The last few weeks have been crazy busy–getting the kids ready to start school, an unexpected doctor visit to x-ray Cody’s hurt toe (luckily not broken), updating Morgan’s immunizations before school started, AND getting ready for the Farm Progress Show.

I’m having a great time here in Decatur–the people are sooo friendly! I’ve had a good time at the show, too, despite stifling heat! I’m doing a talk every day, titled, Hints for Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars. I’ve gotten some positive comments, and plan to post parts of it on my website or in the blog.

Tomorrow I head home . . . only I’m heading first for the Nebraska State Fair, where Cody and Morgan will show their sheep and cattle on Sunday. WHEW! I don’t know how I could fit more excitement into my life!

 I hope things are going well for all my readers, and look forward to hearing from you.  

Tim and Cody are at the Iowa State Fair for a few days this week. Morgan and I love Chinese food, so I planned to bring home take-out of our favorites (Beef Lo Mein, Beef with Broccoli, and Beef and Snow Peas) Tuesday after work. Then, after Morgan and I did chores, we would enjoy our food, probably while watching a cooking show. We hatched our plan on Sunday, and spent Monday and Tuesday anticipating the yummy food and our evening together.

On Tuesday afternoon, I tried to call the restaurant when I was almost done with my errands, so I could order and our food would be ready to pick up when I left town. There was no answer. I tried their other number. Still no answer.

I finally drove past the restaurant . . . and in the window was a sign that simply said, “CLOSED. THANKS!” What disappointment!!!

I called Morgan to see if pizza or something else would satisfy her craving, but both of us decided Chinese food was the only thing that would do it. I decided to try the other Chinese restaurant in town. I thought it was a good sign when they had the same dishes that I’d been planning to order, on their menu (granted, they’re pretty standard dishes!).

I thought it was an even better sign when the guy who took my order began flirting with me. He commented on the Strawberry Shortcake pattern of my nursing uniform top. Since he couldn’t remember when Strawberry Shortcake originally came out, I knew he was considerably younger than I was! (She was popular in the late 1970′s/early 1980′s, for those of you readers too young to remember!)

I headed home with our food, confident the night had been saved.

I was wrong.

It was the worst Chinese food we had ever tasted. The meat was rubbery and tasted sweet, the pea pods were absolute mush, the noodles were tasteless . . . the only thing that was tolerably good was the broccoli. At least we got our vegetables!

The evening was not a complete waste, however. Morgan and I hunted up supper among the leftovers, and enjoyed watching old episodes of Fashion Runway. But we are still very disappointed that Panda Gardens in closed, and there is no substitue nearby.

Now I just hope I do not read in the paper that Panda Garden closed because they were violating the health code in some disgusting way . . .

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Do you have trouble knowing what to say when a friend  is having trouble conceiving a baby? How do you announce your pregnancy to someone who is unable to have children? Should you invite someone who just had a miscarriage to a baby shower? Suggestions for handling these and many more situations can be found in, “What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations,” from Shelmar Publications. Go to http://www.shellyburke.net/ and order today!

During the last week in August, I will be travelling to Decatur, Illinois, to take part in the Farm Progress Show. I will have a booth with my books, and speak each day of the show. My talk will be on “Saving Money on Medical Care.” I’ll talk about the Top Ten Things You Can do to Avoid Your Doctor as well as how to develop a positive relationship with your doctor and save money on medications. If you have any suggestions on topics to include, or hints you’d like to share, please e-mail me with them!

I will also be speaking, on the same topic, at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, NE, during the second week of September. I’m looking forward to these events–it’s fun to meet new people and of course I like to talk.

One of my goals is to complete the goals workbook I’m working on, to offer at the events and on the website. The notebook will include reasons for setting goals,  barriers to reaching goals, common mistakes in setting goals, steps to setting good goals, and so on. My goal is to give you the tools to set goals that will allow you to accomplish what you want to, and to achieve your dreams!

Do you have a goal you’d like to reach? E-mail me with your goal and I will consider using it as an example in the book. I’m making goal worksheets that will help you write goals that you can achieve, and map out the steps to reaching those goals.

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You probably receive requests every single day from your spouse, kids, employees, employers, co-workers, friends, family . . . and on and on and on. If you say “YES” to all of these requests, you will not have the time or energy to do them adequately, or do the tasks YOU want to do.  In What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations, you’ll find suggestions for what to say when you’re asked to do something you don’t want to do. To read an excerpt, go to the website.

When a friend and I wrote the book How to Find Your Perfect Job in Nursing, we sent out over 100 questionnaires by regular mail. We called many more nurses (on our land lines, not our cell phones!). We waited weeks for the questionnaires to be returned, and days for calls that were sometimes never returned. Our main way to advertise was by mailing out brochures.

