Friday, November 30, 2007

Xmas Meme

I got this from Bethe 

Getting to Know Your Friends!

You know the drill. Please Cut and Paste.
Don't be a Scrooge!!!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? 
Definitely Mexican Hot Chocolate...the way I make it! 
 
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?  
Santa wraps....I am Santa's "Helper"
 
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?  
White
 
4. Do you hang mistletoe? 
I haven't seen it in the stores.
 
5. When do you put up your decorations? 
After Thanksgiving~ when & if I get in the mood. 
 
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? 
My Stuffing (from scratch) & Homemade Pumpkin Pie (I make a beautiful, flaky crust) YUMM
 
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: 
This was not a "favorite" memory, but it is the only Christmas memory I can remember that was kind of "Christmasy." I spent the night with a family who gave me a stuffed doll. It was the only toy I ever had as a child. It was the first time that I got to see how other people lived.  
  
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember anyone telling me about Santa when I was a little girl. I think I first learned about him from #7 above. The kids were loud and wild over presents (very spoiled actually). I was told that it was the night that Christ was born. 
 
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
If I opened a gift on Christmas Eve, I might not have one to open on Christmas morning. LOL... I give presents, but I don't usually get presents on Christmas. When we were little, my grandmother would make bunelos and Mexican candy. At church, we would get an orange and an apple and some Christmas candy in a paper stocking.
 
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
When my children were little, I used to love wooden ornaments. I haven't seen any like the ones I had. It's sad that you do not see them anymore... One Christmas, I took an old branch from the tree in the backyard and painted it white and I hung homemade paper ornaments that my daughter and I hand made. I stuffed them with cotton balls and drew the back as if it was the back of the ornament. I made some popcorn and we strung it and put it on the "tree" and added lots of tinsel. It was beautiful. Now, I decorate with seashells and fat whimsical mermaid ornaments designed by Kathleen.  
 
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I like snow when you do not have to shovel it or get caught in a blizzard. It also looks beautiful in snowglobes. LOL 
 
12. Can you ice skate?  
No. There is no ice in the Valley, and if there is, it doesn't stay for very long. I don't think I could skate on the windshield of my car. LOL 

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The stuffed doll I received when I was six or seven years old. Her name was Teresa. She died when my daughter tried to flush her down the toilet.
 
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Being with my cherubs & their cherubs  
 
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? 
Pumpkin Pie   um-um-um -um- ummmmm...
 
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?  
Midnight Mass~
although sometimes I am too sleepy. LOL
 
17. What tops your tree?  
I was going to make a topper from the Starfish that my brother bought for me one Christmas but he gave it to my mother to give to me and she still cannot find it.
 
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?  
Giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? 
Santa Baby
 
20. Candy Canes? 
I like them for what they symbolize, but not to eat. 
 
21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Or is it still magical for you?
Jesus is the reason for the season. There is nothing magical about people fighting to buy things they cannot afford. 
 

The VOICES

                                                    

Yesterday, I was still nervous from my Interview, but I was satisfied with my answers to the interviewers' questions...

Today, I am reviewing the week and hearing the voices in my head... the "I shouldas..."

Abba, NO. Please don't allow me to doubt. Keep my faith strong...I want to continue to believe in your promises...

They say that things happen for a reason... I think I dropped my handwritten 23rd Psalm at the place where I interviewed on Thursday. Did you plan that, Lord? Were you trying to tell me that is where I will be planted?...

The typing scores did not show my best work, but I did well. The interviews and typing test interfered with the training I was going to do to learn how to fill out income tax forms, but I will have another opportunity a week from now...

I had two interviews this week, but the job I want is the one I interviewed for on Thursday. The job I want fights for something that I believe in, meets my education and background, does not require working at night or weekends, and it does not require much traveling.

Make it happen, Lord! Open the door!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

The INTERVIEW

                     

Preparing for today's interview actually began from the time that I received the phone call... find my transcripts... review interview basics... prepare myself for questions that might be asked... create a clear picture in my mind of why and how I would fit into that position... prepare questions to ask the interviewers... indulge in a tub of bubble bath, in attempts of reaching some kind of zen... oil my hair, shampoo it, and condition it, in attempts to make it look healthy and shiny... decide what to wear... There are so many things to take into consideration...

This morning, I told God that I needed for Him to be my hairdresser and for Him to dress me. Because it is Thursday, I wanted to wear something green, but my green top was missing in action ~ probably dirty from the last interview that I went to on a Thursday... so I wore green underneath my clothes.

God dressed me in basic black... black jacket, black tank top, and black skirt. I wore natural colored stockings and black pumps. I traded my black cloth purse for a dark brown designer purse by Victoria Wieck. When I get a job, I will need to invest in a black purse. I was going to wear a black and gold crystal jewelry set, but I decided that it was too distracting, so I wore the clear crystal and earrings instead.

