Why am I blogging?

Posted on April 20, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

One guess.

I should be grading.

Bleah

Also, I was going to CVS and Tarjay but then I got a call that our neighbor is gonna come up with his Mennonite friends to see about putting up a railing on the porch somehow. The step into the house is high and has a lip – I know that’s not the correct term – and it’s difficult these days for Bear to get his foot up and over it because he has nothing to hold onto except the door – which moves. Also, the prodigal was coming up to mow for us. So here I am, with no excuse to not grade.

So I found one. 🙂

I was planning to sew but the flapper thing that holds the quilting bar in place has gotten loose and I can’t figure out how to fix it. But my straight lines are totally not, so that’s on hold till I can get that part fixed. (The sewing machine store is open tomorrow)

What I really want to do is take a walk in the woods. There is a deep sense of peace in our woods, a closeness to Heaven and a place where I can talk to God without interruption. So I believe I’ll finish these grades and then go have a moment.

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More student drama and I hate grading

Posted on April 18, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

I teach accounting. If you don’t know that, you must be new here. I assign a comprehensive problem to my second level class. It requires them to do journal entries, t-accounts, trial balances and financial statements. Is it a lot of work? Yes, it is. Is this college? Why, yes, yes it is. Because I’m not a total slave driver – am I allowed to say that, slave driver? Is that now politicallly incorrect, banned, problematic? I digress. I created a template for them to use to do this homework. There are blank journal pages, t-accounts, etc. For some months, I even filled in the beginning balances in the t-accounts so they wouldn’t have to do all that.

The other day a student asked to speak to me after class. Fine, what now? She was off by $5000 in her trial balance. As the conversation went on, it became apparent that she knew where the mistake was. I realized that I had actually made the mistake when I filled in the balances for the students. I said, oh, oops, sorry.

Her reaction? “OH MY GOOOODDDDDDD!” Ummm, what? I said, “it’s okay, just take out the wrong number and it will be fine. Her response? “OH MY GOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!” This was her response 4 times. Yes, I said FOUR times.

I finally said, and I’ll probably get in trouble, “OH MY GODDD, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?” She looked astonished. Again, I said, “WELL?” She said, “well, nothing, I guess, I’ll just change the beginning balance.”

I’m still shaking my head. Like, what in the actual fuck was that?

In other news, the baking of the mayonaise cake is being postponed because we have a plethora of cookies and one whoopie pie. However, there will be lasagna for dinner. The sauce will be started at 4, and the cheese cutting will be started at about 6. Dinner will be served at approximately 8:30. Yes, we eat late. If you eat early and would like second dinner, come on over.

Meanwhile, I’m supposed to be grading midterms and homework. I would rather be sewing. Can I have an adult beverage please? Because …………..OH MY GOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDD, these kids are ……………not catching a clue

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Students, seriously?

Posted on April 14, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

I teach accounting. My college decided a few years ago to split a 14 week course into two, 7 week courses. I do not approve. I do not get to choose. So. We now have 4 separate courses, where we used to have two.

In the first part of the current semester, there was a strike, and snow, and various and sundry acts of God that made everyone’s head fall off. Consequently the due dates for the two exams, midterm and final, were changed, and I allowed a do over for the midterm because it was seriously a cluster fucking shit show.

Fast forward to the current course. Several students take the first course, and then follow it the seconde 7 weeks with the second course. These are stand alone courses, although the first is prerequisite for the second.

A student in my first course decided to email me her midterm 30 minutes late for the current course. I was in a mood and shot back, “explain to me why I should accept this late?” It clearly states in the syllabus that no late submissions will be accepted. She sent back a long email laying out all the other things she had to do for the 9 days the midterm was open. Obviously, they were all more important than completing this exam on time. I said, nope, not accepting it. She stayed after class and tried to convince me that I should accept it. Again, I said no.

Can we assume that no one has ever told this girl no before?

The next day, I get an email stating that she’s initiating a formal appeal. She’s basing this on what happened in the previous course. Umm, no. I refrained from responding, instead I sent all of it to the Dean. Today, the Assistant Dean got back to me. He said, nope, don’t respond yet, and furthermore, she’s pretty much full of shit. Okay, he didn’t say that, but it’s what he meant.

Meanwhile, this is something I really don’t want to deal with. Geesh!

In other news, Bear got his treatment on Monday, He will be tired for a day or so and then hopefully feeling better by Thursday. I think I’ll make a chocolate cake on Friday.

