It Could Have Been Worse...

Yesterday, we woke up to a cold morning and a threat of rain in the skies. One of our sons works for Wendy's several days a week, and even though he is off Fridays, he was asked to come in for a few hours to fill in for another employee. Many days he walks to work, but I was concerned about the weather and offered to drive him.

On the way back home after dropping him off, I entered the main street to our neighborhood and proceeded along until I came to one of the many speed bumps in the area. This one is located just a short distance before the first cross street along the road on which I was traveling. I slowed down to about 10 miles an hour going over the bump, then started picking up speed as I entered the intersection. I noticed to my left, speeding down the adjoining cross street, came a light-colored car. To my horror I realized that the car was not going to stop at the stop sign. The only thing I could do was to step on the gas and try to get out of the intersection and the other cars way.

Being in a van, my father's bright blue one, it ended up that I needed more time than I had and the other car, a four-door model, ran through the stop sign, crossed the two lanes, and plowed into the back section of the van, right behind the driver's side rear tire. The impact spun the van around and I found myself sitting in the same lane I had been driving in, but now facing the opposite direction than I had been going. The woman driving the other car came to a stop on the opposite side of the intersection.

Needless to say, I was shook up and some what dizzy from the spinning ride. Fortunatly, the woman admitted that she was in a hurry and had run the stop sign, and that it was all her fault. I did find it odd, however, that she was moving the bumper of her car out of the street as another woman from a corner house swept the street of the glass and parts all BEFORE the police arrived. The woman from the corner house said that she had seen several accidents on that corner before.

I was blessed that I escaped with only a neck and back ache and some bruises along my left arm and leg. I limped my Dad's car back to our house (both of my parents now live with us), and my husband came home from work and took me to the local hospital to be checked out. That, in itself, is another story. What is it with hospitals and emergency rooms? They sure aren't very quick about anything!

My newest magazine article is out!

Hi,

Just wanted to let you all know that my newest article is out in the Jan/Feb issue of Back Home magazine. It is called "Bacon, With a Little Sausage" and tells of our adventures in raising pigs. You will find it in the magazine starting on page 48. They have the magazine on sale now in bookstores and where other magazines are sold.

Check it out and let me know what you think.
Susan

Merry Christmas and a Great New Year to You All!

Hi All,

I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a great New Year ahead of you! We have had a most wonderful Christmas this year with having three of our six children here with us, including their families. It has been noisier than usual, but I've loved every minute of it. What better thing than to be with one's family at this time of year. We have been truly blessed!

To update you:
I finished and was one of the winners in the NaNoWriMo event this year. I really had fun and would recommend it to anyone who loves to write, even a little bit.
Also, I have lost a few more pounds on the Weight Watcher's program, so much so that many of my friends and family have noticed the difference in me and have commented on it. Though the last few days I may have eaten more than I had planned to. Any way, I really love the program and the new extra things they have added to the plan. It is a great way of eating for anyone.

I wish you all success in everything you set out to do. Keep on trying and don't give up. It's well worth it!
SS

NaNoWriMo 2008

Hi All,

This month of November is the National Novel Writing Month. This is the second week of the month long contest and the third year I've participated in it. The idea is to write at least a 50,000 word novel in one months time.

When I first started participating in this novel writing contest/challenge three years ago, I wasn't sure I could keep up the pace that it requires and write that fast. Now, after my third year I find I have no trouble keeping up with it. In fact, I try to get in at least 2000 words a day amongst the many other things I have to get done. It is a lot of fun to participate and well worth the time.

Why don't you check it out for yourself and see what you think?
Go to www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node

An update on my success with the Weight Watchers program:

Over all I have lost about 12 pounds so far and counting. I have to admit that I've done a bit of yo-yoing at times with my weight during birthday celebrations, but I just keep at it each day. And even though it has been a little tough at times, I think the journey is well worth it!

Here's to a slimmer me, and you as well!
S A Slack

Back on the Ranch!

A friend from Weight Watchers was talking about her experience with a goat and it got me to thinking about the ranch we used to live on a few years back. Actually, I think about it and write about it a lot. We had a lot of things happen to us while on that ranch and with our animals.

Our kids were always volunteering us to bring this animal or that one to school. I usually didn't mind though. We took in geese, chickens, goats, an old rooster, fish, rats, a few puppies we were raising for the Guide Dogs for the Blind, and several other things, and there was always something that happened in the process. And many of our animals were chosen for science fair projects, all humane ones I can assure you.

But one event comes to mind most vividly today. It was the auction.

We decided to take an assortment of fowl to an auction that was over an hour’s drive away. We loaded the birds into their cages and put them into the back of our old jeep and headed out. The crowing and clucking and honking, we did okay with, but the ammonia smell got so strong that by the time we arrived at the auction we had all the windows as far down as possible and my dear husband was driving with his body slammed up against the driver’s door, his head part way out his window trying to see where he was going and I was hanging my head out the passenger’s side window in hopes for a breath of fresh air. Good thing we were only around other animal people at the auction and not going to some social event. We didn’t try it that way again and when it came time for the pigs, well they got to ride in a trailer.


I am still doing good on Weight Watchers and have lost another couple of pounds. Yeah! I've finally found a plan I can stick with and see results. It's great!

Wishing you all a wonderful month. Don't forget to get out and vote!

S A Slack

Fall & Loosing Weight!

Fall is definitely on its way. I love change and I love the change of the seasons. Not only the weather, but the difference in colors as well. Nature holds such beauty any time of the year, and I really enjoy being outside to garden and enjoy it all! And as each season comes along, I look forward to it in earnest.

The hot weather is beginning to cool off and is most welcome to many of us, me included. Oh, to have a little snow here in San Antonio would be nice, but alas, it is not to be. Maybe we'll get a little rain this weekend. That would be good for the area and fun to play in its first sprinkles.

I'm serious to shed these extra pounds! So I began not only an exercise program every day, but 3 1/2 weeks ago I started with the Weight Watchers online program. I have heard much over the years about the many success stories and decided to give it a try myself. I am very impressed with it so far and have lost over 5lbs. I intend to continue with this and make it a life long way of living along with the exercising. I've tried other things before, but nothing has worked for me as well as Weight Watchers has. I'll keep you informed on my progress from time to time.

Have a great week end all!

Hurricane Ike

Once again we are awaiting the land fall of yet another hurricane to hit the coasts of Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This one, Hurricane Ike, is expected to do a large amount of damage not only to the coast, but to many places of the U.S. inland from its initial landing, all the way up to the state of Maine.

It's Friday afternoon here in San Antonio, Texas as I write this and the clouds are moving in and the wind is picking up. Most all of the bottled water, flashlights, and larger-size batteries are gone from the store's shelves, along with various other items, as residents stock up on things to weather the storms' impact. The news and weather channels are full of pictures and images of the wind and flooding damage the hurricane has caused so far, even before it has hit the coast in full force. And many people have decided to stay put who live in the hurricane's path, even though they have been told to leave those areas. But I think the nuttiest ones are those you see that are having what looks like parties down on the beaches of the coast as the hurricane comes in. What are they thinking with the 30 foot waves! One can only hope that the damage won't be as bad as predicted and the loss of life will be minimal if at all.

On a happier note, I received a message that another one of the articles I wrote and submitted has been accepted for publication by a quality magazine. And with the weather like it is outside today and will be through out the weekend, I'll be staying in and working on some more.