When it came to my hair, I was surprised that even though I put a roller on the top to force the hair to lift and go away from the face, God forced me to wear bangs. I had to cut a few strands because they were a bit long. I twisted the hair on the sides and clipped them in the back with a tortoise shell butterfly clip.

Before I left my apartment, I prayed for the right words to come out of my mouth and that I would look, act, and be exactly what they are looking for.

I was interviewed by a man and a woman who were not from the office where I would be working if I get the job. This is the second time that I have experienced this. I wonder if this is a common practice with other companies or if this is only common practice in  the Valley... Yea, tho' I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death... sigh...

The people interviewing me were not friendly. They were there to ask questions, period... and they wrote down everything I said...

I was surprised that the interview was so short. I asked a few questions and thanked them for the opportunity to interview for this position. The man made copies of my transcripts and directed me towards the exit.

It was too hard to tell what they were thinking... Were they pleased with me? They left me no clue...

I would say that I gave excellent answers to their questions. I thank God that the Holy Spirit was speaking through me instead of allowing me to mess it up...

So now... I wait...

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

NervousButHopeful

           

It happened.

They called me to come in to interview!

My interview is tomorrow (11/29) at 11:30 a.m.

Good numbers! LOL


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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

The TEST

                           

When I got to the expressway, I thanked God that I always like to go early if I do not know where I am going. As luck would have it, the expressway was blocked with bumper to bumper traffic, so I had to get off, and when I got to the main road where I was supposed to be, the directions that the girl gave me were so bad that I wasted another half hour going around in circles, but I found it! Why do they give you directions without giving you an address?!... Valley people!!! :::shaking head::: :::repeat:::

Still... I was 45 minutes early, so I did good timing at leaving the apartment an hour and a half early... Today was Tuesday, so I wore a black pantsuit with a dark red top and black boots.

I sat down to wait until I was called. I took out my handwritten copy of the 23rd Psalm and read it over and over, stopping to laugh at myself when it says: Yea tho I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. (I live in the Valley. LMAO... :::shaking head:::)

So the girl finally calls me to the back. God, she was only about half my size. She probably weighed about 98 lbs wet. I miss being thin... sigh...

She sat me at her desk and explained procedure. I was really nervous, so I only typed 43 wpm on the practice test. I did a little better at the second practice test at about 56 wpm. Then, it was time to take the real test... Yep, I got nervous again... I started out messing up, took control of myself and encouraged myself to focus on accuracy.

I did not do my best work, but the score was at 65 wpm with 97% accuracy, and all I needed was 40 wpm. So now I wait until I hear from them...

 

Monday, November 26, 2007

Tink-ing About You

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 QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Which is your worst vice? What part(s) of your body do you have to use to make this vice a reality?

 OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK:

Find a napkin, paper towel or handkerchief of your choice. You will be using the same one all week. If you use a handkerchief, you can wash it at the end of the day but it must be dry enough to use the following day. Whenever you are tempted to commit this vice, wipe down the body part(s) that will make you commit this vice. Did you use the handkerchief at least once a day? Were there times when you forgot to use it? Did anybody ask you what you were doing? Did this exercise help you to gain some control over your vice? Write about it.

 

LOL @ yes... I did another Quiz:
What Famous Pinup Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatfamouspinupareyouquiz/

You are Maryiln Monroe
A classic tortured beauty
You're the dream girl of many men
Yet they never seem to treat you right

LOL @ they mispelled Marilyn, but yep, that describes me. I'm every man's dream!!! LMAO...

Sunday, November 25, 2007

My Answers

My Answers to last Monday's Question and Observation of the Week...

 QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

When some people look in the mirror they only see the negative. Look at yourself in the mirror and describe something about your body that is beautiful and positive.

I am not sure what to write about here. Most people notice my hair first... the little girl with the big hair... the lady with the mermaid hair... some people think it is a perm but it's not. One woman saw me standing from the back and thought it was a wig. She said she was going to buy it, but when she got closer, she noticed that there was a person behind it. LOL... Whenever kids draw pictures of me, my hair a very dominant feature. Some of the kids that I worked with used to call me Shakira. I think I might be... before she lost weight. LOL...

My daughter says my best feature is my smile. I am proud that I have never had a cavity in my life. When I was in a car accident in 1980, I broke my jaw on both sides and I could have lost all of my teeth, but thanks to a surgeon who took my wisdom teeth out to put my mouth back together and wired my teeth shut so that my teeth would not fall out, I still have my smile and my dimples. I also have a beauty mark on the left side above my upper lip. That is why I always sign off with this smile... =.)

