and the piano again. I read my books. I am almost done with another one. I worked on algebra again. I still am a little stumped. I did a little organizing and I made a bracelet to go with my earrings I made the other day. I also worked on my unfinished course I was taking. I am listening to lectures I have already heard before to refresh my memory. Refreshing my memory could be a full time job in itself.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.   JAMES 3: 9-12

Day 48

It is day forty eight and I have finished my ten things by six thirty. Yesterday should have been day forty eight but I could not bring myself to do a single extra thing . I was still wore out from some things I had to do on Friday and yesterday my brother Mike and his wife and their two girls came over to my parents so we had Christmas dinner a week early with all my siblings and their families. When I got home I thought about my ten things I still needed to do but everything inside me seemed to rebel.

Today I tried to make my ten things a little more therapeutic . I started off by going outside and doing yard work. I was trying to clean up the area where I would like to put a patio. Blackberry bushes and vines are starting to grow in places they were not before. What I would like to know is who broke one of my white bowls and threw it in the bushes. After working in the yard I went down to the beach.

 It was so quiet , the only thing I could hear were seagulls and the tide . There wasn't anyone around and I had the whole beach to myself. The sun was beautiful and it was shining on the water. It looked like a lit up golden path with lights dancing on it. I brought my camera this time and had fun taking pictures. After taking pictures I decided to pick some small shiny colorful rocks to put into a stepping stone I am going to make or maybe one of my bricks.As the sun was going down it started to get a little chilly so I went to the car and turned on the heat and just sat by the water and read for a while.

I decided to head home to finish the rest of my things after reading, but as I was driving by an antique store I decided to stop and browse around for fun. After wandering around for a while I noticed it was getting dark and I needed to get home and make dinner. With in moments of pulling out of the the parking lot I noticed a street full of Christmas lights so I turned on my Christmas music and started driving around looking at lights.I did finally go home and start dinner and finish my ten things.  I knew if I didn't get home soon Ken might think I got lost.

I practiced my Spanish and I memorized a few more words. I played the piano for a while and did  more organizing in the office. I worked on my algebra tonight but there is something I think I missed. If I can't figure it out I am going to have to swallow my pride and ask one of my children to help. Let's hope it does not come to that. I had the weirdest dream the other night. I had a dream I went back to school and I had a half hour to get to class and it was only a five minute walk. The path I was on looked like something off of candy land and every time I turned a corner I had to walk through another building with really slow people in front of me . I started stressing out because I was going to be late and people kept stopping in front of me and talking to each other. I finally ran in to my class and it was a fellowship hall with only three students in it and Randy Travis was my math teacher. I think it must be the new allergy medicine I am taking before bed.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on the earth, your salvation among all nations.  PSALM 67:1-2

Day 47

It is Friday night and my list is done. Most of it was done by noon. I decided to get an early start because I knew I would be busy today. Three more days until I am half way there. One of the advantages of choosing ten things a day instead of just a few is that it has given me a lot to think about and it has shown me what  I enjoy the most and what I want to continue with when I have completed my one hundred days.

I practiced Spanish and the piano today. The piano has been a little challenging the last few days because my arthritis has really been bad in my hands. The good thing about doing this for forty seven days though is that I know on my good days it is really easy and it is something I can stick too. I am still reading my books and I worked on algebra today. I wrote down a list today of all the healthy things for all three meals that are easy to fix when I get really busy, so I don't settle for the quick unhealthy options when I am feeling wiped out.

I did more organizing today and I brushed up on notes from previous lessons in that course I never finished taking. I actually started it three years ago. It was longer than I thought. I will get it done this time. One because I paid for it and two because I really want to. It was interesting to see what some of my thoughts were on things three years ago. I still seem to have the same thoughts and passion about things.Well maybe tomorrow I will be a little more creative with my ten things.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.   JAMES 1:12

Day 46

I am done with my ten things before eight o'clock. It was a little challenging .What I really needed was someone to get behind me and push me today. Some days I am easily distracted and today was definitely one of them.I think it is mostly when I am tried. I hope nobody told me anything important today that I need to remember.

I practiced my Spanish and piano today. I don't feel like I have learned anything new the last couple of days. I feel like I am in a rut. I will climb out soon. I am still reading my books and I worked on algebra. I was afraid I was not getting the concept down today and I felt a little discouraged . When I was done I checked my answers in the back and I only missed one that made me happy. I was able to get more organizing done today also.
.

I attempted to cut my little railings for my bird house today. I did not see Kens jig saw so I thought I would try his mider saw. I have never used one of those before and I don't know if I will again . It was like a lion with big teeth. It just tore through my little piece of wood before I even knew what had happened. After that I was a little intimidated by it so I grabbed a handsaw and tried it for a few minutes and decided I would be cutting that piece of wood until Christmas.

 I looked a round and saw his circular saw but that was too big and heavy and then I thought I ran across the perfect saw. It looked like a hand saw but it was electric. I plugged it in and held down my little piece of wood with all my might and starting sawing away. I thought my arm was going to vibrate right off after cutting three pieces. I was wondering who invented that saw and then I remembered it was for trimming limbs on trees. I decided that was more than enough sawing for one day. Ken took me down to the garage later and pulled out his jigsaw for me.The whole thing seemed to amuse him.

My tenth thing for the day was to pick up where I left off on a course I was taking about two years ago. I had paid for it completely so they said I could still finish it the last time I contacted them. I got busy and quit . I have always wished I had finished it and got my certificate for it. It is Caring for People God's way  through Light University. It is a course in biblical counseling . I was really enjoying it and I was getting fantastic grades on my tests.I don't know why I did not keep plugging away at it. It was just another one of those things in my pile of unfinished things I had started and never finished.I will finish!!!

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of the deer, he enables me to go on the heights.   HABAKKUK 3:19

Day 45

I made it through another day and completed my ten things . Only 55 more days to go until I reach my goal . I really am almost halfway there. The older we get the quicker time seems to go by. What I have always wondered is why it feels like it takes longer to get somewhere than it does to come back home. If you drive to the ocean that 3 1/2 hour drive feels like half the day, but when you head home that same 3 1/2 hours feels like it only took about two hours.

