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Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.  Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.  Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.  Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can anyone do to me?”

Hebrews 13:1-6

New Revised Standard Version

Last month I attended the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Tampa.  This was a four day orgy of classes, demonstrations and vendors with lots of goodies for the sewing, quilting and knitting enthusiasts.  I did something different this year.  I volunteered.  I paid for a few hands on classes that I particularly wanted to try – intarsia knitting and needle tatting.  I discovered that by volunteering not only could I help out the expo, but also be able to glean the knowledge from many classes with exchanging my dollars for their expertise.  There are officially three days of the expo, but there is a pre-day class on Wednesdays for the ambitious.  In 2007 I had nearly non-stop classes from Wednesday morning until Saturday afternoon.  I was exhausted but with a smile on my face. 

This year I helped set up the exhibition hall on Wednesday, took entry tickets to the hall on Thursday morning, and served as classroom assistant all day Friday and a couple hours Saturday.  Ladies, this is the way to go!  My expenses were only a third of what they were last year and that included a few purchases.  Okay, guys, don’t even go there.  A woman can’t be subjected to all those goodies and not find something necessary to aid her in her addiction.  Oops, that should read aid her in efficiently applying the new techniques learned at the event.  Alright, already.  I was able to refrain from adding to my stash or buying any of the wonderful machines available.  I only purchased a few notions, patterns, a DVD on making slopers and a quilt DVD.  No, I don’t quilt, but the machine embroidery is beautiful and can be used in many beautiful creations.  Now I just have to conquer the embroidery capabilities of my sewing machine.  But that’s another post for another day. 

If any of you are interested in attending this event you still have time if you are in or near Chantilly, VA, Chicago, IL (St.Charles), Kansas City, MO, or Minneapolis, MN. 

If you’ve attended any of these expos, what did you enjoy most?  Have any of you volunteered?

I am neither financially fit nor physically fit, but I’m working on both.  On Nov. 27, 2007 Patrick at cashmoneylife asked for our financial goals for 2008.  These were mine.  My main financial goal for 2008 is to pay off a no interest x 1 year purchase of a new central a/c unit.  This will be $4,485 due in July. During the second half of the year my goal is to pay off all remaining medical bills from an unexpected 10 day hospital admit and two surgeries. Right now that is approximately $2,000.  Being optimistic now my goal for the remainder of the year will be to pay off my car.  I am so looking forward to no car payments (ever).

I’m making progress and hope to have met all three goals by the end of July.  Right now I have all but $285 for the a/c unit put aside, all the medical bills paid except $259 and the balance owed on my car loan is at $1497.  I love Dave Ramsey’s snowball.  I haven’t been following his pathway completely, but appreciate the wisdom of using the snowball.  I chose to pay off the debts with the lowest balance first rather than the ones with the highest interest rates.  I need to see progress to keep me motivated.  Unfortunately, the largest debt is also the one with the highest interest rate.  I’ll rethink my strategy at year’s end when I set my goals for 2009.  Until then you can hold me accountable. 

What are your financial goals for this year?  Are you going to be able to accomplish them?  What can you do differently to help meet your goals?

I just read a review of Voice of Ice by Alta Ifland on            carp(e) libris reviews.  If you have a love of poetry, this book sounds as if it will touch you deeply.  It mingles the beauty and pain of fitting into this world of ours.  Pop over and read this review by Diane.  As a bonus, she is offering a copy as a giveaway.

Yes, I really did walk on water.  I spent ten years doing it.  I worked and lived on ships and some of those suckers are big.  There’s a lot of walking to do on a ship.  Don’t let anyone tell you that taking a cruise is a laid back and relaxing thing to do.  That only happens if you’ve taken a large number of cruises and have all the sightseeing and tourist things under your belt.  It takes a long time to get that all done and that’s only while you’re in port.  Back aboard the ship you have things scheduled nearly 24 hours a day.  Of course, you don’t have to participate in them all or go to all those meals and midnight buffets. But get real.  You’ve already paid for this cruise and you only have a week to get your money’s worth out of it.  Listen, you can’t kid me.  I’ve been there on both sides. 

I loved being at sea so much, I would work doubles and 12 hour shifts for almost three weeks straight so I could take a week off every month and cruise.  If I hadn’t turned into such a repeat cruiser, I may never have had the opportunity to work on a ship.  I fell into my first job.  Not really, I choked my way into it.  I was enjoying the seafood cocktail and got a fishbone caught in my throat.  That necessitated a journey to the ship’s infirmary to see the doctor.  I was accompanied by the food and beverage manager who later sent a bottle of champagne.  (I’ve learned since then that people actually sue for things more minor than this.) After the doctor extracted that nasty little bone, we spent some time chatting and over the course of the next few months became friends.  It was this friendship that led to my first job as a ship’s nurse.  The doctor’s wife was the ship’s nurse and was having a very difficult time adjusting to sea life as she was continually sea sick – so much so that she had to be hospitalized and then sent back home to the Philippines.  I hate to see people that sick, but thanks to her body’s inability to adjust to sea life, I became a ship’s nurse and started walking on water.

Do you all like to walk on water?  Share some of your cruising experiences and questions with me.

