Karen's Keepers: In like a lion?

The weather on this first day of March is wonderful and spring-like. Doesn't that mean that the end of the month will be horrible?

I’ve had a cold since Tuesday. It started out with a sore throat for a couple of days, then I got really congested. I had a really hard time breathing a couple of nights – even with Nyquil. But, I got to lay in bed most of Saturday and I took it easy Sunday, so I think I’m on the downhill side of it. I’m still coughing, I might be developing a sinus infection, and my voice is an octave lower than normal, but I’m starting to feel better! I shouldn’t complain, though, because I’m healthy most of the time.

I mailed our tax returns in 3 weeks ago – next year I think I’ll send them online – I’m just a little slow with new technology! But, we will be getting refunds on both federal and state (if I did it right!) and we’ll put the money in the bank for Dylan’s mission fund. I’m finally paying my monthly bills online, although I don’t have them automatically deducted from our bank account – I have to keep SOME control!

We had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and both Randy and Tyler got me flowers – Yea! I love having fresh flowers around the house. When I get them in February, it helps me look towards spring.

Saturday night we went to see a 4-piece group (violin, guitar, clarinet and accordian) playing tango and opera pieces. They were all really good musicians. There were also 4 dancers that did the tango on about 5 or 6 songs. I’m sorry – but I think Randy and I could have done it. They were just really dramatic and the women kicked their legs sometimes – But, the music was great.

I made a doctor’s appointment for last week to get my hand-trembling looked at, but they had a problem with our insurance, so I had to cancel and I’ll have to find another doctor that accepts our insurance. It’s been trembling for the last couple of years whenever I try to write (seriously, you’d think I was 100 years old to look at my writing!), so I’ve finally gotten fed up with it and I hope there is something that can be done.

The kids are all doing good – Jesse is kept pretty busy with work, in fact he’s probably going to quit the job at Bosco’s because it’s interfering with his other work, and he thinks he can easily get 40 hours a week between Ramada Inn and The Row House restaurant. Ingrid has not been feeling well lately, but has still been able to go to work. She went to the doctor today and will get results from all the tests, but she DID find out she has an umbilical hernia from lifting one of the kids at the daycare last week! We're talking surgery within the next 3 weeks. Tyler, Heidi and Dylan have gotten together several times to watch the Jazz games on TV. I love that my kids are such good friends as adults!! Tyler and Heidi keep busy with work and school and Dylan has been getting more hours at work, although he’s talking about finding a second job. I got him some beginner piano books at the D.I. and he’s been reviewing what he learned in band about music theory and teaching himself some piano. Heidi got her foot run over and had to deal with a crazy lady at work – read about it on her blog. www.adelheide414.blogspot.com Tyler has been checking out reports about the earthquake in Chile – he filled a mission in Santiago, so he’s familiar with a lot of the areas that got damaged. I hear the temple in Santiago is OK, but the angel Moroni lost his trumpet! www.kcsg.com/news/local/85731387.html

I haven’t started a master’s program yet because I need to use federal funds and the program I was interested in is too new – it takes about 2 years for a new program to get FAFSA approval. So, I have switched to an MBA with emphasis in marketing. Not exactly what I wanted, but hopefully I can learn how to market Randy’s sculptures so that he can actually make money from them. (He's currently in the process of making a mold for his George Washington.) I start April 4 and it’s all online so I can do it from home.