Life With Jules, and other stuff

*Disclaimer: not looking for sympathy or anything here. Just sharing my experience of the past week. For the 3rd time this year, I have come down with that awful cold. It began on the Thursday before Easter. Probably even the couple of days leading up to that one. You know the one that starts off with a scratchy throat. Anyway, I went to the drug store before work that morning to pick up OTC drugs for the symptoms. By Easter Sunday I should have gone to the VA Hospital but figured I already had an appointment there on this past Thursday so it could wait. The symptoms seemed to be subsiding, but I did go to "sick call" at the VA Thursday morning before my appointment. Got some antibiotics and an inhaler (just in case I needed it) and went on to the MRI lab. I am severely claustrophobic and this was my first ever MRI. By the time I got out of that tube 30 minutes later I was trembling. I still had one more stop to get xrays done. No, the labs had nothing to do with the visi...

Well, I haven't done much, if any, stitching the past month. But I am posting this month's check-in anyway to answer the question: How do you keep your stash organized? I have no rhyme or reason to how I keep things organised. I keep my DMC floss in cabinets with little drawers. You know the kind used in workshops to organize nuts and bolts and screws and things. I also keep floss in those little baggies in a basket. Magazines are either digital and on my hard-drive or in magazine holders like below. Other miscellaneous stash is located in a couple of drawers in my dad's old bedroom. Sorry for the blurriness of the pics. My battery died as I took them :(

It may not be what you think, but I decided to take the plunge over the weekend! Well, not the literal plunge into water or even the figurative plunge into marriage. But the plunge into a new endeavor! Please take a moment to visit my new website: Photographs by Julie . Yes, I decided to try to make some money with my photog skills. This is something I have been going back and forth about over the past few years. I have had several people suggest I go into business for myself and make a career of it. Many of you, my faithful [and new] readers, know that my biggest passion is my photography; this in addition to cross stitch and writing. Some might even suggest, and have, that photography is one of my Gifts or Talents from God Himself. Until yesterday, I was too scared to even try! But, through contemplation I decided it's time. Now, I will keep my full - time job with the State of Florida because as those of you who are self-employed know it takes time to build. Stay tu...

Last night was my dad's 45 46th High School Reunion. I decided when the invite first came to attend in his memory. I am so glad that I did! Here are some pics I took (click on image as it's an album on Picassa Web): Bellamy Brothers 2014

Have you ever contemplated what, in your life, God has revealed to you? It could be something about your life, and important event, or just an "A-ha" moment. As I read through this book, I have been trying to think back on my life to recall any moments where God revealed something important to me. It's been a difficult task to say the least. Chapter 2 centers around experiences through relationships or friendships. One of the questions posed at the end is "Can you identify just one person from your past with whom you enjoyed a strong friendship and in whose presence you felt spiritually enriched?" Well, I can answer with an emphatic YES! Part of this exercise is to reach out to that person(s), which I did several months ago. While that friendship may have since fizzed out, it did leave an impression on me. One of the best parts of that friendship is we were always able to talk about anything related to religion, Christianity, spirituality, and God. I will miss...