Well, I did most of the same things I did yesterday. I practiced my Spanish and piano and I read my books and practiced algebra. There is a lot to algebra. It seems like everyday there is some new thing to store in my memory. At least it is still working. I did some organizing today and I decided to do some yard work. It was a little chilly but the fresh air was nice and our yard needs a lot of work. I want to put a patio in on the side of the house with a fountain in the middle. I would like it to be made out of cobble stones or brick. If I make it out of brick. I want to make my bricks by hand and put a unique design in each one. I have no idea how hard that will be or how much time it would take. I need to look into it. I like things that are unique.

Our Christmas tree is a little on the unique side.Years ago I use to buy all ornaments that matched, but my tree is well, very eclectic looking I should say. It is about memories for me . Whenever Ken and I go on a trip whether a long trip or a day trip and we visit somewhere new, I buy an ornament or two while we are there. I try to stick somewhat to the colors we have on it but sometimes I will choose the unusual.

 When we decorate the tree every year and I pull out the ornaments it feels like I am opening a wonderful scrapbook full of fond memories. As I place each ornament on the tree I am reminded of fun times spent with  loved ones that I will always cherish. I do happen to have a few dozen Christmas balls left on the tree. Each year I will lose a few more that seem to break and I will think maybe I should buy some new ones but I quickly change my mind and think no it will one day just be all wonderful memories. Every day God blesses us with is another day we have to spend with our loved and  time we are given to create new memories to cherish. Sometimes it is easy to spend time worrying about tomorrow, but what good does it do if we keep missing out on today.

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my fathers commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead I have called you my friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.     JOHN 15: 9-15

Day 44

I have just finished my ten things for the day. Tomorrow I will try to have them done early. I think I plan that every day. I still have fifty six more days to try. It was a little hard to get motivated when I got home this evening. I felt like I was ready for bed after lunch.

The last couple of weeks have been a little busier so I have had to try to be a little creative with my time. I have actually learned to manage my time  better through this whole thing. I  practiced my Spanish and piano like I have been. I worked on algebra and have been reading my books. I decided not to go to the garage tonight and look for more wood for my bird house. Walking down the stairs to wander around in the cold garage did not appeal to me this evening. I gave myself a facial and I am doing a little experiment to see if there is any difference in using oatmeal avocado mask on one half of my face and a pineapple enzyme on the other. I will see if there is any change at the end of my 100 day experiment.

The fire truck with Santa clause came through our neighborhood tonight. I have not missed it once since we have lived here. I don't know why I run outside every year to see it . I get all excited when I hear the music playing and I run for the door like a little kid. I think it comes from the same part of the brain that still see's good places to build forts. This year they came all the way down to our house.

The best part about the evening was a little ceremony we had as a family. We all wrote down things privately that we were carrying  or things that kept creeping up from our past to haunt us.( things like burdens we have carried, regrets, bitterness, fears, unforgiveness, past hurts, etc.) We put them all in a box and sealed it up and then we prayed together and buried the box. We placed a cross on it that said ' It is finished" .

There are things we don't think about sometimes that are deep inside and we don't realize it is there until you hear a persons name or you run into someone when you are out and about and then out of the blue all these feelings you didn't know you still had rush to the surface and catch you off guard and you feel hurt or upset all over again and just when you think there is not any unforgiveness left in you and you have surrendered it all to God , it seems like something new will happen to challenge you. One of the great  things about having a relationship with the Lord is that he helps keep us on track and he reminds us of the grace and mercy he has shown us so that we may extend that same grace and mercy to others.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.   2 Peter 1:3

Day 43

I am through with my ten tasks for the day and it did not seem to take me too long. Monday's and Tuesday's are my longest days so I have to think quickly so I can get my ten things done in a reasonable amount of time .I am getting closer to being half way to my goal.

Today I practiced my Spanish and piano. I am still reading my books and working on algebra. Today  I came across another critical thinking question and I decided thinking was not that critical today so I skipped it and moved on to the next exercise.I finished my other earring today.I Did some organizing in my office, bedroom, and laundry room. Last but not least I went to the garage and came up with some wood for part of my birdhouse. I wonder who created the very first bird house. I will have to look into it and find out some time. It is a little like a Cuckoo clock and the Cuckoo clock was supposedly invented in the beginning of the 18th century in the Black Forest in Germany.

When we were kids we would go back to Kansas during the summer for a few weeks and visit our relatives.I remember my great grandmothers Cuckoo clock in the living room. It would be too hot to go outside and I would sit on the floor in front of the fan watching the huge flies land on the screen door and listening to that Cuckoo clock. There was not anything to do there. We killed time by catching Fire Flies once it started to get dark.

 There was an old school in Dresden that had been closed for a long time. It still had a playground so occasionally we walked down the dirt road with the tumble weeds rolling by to play down there. I remember  when we where walking by a wheat field Dad told me if you chewed a piece of wheat long enough it would turn into a piece of gum. I decided to give it a try . I think I must have chewed that thing for about an hour.It was terrible. I could not figure out why it would not work . I finally just shrugged my shoulders and decided to spit it out.

Our other relatives were in Oberlin, Kansas and that was a lot more enjoyable. We were not far from a swimming pool and I thought the brick road in part of the town was like the wizard of Oz. I remember going to a pharmacy down town and Mom bought me orange lip gloss. It tasted just like real oranges. I can still remember the smell of it. I enjoyed the lightening at night even though I was sure vampires were wandering around outside in the dark.The one thing I remember the most about Kansas has to be the cows. You could smell them for about twenty miles before you even got to them.Well , I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.  JAMES 1:22-25

Day 42

The evening is here and I have finished my ten things . Today is six weeks since I started my experiment. It does not feel like it has been that long. I think I will be a little sad when I reach day one hundred. It is still amazing how  little changes can have such an impact on you. I had no idea when I started what a difference it would make to me. I was tired of feeling overwhelmed and feeling like my physical ailments controlled my life. I was so worn out  and I just wanted a little balance in my life and time to do things I enjoy and to spend with loved ones and to still feel like I was accomplishing what I needed too

 I had given up on that ever happening. I would try so hard and I prayed about it all the time. I felt like I would work myself to exhaustion and then just barely recover just to do it all over again. It was a vicious cycle I repeated for years. Out of desperation I decided I will try small steps just to see if it will do anything at all. So I came up with a plan ( with God's help) and decided to give it a try and to be honest if Ken would not have put my blog on Facebook like he did I may not have stuck with it this long.

When I had so many people tell me they read my blog every day I felt like I had a whole bunch of accountability partners to help me stick to it. I have found through the years when ever I have been successful at reaching a goal it has always been when I have had friends to help hold me accountable. God created us to need each other. He has given us all different gifts so we can help each other and work together to fulfill his plan.