*Update

I met with the student. She’s determined to take this to the next level since I refuse to “come to a compromise.” I reiterated my position and again pointed out the part of the syllabus that backs me up. She again stated her reasons for being late. I told her that none of that was a valid excuse, that she had failed to plan her time well and that frankly, it was not my problem. She doesn’t see why she can’t get partial credit. I said, no one else has received an exception and actually no one else has asked for partial credit. It was like talking to a wall. I’d bet she’s gotten a trophy for showing up all her life and she just doesn’t know how to process being told no. I’m pretty confident that it won’t go anywhere, the syllabus clearly states that there are no makeups or extensions without extenuating circumstances, which must be communicated to me. Failure to plan is not an extenuating circumstance. I pretty much said it was a waste of time, but if she wanted to do it, go for it. Hopefully she’ll learn something.

The Bear had a day yesterday, this stuff is exhausting. He slept very late today but is feeling pretty darned good today! He’s greatly looking forward to the cake, which will probably be pushed to Saturday since one of my friends is making him whoopie pies for tomorrow. I’ll share the recipe should it be a good one!

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And now we fight

Posted on April 12, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

It’s been a roller coaster, my life has, since last September.

FIrst, my adult nephew ran away from home because his soon to be ex wife is, and I mean this with all my heart, bat shit crazy. We’re talking cameras in the home so she could track his every move when she wasn’t there, a tracking app on his phone, and that’s just the beginning. She is beyond batshit crazy. If you want to see Momma Bear (and trust me, you don’t) come out, fuck with one of my kids. (No, I didn’t give birth to any of them but I am fierce when it comes to my nieces and nephews) (Half of them don’t talk to me and I’d still go to the wall for them) So thus began a battle, he was not going back and she was determined he was. Umm, no, Bitch, you will go through me – and a whole big family who circled the wagons because even when we don’t like each other, no one else gets to fuck with any of us (There is a great deal more to this story, and at some point, I’ll tell it, but not yet)

(Ask me sometime about my niece who married a guy that not one person in the family can tolerate, other than her, and not even her on some days. Just say his name and you get “No one likes him.” Every. Single. Time. Even the great nieces and nephews, most of whom have never met him, don’t like him. But I digress)

Then the Bear started feeling tired, a lot. We thought it was boredom, he really doesn’t have a lot to do these days. There’s a reason we call our home The Do-Nothing Ranch. He went to the doctor for some tests, because he has a leaky heart valve and it was meant to be replaced. We assumed this valve was one of the causes of his tiredness.

It was, but only partly. While checking the scans, the doctors discovered some “suspicious masses.” And so, the diagnosis no one wants. The Bear has cancer.

The Bear also has a wife who believes not only in the doctors and modern medicine, but in the amazing power of prayer and in miracles and in a God who heals. While he is undergoing treatment, my circle of prayer warriors is also hard at work.

With each passing day, we find more and more blessings. I didn’t realize how many people hold us in their hearts, who love us so much that they’re calling and texting and asking what they can do, and praying, every minute they’re praying.

Is it bad? Well, no one wants this! So yeah, it’s bad. But there have been so many good things, so much love, so many blessings and God winks and messages, my head is spinning. Driving home from the store, I randomly clicked on a radio station and heard this song I’d never heard – Jon Reddick singing “No Fear.” I had to pull over, I couldn’t see for the tears. And it’s become my theme, no fear – Faith over Fear, every single day.

And so we fight, because we don’t give up. Not for Bitchcakes (my name for the batshit bitch) and not for cancer. We have God on our side and one determined woman who is not ready for this love story to be done.

So if you happen to have a spare minute, send up a prayer for the Bear and me. And know that he will be healed, and we will tell the story of his recovery one day soon.

Meanwhile, the nephew chose to go back to his home, after promising me that he would stay with us and help until Bear gets back on his feet. To say that I feel used and betrayed is to put it mildly. I am struggling to accept this decision and to not lash out. He is totally oblivious to the damage he’s done to our relationship. In many ways, it’s a blessing to have him gone. I need to focus on the Bear and not on the difficulties of a teenager with a crush – when the teenager is a grown ass adult.

So I’m struggling a bit, with many emotions. But the most overriding emotion of all is love, love for the Bear and love for the One who will get us through this. And love for the nephew who has hurt my heart so very badly – in spite of it all, I still love him.

Sympathy turns me into a blubbering ball of snot, so snarky comments (yes, I’m looking at a certain follower of mine) which will make me laugh will be appreciated. I started this entry a month ago, we’re fighting and paying and counting baby steps as victories. We will get through this, together, as we have gotten through so many things in our years as a couple. (But y’all can pray like crazy anyway.) 🙂


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I’m a Boomer

Posted on April 4, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

I should be grading but I’m really good at procrasting that particular task. I’ve been reading Threads and X and “news” articles and seeing a lot of stuff about GenX and how feral they were and how they grew up and how terrible Boomers are.

Dear GenX,Y, Z, Millenial, whatever. I’m sick of your bullshit. Here’s a news flash. You might have been the last to do some things, but you weren’t the first.

