Tuesday 4~Off to Work We Go

 Off to Work We Go...

Welcome to Tuesday 4 started by Toni Taddeo and kept going in honor and memory of her.
This week we go back 5 years to ask again about work....

This week is about work.

1. Describe the best job you ever had why was it good? (if it was awful, tell us about that instead)

Of course, I am retired now, and I love it! I've worked many kinds of jobs in my lifetime, mostly in either schools or churches, doing everything from being a teacher's aide to being a school bookkeeper, a head of the housekeeping department at a beautiful resort in New Hampshire, a marketing and reservationist for a stables at a Bed and Breakfast in NH, a District Manager for Fuller Brush in Ohio, bookkeeper for a Christian camp, and my final job as a Church Administrator for a large church. Not to mention being a Pastor's wife for close to 30 years, while also sometimes working full time and raising 3 sons.  I also used to sell Stanley Home Products, Fuller Brush, and Watkins Products door to door. I even tried my hand at selling Encyclopedia Brittanica...but that's another story!

My favorite "job" was being a mommy and wife (now going on 56 years!)  My husband's work in the ministry meant that we moved quite often...but God always provided the right jobs for me as needed. I am thankful that when our babies were small and before they went to school I was able to be home with them most of the time, except for those little part time sales jobs where I was able to work around my hubby's schedule so we never had to put the kids in daycare. That was a huge blessing. We didn't have a lot materially, but we had what was most important to us...family time together. 

Now that I am retired I don't mind "work" that is taking care of my home and family...preparing meals, doing laundry, keeping the house reasonably cleaned...and I especially don't mind it if people come alongside and help out now and then.  I love our home and enjoy doing things to make our home more comfortable and welcoming...decorating for holidays...entertaining friends and family...even though as I get older my body wears out quicker, I still enjoy doing these things and wish we could do more of it.

2. How did you learn to do your job?

On the job training for all of them!  Although I did take some college courses, I did not complete a degree. Every job I had I just had to learn on the job as every place was a little bit different and had different methods and computer programs to learn. I am thankful that God quickened my mind and helped me learn what I needed to do. 

3. You are now in charge of your town's public relations committee.. Tell us why we need to move to your town.  Here's a link to our town website.

Oh my...well...if you love small town living in a semi-rural environment and yet close enough to a major University and hospitals to get excellent medical care...(University of Florida//UFHealth-Shands Hospital)

... if you want to escape the winters up north and live in a milder semi-tropical environment...close enough to either the Gulf of America coast or the Atlantic Ocean beaches to enjoy them, but far enough away to escape the worst of the hurricane weather

...a peaceful community away from the overly crowded central/south Florida tourist traffic and noise, but close enough if you really want to go there (why???), easy access to both Florida interstate highways (75 and 95) to go north or south without having to fight that kind of traffic daily and only when you really need to travel any distance

...if you don't mind a community that isn't gated or has bothersome and expensive HOA rules, but keeping in mind that the majority of homes in this community are either manufactured or old

...if you don't mind having to drive a few miles (around 15 miles) to do most of your shopping or going to restaurants...but you can get your coffee and donuts at Dunkin Donuts or Tacos at Taco Bell or hamburgers at McDonalds or eat at either of our two local family restaurants (Nanna's Country Cafe' or True Grits) right here within a 3 mile radius, and we do have a small town grocery store and several Dollar Generals to choose from

...if you like small town schools and churches (and we have practically every kind...Global Methodist, (this is the church we attend shown below:)

Southern Baptist, Assembly of God, Catholic, Episcopal, Non-Denominational, LDS (Mormon), Congregational. You name it, we've got it! 

Also, our little town "Interlachen", which means "between the lakes",  is surrounded by lakes and good fishing...and the St. John's River is not far if you want to head out to the ocean or just enjoy cruising down the river and doing lots of fishing or sight seeing.

As a matter of fact, hubby and I took a walk down by this little lake and park the other morning. This is right in the old historical section of Interlachen.  This is just one of the many lakes all around our town.

So if all of that sounds good to you, then come on down! But I recommend you come and check it out in person first...there's a lot of not so wonderful stuff here too, just like in every town. It just all depends on what you are looking for in a place to call home.  And if you hurry, you can participate in the annual 4th of July Parade and day of "fun, food & entertainment", with a great fireworks disply at 9:00 p.m....and hopefully the rainy weather that is on its way won't wash it out!!

4. It's lunch time! Build your perfect sandwich for us.. what's in it and on it and what's in our cups?

Oh my! I'm not a huge sandwich eater, but I do love a good BLT, or a hot ham and swiss with sauerkraut and mustard on pumpernickle bread, toasted in my little toaster oven.  And if you come here, your choice of beverages would be either Sweet Iced Tea, or Unsweet Iced tea, or a combo of unsweet tea and unsweet cranberry juice (my favorite), or water.  We don't keep sodas here unless we know company is coming, and we don't serve any alcoholic beverages here either. Oh, we do have coffee or hot tea available anytime.   