I think a smile is very important. If you see a person without a smile, give them yours. =.)

 OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK:

Pay special attention to the foods you eat this week. Use your five senses to analyze what you are eating: look at it, touch it, smell it, taste it, listen to it as you are cooking it or eating it. Which was your favorite? Write about it.

There are different foods that I could write about here, but not one of them included all five senses. The one that came the closest was the cornbread that I made for my mother and my brother. It was fun to prepare it from scratch and put it into the oven. When it was almost done, the smell came through the oven door. When I took it out, the smell was even more intense. It rose perfectly and the color was just right. I cut it with a knife in small and big sections, carefully separating it from the edge and the bottom of the glass pie dish. The dish felt warm in my hands when I packed it to take it to Mother's. The only thing is that I didn't taste it. I wanted to leave it all for them to enjoy.

I will have to carry this observation over into this week.

                                                    I couldn't resist this Quiz. LOL...

Do You Scare Off Men?
http://www.blogthings.com/doyouscareoffmenquiz/

***You Are 32% Scary***
You scare men off ocassionaly, but only very weak men. You're a normal woman. You're not perfect, but you're pretty darn close.


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Saturday, November 24, 2007

J-Land Snowball Fight!!!

J-Land Snowball fight!!! I got this from Bethe who got this from Linda...

Join in, copy picture, post, link back to me, and add your link here! 

Visit all your friends and have some fun!!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Fall In The Valley

                    

I love the way this tag turned out. It looks like something that Frida would make.

In reviewing my journal comments... what did I miss?! Thank you so much for the vote of confidence in the comments section of my journal, but I do not have an interview pending.

Next week, I will learn how to fill out income tax forms. I will not get paid for it, but the training is free.

Also, I have a typing test scheduled for the job that I want, but I do not have an interview pending for that job.

 

The temperature has been in the 40s and the 50s for the past couple of days. The sky is gray and the pavement is gray. It's as if I am living in a black and white photograph. All of the colors blend into each other. It is hard for me to see things clearly when all the colors are the same.  

Autumn in the Valley does not bring beautiful colorful leaves that fall gently from the trees and blow away in the breeze. There are still many trees with green leaves that will probably remain green throughout the season. I have never seen a banana tree or a palm tree with colorful autumn leaves. The fields are full of orange, grapefruit, and tangerine trees that are full of green leaves. Some trees lose their leaves and some trees and bushes look as if they got a haircut, but their leaves do not change color. I wish we had some trees that actually prove that it is autumn.

It has been cold in my apartment for the past two days, but  instead of turning on the heater, I am wearing more layers. The temperature is expected to be warm again next week. Cold weather here is just a tease. It doesn't stay for very long.

I didn't cook Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving day. It would have been too expensive to prepare all of that food. I bought a rotisserie chicken and baked some cornbread and took it to  Mother's home. Mother took out some tamales that she made last year. They were not very good, but I ate them. As usual, she commented that I am fat, but I was surprised that she was actually very nice to me while I was there.

My brother cut a neighbor's yard in the morning (about an acre)and went to eat lunch and watch football at an old classmate's house, so he wasn't there. Mother said that they had planned to come to my apartment to eat in the evening. I hope my brother wasn't too disappointed not to eat his sister's food this year, but I am sure that he will love the cornbread that I prepared.

Thanksgiving seemed like any other day, but it was another day to count my blessings and give thanks to the Lord. 

Today is Black Friday. People have been out spending money since 4:00 this morning. Some people camped out in tents at the stores last night. Even if I had the money, I would hate to be in the middle of that crowd. It is bad enough that going to the stores on ordinary days you have to fight off the people from Mexico who cross the border everyday to shop here. I can only imagine how bad it is out there today.

I went to church this morning, and just like last week, it left me feeling very drained. I know I am behind in my entries, but I am going to rest now.

  

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Count Your Blessings

                                                        

                                     

Don'tcha just love these Marilyn Monroe photographs?! I know there is another one somewhere on the web, but AOL was giving me problems so I was not able to save it, and now, I cannot find it. If anyone should come across it, please send it to me. I would love to have the set.

                                                         

As mentioned in previous entry, all of the jobs I have applied for have been jobs that I do not want. There is one job, however, that I have applied five times for. That is the job that I want, but I have had no response from that employer... until today.

This morning I received a phone call from a woman who scheduled me for a typing test next week! I was disappointed that the job is not for the one that is in the town where I currently reside, but I am so grateful for this opportunity.

Thank you so much, Lord, for opening up a door of hope for me!  

Don't wait until Thanksgiving to give thanks. Give thanks everyday. May your day be blessed. =.)

