I GOT A JOB these are the words my husband has been wanting to hear since last November when I left my job. I have had a great time at home I had time to plan and execute my sons graduation and Eagle Scout ceremony. I spent time with my dog who had a great summer but is now failing in health again. I helped a friend get ready for the flea market and helped her work it. I have had a blast at home to bad I could not get paid for it. LOL I start a new job on the 22nd and it is very different to any thing I have ever done, but I am up for the challenge and I hope to do well. After I pay my VISA off(not enough room on this blog to talk about how bad that is) I can save for my son's college tuition and maybe even a few things for my self. Hope everyone has a great fall, I will try to do updates from time to time.DMK

I thought I would put pictures of Carmi and her buddy Duke that I mentioned in yesterdays blog.

Today is a rainy cool day which in my opinion has been a long time coming. Rainy day's really make you think. I was honored to have been asked to do the flowers for a beautiful young women that I have known since she was a baby. The weather was great on Sat. and if I do say so myself the flowers turned out quite well. I forgot how much goes into doing weddings , back in the day I did 30 or so a year and had the routine down pat. These days I am a little rusty and not as fast as I used to be but I must say it was fun. The best part was when Jess said she was happy with everything and loved her wedding bouquet.  That was always my favorite part when I did weddings for a living.In a blink of an eye things change and we got some bad news today; our neighbor dog Duke ran away and got hit by a car and passed away. We are deeply sadden by this and it reminds me that just 6 months ago Carmi was so sick we thought she would not be with us much longer. Because of this I took pictures of Carmi kissing Duke through the fence which  was their custom almost daily. Who would have thought that the picture I took to preserve Carmi's memory now preserves Duke's. RIP Duke you were a sweet dog who will be deeply missed. We have 15 days until Sam goes away to school. He will only be 3 hours away but I fear it will seem much further. The part of WS he is going to is close to the area my family vacationed for 30 plus years and will be a great place for him to live. I know mentally that I raised him to go off on his own and accomplish great things but I have to say my heart just doesn't get it yet. I am going to try very hard to not cry until Mike and I are driving away so I don't embarrass  my only son but we will have to wait and see.
Count your blessings everyday, joys and concerns are part of life and remind us how precious life is. DMK

Wow the summer is really flying by. I just thought "I have not blogged for a few weeks I should" then I saw the date of my last post and realized it had been over a month. I have been very serious about finding a job this week. I applied for 7 jobs and hope to hear from someone. I really want to change what I am doing so I have been applying for jobs outside my field. We will see what happens, at my age it is hard to even get an interview. It is sad that employers look at the 23 years I had my own business as a bad thing and not a good thing. They act like I was unemployed for those years. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that I get at least an interview.  Well I have to go I am getting ready for the Hinckley Farmers Market tomorrow. Have a great day. DMK

Today Sam is going to his second prom. H-BR's was last week and DeKalb's is this week. He looked so handsome and grown up.The last week has me reflecting and weepy! In one week my one and only child will graduate from High School. I think to myself (and most day's talk out loud to myself) where has the time gone. It seems like yesterday that he was a baby in his stroller behind the counter of my shop. Customers loved to see him and he grew very fond of many of my customers. Some who stopped in many times a week to say Hi to him and usually bring him something.When I closed the store my customers all said they would miss my store, but mostly they would miss seeing Sam everyday. 18 years, have I aged 18 years since his birth (again I talk to myself) it just doesn't seem possible. I don't feel that much older. Sam has turned into a caring, funny, opinionated , smart young man. In some ways he reminds me of Mike at that age but mostly he reminds me of my Dad. He has a quiet way about him like he is thinking all the time, planning just like Hank. He is graduating at the top of his class 3rd to be exact. He will work at Monsanto again this summer and then in Sept. he will go 3 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. To the UofW Platteville. I am happy that he found a school he really likes , but my heart is breaking and he hasn't even pulled out of the driveway yet. Talk to everyone later. DMK

Spent a great week in DC on Sam's spring break. Walked more than I have in about a year, but it was worth it,seeing the memorial up close was really a moving experience. When we came home we found out that a classmates of Sam's mom had passed away and a dear friend from church passed away. (Wilbur you will be missed.)Carmi has slowed down a great deal but she is still hanging in there and we are happy with every extra day we have with her. I hope everyone has a glorious blessed Easter. Until next time. DMK

Monday, the day of the week I hated the most when I worked outside my home! Now it is just another day ; in fact the days all seem to go into each other now that I am home. It has been a real learning experience for me I never had the opportunity to stay home and now that I am at home I really find that I NEED A JOB!
The novelty of what it would  be like to stay home has passed and as soon as Sam graduates I am hitting the pavement hard and getting a part time job!Yesterday would have been my Dad's 85th Birthday, not a day goes by that I don't miss him My sweet little Dog Carmi has been so sick the last month and we thought she was getting better but her blood work is really bad now and I fear it is only a matter of time before we have to make some sort of decision I did not think we would have to make for 5 or so more years. This of course means that next year when Sam is gone it will truly be just Mike and I. We never really did just Mike and I that well back 20 years ago so I don't know how we will do it better now. We will see. Well I hope everyone has a good week , I hope not everyone's week starts off as melancholy as mine has. All for now. DMK

Busy day today, and a busier week, my Little Carmi Dog had to go for an all day long test to check for Cushings disease she has to be there from 8-5 poor little Carmi. Hopefully Mike remembers to pick her up because I have to been in the Hospitality room at H-BR at 5 to help set up for Regional s. Cooking 4 big chickens to make chicken over biscuits for tomorrow. Cooking for Fri. too but that can wait.    My  baby is going to be 18 tomorrow . I can't believe it where did the time go?Big B-Day party at Pizza Villa Sat. to celebrate Sam's 18th. When did  I ever have time to work. Well wish me luck that I can get it all done this week and survive because next week is FFA Banquet and lots to do for that too. Everyone have a great week. DMK

