My TBI

I’ve mentioned that I have a TBI (traumatic brain injury) & I planned to share some of what I enjoy about vegetable gardening and my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior here along with some strategies I use in daily life with my TBI.  I sustained it in a car accident shortly after my junior year of high school when I was 17.  With the support of my family, I was able to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

One factor about my TBI that I think about on a regular basis is my finances.  I have my family to help me if I need it; but I’ve taken some steps to secure my financial future that I would like to share.  First, I really do like Dave Ramsey & his financial planning.  It is very practical.  Working to save a lot & spend less is helpful.  It’s easiest using an envelope system like he suggests; because it really is harder to spend physical cash than run a credit/debit card.  You can see it & there is a limit – you can’t spend more dollar bills than you have with you.

Writing out a budget (whether you use his plan or alter it according to your situation); it’s a plan.  Having a plan of some kind does help.  I’ve been able to pay for a couple surprise medical bills without help because of saving avidly.  This does help.

 

Finishing 2nd Chronicles…

OK, I finished 2nd Chronicles this morning.  This chapter describes four evil kings who were descended from Josiah (they kind of undid the progress Josiah had made in returning to proper worship of the Lord).  This was until Cyrus (the king of Persia) did build a temple for the Lord as Jeremiah had prophesied.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles+36&version=NIV

I’m also rereading a classic finance book – Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey.  It was on the NYT Bestseller list & is a very informative read.  It’s useful for me as I organize my finances while I’m seeking to transition to a new position.

I also have several flower sprouts.  As soon as they are a bit bigger, I will transplant them to the plot in the community garden.

Garden Progress…

This morning I continued reading in 2 Chronicles; this chapter summarizes the rest of Josiah’s life – the restoration of the celebration of Passover concluding in his death in a battle against Egypt.

I will check my garden tonight to see how the vegetables are growing.  I suspect I may have some zucchini & yellow squash to harvest.  I need to bring the cover for my plants soon also.  When the melons start developing, I need to cover those to protect them from bugs.  I may need to water as well…

“The Millionaire Next Door”…

This morning I read in 2nd Chronicles about Josiah, who was a righteous king that began his reign at the age of 8.  It’s an inspiring story & example of the Lord’s redemption.

I finished a book about millionaires titled, The Millionaire Next Door.  It was a good read, but I did like the sequel, The Millionaire Mind better.  It was about the wealthy with a net worth of more than $5 million, but felt it was more informative.  They discount shop & I felt it was something I could better relate to.  It’s not that I didn’t like the first book, I just felt the second one was more relevant & more interesting.

My garden now has several green tomatoes that will be ready to harvest in the future…  I’e also got broccoli & plenty of salad greens.

Fall Update

I just finished sewing my second dress…  I used a very light sweater fabric; which in retrospect was probably a bad decision because it was difficult to sew.  I also made the mistake of using a needle meant for sewing heavy fabric for much of the project; which likely accounted for much of that difficulty.  However, being only my second dress; it does have some of the typical flaws of an outfit made by a beginner…

I’m moving on to my third mermaid tail now; which should turn out much better.  As far as sewing goes, my next project will either be a skirt or a set of placemats.

I’m seeking a new job, which takes up my time during the day & in the evening crafts, gardening, reading & sometimes riding are nice ways to spend my time.  I’m working on a book about troops on elephants during WWII right now.  I stop by my garden frequently because the zucchini are producing well this year & I should also have plenty of tomatoes when the time comes.  My broccoli may also die at some point & I can spread the remains as “mulch” near the tomatoes & squash.  I need to start my fall crops – more broccoli & I’ll plant peas in the garden when the time comes along with another round of flowers perhaps.

I will write more later about my Bible reading.  I’m finishing 2 Chronicles now.