Today I practiced my Spanish and the piano. I read my books and studied algebra. I went outside and took photos right before the sun went down. I did a little organizing in our office and I did a puzzle to sharpen my mind. I made one earring, it was a little challenging. Tomorrow I will create its mate and I drew up plans to make a bird house. I want it to be two stories with a wrap around porch 3/4 of the way with white railings. I am going to paint it  aqua blue with white trim and put a little swing( like a swinging perch) on the porch . I was going to hot glue a tiny little pot on the porch with a little plant in it. I can picture it in my head. That is my plan anyway. I will have to look in the garage tomorrow and see what kind of lumber we may have around.I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow.

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
ECCLESIASTES 4:10

Day 41

Only 59 more days to go! I just finished my ten things for the day. I did a few of them right after I got up this morning. It made it a little easier. When I have a day off I never know if I might decide to do something spontaneous so it helps to get a head start.

I practiced the piano and I practiced my Spanish today and memorized one more word . I read my books and I worked on algebra. I attempted to make a pair of earrings but they were not cooperating so I did not get them done. I went to the country Christmas with my family today and took quite a few pictures of old buildings to satisfy my building fetish.

 I think my building fetish started at a young age with building tree forts and watching Swiss family Robinson. The possibilities are endless. I began to question my sanity today as we drove down my parents driveway and I was noticing new clusters of larger trees that were not there when I was growing up and I was thinking about how a tree fort would fit in them. I think there are some parts of my mind that got left behind when I became an adult.

When I was sitting at Mom's today I was looking at one of her recipe books on herbs and I was telling her about the pasta I made with herbs in it the other day and she said she had a pasta maker she never uses and she sent it home with me with all the attachments. I think I am going to have some fun. I found a recipe for Cappelletti that I am going to try this week. It has been an enjoyable day :)


The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.   ISAIAH  61: 1-3

Day 40

I can't believe I am on day forty. I have finished my ten things for the day. I did a lot of running around today so it took me a little longer to get it done. That is ok, I made it! In ten more days I will be half way done. It is hard to believe. It has been a very productive forty days.

I practiced my Spanish today and memorized three more words. I also practiced the piano today and it feels like I have been playing for a long time. I still have a lot to work on but it it still my favorite thing to do. I tend to lose track of time very easy when I am playing. I read my books today. The one I just started reading is by Dr. David Jeremiah, What in the world is going on? . I also worked on my algebra today. I went over the two I missed yesterday and was happy to learn I understood it I just wasn't paying attention to a small detail. I did a lot of new  ones today that were harder to solve and I got them all right. I was so excited I wanted to sit there and keep solving math problems all night.I also did more organizing around the house and a few other things.

I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow. I am still amazed at how much you can accomplish in just ten minutes. Even if I did only one thing a day for ten minutes instead of ten things for ten minutes I would still be making progress. I do like a challenge so doing the ten things a day has been good for me.


How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.   PSALM 31:19

Day 39

Well , day 39 was over yesterday! I did complete my ten things yesterday but I did not want to stay up late and write a blog so I am doing it this morning. If  I would have attempted to write it last night I would probably still be staring at a blank page.

I practiced my Spanish yesterday but I did not memorize any new words. I am still using the computer program.It works better than I thought it would. Mathew will be taking Spanish next year in school and I heard Ken working on it yesterday . It will be fun helping each other. I practiced the piano also but for some reason my  arthritis was worse yesterday and my fingers did not bend as well. That is ok, it is easy most of the time. I practiced my algebra. I checked my answers yesterday when I was done and I got two wrong so today I need to go back over it and see why. I started a new book and am half way through my other.When I was reading yesterday there was a story about a young man who was saved by an angel. The angel pulled him back before he stepped out in front of a car. When he tuned around to see who it was no one was around.

I have wondered how often they intervene when tragedy comes. Are they with us 24/7 ? Why they step in and help and other times things are allowed to happen. Only God really knows the answer to that. He is the one that sends them to help. I have wondered how often I have been rescued by angels through out my life and had no idea. I am sure I was a hand full growing up.There is one instance where I don't doubt for a minute I was surrounded by God's angels.

I was in my kitchen making dinner.I had fish in the oven, coconut shrimp frying on one burner and I had just slid a pot of clam chowder on the back burner after I dumped the bacon and half & half in so it could simmer. I grabbed a 9x13 glass pan and put paper towels in it to absorb the oil from the coconut shrimp. I set the empty glass dish on the burner in front of me and I started smelling something really hot after a few minutes. I looked down and noticed the paper towels were starting to look brown. I realized I had turned the wrong burner on.

I quickly grabbed two pot holders and picked up the dish and I held it up in front of my face and was looking at the dark paper towels. In an instant there was an explosion sound and Ken and the other kids came in the kitchen to see what it was. Glass was every where. It was in hundreds of pieces. One piece had hit Ethan's leg over by the sink. Glass was all over the kitchen .It was so hot and sharp it was embedded in medicine bottles in a basket next to me. It was on everything except me! I had flip flops on and when I looked down glass was in front of me , on both sides of me, and BEHIND me. It completely circled me. I was still holding the pot holders and nothing was in them.

 Ken quickly came over to me and he found one tiny shard of glass glistening on my bangs by my eye.He picked it off and we stared at it in disbelief. My face and arms should have been badly cut up and burned. I should have been blind. I was holding the glass in front of my face staring at it when it exploded. I knew at that very moment the depth of God's love for us as his children and I did not have to worry about every little thing. God has everything under control. We just have to let go and let God!


For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike a foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Because he loves me," says the LORD, " I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name.    PSALM 91: 11-14

Day 38

I am thankful to be Blessed with another day. I have completed my ten things . In two more days I will be 40% of the way there. That is getting closer to half. That is what I think when I see a sale anyway. It sounds better to me.I would not have made it this far without God's help. He is my only source of strength.When ever I try to rely on my own I learn quickly it does not work.

I Practiced my Spanish today and memorized two new words. I am a little over half way through my piano book now and today I finished another one of the books I have been reading and am half through another. I worked on my algebra and am really getting it down. I finished the second half of the sugar oranges today. Mathew really liked his. I did quite a bit of organizing and I worked on more healthy dishes. I did end up making chicken noodle soup out of the fat free noodles I made yesterday. They were pretty good but they could have been just a little thinner.

