Blogging for CHD Awareness....

Just today, I read two separate comments that really made me think about how differently people are affected by Congenital Heart Disease.

On a fellow CHD blogger’s website today, I read how he feels badly about his lacking advocacy back in his college days. Later, I read on Facebook that a person felt the need to remove herself from a CHD group because it was too much to handle, emotionally. What a tangled mess of emotions from a single source!

To read my entire post entitled, "Blindsided by CHD", please go to Blog4CHD.

Blog4CHD is a community of dedicated Bloggers that give their time to furthering Congenital Heart Defect Awareness & Advocacy through social media.

My Very First Book Sneeze Book Review!

Some time ago, I signed up with Thomas Nelson Publishers as a Book Sneeze book review blogger. This is how it works. I choose a book from the list of available books, the kind folks at Thomas Nelson Publishers send me a copy (which I get to keep), I read the book, and then blog about it. You can find out more about the program by clicking the Book Sneeze widget on the bottom right sidebar of this blog.)

My first book is "The Sacred Meal", by Nora Gallagher. Part of the Ancient Practices Series, this book is about the practice of communion, or as some refer to it, The Lord's Supper. In this book, Nora has highlighted detailed descriptions, factual teachings, and Biblical references with stories of her own personal experiences as a Christian observing this special connection with the Lord.

*Photo taken from Thomas Nelson Publishers website

This book is broken up into chapters that attempt to clarify the reasons why a person should practice communion, the history of the practice, and how to separate the myths and misguided additions from the true meaning of this sacred meal.

As a christian, I have always accepted the practice of The Lord's Supper as a serious time of inner reflection that evolves into true worship. "The Sacred Meal" expounds on the process from many different angles, allowing the reader to dig deep and reflect on the details of this beautiful practice.

To hear the author's personal thoughts and emotions helps to create a balance between the meaning of communion and the reality of its true effect. I recommend this book to anyone who is questioning the practice of communion in any capacity.

Wordless Wednesday--You Snooze, You Lose! (Or something like that....)

Now THAT is some serious sleeping.

Wordless Wednesday-Thankyouverymuch....

Elvis on Beale Street, Memphis Tennessee. (Taken by my husband, Tim.)

In honor of the King and his January birthday, and all that.

Frustration to the Nth Degree....

I've been trying to cancel my Dish Network subscription since last Friday. See, with this new year came tough decisions and one of those decisions was trimming unnecessary costs from our budget.

We have always had cable or satellite television. It's just a given. But, here's the question that kept popping in my head.....Why??? Why do we need to pay for television? Why can't we just get an antenna for our digital television and be happy with free TV? Can we afford the basic Dish Network package? Yeah... But why????

So, that decision was made. We went ahead an unplugged the satellite dish and I discovered that...


I am severely addicted to TV!!!!!!


But, that's okay. I can do this....



I have better things to do with my time. Really.



So, on Friday, I called Dish Network. I told the automated man what I wanted, spoke my phone number and PIN numbers, which he couldn't understand. UGH I punched the numbers into the phone and was quicky transferred to the billing department. I spoke with a customer service rep. It went something like this:




CS: Thanks for calling Dish Network. How can I help you?


Me: I'd like to talk to you about my account.


CS: Phone number with area code please.


Me: (I give that info....again.)


CS: PIN number please.


Me: (I give that info....again.)


CS: Okay, how can I help you?


Me: I'd like to cancel my service, please.


CS: OH! We don't want you to do that? What can we do to keep you as a customer? What can we do to make you happy?


Me: Uh....I'm not unhappy, I just want to cancel my service.


CS: Well, we hate to lose you as a customer....


Me: I know, but I just need to cancel my service.


CS: Okay, let me transfer you to the right person to help with your request. Please hold.





~~~~~~~~





CS#2: Hello, thank you for calling Dish Network. How can I help you?
Me: I was transferred to you. I'd like to cancel my service.


CS#2: Oh...well we hate to lose you as a customer! Can I have your phone number and PIN please?


Me: (I give my phone number and PIN number.....AGAIN.)


CS#2: Okay, let me transfer you to the right person to help with your request. Please, do not hang up.





~~~~~~





CS#3: Hello. Thank you for calling Dish Network. How can I help you?


Me: Yes, I was transferred to you for help cancelling my account.


CS#3: Oh, I'm so sorry! We hate to lose you as a customer. First, can I have your phone number with area code and your PIN number please?


Me: (Give this information....AGAIN.)


CS#3: Okay, and you want to cancel your service?


Me: Yes.


CS#3: Okay. Please hold for a moment while I transfer you to the right person....


Me: ARRGGHGHGHHHHHH!!!!





~~~~~~





This is NO joke. This really happened. Ugh. I hung up at that point. I tried again later and went through this same process again with two transfers.



So, as of right now, my Dish Network account is wracking up additional charges because the people who answer the phones apparently have no idea who this "RIGHT PERSON" really is.



Will the "RIGHT PERSON" at Dish Network please step forward??? I would LOVE to cancel my service.....

Inquiring Minds Would Like to Know......

What on Earth has happened to The Box of Rocks?!?!?!


Well, I'd like to say that I've spent the first ten days of this new year doing something very constructive, but I haven't.


I struggled through the anniversary of my son, Clint's death on January 2nd. Seventeen years... Honestly, some years it goes by with a tug or two, along with the memories. And then other years (like this year), it slams into me like a hurricane. Hurricane Clint. I can't stop the playback that goes over all the details of his life and death-they play like a movie on a continuous loop through my brain. I can see, feel, and smell the realness of it. Not to mention the what ifs that always follow.


But, I made it through, just like I do every year, and come out on the other side of it with a fresh perspective. I have no doubt that I am who I am because of his short life and the strength it took to watch and direct as his mother.


So, needless to say, I've been in a bit of a funk. But I'm MUCH better now.....


Then it got cold! REALLY cold. Like 2 degrees cold. Not so bad if you cozy up next to the fire with your cup of hot cocoa and your laptop. Well, since my laptop is all goofy and strung out on Coke Zero, I don't have that luxury. I can get online and browse around a little before it goes all wonky. Posting to my blog or even leaving comments on other blogs is out of the question. (SO sad....)


While there is the family desktop in working order, this computer is located in a partially finished room in our upstairs expandable space....with NO heat. If you put two and two together: 2 degree weather + no heat= no computer time for me! NOW you see where I'm coming from?!?!


I'm holding out hope for a new laptop or a repaired laptop when the income tax refund comes into play (soon, I hope!) so I can get back to writing (and playing!) in the blog world. I really miss it!!!


I've got several blogs lined up for the Daily Blog Review, I still have to post about my "year in review" and "decade in review", not to mention "my word of the year" and "my verse for the year"....God is really working on my self-worth....(that's a hint)


That's about all of the cold I can stand for right now. But, thankfully, it's going above freezing all this week. Can you say heat wave???


My hope is that my faithful followers will stick around. I can't wait to get caught up with everyone!


Until next time,


Arrivederci!