When I wrote Home is Where the Mom Is, I followed the same pattern when I did my research. By that time, though, I was plugged into the Internet, at least somewhat. I had a web page, and my book is on Amazon.com. I met people from all over the world, who wanted to order Home is Where the Mom Is. I sent books to Australia and the UAE, corresponding with the people who ordered from overseas.

When I was in the process of writing What Should I Say? I posted questions about situations on several forums, and in the Poynter’s Publishing (www.parapublishing.com – check it out if you’re thinking about writing and/or publishing a book)  newsletter. I received several replies. 

One generous mom, who started several online support groups after her daughter died by suicide, posted my questions on one of her forums and then forwarded the replies to me. I also received replies from a grandmother whose daughter had experienced a miscarriage, a mom whose son is disabled, and a man who had attempted to commit suicide.

From these replies I received valuable information for situations in which I had no experience, but needed to be covered in the book–first-hand information I would not have gotten were it not for the internet.

Today I received a call from a lady whose blog I’ve posted comments on. She cares for her father, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. She started a blog which looks at the humorous side of the disease. She has such a positive attitude, despite the changes in her life that come from caring for a parent with a serious disease. She’s thinking of publishing a book about her experiences, so we talked about self-publishing. Her website is www.KnowItAlz.com . Check it out, especially if you know someone who has Alzheimer’s Disease or are a caregiver of someone who is. WARNING: do not go to her blog if you do not have a sense of humor!

This afternoon I was “talking” with a friend via e-mail–a friend I met when chatting in a political forum. We’ve corresponded for several years, now, and although our lives are very different (she’s a ‘city’ gal while I love the country, for starters!)  and I’ve never met her in “real life” I feel like we would talk for hours if we did meet. She sent me a link to a live radio feed on which I can listen to one of my favorite talk-show hosts.

We often hear about how the internet is “bad”–kiddie porn and sites that give false information come to mind, as does the hours and hours it is easy to waste doing mindless surfing. Of course there are negative aspects to the web, but there are positive ones, also. It all depends on how you use it.

How have you used the internet to improve your life? Has it affected your life for better or for worse? What are your favorite websites? I will send a FREE “Home is Where the Mom Is” coffee mug to the first three people who e-mail me their answers–send your answers and your address (it will be kept private) to shelly@shellyburke.net . Your answers will be posted here, and in my newsletter (sign up on the main page of this website).

Now, I just wish I could figure out the Internet enough to post pictures on this blog!

Happy August! As you can see from the title of this post, I meant to write it yesterday .  .  .

Anyway, I think August is a great time to start thinking about Christmas, specifically making your gift list. I start by listing the people I intend to give a gift–kids, husband, parents, sisters, friends, etc. Then I write any ideas for gifts, by that person’s name. If he or she collects certain items, or has started a new hobby, I write that down. I also include sizes, favorite colors, etc. My list goes in my purse, when I can refer to it easily.

It seems that by making a list, I subconsciously think about gift-giving whenever I shop. I can get that perfect item when I see it, or when I come across a great sale on angel figurines, remember that my mom collects angels, and get one for her.

I’m planning to update the kids’ scrapbooks for Christmas, and by beginning to plan now, I can schedule afternoons on my calendar for scrapbooking–no more cropping pictures on Christmas Eve (yep, I’ve done it!).

There are lots of advantages to planning early–I do not like to shop in crowds, and buying throughout the fall pretty much prevents this. It also gives me time to find something really special, AND helps the budget crunch that often occurs around the holidays. It also prevents last-minute shopping for gifts we might forget until the last minute–teachers, the mailman, etc.

Of course we all know there’s more to Christmas than just gifts. Beginning to plan in August (or at least writing down what you want to plan!) gives you time to find all the recipes for a great Christmas dinner, or sew stockings, or volunteer at a shelter, plan a visit to a nursing home, or learn to play a new carol on the piano.

One more thing . . . thinking about the weather at Christmas gives me a nice break from the heat right now in Nebraska!

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Shelmar Publications has great gifts for almost anyone on your list!

Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home

• a new mom
• an experienced mom
• your day-care provider
• your child’s Sunday school or day school teacher
• as a donation to your church library or your local MOPS group

How to Find Your Perfect Job in Nursing

• a high-school student thinking about a career in a medical area
• a nursing student, graduate nurse, or experienced nurse who is not happy in her job or is looking for a change

Chaplain’s Corner

• someone interested in history
• any patriot
• a member, past or present, of the military

What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations

• someone who tells you he or she just does not know what to say in the midst of a sticky situation
• someone who tells you about people who have said the wrong thing in a difficult situation
• someone who always seems to say the wrong thing
• your church or local library