Last Saturday I finally got a bike! Do you know how many years it's been since I even rode one? I hate to even say! Anyways, it is a cool looking retro style, only 7 speeds but how many do I need? Come on, it's me, I am not a racer and this one is a "cruising" bike. It is a Schwinn Point Beach, red. It has the little "luggage rack" on the back and fenders hee hee...Pee Wee Herman would be so proud! I told David all I need now is a mirror and a horn...maybe a basket too. We have been riding around the neighborhood the last week, nothing special. We are planning a trip to my friend's in Chilicothe to ride on a bike trail down there sometime soon.

This weekend I will be going to an All Daughters Luncheon. The following week we are going to see the in-laws and then go to my Dad's for a night as well. I hope to see some of you whom I haven't seen in awhile. If not, then your loss! LOL! Seriously, I do miss my buddies!

Cheers!

Walk for the Cure is coming up May 17th. David and I will be walking it this year since I am feeling better then last. Most of you know I finished chemo for breast cancer last April 2007. So I was not up to it then. But this year I'll be walking the 5K. My older Sis and several friends will be walking as well. Anyone who wants to pledge a donation can go to:

http://www.active.com/donate/columbusrftc08/08VBrenne

And sign up. Or you can always register to come down and walk with us or "Sleep in for the Cure" HA HA! I think that is a hoot! You can donate $25 and get a sleepshirt that says you slept in for the cure!

Hope to see some more of you here but if not, I know you are with me in spirit!

Love and hugs!

Interesting Title huh? I guess I should start my explaining the Gnome part. Last Sunday when we went to church, I was given a bag. Inside that bag was a journal for a one G.A.Gnome. In a velvet sack (sleep sack I was later to read) was a Gnome. G.A. it seems has been staying a week with various Ladies at the church and they write in the journal of his adventures during his stay. David gave me that "look" when I introduced G.A. to him. G.A. did help him with a crossword puzzle later anyways. It has been fun so far with G.A. here. Having to write about him has made me stop and think of what I do and feel during the day. Having him to "talk" to has reduced stress. I have someone to vent to when I need it. He has had many adventures already here. He is mischievious as Terri warned (first Gnome Keeper). You have to watch him or he gets into stuff. He also plays tricks on the cats, which I am told Gnomes do not like. Cats sometimes eat Gnomes thinking they are mice. So he has slept in a closed room at night. I may sound nuts but most of my family is silly anyways so they will all laugh (I hope) G.A. is here until Sunday morning at which time he will travel to church with us and go home with another family for a week. I will kinda miss him actually! LOL!

Now about the "things" A few weeks ago we lost some of our cash envelopes at Wal-mart. There were around $100 in cash and of corse no one ever turned them into the Service Desk. Fortunately it was not credit cards and the receipts in the "wallet" were all for cash so no personal info was lost. We still believed in the cash envelope system though and pressed on. One of our co-ordinators said that when things like this happen we will see something good come of it. David amd I felt that yes, we had purposed that money for one thing but God puposed it for somthing else. We were good on food, and the other things the money was set aside for. We prayed that whoever found it will come to know God and that it was an answer to a prayer for them. Since then we have 1. Been able to get $40 taken off the cost of my new glasses by negoitiating. 2. Got the shipping fee waived on the phone replacement they had to send me (AT&T is another story! So we won’t go there today! LOL) 3. Sent an e-mail about a neighbor’s money situation and Dave Ramsey’s group is sending her a  FREE kit so she can take a class for free! Praise God for this one! I cannot tell you how much this blesses us and especially HER! (wish I could give details but I cannot at this time) 4. Got back our tax return and it was enough to pay off completely our two small debts leaving only the Home Equity and the Mortgage! 5. Got a "Love Gift" check at church for $200. (this may be from the people who had David fix their computer, but we do not know since it was given annonymously) 6. Recieved in the mail $20 in gift cards to a grocery store from the Susan G. Komen Fund to quote "Help take care of any needs we still may have because of the breast cancer" Sooooooo...no one can tell me that God does not bless His people! Oh...number 6. David was thinking he should look for other work but then someone who was the main problem there got fired or he quit yesterday so things there should be looking up for everyone there again. He gets a review today or tomorrow also and we are hoping a substantial raise is in order! He works hard there and takes his job VERY seriously. A past supervisior quit a few months ago and did quick reviews on them which did not even begin to say what the people did the last year. So many did not get credit for the skills and jobs that had taken on there.

So that is what is going on here. Most of this has only been the last two weeks LOL! Work is still going well and I still like going in 4 days a week for 6 hours. Today I am home since I have a dentist appointment and am waiting on deliveries her and at my neighbor’s. I will leave G.A. at home for the appointment. Gnomes get anxious at the sound of dentist drills! Hopefully he will behave himself while I am gone! Everyone have a blessed week and know that I love you all and so does God!

Love Valerie

I wanted to add some things I forgot to mention yesterday. Last week David and I were able to reach "Baby Step 1" which is save a $1,000 in a baby emergency fund. No...this is not an emergency fund in case you have a baby! It's there to use in case of a rainey day...and we all know it's gonna rain! We learned that the hard way this last year with medical bills and the breast cancer! We were debt free..ie: no credit cards except for mortgage...until my cancer. We made the mistake of using them again. Now we are working on baby step two which is paying ALL credit cards off and closing the accounts! I should have listened to my Dad years ago when he said never get credit cards! All water under the bridge...but the rest of you can learn from our mistakes! Use the links on my page and read more about FPU!

