Outside my window...
***Since we last met, the weather has been mostly rainy and cold. However, we have been transitioning into high 80s on occasion. I sure do wilt when those temperatures hit after such a cold spring.
From the classroom...
***Although it has gotten painfully obvious that I will not be able to complete EVERYTHING by the original July 15th deadline (and yes, I'm sooooo VERY thankful for the school extension), I’ve still been making good progress. Currently, I have completed 4 of the 5 sections of the advanced portion of my transcription training.
Module 18 (Advanced Acute Care):
Block #1: In-depth account instructions unit.
Block #2: Verbatim transcription unit (Harder that it sounds!).
Block #3: Radiology unit (The only unit that felt like play-time!).
Block #4: Complex account instructions unit.
Block #5: Extremely advanced acute care unit.
Just for fun, here is the introductory statement leading into Block#5:
“This group is, by far, the most difficult in all of the Career Step practicum components. This is done by design. While you won't often have this many reports in a row with this level of difficulty, chances are you will be exposed to reports with this level of severe difficulty once employed. The files are all acute care files. Some were chosen for the difficult dictation style, others for difficult terminology, and most for some combination of both. Complete these files with patience and dogged determination. You can do it.”
Dogged determination I have... I also have Excedrin. ;-)
Stewardship or projects...
***Even with all the rain, we did have a few semi-sunny days that allowed me to start the mowing process. It seems this year is going to be one of those where you just have to take advantage of opportunities (when not doing school work) and make progress by sections. At this point, it just isn’t going to be all “done” in one go-around, and by the time all sections have been done, the first will need doing again. Fortunately, we have mostly forest grasses on our property and, even when tall, they are fairly easy to cut with the weed-eater. Unfortunately, the spring has been so wet that the grasses shot up to waist height all over the place. It is a daunting landscape and it seems that a machete would be a better tool to cut through the “jungle.”
However, thanks to a local power-outage this past Saturday, I got a huge chunk of the mowing done (since I couldn’t do any school work). I now only have the road-side ditch to complete... then - LOL - I can start over! It was my goal to get it all down before the 4th of July (a habit developed via irresponsible neighbors, even though they moved out this spring)... I should be able to make it :)
Personal victories...
These victories are not all mine, but it will show a bit of the chaos from the last several weeks:
1. Completion and installation of all new church signs (includes hand lettering, routering, sanding, staining/painting, etc.).
2. On June 5th, we launched the new name on the church (click on the name to go to the new website that Mr. Squirrel has been creating): Parkside Baptist Church.
3. After the launch, the background work to get the name changed on all the related accounts and contracts. [Whew! What a chore... and some are still in the transitional stages.]
4. I did get 2 rounds of mowing completed about two weeks apart. That means about 1/2 of what normally gets attention has been done... and the first round really could be done again. UGH! [Add on the additional round of mowing from this weekend!]
5. Completion of Blocks 1 through 4 for school. One more Block to finish and the transcription portion of my training will be done. Then, I will get another assessment exam before moving into the editing portion of my training.
What I am doing as Fun-time...
Fun time really has gone out the window, as has any form of structured exercise. However, simple pleasures can still be found.
1.) Mr. Squirrel and I have been trying to go for walks every day depending on the weather. We have a favorite 2-mile loop that goes through wooded areas and down by the river near our home (so we don’t have to drive anywhere). We’ve been pretty lucky that we’ve been able to go out almost every day... sometimes we go in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon. As the temperatures warm up (?) we'll most likely keep to mornings or later evenings.
2.) I just completed the 3rd book in “The Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan, “The Dragon Reborn.” I am starting the 4th book: “The Fires of Heaven.”
Thought(s) on my mind...
1. Time is going soooooo quickly, and I have so much yet to do.
2. My unemployment benefits completely run out (with zero chance of renewal) at the end of July. I do know that God has a plan for us, and that He has been faithful to provide for our needs. However, the “faith stretching exercise” surrounding our finances is testing me to the absolute limits.
Counting blessings...
1.) God's faithfulness.
2.) God's patience with my weak faith.
A picture I would like to share...
Yup. We are a few degrees from... frost. YIKES!
No wonder I was out of the blankets when I went to bed... and hunting for them during the night. We are 'cautiously' cooling the house in expectation of 80+ degrees, but not so cool that the heat will turn on. The flowers and critters will be so confused... :O
[Photo source: Me... predawn light, sorry.]
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