I love alliteration and I love giveaways.  Today we have both.  Glamorous Girl accessories are totally adorable for both big girls and little girls.  These are all hand crafted and come in yummy colors and designs.  Click over to Everything Moms and check out the details and to enter the giveaway.

I’ve  been writing in journals off and on most of my life.  I chose the name “Island Breezes” for the journals of my later life.  I have to admit that I’ve been unfaithful . I would cling to my journals and write up a fury when I was upset, hurt or in the midst of the many crisis laden times in my soap opera life. Then I would neglect them during sunny days.  Well no more.  I have periodically tossed out my journals like young lovers I’ve outgrown.  Now that I’m more experienced I’ve left them behind for my Sunny Island Breezes.  I did attempt to procure the Island Breezes name for my site, but as I feared an old nemesis stole my first love when I was young and inexperienced on the net.  If I had been “around the block” more times, so to speak, I would not have lost that love to internet land.  I very naively gave an online mini-journal that beloved name and had it callously ripped away from my heart by someone more experienced.  This person purloined my love and tried to sell it back to me as a domain.  Heartbroken, I cried “How dare you,” as I turned my back on that unfaithful love and fled.

Ah, but now I know that  young love can be so very foolish.  When we’re hurt, we can toss it all out, the good along with the bad.  So I wept and vowed I’d not let anyone come into my life and hurt me again.  Only a fool would show back up on the internet for more abuse!

But boys and girls, here I am!  Back with sunny days, lounging on the beach of my mind, feeling the gentle breezes of the palms and ready to let a new love back into my life.

And now you are in on the birth of Sunny Island Breezes.  Share my private island with me and tell me where you would like for us to travel together.  The world is a big, wonderful place.  Fasten your seatbelt.  We’re ready for take off!

I’ve finally been able to get my mouse under control enough to write my welcoming post.  I shared some of my coffee (just two drops) with my old mouse and he, being the ungrateful wretch that he is, did not appreciate it.  Ummm!  I can still taste that cup of coffee.  It was darn good and my generosity should have been rewarded with smiles and hard work.  Instead, no matter how I pampered, dissected and bathed him with the finest of canned air, he remained stubborn.  I sweet talked, coerced, begged, threatened and cried.  It got me no where!  Ungrateful little wretch!  I babied and coaxed him.  I lavished special attention on him any time I was home.  He teased me and would work properly just long enough to get my hopes up.  Then he would bulk, stall, skip around and defy me.  I work long shifts on the weekend, but came home eager for my date with that cute little mouse.  Oh, how I sweet talked him.  Ungrateful little wretch!  I gave him one more chance this morning before dashing out to the Office Depot on the corner and replacing that little hunk of junk with a new, shiny, happy mouse.  This little baby will not get the chance to share any of my coffee.  I’m afraid he might be as fickle and unappreciatve as my former friend.  This little one is taking me to new heights.  He flies.  I’m having to work very hard to tame him a bit.  He runs all over the place and flies off the page every chance he gets.  But he makes me smile.  I’m going to fly with him.   Join me every day and go flying with us.

I make frequent trips to our local library.  I love just walking through the door and seeing all those wonderful books.  It boggles my mind to think of the number of authors who live there amidst all those words.  Very often I don’t take the time to linger.  I’m usually running through a list of errands and not allowing myself sufficient time to actually enjoy the library.  I use our library’s internet system to request books and go pick them up when I receive an e-mail telling me they are ready for pickup at the branch near my home.  Last week I made a stop to return some DVD’s and pick up books that were waiting for me. 

This time I got into trouble right after I walked in the door.  There’s a four-sided rack there which holds books for sale.  Usually I can walk past with only a glance (okay, a glance at all sides), but I got caught up before I realized it.  I walked out of there with the three books that were on hold for me, plus I bought ten more.  Hey, they all cost less than eight dollars, so I didn’t clean out the bank account, but the reason I use the library is because it’s unsafe for me to go to a bookstore.  I’m trying to pay down debt and that’s not going to happen if I’m in a huge room full of books that want to come home with me.  I’m going to have to suck up the will power before I go back in there tomorrow.  No, I didn’t get all those books read yet, but I received another one of those e-mails telling me I have another book waiting to be picked up.  A bit scary, isn’t it?

My library purchase included three stitchery and craft idea books (visions of making all my Christmas gifts this year.)  Some of the books which leaped off that rack and into my waiting arms were in the realm of health care.  That includes a book on reflexology, one on homeopathic remedies, Eating Well for Optimum Health by Dr. Andrew Weil and one called The Diabetes Food & Nutrition Bible. Also in the food category was a cookbook from Carnival Cruise Line.  How could one resist that?  The last two books are Living the Lord’s Prayer and one called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel.  Now that one looks a bit funky.  When I flipped through it a few of the things I encountered was how to stop a car with no brakes, how to ram a barricade, and how to survive a volcanic eruption.  Don’t worry, I’ll share some of these fun things with you.  Tell me what you want me to share first. 

Now I wonder what’s going to happen when I walk through those magical library doors tomorrow.

I managed to get the timing off in the flying mouse.  It’s listed as posting tomorrow instead of today, Monday, March 31st.  And to think, I’ve been planning an April Fool post for you.  It looks as if I got me first.  ;p