The Long Walk

For what seems like years now my children and I have walked down to the free pool at the park by our house. When the children were 4 and 6 we would call this the "LONG WALK TO THE POOL" , for their little legs I'm sure it was a long walk. One day we actually counted the steps and it's about 225 little children steps. Yesterday I commented that we were doing the long walk, and they said "Mom, this walk isn't long!" Shows you how much they have grown. We only have a few more years of this walk and then they will be too old. When they were little we would go down at 10:30 in the morning stay until lunch, and then we would go back at 1:30 do the craft and stay until about 3:30. We always came back very cold and refreshed. Way back when they were little I had a bag that I kept all their stuff in, now they carry their own towels. I used to watch their every move and now I sit and read, and just look up now and then to make sure they are not fighting with each other. I will miss our pool days when they come to an end.








Here they are walking back from the pool. I used to make them change, now we just walk back with our towels wrapped around us.

I always take a photo of them holding their towels in the wind too. I think it's cool to watch the towels fly out behind them. This year they fight over who gets the pretty blue towel. No one seems to want the purple and pink towel. I find it very annoying!

Here are some of the tomatoes that I picked from my plants. I had a really yummy tomato sandwich yesterday. At the 4-H fair they have a fruit and vegetable creation contest, where you make figures out of fruits and vegetables. I think it would be fun. My daughter though is not interested.

On the unemployment front: Yesterday I went on line to do my second unemployment benefits claim. Can I say "CONFUSING!!" I went in and re-applied for benefits instead of doing what I was supposed to do! UGH! Then I went in and did the correct thing, only to find they are still not going to pay me! UGH AGAIN! So I went down to the "One STOP Unemployment Center" I waited in line, not that long, and got to talk to some other unemployed people, some were filing for the extension, and then got to talk to a very nice unemployment agent. I have to say the person was very kind to me which was nice. When you are at the bottom so to speak and people are kind that is nice. My problem, the state has decided review and check each person who has worked for a school, to be sure that you do not have a contract for September. Because if you get a contract, then you are not supposed to collect unemployment. I hope this does not take them all summer to do. My worry there are a ton of unemployed school employees right now in our state.

Tip for anyone in New Jersey who has a local "One Stop unemployment center" near them and are doing the call ins for your benefits, it is quicker to go in and see the unemployment agent, than it is to do the call in on the telephone. Also if you go in you know that everything is done correctly, where they sometimes have issues with the phone lines and the Internet. I hope no one has to do this, but if you do and you are close to the center, go to the center. That is what everyone I spoke to yesterday said.

I hope next week to get in for reemployment services. I would really like help with my resume, and I would like to see if I could get some schooling too. I would like to get schooling in accounting, or book keeping.

I am finished with my last Vet assistant course. Just have to take the final. I really enjoyed learning and I know that being a receptionist at a vet clinic might be an option for me. I'm praying about it. I have a lot of praying to do. In fact my morning glory plant that has grown all the way up to the roof of our house reminds me of this daily. It needs to be watered three times a day, and each time I water it I'm reminded I need to pray at least three times a day. I know the answers will come.