Also, we invented the internet and all this electronic shit that you assume we can’t manage to figure out. We can, we just enjoy watchig you act all superior while you tell us how to do it. Kinda like when your kid explains something that you’ve known for a long time, but they just discovered.

Nope, not gonna sell my house because you think I don’t need all this space. Bear and I have worked hard for this place, go pee up a rope if you think we owe it to you. Inheritance? Don’t count on it.

Oh and we had it so much easier? We lived through the assassination of a president, his brother, and a leader of the black community. (John and Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, in case you have no grasp of history at all) I was in 6th grade when John Kennedy was killed. My memories of Lyndon Johnson smiling on that plane and of little JohnJohn saluting the casket of his dad will never fade.

We lived through Viet Nam. How many of you have had to pray your number didn’t come in the draft lottery, that you wouldn’t be sent to a country you’d never heard of before to fight a war that made no sense? We protested, and yes, we burned shit down. But we called it what it was, none of this “mostly peaceful” shit. And when we hated the President, we voted – at the polls, none of this mail in shite – and got somebody elected. We didn’t wear pussy hats and dye our hair blue. And that reminds me, abortion was never meant to be birth control and if you give it up to a guy for nothing, that’s how he’s gonna think of you -as nothing.

We fought our asses off to keep people from being labeled. We wanted to be equal, as in “everyone gets the same opportunity to fuck up,” not, “you get a greater opportunity to fuck up because you’re ……………… pick a label.”

We were held accountable for bad behavior, “anxiety” as the cause of something would have gotten you a smack upside the head and a “now you have a reason to worry.” Act out in public? You’ll get your ass hauled out of public and dealt with in private – if you’re lucky.

Did we fuck up? Sure, just like every generation before and after. News flash, the year you’re born doesn’t make you special. (Unless you’re Jesus) (And also news flash, you’re not)

The cause of my annoyance this morning was reading someone’s post bemoaning that her dad was in the ER getting stitches for a cut he’d somehow managed to get and no one told her. Why, why, why are Boomers like that? she bemoaned. Well, maybe because we were brought up by parents like my mom, who said, and I quote “Do you want sympathy? Look it up in the dictionary, it’s between shit and syphillis” I had no idea what syphillis was but I knew it was after sympathy in the dictionary, and also, that I wasn’t gonna get a whole lot of “poor babies” when I had a minor injury. (Or a major one, I lasted three days with abdominal pain before suggesting we go to the doctor, who recommended the ER, where the next day I was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix) (Momma didn’t raise weak women)

Also, about the third time we tell you that we’re having any kind of health issues, you start looking at assisted living because you don’t want to have to deal with us, and you’re eyeballing that big house you think you deserve to inherit. News flash 3, that big house will have to be sold for us to afford any decent assisted living and you can’t afford it, and newsflash 4, you aren’t going to inherit it no matter what. We also just plain don’t want you all up in our business.

And also? Get off my lawn.

and use the damned template I created for you to do your homework instead of some raggedy ass thing that makes no sense to anyone but you and your anxieties.

*damn I’m cranky today!

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Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Posted on March 18, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

On Monday we had all four seasons in one day. It was pretty nuts, actually. We had rain, sunshine, a temperature of 65 degrees that then went to 31, and to top it off, we had snow. (Not much, just a coating, but seriously?)

It’s still nuts here. My nephew has been staying with us because his wife (hopefully soon to be ex) is seriously batshit crazy. I love a good soap opera. I do not, however, wish to star in one. I’m about to Reva Shayne myself right off the bridge, as my niece said. (We’re going together, she doesn’t want to be in the soap opera anymore either.) I can’t say more about this because it’s still ongoing, but trust me, it’s absurd and juicy. (Soon, Grasshoppers!)

Also, the Bear is still dealing with health issues. More on that later as well. I don’t feel comfortable discussing details yet, but prayers are appreciated. And the amazing thing is this – prayers are being answered on a daily basis here. Seriously, it’s like we ask, and two days later, our prayers are answered. And not just for us, but for friends who are undergoing some things as well.

I was given a bunch of fabric printed with all the Marvel cartoon characters. By a bunch, I mean like 10 one yard pieces. What to do, what to do? Welp, my bonus grandson is a huge Spiderman fan, and knows all the other characters, so – a quilt top has been sewn for him. This did not use all the fabric so, a great great nephew, who happens to be the same age as the bonus grandson, and also loves the Marvel characters, is going to be the recipient of a quilt as well. (My mother would slap me, these are not hand quilted and according to her, they are merely blankets. I tend to agree, but I no longer have the desire to do much hand quilting, I’d rather something be done so I can move on to the next project.)