I am still really happy I tried this experiment. Even when I have rough days I can get it done. Not that I always feel like it, but I have learned not to rely on my feelings for anything. I did that for too long. Sometimes our feelings can take us down a long dark path in our mind. I remember when I had Cancer surgery and I was laying in my bed and everything they tried to give me for pain made me really sick. I could not sit up because everything hurt and it would put pressure on the drain tube coming out of my chest which would send pain past all my nerves and that made it hard to push the button for anything or to get a nurse to bring me a blanket when I was freezing and I was right next to the window. Those thin little blankets just don't cut it .

I could feel my lungs filling with fluid and I was starting to feel like I was gargling when I would breathe. I was certain I would not make it out of there alive and for some reason God must have abandoned me. I felt like I was in a black hole and I felt despair like I had never known. I tried to think of the positive things said to me before hand and scripture I had read, and all those that prayed over me but sometimes when your pain is so bad you can't think of anything but surviving the pain at that very moment.

 The nurses told me I could not leave unless I was able to get up and walk around the hall. I thought they might as well have asked me to walk to China. I wanted to go home and lay in my own bed so bad. At about 11:00 one night I stared out the window and started praying and I said I am not going to die in here. I knew God was not done with me yet and I put on my slippers and held on to my side and walked down the hall. My muscles had been divided and all my organs had been pushed up so it felt like everything inside was falling. The nurses looked surprised to see me but they cheered me on as I walked like I was taking my first step. Even though I would never want to go through that again, I have learned things I would not have learned otherwise and I look at life different because of it. I have also learned God will use any situation to mold us into the person he created us to be so that we can fulfill the call he has on our life.

Shout for joy,  O heavens;  rejoice , O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on the afflicted ones. But Zion said, " The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me,"  Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.  ISAIAH 49:13-16

Day 37

I am so glad I am done! It has been a very long day and I have just finished up with my ten things. I am still happy I am doing them I am just a  little wiped out today and a couple of my ten things turned into way more than ten minutes.

I started my ten things off with practicing the piano. I am still enjoying it. I practiced my Spanish today and memorized two  more words. I read my books and I spent some time on my plants  I am still working on algebra and it really is making sense.I decided to make home made noodles out of my fat free Italian cookbook. It has been at least twelve years since I have made noodles. I added garlic, basil, and parsley to my dough. I forgot how much work it is as I was rolling out my dough that felt like leather. While I was rolling it I started thinking about women with lots of children who use to make all their food by scratch. I could not imagine rolling noodles for a dozen children. That would have to be a special occasion dish. I think the children worked harder back then to help out the family more than they do now. That would be a good punishment for children fighting with each other. you could threaten them with noodle rolling. Maybe I will make some chicken soup with my noodles.

Mathew and I finished our gingerbread house tonight. I think next year we are going to try to make one by scratch. It would be fun to make one that looks like a castle. I happened to look online tonight for wooden calendars with drawers. I found some but they were all for Christmas. I want to find one for any month. I tried another new recipe tonight. It was sugared oranges. it is basically orange sorbet. It took a lot of work scooping out the inside of all those oranges. I don't know what I was thinking trying two new time consuming things when I was tired. It was fun though. I read part of Ken's novel tonight that he is working on. I loved it!

  Well, I should sleep good tonight. I hope :) The doctor prescribed me a new antihistamine for my ears and when I take it before bed I have weird nightmares. Last night in one of my dreams I was walking down a hall that kept closing in . I was headed towards my friend Cathy and this one year old girl that had long hair to the floor like cousin It. I had just about reached her when I heard this horrible growling sound I could not tell if it was coming from behind me or if it was me. I thought I became demon possessed and I woke up and was freaked out. As I got up and walked across the room I heard a  really loud snore. It was Ken ! It sounded just like the sound in my dream. He snored so loud it became part of my dream and then woke me up.

I look forward to my ten things tomorrow. I will make reasonable choices that will stay in my ten minute limit. At least that is the plan anyway.


Because he loves me ," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.  Psalm 91: 14-16

Day 36

I have made it through another day. It was not hard to do it was a good day. I have finished my ten things. It took a little while to get done tonight but I made it. Sixty four more days to go but who is counting? Oh, I think that would be me.

 I need to have a calendar I can put an X through at the end of each day when I am done or a calendar you can open like an advent calendar with chocolates. That would be fun to create one for a loved one. Maybe a wooden calendar with a little drawer with a number painted on it for each day of the month. You could put candy in it, a scripture verse, a really sweet note or something fun like that. You could send it to your grown child who is homesick or you could fill it up and leave it with a loved one if you had to travel for a little while. Every day when they opened another drawer it would be like they had another piece of you there when they see what is in it.  That would be torture for someone like me waiting for the next day. I could walk by a box sitting on a shelf every day for a year and not think anything of it , but if someone said no matter what you do don't look in that box. I would become obsessed with wondering what is in that box. I would probably have nightmares every night about piles of boxes around me that I couldn't open.


Well I practiced my Spanish today but I can't say I memorized anything new. I practiced the piano today and played blues songs. I read my books and I found some fun dishes to make for the holidays. Mathew and I started a gingerbread house . We put one together every year. I wasn't going to buy one this year I didn't think he liked it that much, I thought he just did it to make me happy. But he has been asking me for about a week now so Ken picked one up for us tonight. Mathew said when he has children he is going to make gingerbread houses with them too. I thought that was sweet. We attempted a puzzle before the ginger bread house, but I think it would take us a month to get it done. I also did more organizing this evening and I worked on my algebra. This has really been fun coming up with ten things.I am not overwhelmed at all anymore and I feel more relaxed than I have in a long time.

Yet. O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. ISAIAH  64:8

Day 35

Yeah! I am done with my ten things early. Only 65 more days to go until I am done with my experiment. I was not sure how I was going to accomplish anything today. I was a little bummed when I woke up and did not feel like doing anything. My right arm just throbbed. The pain radiated from my back all the way down to my wrist. I was not sure how I was going to lift my arm to even wash my hair this morning. After two hours of laying there watching the clock I decided to just get up and do my best.


I gave myself a facial this morning and then I turned on the radio and hopped on the treadmill. I practiced my Spanish today and memorized one more word. I practiced the piano after my ibuprofin kicked in. I read my books . I did a little more organizing in the laundry room and I practiced my algebra today I made my own Ranch dressing from scratch. It is a fraction of the cost and tastes ten times better. The best part of all is that it has no preservatives.I use to love eating out and trying new restaurants and new dishes. Now it is has become something I fear. Eating one wrong thing can cause my whole body to be in terrible pain for days and have very scary side effects. For some odd reason it has become increasingly worse over the last few months.


