Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, LinkedIn - Unemployed, but still optimistic!

After being booted from JCPenney and my office on April 13, 2011 . . .

The mousey gray walls of my cube
were transformed with wrapping paper from
THE CONTAINER STORE
Did you even know they carry wrapping paper?  Yes, they do and it is delightfully different!



Life has certainly changed since April 13, 2011, when I was escorted to HR and told my position had been eliminated, along with about 5,000 others JCP Associates since January all across the country.  I had worked for JCPenney for 8.37 years, at least that is what they told me!

Read the rest of the story at I COULD USE A DEAL!

DIY Kitchen Island makeover. It started back in November 2010 . . .

From this

To This

Read all about it here!

Memorial Day

What could be more poignant than Old Glory flying in the early morning breeze!

Thanks to all our veterans that have fought to make us free!

Thank you, Dad!  Thinking of you today and knowing what the Marine's taught you, you have put to good use by getting God's house all organized!  The white short sleeve shirts, then the white long sleeve shirts, the colored short sleeve shirts, then colored long sleeve shirts both in the same color order!

I'm No Martha Stewart Beef Stew

I haven't made Beef Stew in a a month of Sundays, but with all this  icy, below freezing, snowy weather in North Texas, did I mention icy, it sounded like it would hit the spot!

Remember I don't have a sou chef or a clean up crew and I am not Martha Stewart!

The big pot is for the final product.  I took the cubed up beef and put it into a baggie with flour, salt and pepper and browned it . . .

in the frying pan with a little oil.

Ooops!  One for the doggies!  Don't worry, rinsed it off and just  like you have seen dogs eat worse things!  OOHHH!  Bad visual! 

I add the browned meat to the big pot with 1 can of Progresso French Onion Soup, 2 can of Campbell's Beef Consume and a couple of cans of water. 

I also add my carrots.  I like them almost mushy, but not falling apart.  Yes, they are out of a bag and already peeled, I just cut them in half.

I let the beef and carrots simmer for about 45 minutes.  Next were the spices;  garlic, 4 bay leaves, and pepper.  Be sure and take the bay leaves out before you serve.  Someone (hubby) may think you are trying to kill him, as they are poison if you eat them...but bring a really good taste to the stew. . .go figure! Correction - from my sweet mother-in-law - it is Bay Laurel that is poison, not Bay Leaves!  Even at 50+ you can learn something new!

I know, I know the spices aren't fresh.  Once again I am not Martha Stewart or for that matter, any Stewart!  Next come the potatoes.....I cut them in quarters and left the skins on, because the "butter gold" potatoes have thin skin and they don't come off like the bigger baking potatoes that some people use.  Anytime I use baking potatoes my sou chef (me) peels off the skin.

Cook some more until potatoes are fork tender.  Open two cans of green beans, sorry not off the vine!

The beans just need to warm up, not cook!  And that is how you make I'm No Martha Stewart Beef Stew!  But I do have to give credit to my dear Nana and her patience in teaching me how to make a wonderful beef stew!

Remember I don't have a sou chef or a crew to clean up . . .

But I do have a wonderful husband that can't believe that I can make this big of a mess! 

And doesn't mind cleaning up after his person Martha Stewart!



Administrative Professionals Week is April 24th – 30th, 2011

Come along with me for a week of

Administrative Professional Stories

Friday

Excuse me for the interruption, but life happens and some things take priority. . . so I am late on finishing this blog topic.
My last day of blogging on this topic is to say, “Thank you” to all my great bosses over the past 25+ years. I have always worked hard and have always been blessed with bosses that saw that and rewarded me well, with not only money, but their knowledge, their belief in me and their trust.

So thank you ALL!

Mrs. Davis – Sears, Memorial City, Houston, TX  (A very classy lady, who started me out on the right foot many years ago!)

