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2022 Christmas/New Year’s Newsletter

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS 2022 AND ALL OF THE PEACE AND WISDOM POSSIBLE FOR 2023!!

VIDEO I put together to “Mary, Did You Know — 2007

https://youtu.be/g0aI8cwrW-U

Video from a local lightshow off of a local road that we will greatly miss!

Canon in D

CLICK ABOVE TO WATCH!

Ridgewater off Morley by the 84 & 90 intersection. I hope they’ll have it going a few more days if anyone can go see it!!

Another Post-Pandemic year to contemplate, the Lord has brought us all here through again!  Prayers to those of you ill, suffering, or just tired of dealing with all the insanity, and praying for a blessing to touch you now and in the new year.

Isaiah 43:18–19

18 “Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  
No matter how it seems, we have to trust God is doing a new thing!!!
1990 Song by DC Talk, Nu Thing, about our Great God!
The former members of DC Talk are now Toby Mac and also Michael Tait of the Newsboys…

2022 Picture page!

To minimize load time I put all the pictures on a separate page.  Please take a look, I wanted to make a snapshot of our whole year!  I will put just a few here — then click the “Read More” if it shows up. Blessings!!

Continue reading “2022 Christmas/New Year’s Newsletter”

birthdays, chris, Christmas, colleen, college, dogs and cats, fish, God, health, holidays, house repairs, life, Pans/Pandas, photos, Ryan, sleep, transcription, TV, work, work at home

2021 Christmas newsletter

A copy from my 07 newsletter…. still very true!

Mary’s Song

Luke 1:46-55

And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.” (KJV)

VIDEO I put together to “Mary, Did You Know —

https://youtu.be/g0aI8cwrW-U

 

 

 

 

Last year’s picture blog — https://www.criscollrj.com/2020-monthly-picture-blog/   2020 picture blog!  (2021 note, I may do this at some point for 21 and more likely for 22.  I am vaguely disappointed in ways with both that method and this one used here in 21…. would like to find the PERFECT picture display method…. ha ha.)

 

 

 

A text only version of this newsletter — this one is picture heavy.  (WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IF NEEDED–let me know)

 

PRAYERS TO ALL this second very strange year!  After God brought us through COVID last December, we are thankful for no lasting problems except some extra fatigue for about 6+ weeks.

So grateful also for our sons’ recovery and my mother’s.  Strangely no one else in our families got it!  We had two humongous snowstorms in December of 2020 that made life interesting trying to get out of the house for COVID tests and needed grocery pickups. Broke limbs on several of our trees!  The snow stayed around until at least February, and as we gained strength we started walking at the parks and seeing the frozen lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINTER 2021,

JANUARY started off the year baking cookies that we gave to family and friends!1-4-21 Roger went back to college, and has several classes finished now towards his Psychology/Human Services Degree from Southern New Hampshire University! Later in January I began substitute teaching again.  I also FINALLY got back to some transcription for Free State, and did until April when I once again needed a break due to overscheduling!  Looking forward to doing some more this winter to “keep my fingers in the pot.”  I also often do some data entry at home, both for courthouses and for a friend’s printing company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continue reading “2021 Christmas newsletter”

autism, autism Ryan, children, chris, Christmas, colleen, deafness, dogs and cats, God, health, holidays, life, medications, Pans/Pandas, photos, Ryan, sleep, work, work at home, writing

2020 Christmas newsletter

Christmas newsletter

Just one of the 2020 pictures.  https://www.criscollrj.com/2020-monthly-picture-blog/   Click for our 2020 picture blog!!!

Verse I choose for Christmas cards


I wrote the following and printed as my first printed newsletter in 6 years! So much information, yet so much unsaid. I feel like the biggest lesson in this past year is to just grasp each moment and try and live to the fullest, and express gratitude for any good thing that happens. There is so much negativity right now, it is good to be positive as much as possible. And pray for your loved ones, and talk to them as much as you can even if you can’t see them.