My tenth thing I did today was take more pictures of Mathew. When I had Trista I took her to get her pictures done quite a bit and I took a lot of pictures of her. When I had the second baby ( Ethan) I took him twice and then I had Mathew and he never seemed to get there. He needed baby pictures last year for his sixth grade graduation and I really had to hunt and dig around just to find a couple. I felt terrible about it. Maybe it was because he was always glued to my hip. It was hard to put him down to get a picture of him. The other two were a lot more independent. When I had my second child I thought this will be a piece of cake. I already had one baby they are all the same. Wow! They were nothing alike at all. I was in for a very big surprise and the third was even more unique than the first two. I don't know how women with nine or ten children handled it. That is a lot of laundry, dishes, meals, help with home work , breaking up squabbles and messes to clean up. I really admire them.


Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25

Day 34

Evening is here and I have completed my ten things for the day. It does not seem to make a difference how early I start , a majority of the time I still get done around the same time. If I am given extra time I don't seem to get done earlier. I think that is something I need to work on.


I practiced Spanish and memorized two more words. I was working on algebra again today. I am still stuck on that critical thinking question. I am getting closer but not fast enough. I have to conquer it so I can move on.I am still reading my books. I only have a few pages left in one of them. I practiced the piano today and I dug out all my old coins I had collected and looked them up. I did some more organizing and I found pictures of our trip to Lincoln City when we rented a beach house. That was a lot of fun.The kids seemed so much younger then.


 It is hard when they get older and move out and have their own lives. They grow up so fast. When they are young and at home it feels like they will always be there. It is easy to take that precious time for granted. It is even harder when they grow up and move far away. When I was twenty two I went to Texas for a couple of weeks and after I came back I wanted to move there. I remember my Mom not wanting me to go . I decided not to move but I was young and I thought what is the big deal. I found out what the big deal was after having grown children move out of state. I had a lot of apologizing to do to my mother after I became a parent myself and went through different mile stones with my children. I thought for sure when they were grown I would not have to worry as much about them. I could not have been more wrong. You spend even more time on your knees in prayer because now there are sons and daughter in laws and grandchildren to love also.


I am still enjoying doing ten extra things everyday. I have learned a lot from it about myself .When my one hundred days are up I will still do some of them. I am interested to see the outcome after one hundred days.I look forward to tomorrow:)


Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no on can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   ISAIAH 40: 28-31

Day 33

I made it! I thought for sure I might not finish my ten things before bedtime, but I got them done. I did a lot of running around today so I had to try to plan carefully . I had six things done before I left the house this afternoon If I hadn't I would have been in big trouble. I am a third of the way done with my experiment.There really are a lot of extra things you can do in ten minutes.

I practiced my Spanish today and memorized another word.I practiced the piano today and read my books. I went through a box of stuff that was my grandmas and found places for everything. I did more organizing today and I made another cute key chain. I planned two more healthy meals and I made some unhealthy Candy. I melted chocolate and threw in some pecans and dried cherries and mixed it all together and spread it out on a pan and put it in the fridge to cool. I am not sure what it will taste like. But how bad can anything taste with chocolate in it? I probably should not have made it. When I was melting the chocolate the microwave started arcing. Maybe it was a sign from God that I did not really need to make unhealthy food.It smelled like fireworks in the kitchen for a moment. Ken came in and asked what was burning.

I think the worst thing I burnt was the sand pit by my parents house when I was in eighth grade. It was the last day of school and it was going to be a short day so I decided not to go to school. I was hanging out in the sand pit . It connected to my parents property and the trees blocked the view of the house. I had a few fireworks in my pocket and a few stick matches . I decided I was going to light them off. I struck a stick match on a rock on the ground not giving any thought to the extremely dry grass next to it. In an instant the grass caught on fire and started spreading . I tried to step on it to put it out but I had flip flops on and it was too hot. I ran down to garage and grabbed a five gallon bucket and ran to the faucet outside and started filling the bucket. I ran back up the hill with my bucket of water about four inches deep and was taken by surprise by how fast the fire had spread.

I ran down to the house and told my mother. My little brother got scared and went to the barn and hid in the
 hay. Within moments three fire trucks pulled up. By then the fire had spread so fast it was in the trees and all the grass was on fire. My heart was racing and my hands were sweating. I knew I was dead meat, my life was over as I knew it. I then heard the unmistakable sound of Dads old blue dodge truck coming down the driveway. I don't think he ever missed a pothole. After a stern warning by the fireman it was time to face Dad. I role played every worst possible thing I could think of . I was totally shocked by his response, he looked at me and said I think you have already learned your lesson. Yes , I had learned my lesson about dry grass and fireworks, Or had I ???? That is another story , or I should say two other stories.

Teach me your way , O LORD; lead me in a straight path.  PSALM 27:11

Day 32

 Yeah! The weekend is almost here. I have made it another day. I seemed to get my ten things done today in a reasonable amount of time today. I am glad I did not choose more than ten things to experiment with. Ten seems to be plenty. Every day gets easier. It really doesn't feel like I am doing anything extra anymore. It feels like a routine now.

I worked on my Spanish today. I sat down with a piece of paper and listed all the words off the top of my head that I knew and I came up with eighty eight so far. I am making progress.I have memorized about fifty  of them in a month. Just think if I memorized fifty words a month for a whole year that would be six hundred new words. I practiced the piano today as usual . I think I am about half way through the book now. I read my books and practiced algebra. I am stuck on a tricky critical thinking question.I am getting close to solving it . I refuse to move on until I have come up with the solution.

I did more organizing in my office and laundry room. That is never ending. I planted some cuttings I had taken from a few plants and I made some spicy pumpkin scones. Yes, I was able to whip them up and put them on a pan in ten minutes. I did not count the cooking time. I also planned several healthy dishes. Doing ten things  a day for ten minutes in addition to my regular chores and activities has really made a big difference. I feel less stressed and I am not overwhelmed at all anymore and I am really enjoying myself. I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1: 3-7

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Day 31

I have been blessed with another day to get my ten things done. I was able to get done a little earlier . I have only 69 more days to go. I almost a third of the way there. I would like to thank all of you who have been encouraging to me. It has kept me going.