Don Keding – Yellow Cab, Houston, TX  (My ex-uncle, but I think of him often)

Bob Howard – Howard Automotive Group, Edmond, Oklahoma



Bob and his ideas!  Well, I had one of my own.  Usually you get a 40th birthday "Over the Hill", but that was way to obvious!  I had an "Over the Hill" birthday party on his 39th Birthday.  There was a lady in mouning and a Preacher was reading his "obituary"!  See he wasn't the only one with ideas!  (Notice that computer, we've come a long way!)
My 30 year old daughter still talks about the Christmas he stopped by with a Teddy Bear that was as big as she was.  The Teddy Bear still has a home, in the attic at my house!

John Hawkins – Coggin Honda, Jacksonville, FL

John was the consumate professional.  He dressed to the nine's, I dressed to the nine's.  He always had the next great idea.  He was an expert at putting together teams.  Things ran so smooth, he could have played golf everyday.  Not John he wanted more, another challenge, another idea to implement.  He was very generous and introduce me and my daughter to some of the finer things in life.  His wife was a doll and we also had a special relationship.
John was taken from this earth to early at 55, but I think about him and know that he now watches over me!

Clariece Lewis – Coggin Honda, Jacksonvlle, FL (Retired and living the good life in Florida)

Charlie Barth – White Hawk Pictures, Jacksonville, FL (I count his daughter as a dear friend.)

Scott Gallagher – T2Labs, Jacksonville, FL (Scott also left us to soon. Bless him and his family.)

Dale McDonough – JCPenney, Plano, Texas (Retired)

Danay Navinsky – JCPenney, Plano, TX (I would have added Danay's picture, but she would have never forgiven me!)

Administrative Professionals Week is April 24th – 30th

Come along with me for a week of

Administrative Professional Stories

Thursday

   Back to John, my great boss in Jacksonville. He and his wife were in a pickle and they asked if I would come out and sit with the boy’s while they went out and I could bring my daughter. We loaded up and headed out to his house at the beach. We got there, no problem, got the boys bathed and settled. My daughter was performing on Sunday, so we had to roll her hair in the pink sponge roller. Yes, this was a few years ago.

   When John and Tracye got home, he took one look at Jaclyn and busted out laughing and 2 seconds later Jaclyn busted out crying! So I’ve got my boss, who had had a couple of drinks, on one side and my daughter, who thought the world had come to an end, I didn’t knew whether to laugh, cry or RUN!

    We got everything calmed down and John and his precious wife insisted that we stay and have some “horse dovers” and a few glasses of wine. Well, we stayed until I couldn’t remember exactly how many glasses of wine I had . . .time to go!

    Backing out of the drive way . . .did I mention that I drove a company car . . . I hit the mailbox! Did I stop, no not me, I just kept on going, going and going ‘til I got home.

    Panic set in the next morning. How bad was the mailbox damaged, how bad was the car, oh, my gosh, the CAR. Was I going to have to pay for fixing the car, where would I get the money, oh, my gosh . . .was I going to get FIRED?

    I got up the nerve to call John at home, apologized about the mailbox and the car. Being the great boss he was, he just laughed and said, “I stood the mailbox backup and I’ll have someone look at car on Monday, so relax and enjoy the rest of your week-end.”

How could one administrative assistant be soooo lucky!

Administrative Professionals Week is April 24th – 30th

Come along with me for a week of
Administrative Professional Stories

Wednesday
   Once again, a, “You have got to be kidding!” story! Once again, Bob was my boss. You have to remember that this was the 1980’s, when we were secretaries and no one knew what a sexual harassment law was!
   Bob had a friend that was turning 40 and he wanted to make sure he didn’t forget his 40th birthday. Bob had an idea (again). Have a party, buy lots of liquor, find 40 black roses, a black Rolls Royce and, of course, the obligatory plastic blowup doll! Guess who was in charge of this affair (again) Moi!   
   Bob had a dealership friend that just so happen to have a 1960’ish black Rolls Royce. My connections helped me get the black roses. What to do about plastic blow up doll? Visualize this: A 5 foot tall blonde behind the extra large steering wheel, of this very conspicuous big black Rolls Royce. With gallons of liquor in the trunk and the black roses on the passenger’s seat . . .get ready.
   I am now at a filling station, using the air hose, remember when they used to be between the gas pumps . . . In the backseat, I have the “doll” blowing it up and trying to make sure no one sees me! Thank goodness I had my raincoat with me to cover up the “doll.”
   So here I go driving down the street, looking like Cruella d’Ville, except I don’t have puppies to hide, I have a blow up doll to deliver!