Not much else is going on here. (Thank goodness!) I’m currently watching Season 4 of The Lincoln Lawyer, I love that series. (Netflix) Currently reading The Secret Scripture, which is a beautifully written and incredibly slow novel and I hate to admit that I’m skimming the last 75 pages because i’m just done with it. Next up will be something either really deep or really mindless. I’m never sure which road I’ll take when choosing my next book. 🙂 It will either be Huck Finn, since I’ve been wanting to reread that since I read James, or Witness by Whittaker Chambers. We shall see.

Also reading Numbers mixed with a bit of Proverbs. My niece talked me into a Filament Bible (it didn’t take much convincing) and I’m enjoying the extras that come with the app. Check it out, pretty cool.

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The stomach rebels

Posted on March 15, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

Having slept for 2 hours one night, the body decided to make up for it the next day. The stomach has decided that food is not a necessary part of life. Coffee, however, is. This may be my shortest post ever, but I felt that all should share in my misery.

And with that said, I shall munch on my dry toast and then go back to bed. Yet again.

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I’m not even gonna try

Posted on March 7, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

To catch up

It’s been a roller coaster of crazy since September, most of the drama I can’t yet share, but when I can, trust me, it’s juicy.

I’m praying daily for boredom. About 2 weeks of absolutely no drama would be wonderful

On a lighter note – I have been invited to join a Bible study group. I am a touch nervous, I hope there isn’t a test before they let me in. What, you say? Yes, this crazy lady reads the Bible every day, including Leviticus and Numbers, which totally blew my BFF away because according to her, no one reads Leviticus. Ahem. At any rate, one can have certain God given abilities and still be Christian, just in case you doubted.

Never doubt me, okay? 🙂

And that’s all I’ve really got cuz the rest of the drama is not over yet! Stay tuned!

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The puppy

Posted on February 9, 2026 by suziecreamcheese
The puppy
Posted in my life | 7 Comments

Saturday, Sunday, football, cold, blah

Posted on February 9, 2026 by suziecreamcheese

Yesterday was a very strange day. It felt like there was a black cloud over everything, nothing was right, everything was sad, I had a total meltdown because Bear is having some health issues and I just lost my shit – I’m normally the cockeyed optimist but this day was just wrong from start to finish.

I ordered a prayer journal from Amazon. It was meant to be delivered yesterday. I got a message saying it had been delayed, right after I got a notice saying it was 10 stops away. Umm, well? It continued to show that it was delayed and would be delivered today, until it showed up at my back door and suddenly became “delivered.” We were checking every few minutes and laughing – so in spite of it being a cluster, thanks for lightening the mood, Amazon. (I’m not sure why they have that overnight delivery thing, it hardly ever happens)

My nephew, the recipient of my meltdown yesterday, is staying with us for a bit. (He’s an adult, so we actually have conversations and I don’t have to tell him to eat his vegetables) He’s a huge football fan, and his team – the Patriots – is playing in the Super Bowl. Consequently there are Super Bowl snacks in my kitchen, something that has never happened before. Okay, it’s only chips and dip, and cheese and crackers, and deviled eggs, but still. He’s really funny to watch during a football game, he is so into it, we just laugh. Bear is a football fan, I am not but this is just silly. Also, we will not be watching the Half Time show, I’m not into people who hate America. We’ll be watching the Turning Point show on YouTube.

So I have to have a meeting with the ass dean next week because apparently a student complained about something (Ass = assistant, by the way, but “ass” is more apt) I got an email on Tuesday evening telling me to meet with him on Wednesday morning. Umm, I don’t think so. One of the wonderful things about colleges is that they will demand you attend a meeting because of student complaints but refuse to tell you what those complaints actually are. I refused to attend, stating that I needed to know what this was about. After my third request for information was denied, I contacted my union rep. I was then told by the ass dean that “you don’t need a union rep.” Sweetheart, I’ve been around a long time, if you say I don’t need a union rep, I need a union rep So it’s been fun trying to co-ordinate schedules but it appears it may happen this week. Good, I might get a chance to vent my frustration with the way the curriculum has been gutted. Or, I might not have a job. Either way, I’m fine with it.

JoAnn fabrics used to sell a brand of yarn called Juicy Couture. I bought some once when it was on sale and made a crocheted puppy. It was stupid expensive, I got it on sale. Well, JoAnn is no longer with us, but Ollie’s apparently bought up their inventory. (If you don’t have an Ollie’s, I’m sorry. Their tag line is “good stuff cheap” and they live up to it!) Well. The nephew wanted to go look for some stuff, and you can always find stuff at Ollie’s, so I went along. And lo and behold! They have that yarn!!!!!!!1111 Well. I had no choice. (Okay I did but whatever) I got some to make another puppy And I’ve spent today talking myself out of going back for more. Nope, not doing it. But tomorrow is another day.

We’re in the midst of a deep freeze. Anyone who likes this weather needs their meds adjusted. This is nuts.

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