I memorized two more Spanish words today. I seem to struggle a little bit with saying the r's correctly. I will get there. I practiced the piano today a little too long again. It is going well. Right now I am listening to Pachelbel in Canon D. I will be so thrilled when I can play it . The first time I really sat and listened to it was outside the mall at a table at the River walk in San Antonio.  It was still early in the day so there were few people at the mall. Ken and I went and bought a couple of latte's and went and sat by the water , it was very peaceful and cute little birds were walking around by our feet. I was sitting and enjoying my coffee and admiring the architectural work when all of a sudden the most beautiful music I had ever heard came out of speakers around the river and the building. I couldn't move I just sat there with my eyes closed  as if i were in a trance. I could feel every note as it was being played. I didn't want to leave. I could have sat there all day.

I worked on my algebra today and read my books. I did a little organizing and I decided to add more to the poem I was writing yesterday. I didn't feel like it was quite finished. I even planned healthier meals. I have enjoyed cooking since I was a child. I think I first became interested in cooking in first grade when we made stone soup in class. When we played house outside I used every plant for an herb and I would create some muddy dish. My sister reminded me on Thanksgiving of the toxic mushrooms I fed her and my cousin. My sister liked mushrooms and we had quite a few in our yard. So when we were playing house I chopped some up and had them eat them. When we went in the house they told Mom they ate mushrooms and she ran and looked outside and then grabbed the encyclopedia to look them up and called poison control.They were slightly toxic. My sister and cousin had to drink ipecac and got sick. Needless to say I was not too popular that day. I really am sorry Cari. I am surprised you still love mushrooms :)

Grace and peace to you from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   2 Thessalonians 1:2

Day 30

What a long day! I have lasted a whole month. It really has gone by fast and it has been one of the best things I have done for myself in a long time. I have been thinking about other things I want to try when my one hundred days is up. I will come up with something to challenge myself.

I practiced my Spanish today and I memorized one new word today. I am still continually going over the ones I have learned. I don't want to forget what they mean. I practiced the piano a little too long again tonight. I was having fun and playing around with some new sounds. I am almost done with one of my books. One chapter left. I worked on more algebra. It seemed to require a little more thinking tonight. I organized another cupboard in my kitchen. I have been noticing that I have many lids that go to nothing I have . Where do they come from? I have also found manuals in a drawer to every small or large appliance I have ever owned except for the ones I currently have. Hmmmmm.

I did a little more decorating tonight . The only creative thing I did tonight was write another poem. I really enjoyed that. I need to work on creating more recipes for my cook book and also planning more healthier meals.Since I am talking about food  I have noticed something happening a lot in the grocery store lately that really chaps my hyde. It is the the BOGO sales. They act like they are offering you a great deal by buying one and getting the second one free. I have noticed they double the normal price of the first one and give you the second one free. So they are basically getting you to buy two instead of one because they doubled the first one to make up for the free one. Don't they think we will notice? I feel like they are treating the customers like they are stupid and taking advantage of people who are not paying that much attention to the prices.Well I got that off my chest . Now I can sleep peacefully :) I have been to the grocery store a little too much lately.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.  PROVERBS 19:21

Day 29

I have completed my tasks for the day. It was very challenging to do 10 things today. I did not want to do anything once I got home from work. The only thing that sounded appealing to me tonight was curling up in a blanket in front of our fireplace and reading a book or watching an old movie. My leg has been hurting since one o'clock this morning and I have been chilled all day. In my mind two good reasons to me to do nothing  , but I would be extremely disappointed in myself if I caved in so I did my ten things.

I practiced my Spanish I did not learn any new words tonight. I went over the ones I have memorized and tried some new ones. I enjoyed practicing the piano this evening. I feel like I am making a lot of progress. The piano is  usually the first of my ten things I start with. It helps me unwind, especially today. Today was a bitter sweet day for me. Today is exactly four years since my Kidney Cancer Surgery on November 28, 2007. It is bitter because it was the most horrific thing I have been through, but sweet at the same time because they caught it early. Every year on this day since my surgery I feel like I am on an emotional roller coaster. I think next year I will plan a really fun event on that day so I will have a new memory for November 28.

I did some decorating which was a cheery thing, I worked on algebra , read my books, gave my plants some TLC, did some organizing and ended with painting my toe nails shiny red. Tomorrow will be an easier day.In case any one has counted my things and noticed there is not always 10 things listed. I decided not to list the things that are  personal to me or things that I do for others.I just thought I would mention that in case anyone was wondering how I can be a book keeper when it looks like I can't count to 10. I cannot go to bed without completing my 10 things it would ruin my experiment :(

I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow. I will try to get a little more creative.

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.   Psalm 4:8

Day 28

It has been four weeks today!! I have almost made it a month. I have completed my 10 things for the day. I had just about everything done before dinner tonight. Doing 10 extra things a day is really easy now. The hardest part is actually writing a blog. There are days when I just sit and stare at the blank page, after writing and deleting several times I will finally post what I wrote.

I am still teaching myself Spanish. I have memorized two more words today. I am learning new things in my piano lessons book. I was having so much fun today I ended up playing for twenty five minutes before I realized I needed to go do something else. It is easy to get lost in music. As much as I love music I do not have the gift to sing. My mom tape recorded me singing Deck the Halls when I was in fourth grade and then she played it back. She thought it sounded wonderful but I was traumatized by what I heard.To this day I don't even like to leave my voice on an answering machine. I think God knew if he gave me that gift I would have a hard time not making it my idol. That would be all I wanted to do. He knows whats best.

I worked on my algebra today. I was very excited when I looked in the back after doing my lesson and saw that I got them right. I am still enjoying my book I am reading. I think I only have two chapters left. I am a little bummed I really enjoy reading it. You know when you watch a movie and you are really enjoying the story line and you don't want the movie to end . That is the way it is with me sometimes when I read a book I really enjoy. You want to hear more. That is one really cool thing about the bible it does not matter how many times you have read the same book God always continues to show you something new. He never stops teaching us.