Administrative Professionals Week is April 24th – 30th

Come along with me for a week of
Administrative Professional Stories

Tuesday
     As I am sure every admin can tell you, there are times when you look at your boss and say “You have got to be kidding!”
     Once upon a time there was another boss, Bob.  He was single and wanted to impress his current girlfriend. He came up with this great idea and just knew that I could make it happen. The day – Thursday.  The idea – Dinner for two at his home with butler service. The event – Saturday.   Great, no problem, I’ll just whip it up and make sure everything is perfect! Bob had no idea of what menu he wanted, just when and where.
    This is where the “you have got to be kidding” comes in. I was fortunate enough to call a remarkable catering company and they took on the dinner!  They did an outstanding job!

Monday morning came around and he slipped me a $100 bill for job well done!

Administrative Professionals Week is April 24th – 30th

Come along with me for a week of

Administrative Professional Stories

Monday
After spending the last ?? years (you really didn’t think I would tell you) as an Executive/Personal Assistant, I have received some great stuff for Administrative Professional Week. It used to be called Secretary’s Day; yes I have been around that long!
I have received all the usually fare, flowers, gift cards, Godiva Chocolates. In a lot of cases, I was the one that picked out the gift and made sure that all the admin’s in the office were covered. Yes, I always made sure that the gift was something that I liked . . . did you expect anything different! Please. . .

I worked as an Executive Assistant for a great guy for 8 years, who has since passed, way too young. Rest in peace, John. He NEVER got mad at me, but just once, he did and it was bad. We had special guests coming in from out of town and I was never told that they were to be in our office at 9 am; therefore, he did not know. Once they got in the office and were settled in the conference room, he closed his office door and read me the riot act. Come to find out, the visitor’s admin had not called to inform me that they would be in the morning. The last we heard was the appointment was at 2 pm, so I had planned to call her that morning to confirm the time, but didn’t get a chance.
Well, once the meeting was over and everything was sorted out, and since it was Administrative Professionals Week – I got a $500 bonus . . . I am thinking it was just a little out of guilt! We never once had a cross words again!

Would like to share your Admin Stories?  Just leave in the comments below!

Job Hunting - 1st step to looking your best!

In my quest for a job, in my mid 50's - did I really say that?  I'm looking at doing a few things to enhance my natural beauty (lol).  Whitening my teeth is #1 on the list and what a deal. 

Click and find the great deals in your town!

Giveaway: Royal Wedding 64 GB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G Ends 4/30

My friend, Jeanine, over at I Could Use a Deal and Southern Bella’s Ways To Save, are giving away a brand new iPad 2!  Follow the instructions and start entering today!

A New Opportunity Awaits!

My position was eliminated at jcpenney along with two other coworkers (maybe more) . . .  But these things I know:

1. God has a plan.
2. When one door closes another opens, but man it is gonna suck waiting in that hallway!
3. I went through financial hardship in the early 90's and managed to survive.
4. You can't take blood from a turnip.
5. God has a plan.

If you are in the DFW area and have a lead for an executive assistant, just send me an email and I will forward my resume.  I would be most grateful!

To all my Jacksonville friends, does your company have a Dallas office? Could you recommend me?
Always remember, God has a plan!  (That reiteration is for me!)

