Elena 
Sorry to be so scarce of late! I did take on that new transcription job and it has been going pretty well. For those of you familiar with word processing programs like Word and Wordperfect – this isn’t like either of those! This company has it’s own system and it requires the use of a lot of special keys like the F1 through F9 keys on the keyboard. So that has been new. The account I am typing for is mainly a female urology account. Surprisingly it’s much more detailed than the male urology account I also transcribe for. They don’t have a ton of work for me, but I am able to pick up a report or two a day which is fine for now.
I might also be picking up the account that dumped me last month. I’m a little nervous about that. Fickle clients make me nervous. However, if I can work for them again and make some extra money for the kids soccer, swimming, and Calvin’s driver’s education class – then I’m going to do it. I really think that at this point in my life, I have got to focus on helping my husband as Provider, and try to do that without forsaking my other duties as Parent and Partner. The only way that I can see to do that is by following the example of the Proverbs 31 woman who:
15 rises while it is still night, and
18 at night her lamp is undimmed.
in the hopes that I will
31 get “a reward of her labors.”
all and all I am hoping to be transcribing about 15 to 20 hours per week, mainly between 6 and 8:00 a.m. and 8 and 11:00 p.m. Prayers would be appreciated!
Mr. Pete is also working a second job right now. He is very talented at remodeling and doing some handyman type of work. He can turn this:
So the house he is working on now was built in 1928. He did a complete teardown of all the fixtures, tile, walls and floor and is now in the process of rebuilding it. He is gone a lot and I really miss him. It makes it hard for me to do a lot of typing too because I don’t want to leave the kids totally on their own. And of course the baby still needs me.
We are doing all of this to get out from under the debt we accumulated when Mr. Pete started his own business 11 years ago. That’s my main focus – debt free living like we had for the first 15 years of or marriage. I also want to be able to provide some special opportunities for our kids in the way of team sports and music lessons. I want them to have those things and I’m willing to struggle to get them.
I also got my Federal Income Taxes done! Refund is on the way!! Now I have to buckle down and finish the state and city. It’s remarkable to me that we citizens of the United States go through this rigmarole every year. I certainly hope I live to see the sales tax idea become reality in my lifetime. I think it would make bookkeeping much simpler!
Calvin finished his swim season At the banquet he was presented with the award for most improved male swimmer. We were so proud of him. He really did work very hard. He is now taking a Lifeguard training class and will be certified as a lifeguard and also in CPR and first aid. Hopefully he can work this summer and get a nice bank account going for himself.
Sam is signed up to take a cake decorating class starting tomorrow. He’s thrilled. I found some books on cake decorating at the library yesterday and he has already poured over them. I told him that if he really enjoys this, we can advertise with our homeschool group and maybe he could make a little extra cash making cakes for the families we know. Sam also participated in a piano competition and got some very nice marks from the judge. He will be playing with the children’s choir on Mercy Sunday. That will be the fourth time he has played for mass and he seems much more confident each time he does it.
Gabe is running track this spring with Sam. I don’t think Gabe has dropped an ounce from his diet. I’m wondering what his body is morphing into. At 10 years old his feet are bigger than mine and he has a 30 inch waist. He looks like a husky but I don’t think he looks overweight. I think he may just take after my side of the family. My grandpa was broad through the shoulders and chest and he was a very hard worker. Perhaps that’s how Gabe is developing. Mathwise, he still needs a lot of help, but his reading skills have taken off!! He’s playing the piano pretty well too.
Noah is in the homestretch towards first communion! We started reading the story of Blessed Imelda, one of the patrons for first communicants. He really seems to enjoy reading spiritual things and the lives of the saints. He’s a very sensitive little boy! On Friday our parish is having Jesus Day. Izzy is going to be there too. I’m helping out but I’m bringing the baby. It should make for a long but hopefully interesting day.
Lastly, I was reading an old issue of Faith and Family Magazine. It was the issue about Pope John Paul II from last year. Apparently his mother had lost a baby girl as an infant. I don’t know what she died of or if it was an accident. Nonetheless his mother went through that sorrow. Then when little Karol, the future pope, was born a few years later, he brought joy into the life of his parents. He was their rainbow baby!
That just made me smile and made me remember Raphael and all the joy Rosie has brought into our family.
I wonder what John Paul’s sister was named? I’ll try to find out, but I will also try to remember her when I pray to Raphael and all the little unknown saints in heaven, particularly this week in preparation for Palm Sunday.
* John Paul II’s sister’s name was Olga Wojtyla, born and died 1914.
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