I am still reading my devotionals too but I have been skipping around between devotional books there. I did more organizing today and at dinner time I had a candlelight dinner and served them restaurant style and garnished their plates and glasses. I gave myself another facial and you know upon close examination I think it is working . I think I have knocked a day off my age. I also created a tea I am going to try for breakfast. I am a little scared. I mixed dried hibiscus, dried passion fruit, loose leaf earl grey, dried orange peel granules and a little bit of that loose leaf  black tea that was brought to me from Egypt. It smells really good, but the taste is what is important.I had an enjoyable day. I look forward to my next ten things tomorrow :)

Because of the lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my portion ; therefore I will wait for him.The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.   Lamentations 3:22-25

Day 27

I am done with my ten things for the day. I got done a little earlier today. It is getting harder to remember what day I am on. I have to keep looking. Tomorrow will be four weeks. It is hard to believe. The hardest part of this experiment is stopping at 10 minutes for each thing. If I have only one or two pages left in a chapter I will finish it or if I have to put something back It may take me a few minutes longer. If I did each thing for as long as I wanted it would mess up my experiment. I try not to go to far over ten minutes.

I have memorized three more words in Spanish today. I say them off and on in my head during the day so I don't forget the new ones I am learning each day. I am still faithfully practicing the piano everyday . I am still teaching myself algebra and I really like it , but it is hard stopping after ten minutes. It is like dumping out a 500 piece puzzle on the table and flipping over all your pieces and putting together four pieces and walking away.

 I even went out and swept my deck off this evening. When you have a lot on your mind it is kind of a no brainer. You don't have to think about what your doing and you can still get something productive done.I organized my pan cupboard in my kitchen and found a new pan in the back I never used and I forgot I had. I organized more in the office tonight and my bathroom cupboard  in my bedroom. I have been enjoying reading the devotionals and I even wrote a poem today. I have not done that since I was in school.

Tomorrow I look forward to my next ten things.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

 Psalm 9:10

Day 26

I am finished with my 10 things for the day! I seem to get done around the same time no matter how early I try to start. 74 more days to go. That does not seem like too many any more. My 10 things a day feels like it has become a habit now. I am not sure what I will do once I reach my 100 days.

I am still using the computer program for my Spanish. I enjoy it more and it is kind of funny when you get something wrong and they say no and shake their head at you. I feel like I am catching on quicker with the program. I am learning new things on the piano and I am not feeling bored with it anymore. I am still learning algebra and still reading my book. I did some decorating today and I even matched up outfits in my closet and hung matching necklaces and bracelets with them. It makes it easier in the morning when I am feeling pokey. Which is pretty much every morning. I did a lot of organizing today. My kitchen is almost completely done.

When I created this little experiment a month ago I thought I would basically get a little more organized which would take a little stress off and it would help me not feel so overwhelmed since I am not so good at managing my time sometimes and I try to cram too much in and then end up feeling physically miserable and I also thought I would try to do a few things I wanted to do and never stuck with.

For me this has ended up being so much more than that and it has taken me by surprise . Yes, I am getting really organized which definitely has taken away that feeling of being overwhelmed. I have learned it is okay to take small steps and I am finding  that I can reach my goals because I don't get worn out, discouraged, and give up. It is manageable and I can keep going and because I am not burning myself out I am finding I even have time to do other things.

 But to me the biggest thing of all is I don't hear those lies in my head anymore that I have listened to my entire life. When I would get worn out and feel discouraged  I would hear them play over and over in my mind and I would believe them. I would hear you will never make it, don't get your hopes up, don't waste your time you will never be able to do anything else, you will never be able to do this, you are going to turn out just like that, don't count your chicken's before they hatch and many other things I will not write on here. In your heart you know it can't be true because scripture tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, but often there is a war between the heart and the mind and unfortunately things we had heard for so long seem to be etched into our mind. There is power in our words. It is so important that we choose our words carefully.


" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Day 25

It has been a long day, but a wonderful one. Not only did I get my 10 things done , I was able to spend most of my day with loved ones. I can't think of a better way to spend the day! Well I am 25% of the way there. It has gone by fast.

I practiced my Spanish today and memorized a few more words. It is becoming very comfortable to play the piano again. My fingers feel like they have been playing for a long time. I read another chapter in my book this morning and I started a second book with a lot of great women's devotionals I am still working on my algebra and I am getting the hang of it. I gave myself another facial and decided to stand back a ways from the mirror when I washed it off that way I could convince myself that it seems to be working.

 I did some organizing in my room, gave Ken a pedicure, and I made a really cute key chain tonight. I sat down with a bunch of photos and started working on a photo album. Many of the pictures were from several Christmases and of our trip we took to San Antonio, Texas and Puerto Vallarta , Mexico several years ago. I could not decide where I wanted to go that year for vacation. So we combined it and did both. The first half was San Antonio and the second half Puerto Vallarta.I loved Joe's Crab Shack down at the River Walk . They had the best catfish and hush puppies. It is really fun having a little boat pick you up outside your hotel.We also enjoyed visiting the Alamo If you have not been to the Riverwalk I highly recommend it.

I look forward to my next 10 things tomorrow :)

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.   Revelations 3:21

Day 24

Yeah! I am done early with my 10 things. Tomorrow will be 25 days I will be a quarter of the way there. I am still amazed at how much a little bit every day can make a difference. I feel like I have more control over my life to an extent. I know God is in total control of everything, but I do have control over the choices I make and I would like them to be good ones.

I memorized five more Spanish words today. It feels like it will take forever to learn the entire language, but to me it is worth it. I am still practicing the piano and I am having a lot of fun with that. I enjoy playing with the sounds as much as practicing the lessons. I decided to go through the pictures on my fridge. I thought I should probably take the ones off that I had of people with old boyfriends when they are married to a different person.

I organized my other bookshelf. I worked on straightening out the laundry room. I am still enjoying my book. I taught myself how to use a graphic calculator today. I have wondered how those work for years. Yesterday when I was under the stairs I spotted a pre algebra book on a shelf. I was very excited. I was working on it today. I am getting the hang of it and I really like it. I thought it would be too hard to figure out but it's not.

I finished my soaps today. They came out nice, even Mathew liked them, but I  think I will always be a huge fan of  plain white dial soap. I think I am hooked on the smell of it. I organized lots of food today. We will see how long it stays like that. I ran across a box of bird gravel. I think that is what it is called. Mathew's birds are gone so I spread it outside for the wild birds. It reminded me of something dad use to give our chickens but only smaller. Feeding the chickens was always interesting. We tried to wait until the bull was not looking or the Roosters were out of sight. If we hadn't, the chances of being chased by something was pretty high. There were a few times I had to climb up into the loft and just wait.