Prayers to you all at the closure of this crazy strange year!  Do not believe I’ve sent paper Christmas newsletter since 2014.  I did do electronic newsletter in 2019 (published 12-31), and RIGHT after that my criscollrj.com site failed.  So whether many of you had an opportunity to read it I’m not sure!  I mentioned some dark scary times.  Faith in God is so important, and prayer of family and friends is paramount.  This post says a lot.  Please read if you can.  https://www.criscollrj.com/2011/04/11/the-powers-and-exponents-of-faith/, emphasizing Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” I read through entire blog this year and reviewed it and edited it in preparation of moving back into my soon to be revamped original blog site.  I’m glad I wrote so many of these entries years ago – I’d forgotten many of them.

Continue reading “2020 Christmas newsletter”

children, life, organizing, work, work at home, writing

Trivial and important often reside together

As a person who has always been not so good at multi-tasking, I have had to learn to become quite good at it!

The important things in my mind always are:

  • Taking care of our children and the family’s basic needs.
  • Roger and I getting our work done.
  • Us getting our schoolwork done when we’re in school (Rog from ‘99 to ‘01 and possibly going back next year, me since January of 10).
  • Colleen getting her homework done, trying to get some entertainment/learning activities for Chris, and supervising Ryan in his education pursuits (He’s rather like me where he’s obsessed with school items and loves his alphabet and learning to spell, so that helps – he creates his own educational hobbies!)
  • And just keeping enough clothes to wear to be clean and dishes washed to be sanitary!

So I would always try and do these things first – still am!

But it’s amazing how many other things pile up when you do this.  Things you feel you never have time for.  More dishes that you just can’t get to.  Filing (started that last week as far as cleaning out the file cabinet!).  Grass that needed cut that Rog had been too ill to do (he’s outside now finishing it, and our friends helped us with it last week (pictures coming). 

Then things arise like 500pp of printing needed printed out for various agencies.  Like in one week (happened to me in April).  That means you run out of ink, and have to buy it.  Then you have massive phone calls on this, that and the other.  Every day is full of interruptions.  Necessary interruptions, unnecessary ones, and sometimes annoying ones!  Sometimes pleasant ones!  Sometimes a spontaneous trip to the park is a tremendous treat (hopefully soon!)!

All in all, I’m trying to learn, that it’s not always the important all the time.  Sure, I’m working on getting out my deadlines of the week for work, and do my homework, and cook dinner.  But I don’t want to be a once a year or once every six month blogger any more.  And I want to be spontaneous.  Enjoy Chris today who’s at the house as he didn’t get to go back to school yet after his hospital stay.  Enjoy the trivial.

 

Blessings!

 

children, God, sleep, work at home

All things are possible

Things have been rough in a lot of ways lately – Chris has been staying up all night just about every 2-3 days lately, and there’s been continuous illness it seems with the kids.

But we have a new situation coming up where we will have 40 hours a week of help for the kids. A new aide already started last weekend for Ryan – Her name is Debbie, and her and our other aide Doreen made a good team with us to care for the boys and get a lot of cleaning done!! They will be here 7 days a week 40 hours a week (roughly) each starting next Monday (just 5 more days!). I feel things will greatly improve then – even though we may still be exhausted and sleep deprived.

Work is going fairly well though lately I hadn’t had time to do enough of it!! I have had about 15 hours of audio since early March that I’ve been working on for local clients. Rog is still doing court research and also helping me with transcription and doing some for Rapid Text as well.

We have a lot of plans for more house repairs with problems we’re having with the sewer system in the basement. It’s 95% better than it was three weeks ago though, but need more work.

I’m tired…

I am really hoping NOW we can get back to church – our helpers are coming Sunday mornings now so I can’t see why we can’t…

Now what is amazing that this song came into my head, and I instantly found after that in the list. God is that way for me – songs are my inspiration. Thank you Lord!

 

children, health, sleep, work at home

Spring and smoke are in the air!


0406200804360

Originally uploaded by

criscollrj

.