 However, I must say that I had a wonderful beverage last evening, thanks to our hostess Annie. Last week Annie posted HERE a recipe for an Ice Cream Soda.  I was so appreciative of that recipe as she had mentioned it previously and I had commented how much I missed having them. I remember getting them at the Woolworth's Soda Fountain many years ago when out shopping with my mother.  Well, I just so happened to have all the necessary ingredients, even Club Soda, because hubby had bought some for me thinking it would help my indigestion. I must say I liked it much better in a Chocolate Ice Cream Soda! LOL.   Thank you Annie!!

I Corinthians 10:31 

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Proverbs 16:3

"Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established."

Titus 2:7-8

7 "In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

Thanks for joining in!   

THIS link will tell about a special job I had for a "season" in life "Just Horsing Around"  Many of my "old" friends here in blogland may have already read this, but some of my newer friends have not, so you may find it interesting.

I am publishing this early because tomorrow morning we will be headed over to that wonderful university hospital/doctors offices for an important appointment for my hubby with a specialist. Your prayers are always appreciated.  Thank you!

Tuesday 4: "Let's Talk About Work!"

Tuesday 4

Just four questions weekly

Work!


Hello and welcome to Tuesday 4 where we honor the memory of our friend Toni Taddeo by continuing her 4 questions each week meme! It is wonderful that so many are joining in and I do hope more will come as well. Toni would love that.

(I'm glad that this is not really one of MY pictures...but it would be fun to be snowed in at a little cabin in the woods, as long as we have plenty of wood for the fire and tea for the teakettle and yummy things to eat!)


Let's talk about work!

1. What kind of work does not bother you at all?

 

Of course, I am retired now, and I love it! I've worked many kinds of jobs in my lifetime, mostly in either schools or churches, doing everything from being a teacher's aide to being a school bookkeeper, a head of the housekeeping department at a beautiful resort in New Hampshire, a marketing and reservationist for a stables at a Bed and Breakfast in NH, a District Manager for Fuller Brush in Ohio, bookkeeper for a Christian camp, and my final job as a Church Administrator for a large church. Not to mention being a Pastor's wife for close to 30 years, while also sometimes working full time and raising 3 sons.  I also used to sell Stanley Home Products, Fuller Brush, and Watkins Products door to door. I even tried my hand at selling Encyclopedia Brittanica...but that's another story!

My favorite "job" was being a mommy and wife (now going on 52 years!)  My husband's work in the ministry meant that we moved quite often...but God always provided the right jobs for me as needed. I am thankful that when our babies were small and before they went to school I was able to be home with them most of the time, except for those little part time sales jobs where I was able to work around my hubby's schedule so we never had to put the kids in daycare. That was a huge blessing. We didn't have a lot materially, but we had what was most important to us...family time together. 

Now that I am retired I don't mind "work" that is taking care of my home and family...preparing meals, doing laundry, keeping the house reasonably cleaned...and I especially don't mind it if people come alongside and help out now and then.  I enjoy it when my hubby helps with the laundry by folding clothes or shifting things from the washer to the dryer, etc., or vacuuming the house, or coming alongside me to help dry the dishes.  I also love it when our son (who lives with us) helps out with washing the supper dishes and taking out the garbage...or helps with the cooking when he is home in time to help...mashes the potatoes, cooks food on the grill...little things that mean a lot and help me not to feel overwhelmed. I love our home and enjoy doing things to make our home more comfortable and welcoming...decorating for holidays...entertaining friends and family...even though as I get older my body wears out quicker, I still enjoy doing these things and wish we could do more of it.

I think I am preparing breakfast here.  This is my typical "winter" inside look...

This picture was actually taken last February, before the "pandemic" hit and we couldn't do so much entertaining. These two gals (& their hubbies) came to help celebrate my hubby's birthday.  This is just a small example of the kind of "work" I enjoy doing...having friends over to celebrate special days...

2. What kinds of work do bother you and why? Anything stinky or extremely dirty/nasty.  I probably wouldn't do well slopping hogs or cleaning other people's houses.

3. Is there a job you've had you loathed or perhaps one you loved? Why was that?

 

I can't say that I ever "loathed" any job that I did. Some were very difficult and I often wondered why I was doing it, but I did the best I could and watched for something better to come along. There were a couple of times when things were so bad that I felt I needed to leave a job without a place to land...but God always provided exactly what I needed when I needed it...and sometimes that was just to stay home for a while and rest. 

HERE is a LINK to a post I wrote a few years ago about my most "interesting job".  There were some aspects to it that I didn't like much, but as you will see when you read the post it was a job that I truly enjoyed and was sad to leave. Here is a picture from that post to give you a clue:

4. Do you have a job or kind of work you wish you were doing? What would make it attractive to you?  

We talked about our Dreams last week, HERE  If we could afford to do so, I would still love to have our own little retreat center or guest house where people could come and stay a little while and just relax...kind of a B&B, but not really open to the general public...it would be privately run and "guests" would be selected on a "need" basis.  More like a "respite care" kind of place, for people who really "need to get away" for a little while. 

(Pinterest photo)

This is my work nowadays:

Here's a few of the many examples of what the Bible has to say about "work":

I Corinthians 10:31 

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Proverbs 16:3

"Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established."

Titus 2:7-8

7 "In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

Okay, now that our work is done, let's go over and see what others are writing about today:  http://tuesdaysplace.blogspot.com/2021/01/work.html   Thank you, Annie, for being our hostess once again!!