This week has been our planning session at work. It is always fun and exciting to explore the possibilities and determine goals for the next year. We met at our offsite facility and breakfast and lunch were provided each day...so meal planning has been easy this week!

My love of planning flows into my personal life too. I enjoy creating spreadsheets and checklists. Each year I get a little better at it and also get more disciplined at sticking to the plan.

I remember the early days of budgeting when money was so tight there wasnt enough to fully go around for expenses, let alone have extra to allocate for wants. All too often, money for bills would 'accidentally' be spent on wants, because it was too depressing to stick to a rigid budget. But once I figured out the formula for writing a do-able budget,AND we brought the out-going to less than the in-coming, I have done a better job of sticking to it.

One thing I learned is to allow for some wiggle room on the bills that vary month to month and to try to budget some guilt free spending money too.

I cant remember if I blogged about getting a sliver of glass in my thumb a few weeks ago. I thought I got it all out and then handled raw chicken to prepare for dinner. The next morning I woke to a very red thumb with a red line starting up my arm...uh oh. I started antibiotics for my cough that day and the thumb got better..but continued to be very sore. Well, last night the darn splinter of glass FINALLY worked to the surface and I got it out. OMG is that a relief.

My sweet little 5 year old granddaughter was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis 3 years ago. At that time she got a steroid injection in her knee and thankfully, the arthritis went away. We thought she was home free when it didnt return. Sadly, it came back. A few weeks ago her knee swelled and got warm..and it hurt in the mornings and off and on during the day..a tell tale sign that it was back. Today she received another treatment (they have to put her under for the injection). This makes a gramma's heart ache:



The arthritis had also spread to her ankle and is affecting her enamel on her teeth.. It is discouraging that this came back as the recurrence ups her chances of it being a life long problem. Good news is tonight she is pain free again and doing well. I sure wish I could take this from her and her mom and dad. It is so hard to see your kids and grandkids hurting both physically and emotionally.


Last night, the hub suggested taking his dad and aunt to dinner. We went to olive garden and the bill came to $90. The hub payed out of his wood money. Tonight, he is delivering six more cords of wood..so he will replish what he spent. He is using his wood money to fix up an old truck he bought (his new hobby).

The hubs check hit pending today. It is $106 more than normal...so that will go towards his Visa bill.

We are done with the planning session at work, so I go back to preparing and planning my own breakfast and lunch. It was fun while it lasted.

So glad Friday is tomorrow and another weekend is upon us. No big plans this weekend.