Prayer for Women's Conference in Iraq

I have a dear friend, Colleen.  Colleen is a missionary in Jordan.  She has a love for educating Middle Eastern women about God's love for them.  I only worked with Colleen a few years, but her ministry has keep us in touch beyond those years.  She is in Irbil, N. Iraq this week to help with a women’s conference for pastor’s wives.  Please pray for her safety, her health and all women are brought closer to God's sweet love.
Her March newsletter is below...
March 31, 2011
Catching up with Colleen

II Tim 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Dear Friends,
    It has been a stressful couple of months here and not because North Africa and the Middle East have turned upside down! Just like with any job there is a lot of work to do and not enough people to do the work. I have been in the office and my apartment the last 3 months writing reports to donors, proposals for future donors and just about any other kind of paperwork you can imagine.
    I am ready to get out and be with the people and I get that opportunity in April. I will be going with 2 other AWT staff members to Irbil, N. Iraq to help with a women’s conference for pastor’s wives. I will be doing the audio and video recording (new skills I am learning). Also, a woman from Ohio whose son was killed in the war has a heart to minister to Iraqi women, so she going with us. She will stay with me from the 7th until we leave on the 11th.
     As far as the unrest in this region, Jordan still remains the most peaceful. Last Friday there were demonstrations in 3 parts of the city. I got caught in traffic where university students were expressing their support of the King. It was the tail end of the event and the only problems it caused were traffic jams! Fortunately, the majority of Jordanians support King Abdullah, so that means less trouble!

Colleen is on the far right.

Blessings,

كولّين

Colleen

Prayer Requests:

 Please pray for all the details to come together for the Iraqi conference (logistics and finances) and safety for the women that will be attending. The conference will be from April 11-13 and the theme is “Jesus is the balm of our soul”. A Lebanese Christian counselor is the main speaker.

 Praise that my residence visa was renewed, so I am legal for another year.

 Please pray for me to learn how to manage my stress with living and working in a different culture. I was having chest pains and I knew it was stress but did go to the Dr. to make sure. He did all the typical tests and my heart is strong, I just need to take better care of it.

To learn more about the ministry follow this link:  http://www.awtministries.com/english/main.php

If you would like to be a part of this ministry, tax deductible gifts can be made to Christar, P.O. Box P.O. Box 850357, Richardson, TX 75085. You can put “for account #413” in the memo section of the check. You can also give online at http://www.christar.org/.

Happy Birthday to My Big Dog!

Nitro was a purchased, even though he was a mutt! His momma was a Black Lab and daddy was a Harlequin Great Dane. There were 8 puppies. They had just been to the vet for their 8 week shots. They were sleeping very happily on the front porch of their temporary home. So choosing a puppy was not easy, no one ran to you, no one licked your face. So I began to look at their precious faces . . . one, two, three . . . four was a cutie, she was black and had a white circle around her eye . . . if we chose this one, her name would be "patch". . . five, six, seven and then number eight . . . Looking into his face, it was perfect, a little like a dane and a little like a lab. Jet black with a patch of white on his neck. He was our choice and my husband named him Nitro.

We got him June of 1999. My only child, a daughter was graduating from high school. I knew in my heart of hearts that her transition into the next phase of her life would be quite an adjustment for me. So, Nitro became my constant companion and buddy.
Around his 10th birthday I began to worry that his days were numbered. "Big dogs don't live long" was the mantra of the masses. Today is his birthday - he is 12 - he is showing his age, but has not ever stopped greeting me at the door, listening to my triumphs and troubles. I have cherished every extra day that the masses told me I would not have.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NITRO!

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Dogs - One Too Many Tonite!

I am the proud owner of a beautiful Great Dane/Black Lab mix. . . and I have a grand-dog, Elvis, the evil weeny dog.  

My adventure this evening.  I let the dogs out when I got home and when I let them in, but I smelled poop!  So I smell Nitro's coat, no poop there. . . but then I gingerly picked up Elvis and WOW!!! I thought I was going to gag!   So I put Elivis in the sink and gave him a bath.

Wait . . It gets better . . as I am giving him a bath, I get to pull a 6" piece of grass out of his rear-end! I thought I was going to die right on the spot wet dog and all!

I am thinking I would rather have grand KIDS, you can hand them back to their parents.

Sign up for Hill's Science Diet information, so you can make sure the Good Dog stays around!

Spring has Sprung in North Texas!

