Sept 17

This week is starting off fairly well. I have been attending business meetings in order to drum up business for my newest 'hire' lady, a 60-something lady who works her tail off because she didn't plan for retirement (note to self: start saving now). I have 2-3 weekly clients for her at the moment, but that can fluctuate up or down by the week. I believe I will have another for her by next week. The business meetings are nice, just an hour and a half, in a room full of people trying to come up with something catchy enough to win the business of everyone else in the room, and of their friends and co-workers. The goal of the meeting is to get the people in the room to refer you to the people they know who aren't in the room. It hasn't really happened a lot yet, and I'm noticing a lot of holes in the whole theory, but I believe there are holes everywhere. Tomorrow I have another one, and a fourth on Thursday. I have intentionally not gone to several groups for the simple reason that I could drive myself crazy by attending business meetings and wouldn't actually get any work done during the week!
After the business meeting today, I went to clean for a lady who is wonderful to me, and she gave me a bag of home-made kale chips that she said hurt her stomach when she ate them. I cleaned and finished the house in a nice amount of time and had to rush to another house to clean. Instead of rushing, I called the client and told them I was starving and drove through McDonalds (I had a coupon) and grabbed a burger, some fries and a coffee. I arrived at the second place to find that the husband had mistakenly scheduled me to clean while the wife slept (she works nights), and I would just have to clean around her. Ok, simple enough. He headed back to work, I plugged in my iPod and listened to a book (Ghost Stories by Jim Butcher - Ethan is really interested in it so I'm trying to have some common interests with my teenage son who doesn't speak to me... just in case). I cleaned my heart out and actually finished on time. Had she been awake, I would have not finished in time because she wanted me to change the bed. Since she was on it, I was fortunate that I didn't have to stretch the sheets over her unconscious body.
After that client, I was grateful to head home, only discovering that I'd missed a bunch of calls while listening to the book. Oh brother! I returned calls all the way home, finding out I had 20 minutes till bible study. Got home, sat down and finished up the mystery shop from the day before. Sigh - done! And gone again!
Bible study was refreshing, it was nice to get together with them again. We had cake-cream-cones for our snack and talked about the preconceptions in Christianity that we seem to believe can affect our salvation. I believe that as long as you believe, you're set. Others believe that you have to believe this way or that way, and that is the minimum requirement. One said that you have to believe that Jesus is the only way. Another said that you have to follow some verse in Galatians where it says that people who practice certain things won't inherit the kingdom of God. Another said you just have to love your neighbor above all else and then you won't want to do anything evil. He then said that was what I believed. My perspective is that King David was a murderous adulterer and 'had a heart after God's own.' Um.....ok... preconceptions blown!!!
Day finished. I'm exhausted. One more business meeting tomorrow!!!

Today

Today was fantastic. I am learning to find the joy and pleasure in everything. Even the hardship.
This morning started out nicely, a bit slowly. I was able to actually read my emails and just wake up slowly. I then got myself dressed for cleaning, and went to talk with some personal trainers about wraps. The one in charge asked if I would give samples, and I agreed, thinking it's a small loss if they don't want them, but an enormous  win if they do, and it is worth the 'risk.'
After that, I went to clean a house. It looked rather messy today and I'm glad that they are blessed by being able to spend the weekend in a nice clean house.
When I left the house, I went and got bangs cut by my wonderful stylist. She is really good at what she does, and they are a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Zooey Deschanel. They are a bit heavy but can be wispy if I style them right. I think it's a good style move! Pictures to follow when there is daylight!
Following this, I went home and got changed into pretty clothes and went to dinner with a well-traveled gentleman from my business network group, and we just got along famously. I thought of people I could introduce him to, in order to help his business and life grow and progress. I think it will be a lovely business relationship.
Following this, I met a girlfriend at a coffee shop where I met two ladies who were wonderful, we're already facebook friends, but I'd never met them! Such fun ladies, I can't wait to get to know them better. The girlfriend and I went to have a beer after this and we had a wonderful conversation. The point of the trials we endure is to be refined by fire. The part I seem to miss is the fire part. It hurts, it burns, it's fire for pete's sake! Why do we forget that? In the end, we will be more pure than we were to start. We have to let go of the toxic dross and junk in our lives so it can burn off, or the fire will have to get hotter so the crap can burn away. It burns! But it won't forever, as long as we let it go. I am so blessed even though my life in general kind-a sucks!
Can't wait for knitting tomorrow!