Happy Thanksgiving

Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope and pray that this blog post finds you well no matter what your situation for Thanksgiving. As you all know I usually spend as much of my time as possible with my family.

My brother was in California for a week so we decided we needed to postpone our Thanksgiving for an additional week. We wanted to make sure he and his wife had time to quarantine before we met up for Thanksgiving.

Needless to say, that means I spent Thanksgiving here alone with my cats for the first year ever! My parents were together alone and my sisters families were together alone. It felt super weird! I was initially going to eat leftover Chinese but decided I had to have turkey. I ordered my dinner to go from the walnut grill. It was delicious! I got turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and crab bisque! Yum!

I just wanted to get on here and say how exceptionally grateful I am for the life I have today and for all of you my blogging friends!

I am off to read your blogs and look at your pictures and see how wonderful your thanksgivings were!

Stay safe, stay happy and stay blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving and hugs to each and everyone of you!

You are first to know

Hi everyone!

Happy Wednesday!

I am spending today in Columbus babysitting my adorable niece and nephew as my brother is house hunting in California. He has accepted a new job Rivian and will be moving from Ohio to California.  Right now we’re spending our time working on homeschool… It’s a blast! Aside from the mini breaks they are requesting because they are starving or their brains are stalling out or they’re working too hard or they’re fighting with each other or their feet are cold… Things are going well!

As I was sitting here playing teacher an email came through and I was officially excepted in nursing school for the spring of 2021! I am so happy to finally be able to officially pursue this path forward!!! I think I am the happiest girl in the world right now!!!

I hope everyone else is having an amazing day!

Stay safe out there and hugs to every one of you!

Happy Monday and Clarifications

Happy Monday everyone!

I’ve gotten a few questions after my post regarding interviews. I figured I should take this post to clear things up.

So basically I’ve lost my job. They gave us a two month notice during which time we are being paid. So my current job officially ends on December 30. At that time I will no longer be an employee of Bayer. We are receiving severance for all of our direct employee years so that will definitely help.

My plan moving forward is to get out of IT and six sigma and become a nurse. I just want to do some thing that makes a difference in this world. Sadly I can’t go to nursing school for two years and not work… I just can’t afford it. So the plan is to work and go to nursing school on nights and weekends.

I have been working with the nursing director at CCAC which is where I plan to attend nursing school. She is trying to get me a spot in the spring class of 2021. They only except 200 students and I am too late to be considered for enrollment but she is thinking a few students may decide not to go which will free up a spot for me.

In order to be considered for the program by the nursing director; I had to take the TEAS test. It tests your current level of math, science, English and reading comprehension.  I bought the book and studied really hard (Nermal  studied with me- so much that he got highlighted) ha!

I scored a 79 overall. I didn’t think it was that great but from what they are telling me at the nursing college it is. So I am super proud of myself! Fingers crossed it is enough to get me into nursing college in the spring. If a position does not open up in Spring 2021, then they will put me in the Fall 2021 class.

But all of this just explains why I am currently looking for employment - I wish I were able to just stay home and do school but my current situation does not allow for that. I guess this would be one of those times in life that would be easier if I had a spouse! Ha ha!

If you have any others questions, pleases do not hesitate to ask. If I have an answer I will tell you it. This is new territory for me to navigate! 

I will leave you with this...I have some friends that are saying they will not wear a mask because they think it will make you sick somehow...

I personally think “Mask it or Casket”. I have tried to educate myself on this subject and I pray that everyone I love wears a mask! I can not make anyone do it but I have already lost three friends here in PA and had many others hospitalized for weeks!!! 

I pray you all stay safe and happy and let’s get through this Covid thing once and for all!!!!! Ugh!!

This picture came up on my Facebook memories last night. My aunt posted it of a family trip we took to Washington DC.

For left to right...my Aunt Marti (it’s her birthday today), grandma Wells (she is in Heaven), and my Mom in the black shirt. None of those people on the right were with us. Also, my older sister is in the striped dress and I am in the yellow jumper in front of my Mom. 