I remember when we had a calf and we had to bottle feed it I was really excited. I was still in grade school and I thought this will be fun. Wrong! I mixed up a bottle and took our dog Candy with me to go feed the calf  It was dark outside and I had never liked walking out in the field alone in the dark. I ran across the field to go feed the calf , I thought I will make this quick. I tried feeding the calf. It was so messy and it sucked on the nipple so hard it pulled it right out of the bottle and milk spilled on my shoes and every where. I looked for our dog and realized she abandoned me and I had to run back across the field by myself to make another bottle and go back out and feed the calf again.The excitement over feeding the calf ended right there.It was a lot of work sometimes but I would love to live on a farm again someday.

I look forward to my next 10 things tomorrow :)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.  Colossians 3:23

Day 23

77 more days and I will have reached my goal. My 10 things are complete for the day. Sometimes it takes me a  little longer to get them done. I am going to try to have them completed by dinner tomorrow. Looking for things to  do seems to be habit forming. Some times it is hard to only do 10 minutes. I have gone over quite a few times.

I practiced my Spanish and piano like usual. Today when I played I found a really cool drum sound to add. It sounded like drums you would hear on a movie in Africa with wild animals running in the background. It was a lot of fun. I think creating music videos would be a really enjoyable hobby to have. I found my extra candles today and put them in one drawer. I thought that might be a good thing to add to my list today since the power went out  last night and It was dark this morning.I also tried to teach Ken to two step again when we were in the kitchen.I bet my neighbors behind us wished they would have left up some their trees last year . They now have a full view into my kitchen through our window.

I also organized some of the filing cabinets in our office. I ran across a bunch of pictures and stories that my daughter had created in grade school ( She is now 23). my favorite one was the story she wrote on how hail is made. It is the cutest story I have ever read. It brought tears to my eyes and It made me want to hang all her pictures and stories on the walls in my office. I even made soap tonight ,I have not done that in a long time They are plumeria with apricot seed exfoliant. I made one with little bees on it and the other one had a light house. I love lighthouses! It was quite relaxing.

Last night I did great on making a healthy dinner, but tonight I did not do so hot. I made chicken fried steak. I am going to blame it on the rain. I look forward to my next 10 things tomorrow.


We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. may your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.   Psalm 33: 20-22

Day 22

Done for the day! I had a late start getting my 10 things done, but I made it. Now I will rest. I know once my 100 days are up I will not be able to go back to the way things were before. I will have to make some sort of commitment to myself to keep doing things that matter a lot to me weather I feel well or not. 22 days of not feeling overwhelmed is enough to make me stick to it.When you feel overwhelmed your mind feels like one big play ground with a whole bunch of  swings going at once and you keep waiting for them to slow down so you can jump off.My brain never shuts off and I think about everything, so for me it makes it twice as hard. By doing these 10 things every day I feel like I am doing more and thinking less. So I am giving my brain a little break.

I am still faithfully practicing the piano and my Spanish everyday. I am still planning healthy meals. I even made a vegan dinner for Ken and I tonight. The others are not too crazy about that. I am still reading my book. My home office is getting more organized. I finally put all my entertaining things in the hutch instead of it all being spread out in different cupboards. My kitchen is becoming more user friendly.

I am trying to learn algebra. In school I got to choose what I wanted to take for math. I chose business math and accounting . They were easy for me and I enjoyed it. I have always wanted to learn algebra so I am giving it a try.

 Mathew had a science project due tomorrow that he needed help with so we had fun working on it together. He had to create a creature out of recycled household items and give it a name and write a paper about it. I have a wild imagination so that assignment was right up my alley. If he needed help with algebra I would have been in trouble.

I gave my self another facial, but you know every time I wash off the mask, I still look the same age.  I should have taken a before 100 days picture and then take one after to see if there is really a benefit to doing  this at all. Well , I am still looking forward to doing my 10 things each day.

" In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Day 21

I have made it three weeks! 79 more days to go. Today it was a lot easier to get my 10 things done. I had them all finished by 7:00 this evening. It definitely makes a difference pacing myself instead of pushing myself too far and then suffering. It all feels very manageable .

I used the computer program again for my Spanish.It is a little more enjoyable.It is a little easier when you hear people saying the words correctly. I have memorized two more words today . I am still practicing the piano every day. I get a little impatient sometimes I want to have it all mastered. I do not dare pray for patience anymore. That is one prayer that always gets a quick response, and it is not the one I am looking for, but the one I need.

 I did a lot of organizing today. I don't know how a person can accumulate so much stuff. A lot of it has been gifts over the years. When Your house is 2,600 square feet and you have lots of closets, cabinets and storage under the stairs it can take you along time to organize. It is easy to save too much stuff. I am now getting realistic and tossing things that I will not use or giving them away.  I am still enjoying my book I am reading based on Nehemiah .  I am still brushing up on my math and English. Math was my favorite subject in school. English was not ! I did however enjoy the literature we were assigned to read. I organized my clothes in my closet by color. It is really easy to find ten extra things to do every day. I look forward to my next 10 things.


For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.   Psalms 84:11-12

Day 20

Today I am 20% of the way there and tomorrow it will be three weeks. I just completed my 10 things for the day. For some reason the last half of the day seems to go easier than the first half of the day. I think my 100 days will be up before I know it.

I practiced my Spanish with my computer program today . It feels like they cram so much in so fast. I was trying to remember the names of foods and the names of utensils today. I had fun practicing the piano today. I took three songs and mixed them up into one. I really liked it.  More organizing was done and some rearranging. I have been doing a lot more reading. It keeps me off the internet as much. It is easy to spend too much time on it, especially if you are curious and like to learn about everything.

Sometimes you can have too much information and it can get you all worked it. For instance looking up insects and diseases. I found a spider in the laundry room once that was very peculiar looking. I tried to kill it and it got away. I did not know where it went. But I was sure the spider knew where I was and it was just waiting for it's opportunity to bite me when I was not looking and infect me with its venom. I think I must have looked up spiders on the internet for two hours trying to see if it was deadly and of course during my little search I ran across all kinds of horrible things about spiders. It makes it hard to sleep peacefully. Every time the sheet moves on your leg you think it is that spider, then you throw back the blankets, grab a flashlight and you end up going on a hunt for this little man eater you are sure is there. After looking around and not finding anything you come to the conclusion that it is all in your head and you get back in bed and think you keep feeling things for the next half hour until you fall asleep.Why is it so easy to be terrified of something so tiny?


I am looking forward to my next 10 things tomorrow. It really is helping me more than I ever imagined. I am really curious to see what all I will have learned and accomplished at the end of 100 days .


"I, the Lord have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and  a light for the gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.   Isaiah 42: 6-7