                                         

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Day In The Hunt

I hit the pavement early and stayed at the employment office all morning. Do I really want to return to work there?

God, my answer is "NO." Some of the people I used to work with are still there, but they are doing clerical work instead of the dirty work. Do I really want to be treated like dirt? Do I really want to be treated worse than a slave? Do I really want to work against my principles and be used by welfare people who demand their rights to live off the government instead of becoming self-sufficient?! 

I ended the day by hitting the gravel in the afternoon. The job is far away from where I live and the "building" is a worn down house surrounded by gravel instead of pavement.  How many home visits would I need to make through the rain and the slush? I don't want to have to work at a job where I always have to worry about having enough money in the bank to cover the cost of a new car. A job like that would only mean that I would be hired because I have a car, not because I am good at what I do. I have been there and I really do not want to go that route again, no matter how badly I need a job.

                              

The receptionist couldn't provide much information about the job. The man who will be conducting the interview is a man who used to work where I used to work. I never worked under him, but his eyes always scared me. He still has the same bloodshot eyes which tells me that he probably drinks a lot of alcohol or does drugs. His hair is spiked with lots of gel and his tongue is pierced. Isn't he too old for that look? How do people who look like that get hired to be the boss?

I don't think I would want either one of those jobs, but where are the jobs? The Valley newspaper shows you where to spend your money but not where to make your money. 

There is one company that I have applied five times for, but I haven't even been called for an interview and they keep posting new job orders for the same position. What gives?!

It is so hard not to become discouraged, but God said that all I need is to have faith as small as a mustard seed and I know my faith is bigger than that.

I have not turned down any prospects. I have applied for so many jobs that I do not want, but I have not given up hope on finding something that I do want.

Surprise me, Abba! Open a door that is meant only for me~ a door that cannot be closed by any man. 

Monday, November 19, 2007

Selene & Endymion

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Monday is ruled by the moon. The moon goddess was the twin sister of the sun god. During the day, it was the sun god's job to ride his chariot across the sky, and at night, it was the moon goddess' job to ride her chariot across the sky. That way, the gods could tell if it was night or day.

It is said that while the sun god was doing his job during the day, the moon goddess was a skilled archer on earth who loved to hunt in the woods and she would bathe in the sea to enhance her beauty. This goddess was named Diana. I do not know if Diana and Selene were one in the same, but the moon goddess is known by many names, including Artemis and Diana.

One evening, the moon goddess Selene caught a glimpse of a handsome young shepherd. He was sleeping on a hillside with his sheep  scattered over the gentle slope. Selene was so attracted to his beauty that she stepped out of her chariot to get a closer look. She just stood there in awe, gazing at the beauty of his face. Then she bent down and kissed him softly on the lips...

The sleeping shepherd was half-awakened by her kiss. He rose quickly and rubbed his eyes, but he only caught a fleeting vision of her chariot flying quickly across the sky. Was it real or was it but a dream? 

Selene kept thinking about Endymion. The following night, she could not stay away. She had to see him again, but she always left before Endymion could catch a glimpse of her.

Selene was so drawn to Endymion's beauty, that she kept coming to Earth, and she started to neglect her goddess duties of driving her chariot across the sky at night. This angered Zeus, so they had a little talk.

Selene told Zeus that she kept coming to earth because she was afraid that Endymion would lose his beauty as he aged, because Endymion was a mortal. Selene wanted Endymoin to be immortal so that she could be with him forever. She was hoping that Endymion would want to be immortal, too, so that he could be with her.

Selene pleaded with Zeus to grant Endymion whatever he wished for, but Endymion did not ask to be immortal. He was a vain mortal who just wanted to retain his good looks. 

Zeus wanted Selene to return to her goddess duties, so he granted Endymion's wish. He cast a spell on Endymion to retain his good looks but with one catch... eternal sleep.

Selene carried Endymoin to a cave in a mountain-side known only to herself. Each night, as she drove her chariot across the sky, she would come to earth to stop by the cave and visit the sleeping Endymion.

The legend is that Selene gave the sleeping Endymion fifty daughters, which represent the moons of the year. This is why Selene is also known as the goddess of fertility.

The color for Monday is blue but also grays and white. The element of Monday is water. Monday deals with the emotions, with dreams, and illusions.


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Monday's Tink-ing

.       

 QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

When some people look in the mirror they only see the negative. Look at yourself in the mirror and describe something about your body that is beautiful and positive.

 OBSERVATION OF THE WEEK:

Pay special attention to the foods you eat this week. Use your five senses to analyze what you are eating: look at it, touch it, smell it, taste it, listen to it as you are cooking it or eating it. Which was your favorite? Write about it.


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