It's About Time...

                                                        Sunset up here...Beautiful!
                                             The infamous tree in the lake picture
                                                Sunrise from my bedroom window
                                                    More of the same

Although I'm convinced not many people still read this, a few of you have asked about an update and more pictures.  I'm not sure what you want to know.  Not much has happened! 

The last few days has been really warm - like in the 50's!  It's been beautiful.  I guess we were getting spoiled.  Today, I woke up and it's snowing hard outside.  They say by the time that this storm passes, it'll leave 15 inches on the ground.  Not fun.  But I'm enjoying sitting at my computer with my cup of Yorkshire tea, listening to music, under my blanket, and watching the snow fall outside.  Doesn't get much better than that.

Speaking of music, I've found a song that I love.  It's a new Chris Tomlin song called "I Will Rise".  You can YouTube it.  It's fantastic. 

Work is still work.  I just finished MAB training (Managing Aggressive Behavior) last week.  Basically, it taught me how to put aggressive people in "therapeutic" holds so that they can't hurt anyone.  I'm not sure what is therapeutic about the holds, but that's what I was told.  I can't wait to go home and get my brother...

Here's a funny story about one of my girls.  We'll call her AM.  AM always has a bad attitude about anything new.  She'll even tell you, "I don't try anything new.  It's scary."  So one night, I decide that I'm going to teach the girls Nertz (many of you know this evil game...).  AM says, "I hate card games. I'm not going to play!  You always think of the least fun things to do!"  I tell AM that she is not required to enjoy the game, but she is required to try the game.  Just two hands, I tell her.  So with a poor attitude, she sets up the game and says, "OK! I'M READY! TEACH ME!"  Ignoring her disrespect and attitude, I explain to everyone the game and take it slow the first hand.  After someone yells, "NERTZ!" we separate the cards.  AM says, "K, one more hand, right?  I think I can do this without help."  So we deal out again, play a "real" game, and when someone yells "NERTZ!" again, the game stops and we separate cards again.  I tell AM thank you for trying the game, and that she can go do some quiet work time if she wants.  Her response: "Hell no! I love this game!  I'm going to keep playing this!  K, deal again!"  I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying, "I told you so!"  Since that day, she has taught every staff "Snertz" and plays it at every chance she gets.  However, she refuses to learn any other card game because "Snertz is the only card game I like.  I don't like playing cards and you don't know any fun games."  Ah well, maybe one day she'll learn to trust me...

Another funny story about AM.  One Saturday, I got the PLEASURE of taking three teenage girls shopping for "fun" stuff.  Any of you that know me well know shopping is probably my least favorite thing to do.  When you add three teenage girls, you have a recipe for disaster.  Anyways.  The other staff that's on duty with me talk about who will get to go shopping.  AM was in the running, but had a rough morning.  It got even worse when she wasn't turning her morning around and was told she may not get to go shopping.  To say she was upset was an understatement.  She said, "I'm going outside to shovel the driveway.  Don't bother me!"  She was out for a while, and the driveway was completely shoveled!  Pretty soon, she comes in with a big grin on her face and says, "Laurie!  Come out and see what I did!"  I go outside, very curious, and she leads me to my car.  OK, when the plows come and plow the roads, they don't care if there is a car parked on the side of the road - they'll just burm you in.  So, AM being the wonderful girl she is, completely dug me out and made a path for me to get my car out!  She is grinning from ear to ear and is so proud of herself.  From that moment on, she is great!  So, because she turned her attitude around - not because she dug me out, she got to go shopping and was very happy!

That's pretty much my life up here right now.  Enjoying as best I can!  Hope you all are doing well!  Miss you and love you tons!

Blessings!