Our first bonfire of ’08. We and the boys enjoyed the some hot dogs and a beautiful 60 degree day – Colleen and her friend came over later and had fun by the fire. Damp though – we didn’t keep the fire going as long as we will later in the summer, but got some papers burned and just did something different than run errands or sit inside the house.

Work is going slow – not because I don’t have it — I have A LOT — but kids have been sick and life is just so crazy. Probably by the time school’s out they’ll all be healthy and ready to all attend school – heh.

 

children, health, life, transcription, work at home

My latest —

 

Okay, time to do a real goal sheet. Today was my day for planning and uploading audio. I am excited about this work list – it’s probably the most I’ve ever had at once!! May I manage it well —

AUDIO DUE

Hopefully by tomorrow:
36.24

(shouldn’t be a problem if I quit doing admin stuff and get my fingers going…

by Monday:
3.25
14.56
11.05
14.52
23.15
14:28

And these are two a week until they’re done — so —
63
56.27
54.38
57.20
62.10
68.33
56.44
61.07
58.16
56.26
4 1/2 weeks – March 25 or so.

And these are by March 4:
3 hours 43 minutes hearing 😉

And here’s my appts!

* Tomorrow, my boobie ultrasound
* Ryan’s birthday
* Turn in Colleen’s school schedule
* Monday – NO school for Colleen or Ryan
* Their physicals at 8:40 a.m.
* Wed. – vocation program viewing for Chris – I think
* March 7 – audiology appt for Chris at 9
* March 10 – Chris’ physical
* March 12 – Colleen’s dentist
* March 14th – Chris’s psychiatry appt.
* March 17th – Chris’s IEP
* March 18th – Ryan’s sedated ABR, blood tests, dental cleaning
* April 1st – Chris’s sedated ABR, blood tests, dental cleaning, vision screening
* April 2nd – Chris & Ryan’s follow up audiology appt.

And I know Ryan’s IEP will be coming up. We are also meeting soon with MRDD for Ryan to get him on waivers, etc., as an elementary school student. We’re also going to be meeting with more people on other waivers for both boys, as well as new nursing/aides coming in for the boys (yes, most likely both boys, yay!).

I have a lot of calls to make but I think right now I need to just start typing for a few hours – and —

DO MY STINKIN’ DISHES AND LAUNDRY! (literally)

Put on some chicken to stew for dinner.


dori

Christmas, health, NaBloPoMo, transcription, work at home

Decorating almost done – and apparently sickies coming back

I’ll have to post a pic of our tree decs tomorrow (2 strands of lights still not working – I haven’t had time to pursue it really). 

But got breakable ornaments up out of Harm’s (Ryan’s) way today and Rog bought a new star for the top of the tree that I’ll put on tomorrow.

Chris got sent home from school yesterday and Colleen the day before. I took them both to the dr. yesterday – believed to be viruses. They finished their meds for sinus infections last week.

Now Ryan was coughing most of the evening and I’m wondering if he’ll make it to school tomorrow.

So far I’m healthy (knock on wood) but feel very very tired tonight. I did nap for a while. I am going to just go to bed, and hope that Chris goes to sleep (he’s pacing). At least he’s not taking 89 baths like he did Tuesday night!

I am getting a lot of nice legal cases to type – finished one and proofing it now and have another for tomorrow and early next week. Then I received a long speech transcription project for late next week and week after (hopefully they’ll accept it then as that’s when I can do it!!!) that is a referral from a local company I used to work for!! Word of mouth recommendation is nice!

Yawning and my eyes are watering so shall try and sleep and hope Chris doesn’t drag me up over and over again…

NaBloPoMo, work at home

And what does she do for a living?

http://nablopomo.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=997435%3ABlogPost%3A98016

2020 – this is a confusing post — will have to see if these are excerpts from my old transcription site?  Note to self to check this out. 