We have been taking a Financial Peace University class at church for the last several weeks. It is by Dave Ramsey. For those of you who are young (especially my neices and nephews) PLEASE!! Go visit Dave's site on MySpace and read the book "Total Money Makeover"! I wish someone had told me this stuff when I was in my twenties! Get on a written budget, save an emergency fund, and above all...get rid of the credit cards! Pay cash for cars! You can also go to www.daveramsey.com and read about FPU and becoming debt free! We are a third of the way there now and if we can get going on this so can you! It is NOT easy, but it makes total sense!  Love ya all!

Happy Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! I think 2008 will be (if the Lord tarries) an exciting year for us, not only at home but for our Church family as well.  Because of some of this, I have been thinking of who I am in Christ. This is kinda hard to answer sometimes but I will try. I feel I am a Christian who cares about others. The hat ministry was started because several of us seen a need and an opportunity to reach out to others who were hurting because of cancer and chemo. God's light shines in the darkness! David and I have been able to do a few other things but we won't say what they are. Don't let the right hand know what the left is doing sort of thing. Just know we have been greatly blessed by it. God knows and that is what is important. Pray about where God wants you to be in 2008!

In this New Year I am making sure I get my daily quiet time with God. I have been slipping on this the last few months and I know He wants to spend time with His children. I read something today in "Our Daily Bread" that said the average person can read 4 chapters of the Bible in 20 minutes. Making it possible to read the entire Bible in a year. Think about that! I know I am! Those of you who know me and see me each week, challenge me on that! I need the accountablity. (Dawn and Shelley..this means you! ha ha!) Anyone else can e-mail to ask me if you want.

January 2nd is my LAST Herceptin treatment. It has been a wild year I'll say that! But the cancer treatments will finally be finished! I will miss my nurses and doctors even though I am tired of "having" to see them. I plan on visiting and keeping up with new chemo patients and to be there for support for anyone who needs me. I got to give one of our lap quilts out in person a month ago and it was a blessing. We pray over every quilt, afghan and hat we make. Usually we have the nurses give them out but this time the person was there and they had me deliver it. People really are touched when they know that someone cares for them and that God does too. I pray that some are moved to salvation if they are not already.

Ok--I have rambled on enough I think. It isn't late but after a busy week I need to wind down with some quiet time and time with David.

Love ya all!!

Hard to believe it is Dec. 8th already! I don't klnow where time goes anymore. It's been a good year for me basically! In spite of all the health issues. I found out I have NO Lupus and my Rheumatoid factor is low, and I do have some arthritis in my knees and hips. I DO have Fibromyalgia but the doc seems to think with the correct sleep I will be able to avoid flair-ups. Felix has found a home with my BFF Janet who is coming by today to get him. I have a craft exchange party and may not be here to say goodbye to him  But it's ok, I can see him anytime I visit Janet! I should put a big red Christmas bow around his neck so he looks like a present LOL! The other cats are dancing with joy over his leaving though. He plays too rough for them.

Pray for me as Christmas will be here at our house for my family. This is usually a big deal deciding WHERE and WHEN it is going to be. I don't know why it has always been so hard! We are having it HERE dec 24th! So if any of the family is reading this...like B or Lisa Marie, you know where to be! LOL!

Well--I have to get my butt in gear to head to the party. The theme this year is English High Tea. I am not sure if I was suppose to dress up or not. I think I will at least put on dresseier pants instead of my jeans. Maybe find a hat...ya all KNOW I have alot of those!!

Have a good Christmas if I am not back to blog by then!

Love ya all!

The last thing I wanted to do was see another doctor! Heaven knows I have seen enough of them this last year! But because of a blood test my primary doc took, I was off to see a rheumatologist.  My test had shown positive for rheumatoid (so the nurse said). I found out that it actually showed Lupus. Ok, Lord, this is one more thing I need help dealing with. The reason they took the test was that I had some severe knee pain in both knees the first part of September. After talking to the Rheumatologist, I found out that I have had symptoms for years but just thought it was part of getting older and she also said I definately have Fibromyalgia!  For now we are just taking Advil, continuing watching the diet, losing weight and exercise. I am going to look into water exercises at the YMCA. She gave me a script for Ambiem CR and feels if I start getting the right sleep it will curb the symptoms also. They will need to take more tests and x-rays but she wanted me to wait until I was over this cold a little better. This cold and cough has been another pain in the tush too. David is now sick with it as well and the house is pretty quiet since we both have lost our voices!

I also had two uncles die in the last week or so. Uncle Leslie was the first one at 93 yrs old and then Uncle Eddie or Uncle Putt-putt as I called him. I think Uncle Edwin was around 82. I have no more uncles left now.

Working as church secretary has been a fun job. It has challenges but I am up for them! It gives me a chance to do things for people and it helps with the bills from all the doctors! Thanksgiving is fast approaching and then it will be Christmas. I have so much to do before the first part of December! I still have not decided what crafts to make for the craft party I go to every year at my friend Marilyn's!  Maybe a snowman of some sort...they seem to like snowmen! Or a bracelet. I have no clue this year and that's a first!

So that is about all I have this time...I know, it was ALOT! Pray that my Lupus tests come back ok...that I can deal with the pains and continue to drop the excess weight. That will help alot! I am staying positive and I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I pray He continues to let me go through life gracefully.

Most importantly, I love all you guys! Family and Friends alike! God bless!