Well it seems that Carmi is feeling a little better. The vet said it is hard to tell how bad the liver damage is until she has been on the meds for a while and is retested. Her big problem is holding down the little bit of food she seems to get down. She does seem a little more alert then before. Sent out some more scholarships today hope Sam gets something with all the work he has done on these. Time to clean my house now talk to you all later. DMK

I don't know why I had more time when I worked but I just never seem to be able to get everything done in a days time. This week my little dog Carmi got sick. I took her to the vet and they did tests and we are waiting on the results. It could be a bladder infection but it could be something bad we will wait and see. I really have become attached to this little dog and with Sam being as busy as he is and with Mike well....being Mike she has been great company for me and I do not deal with pet loss well so I hope the news is good.  I as I have said before have been helping Sam with scholarships and he had one that he could not do on the computer. His hand writing is worse than bad so I had to did my typewriter out of the closet and Sam said "hey I have never seen one of those in person only in pictures!" LOL I guess I am getting old. My other news this week is that I got accepted to NIU, I transferred everything and am going to try to finish my degree there. I hope everyone had a great week talk to you soon. DMK

January has gone by so fast that I can't really believe that February is just days away. Sam will be 18 in a matter of weeks and still continues to try and find a scholarship so he can go to the school he wants to go to. This weekend Mike talked about retiring (are you kidding me) Sam needed the date Mike joined the union for a scholarship and Mike said WOW I think maybe I can retire in 2 years. I changed the subject fast and hopefully distracted him long enough for him to forget it. He is only 47 he can't retire in 2 years and have me keep my sanity. LOL My mom had a cataract  removed and it went well she can see better than she has been able to in years. Now I need to find her a job so she stops bringing baked goods to my house for me to eat!!!!Any one out there hiring a fabulous baker?????I transferred all my credits to NIU this week I have to find a course of study so I can finish in a timely manner. I did not get the one scholarship I apply for but I am still trying, If I could go full time it would be great. I want to finish before Sam finishes college. All in all it has been a good beginning to the new year. Have a great day. DMK

I am getting sick of being at home, I love doing my crafts but I guess I just need to work even if it is only part time somewhere. My class did not work out I am going to transfer to NIU and take it from there. My mom has cataract surgery tomorrow so I will be sitting at Copley for most of the day. Hopefully she will be just fine I understand that it is an easy surgery. Poor Sam is overburdened with school work 4 AP classes are starting to take there toll. Hopefully it will ease up some soon. All for now. Have a great day.

So today I started my new math class. I have been really struggling to finish my math requirement for 2 years. I have had to take 3 classes that don't count just to take the 1 that does. I did not understand any of the stuff we learned today. The teacher went very fast and I am lost, so sad on the first day. I am going to the tutoring center tomorrow and if I don't get is still , I am dropping this class. How I finish my math requirement I do not know but I do not think I can pass this class. Hope everyone has a great day. DMK

Friday the 13th!  My Irish G-Ma taught me that this was a very bad day! My G-Ma would not even go out on Friday the 13th. Even though my head was filled with stories from the old country about luck ( or the lack of it on the 13th) I try not to think about it too much. First snowstorm of the season doesn't seem to have been too bad, the roads seem okay, drifted in some spots but not too bad if you are careful. Another funeral tomorrow  a dear church member who has been ill for a few years.Joyce was a wonderful women and will be missed by everyone. We are serving lunch for the family so I need to go and make my dish to pass. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Keep both my friends that lost their mom's in your prayers this weekend and call your mom and say I love you. DMK

New week starting out sad, my friends mom passed away and the wake is today. The funeral is tomorrow and I know these will be two hard days for my friend. I lost my Dad in 94 he was my biggest fan everything I did or tried no matter what he supported. I miss his everyday so I know exactly how my friend feels. At a time like this you always feel nothing you say or do will help so I am just trying to be there if she needs me. Hopefully the week will get better as it goes on. Please Pray for strength for my friend.I hope everyone has a good week DMK

So my dishwasher has gone to the great dishwasher in the sky. It will be cheaper to buy a new one I am told. This is the last of the house full of brand new appliances that we bought new in 2005 to break . But this one broke the worse. I can't take a chance on it leaking on my hardwood floors and Mike is not buying a new one now after the whole toilet thing so I guess I will have to learn how to wash by hand again. Boo Hiss for me. I joined Pinterest today it is a cool site and everyone should check it out. I have been cooking for a friend who lost her mom so that has kept me busy the last few days. Undecorate the church tomorrow then who knows. Hope everyone has a great week end. DMK

Sam's Senior pictures went on line today. They turned our really well. I will have a hard time picking my favorites.Today has gone well. I got my thank yous from Christmas done and am waiting for the repair man to fix my dishwasher. Have a great day everyone. DMK

I hope this post finds everyone enjoying a happy and healthy new year. As for me in typical DMK fashion I spent New Years Eve picking out a new toilet. Yes you read correctly a new toilet. You know you are old when this happens to you. LOL So we go to a big box store and there of course are many choices. They are all on the highest shelf possible  to display items in the store  and tipped forward so you really can't see what they look like. So Mike and I pick one based on water usage(if you live in my town this is important due to our water bill rate) and it said it was clog proof ( handy if a teenager lives in your house). So on New Years Sam and I go to church and when we come home our shiny new toilet has  been installed and looks great. One problem !!!!!The first time I use it I realize it is about 2" taller (off the floor) than the old toilet. Now I am short so you do the math!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully your New Years is going better then this and I am sure mine will get better soon.  Have a great 2012 everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!