I assume my Dad was taking the picture standing in the middle of the road! Ha! Also, where are my sisters pants?!?!! Ha ha!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!!! Sending so many hugs to you all!!

Stay safe and happy everyone!!!! Hugs!

Northpark Lounge

In Pittsburgh, we have a restaurant chain called Northpark Lounge. They have really good bar food and big salads and soups. It’s a chain so there are five locations around Pittsburgh. 

This location near McKnight Road did something really neat when Covid started! They created a whole outdoor, socially distant dining experience!! So you know we had to go check it out!!!

Last week I met up with two girlfriends of mine. We used to do all kinds of volunteer work together for CysticFibrosis but alas, due to Covid, we haven’t had any fundraisers to volunteer at this year. We have a meeting about once a month for dinners just to keep in touch. Here is the view of the greenhouses from the parking lot. Sooo cute!

There is between 8 and 10 of these little green houses outside of the building. There’s a picnic table inside each greenhouse so your little group is socially distance from everyone else. They’re cleaned every time someone new moves into them. They also have a 90 minute time limit to keep people from sitting in them for excessive length of time and not allowing others a chance to dine there. Along with the houses, They have also set up a ton of other picnic tables and chairs outside of the restaurants there are many options to eat outside there.

I should have taken a picture of our food because it looked and tasted amazing!  We all got very different things but they were all delicious!

And here we are!!! As you can see my weight has skyrocketed during Covid but I am working on getting it under control ASAP. At least it is headed in the right direction now. Ugh-I think it is officially a lifelong battle! Ha! Ha!

If you’re in the Pittsburgh area you should definitely check this out. It’s a lot of fun and a great way stay safe while eating out!

So, I am trying to stay positive and also trying to stay busy and keep up with friends. I have a few interviews scheduled and I will definitely keep you guys up-to-date on what happens.

I’m so happy to be back with you all in blogging again! Hugs to each and everyone of you and stay safe out there!

A Little Amish Vacation?

Okay!!! Back and ready to move on! Yesterday I mailed back my company laptop, credit card and cell phone! I am officially no longer working for Bayer.

It was a nice run but everything has to come to an end and I was no willing to move so that is that.

I am applying for any six sigma jobs that are in companies I would feel proud to work for! Fingers crossed I find something quickly!

I went through what I would call a slight depression for a while there. I wasn’t depressed depressed but I was kind of sad. I knew it was coming and they definitely prepared us for it; but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I honestly thought I would retire at that company. And I didn’t realize how much value I put into who I worked for. I really loved that company and I gave my job my whole heart.

Anyway...I have my first interview tomorrow...wish me luck!

I have been spending as much time as possible with my family on the weekends! As you remember my sister‘s family, me and my parents have all been together often on since Covid hit in March. We were in Florida altogether when we first heard of Covid.

These are the people that I’ve been spending most of my time with. We are believers in wearing masks when we’re with other people and we are definitely trying to keep some distance between us and my parents so that they stay safe!

We went to Amish country over the weekend for a little getaway. We were wearing masks even though we were walking on the streets outside. We took them off for the pictures.

So much fun browsing and shopping and all of the Amish shops!

Of course we had to get ice cream! The ice cream was amazing at this little shop!

The girls wanted to pose on the giant chair!


We got home my parents house and could not wait to get into the hot tub! They only fill this thing in the winter and we look forward to it every year!

And Sunday was spent helping my parents rake leaves at the lake. They have a lot of leaves to rake and I needed the exercise! I love this picture with the lake and the flag!


I’m sorry I’ve been slightly MIA and I promise to change that. I’m now going to head off and catch up on all of you! Thanks for all of you who have reached out on Facebook and Instagram also. I am OK and I’m coming out of the funk slowly but surely. I think making a commitment to blog every day will help as well. So I plan to do this as much as possible.

I love the blogging community and all of you! Thank you for always being that ear when I need one to listen and thanks for making my life so much brighter and broader!!!

Hugs to you all!!!!