 

I have been a transcriptionist on and off since 1999 (and actually also transcribed at work from 1988 until 2003 also as a legal secretary). I love it. I have always typed, since I was 11, and taught myself of an old blue manual typewriter. I type about 110 words per minute, and make a LOT of mistakes. But the trusty spell check and good proofreading skills help me out —

From my blog that is barely begun at www.line-bright.com —

How I got into transcription — written in 2001

I thought an intro of how the typing business really took off might be fitting here… From my old web site—

Stay tuned for the REST of the story – how my typing business idea took shape as long ago as 1993, and how things have panned out since 2001….

My intro and how I got started in all this!! It took 7 years, and if I would have all these tips at my fingertips it may not have taken me that long! Now, I’m in legal and corporate transcription, so that’s what I’m familiar with, so these specific sites may help a transcriptionist more than another kind of at-home worker. However, the workaholics4hire.com and the money-making mommies site both list other kinds of jobs. I, however, have no experience in those other jobs or how many might be listed or their legitimacy.

I would very much appreciate any more sites any others may have on other kinds of legitimate work-at-home jobs in order to make this site as helpful as possible!

* workaholics4hire.com/ Telecommuting Jobs Database Listings for telecommuters/workers at home, including a free job search page and newsletter. I obtained two of my at-home employers at this site.
* MTDAILY.COM Site for transcriptionists, including medical, legal, and general transcriptionists sharing boards and job search boards, among other helpful links. You can specifically look here for companies that actively hire legal transcriptionists and sometimes also general transcriptionists:
current note: This is now a paid site, but there are still a lot of good areas on there, some that are free.
* A little collection of mom’s comments that work at home doing MT (medical transcription): http://www.mtdaily.com/mt1/children.html
* http://www.mtdaily.com/faq.html All about Medical Transcription, if you are interested in getting into that field!  I personally would like to learn a whole lot more about it once Ryan is in school and I can return to school myself, to broaden my area of business a little.
current note: I probably won’t be doing this now, but it’s amazing how many areas of transcription there are!
* http://www.moneymakingmommy.com/ MONEY-MAKING MOMMY job site, including transcriptionist jobs.
* http://www.emediamillworks.com FDCH, nka EMEDIAMILLWORKS, a company for which I have type conference transcription. This consists of typing, over the internet, with a Start-Stop pedal, conference calls of various businesses that they do quarterly. They have very busy
periods quarterly in the year during which you can do a lot of work.
* http://www.aaert.org/docs.htm An example of the type of legal transcription I do, although I am not a court reporter, so this site consists of some court reporting information that I’m not real
familiar with! But those type of typing samples is what I do in my legal transcription job:
* http://www.aaert.org/docs2.htm#feds
*
Recent Entries
o How I got into transcription — written in 2001
o Simple web page making
o Goal for this site –

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NaBloPoMo, work, work at home

Funny things said at work

This was in response to a “what was the funniest thing you typed” post at the transcription board —

“These are all so funny! I keep trying to think of one I’ve done and I’m sure in almost 20 years of typing professionally I’ve done many! But I can’t think of anything.

I can sure think of funny things though said at work – I remember once at the law firm I worked at which happened to have the name McNamara in it, my friend and coworker said Macaroni instead of McNamara along with the rest of the firm’s title while answering the phone, and we all just busted up and couldn’t stop laughing.

There was another time I was collecting PI information from hospitals and doctors in order to assemble it to print out final settlement checks. I was printing out checks while I was on hold on the phone. I actually went to SLEEP (Chris didn’t sleep then either – he was 4) and was startled awake by the party coming on the line to see what I needed – luckily I had it written down in front of me!

Another time I fell asleep typing a tech document in the metallurgy department of a local metals engineering firm I worked at in the 80’s. I literally shifted sideways and almost fell off my chair.

As far as funny/humorous things I typed, I still can’t remember anything. But one interesting one is when I very first started typing care and protection hearings for Mass. in 2000, I typed Wooster for the city there pronounced that way. As several of you may know Ohio has a town called Wooster so I simply spelled it same way!!!

Little did I know it was spelled Worcester! I think my boss laughed about that for a while…”