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My favorite Bethany has tagged me. Last night I thought I might play along today but today I am tired and achy, so I am going to play my own version of this game instead. I am going to pick two categories and "expound" on them rather than fill out all the lists. I hope she will forgive me. Maybe my ibuprofen will kick in before I am finished and then I will be able to get up and clean my house (again).

What was I doing 10 years ago?

This would make it 1998... In 1997 Hannah and I were enjoying the sunshine and warm weather in Plano, Texas where we were visiting Auntie Lori for 10 days. I went to a Dallas Stars hockey game with Lori, visited the Arboretum, and toured downtown Dallas. We found treasures at garage sales (clothes for Han), and nearly missed the plane home. But... that was 11 years ago... In 1999 I was attending a decorative painting class with my sister Priscilla on Monday nights. I was about to become aunt to a beautiful little girl. She'll be nine years old on Sunday. Hmmm, that's 9 years...

Ten years ago I was attending the Bible Baptist Church in Sodus, NY. It's possible that I was leading the AWANA Cubbie group at church. I was homeschooling our kids and enjoying field trips with my friends. We lived in the village on one of the busiest roads in our little town. On warm nights after dinner, I enjoyed sitting in my rocking chair out on the front porch where I watched traffic go by. We often walked around the block in the evenings, stopping to talk to friends along the way. I had two teen aged boys, and one of them kept me guessing all the time.

Five jobs I've had

I assume this is supposed to mean jobs "outside" the home but I have led a very sheltered life so you'll have to bear with me as I elaborate here and there. My first real job was as a nurse's aide at a local nursing home. It was around when I turned 17 years old and I worked a few evenings a week taking residents back to their rooms after supper and helping them get ready for bed. It was no fun and I hated it... My second "job" was being a mommy. I started this job in September 1981 and I'm still at it. I like this job even if it has included some rather unpleasant surprises like raisin puke in the middle of the night (I wondered what those cold blobs on the floor were) and poop in the bathwater... Job number three, a cashier at Star Market grocery. Not a bad job, I actually enjoyed it sometimes... My fourth job was a daycare provider. As long as there are already children in the house, why not add a few more and make some money at it? I babysat mostly for friends or friends of friends. It was (and still is) a job with many rewards and challenges. The nice thing is that no one at your job expects you to grow up. They want you to act like a kid... And finally, teacher. Homeschooling is a job, a BIG job, one that seems to have no end although it really does. I have had wonderful, memorable times doing this job. I have met many great people, done things and gone places I never would have, and built a relationship with my children that I may have missed, but... there have been those days when I have felt so incredibly incapable of doing the job well. Days when I have just wanted to run away from it all. Days when I searched for another way. Days when I had to give it all back to Jesus and say, "I can't do this. Please, help me!" Days when He has taught me that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "Without Him, I can do nothing".

Now I am off to do the dishes!