With beautiful warm weather, I am excitied to announce that ALL three trees planted last year have buds on them!  The oak tree, the purple plum and the oriental red maple.  Even the crepe myrtle has made it through.  It has taken until my 50's to look at the life in a different way.  To see plants and flowers blooming is an optimistic aphrodisiac.  The world may be chaotic, but God's earth is full of new life.  Rejoice in this renew of spirit, at least for today.

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Today's Deal in Your City

What an easy way to get a GREAT deal!  Easy as pie, GREAT deals are delivered to your mailbox every day. . . food, spa, even golf for the guys!  It's like a PRESENT in your in-box every day!

The Many Talents of Cheap Coffee Filters

I recieved this email from a friend of mine and I just had to share! 


1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors and chrome. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10 Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book..
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

OH YEAH, THEY ARE GREAT TO USE IN YOUR COFFEE MAKERS!

More Birds, In an Entry Way and on a Budget

The entry way in my house is not a normal square pad or rectangle pad.  My entry way has four different entrances.  The front door, a step down in to the dining/living room, a double door into the kitchen and a step down into the wet bar-which will be turned in to a small desk area as soon as I finish the other 20 projects in various stage of completion!  We have lived here for 10 years (3,650 days) and this area has always been a very big thorn in my side!

Finally, I have finally been able to create a space that is very welcoming.

I had been wanting an antique birdcage and during my Central Texas antique tour with my dear friend Jeanine, I was able to find one in Round Top. 

I have a beautiful Queen Anne dresser I inherited from my Grandmother.  I am surprised it is in such good shape, because when I was a little girl at every visit I would go through every draw to see what was new.  The jewelry box that always set on top was also visited often.

I added the church bird house in the top picture and then,

I added 2 buffet table laps that I had in another room.  The mirror was a bedroom find!

I found this sweet bird at a local antique store for $6.95, added a nest that I also found there for $4.50.  It makes the bird cage serve its purpose!

I found the 2 branches on sale for $1.50 each.  The welcome sign was another decorating item that had been stashed away for another day, well that day has come!

I had this navy blue material, I had bought for another project (that didn't get made!), so I used it as a table runner.  I found the cute little plate and metal birdie that I used as a key ring for the front door on sale for 50% off, along with the three metal bird plates on the wall.  All for less than $20.

And now for the Finale!

My Review of Kano Backless 24" High Faux Leather Counter Stool

Originally submitted at Lamps Plus

Solid wood construction, a reddish walnut finish, and luxurious faux leather make this counter bar stool a classic choice for your kitchen or dining room. Neatly tucks under a counter and provides comfortable seating.

• 15" wide.
• 24" high.
• Counter height seat.

Kano Backless 24" High Faux Leather Counter Stool

Perfect for Price

By BeeBee from Lewisville, TX on 2/2/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Easy To Assemble, Sturdy, Comfortable

Cons: Ht little lower than adv

Best Uses: Kitchen Island

Describe Yourself: Midrange Shopper

Great price! Looks really good in my renewed kitchen. Tucks under the island perfectly.

(legalese)

Three Birds on a Mantel

Having a bare mantel for almost a month was not cool!  I missed the Christmas lights and decor that made it sparkle all day long.  Having my dearest friends here for the week-end, Jeanine ran across a trio of  ceramic goldish, brown birds.  Coming up with some other objects around the house, I now have a pretty, soothing mantel!


I have had the topiaries for several years. They were in tin buckets and I tried to paint, but didn't like that either. In Joann's about a week ago I found a roll of ribbon "bark". The perfect fix to those not so attractive tin buckets.

Here are the precious birds that Jeanine found for me while visiting from Florida last week!

My husband had brought home some HUGE acorns last year, I added those. . . some cinnamon sticks, out of a candle that could burn no more . . .some tiny, tiny pine cones I had from a trip to Red River, NM, almost 30 years ago . . . lastly some thin blue and brown ribbon I had in the craft room.

I think I'll get nests for the birds to sit in, maybe a few little blue eggs and taadaa, I have a new pretty, soothing mantel! Best part it will cost me the cost of the little birds nests and how much can that be?