SubC what a nice day you had! I could picture it! Lovely! And what you did yesterday doesn't count as spending money. Spending money is when you fall for a marketing scam or believe commercials or get caught up in hysteria (guilty in on three charges in the past)

Tillie glad you are able to read!

I'm doing laundry. I did delicates first because I am all out of delicates to wear. Now I'm doing towels. Next up is jeans. So I've got a good thing going here. Very mild day so I have my windows open.

I want to do either mom's or BF's gingerbread house this weekend. Get those two situated. I have a few decorations out, including this adorable wooden tree that is made by a man in Tennessee. It comes still in the plank of wood and it's a bit like a puzzle. I decided to get those as my Christmas gifts this year instead of chocolates. If the person doesn't observe Christmas than I will give a Swedish Sponge. I'll post a picture of my tree. They can be decorated or painted. The guy is pretty clever. I suggest looking at his website, onemanonegarage.com. They are $8 so right in my price point. I bought two, initially, then another 8 then another 8. Perfect little gifts. Supporting an artist and keeping it simple.

Okay I will make breakfast soon. Yes it's noon.

So wonderful to read your posts!

🙂

We had a really nice day today with the kids.

Dd said we couldn't hold Bean today - he did visit his other Grammy yesterday for a buffet and socially distant meal and some cuddles, but I got to see him and talk to him and have him smile at me from 6 feet away. And we got a fun picture of his daddy pretending Bean was helping him cut down the tree.

We spent money on food and Christmas trees and a stand for dd2 for her tree.

Dd2 took her bin of Christmas decorations, but dd1 brought a bin of outgrown baby clothes to go back in the "baby library" so I broke even. Soon she will take the bin labelled "boy >12months" though, because Bean is already wearing 9 month clothes.

My boy sent pictures of getting his tree with his wife today and of his new toy train to go around it. I knew she was getting it for him for Christmas, but I didn't know he was going to get to open it so early.

We left our tree outside and just hung out with the kids. We'll rearrange the great room and start putting it up tomorrow.

Oh boy the platelets donation is so uncomfortable. I had to wait 50 minutes; they were running behind. I am slated to go back December 12 but I may give it a rest til January.

I am reheating some of my delicious dinner from last night. I've showered and I'm in my pjs. I have so much laundry to do but no motivation to do it. I think I will wait til tomorrow.

One of my happiest parts of yesterday was not having to clean. I didn't even have to pretend to clean. Pretty nice.

Tonight I will take it easy and tomorrow I will get some things accomplished. I'd like to stay steady on reducing things so I will work on that.

Not a penny spent today, which is a happy way to spend my day.

SubC I'm glad you are feeling better!

That's fun about the cranberry challenge! So much fun to have something like that to do! What a wonderful day you had! I am like you, super cautious. I work so hard to stay safe. I had clean and separate towels, new bar of soap, etc, so that BF and I would each feel safe. Kept the windows open. Put the fireplace on and wore masks.

Enjoy your fun day! Great planning!

Hello Tillie and Cm. I am joining the no buy Black Friday. It was never my thing anyway.

Good morning!

Happy Black Friday. Tatoulua, if this us significant to your BF, I hope it goes well.

We had a nice evening. Dd made me a paper turkey with bean footprints for tail feathers and I hung it over the table. The harvest veggie pot was delicious. Dd2's boyfriend cheated at the cranberry sauce challenge and then argued that it was not cheating because no one explained the rules before we started (he poked a hole in the bottom of the can to break the suction)

Dd spent the holiday with her bf's family. They are a very big, less careful bubble. I try not to worry. She seemed happy.

Ds and ddil sent us pictures of themselves cooking a lovely dinner.

Dh and I sat up late drinking wine and reading by the fire.

Tatoulia, I hope you find your tablecloth. You are my hero for donating platelets!

This morning both girls are coming out and also dsil and bean. Dh us going to pick up a local traditional junk food that we took the kids to as a special treat when they were growing up, and we will lunch outside and then head (in three cars 🙄) to the family Christmas tree farm a couple miles from here where we get our tree every year. I think dd2 will hang around for an outdoor afternoon, but I don't know how long the others will stay.

I am feeling better today.

Hello everyone and thank you for being here! We had a lovely meal and kept the windows open. Afterward, we sat on two different couches and just hung out. We had a great time.

I will see Tigger again-he'll be waiting for me. Thank you, Tillie.

Well the dishes are washed with the exception of the glasses. I'll wash them tomorrow.

I can't find one of my tablecloths that I know bf will expect to see at Christmas. It was part of a controversy last year when we didn't have it for Christmas Eve. I'm certain I got it back but now I'm wondering. Anyway I have time to look for it. I can picture it on its hanger.

Platelets donation tmr. I just ate a few tums to prepare myself for it. I'll have some more in the AM and then I'll ask for a few just as the donation is being set up. It helped a lot last time.

Tatoulia, it sounds like your table will be lovely!

I am very very proud of you for your tablecloth decision!

Tillie, I kind of want to whack him too, but he's been so good to me the last few days when I've bern struggling. He wore his mask and he says he was inside less than 15 minutes, stayed far away from the other customers, and asked the cashier to put his mask on before he went up to pay. I still think the air in the building had to be unsafe.

I have 4 pies made - two to eat tonight and tomorrow and two to give my girls tomorrow.

Dh just put the big clay pot full of fall veggies into the oven - half mine (carrots, parsnips, and leeks) and half store (turnips, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes). Next year I hope to grow more of them.

I talked with my mom this afternoon while I made the pies. She is doing ok. Her haircut seems to have really raised her spirits.

Print this out and have BF post it.

Rainbow bridge

There are other copies with different drawings online.
This may help the people searching for Tigger.

WTG! Tatoulia on the tablecloth!!!

I am virtually smacking your Dh upside the head Subclinical for going into the shops.

Sounds like your area is the same as mine here.
This is not the time to take any chances.

I just dropped off mom's meal. So humid out. I have my heat on because everyone complains about how cold my house is, and I want BF to be warm.

I washed the napkins that go with the cloth. Crystal washed and serving dishes washed.

Bf stopped telling people about Tigger because he doesn't want to ruin people's Thanksgivings. Someone dropped off $20 (?no idea) for the cat earlier in the week and several people left him messages wishing Tigger a Happy Thanksgiving. One student stopped by to introduce her sister to Tigger, that sort of stuff. So he's saying that he's sleeping in the basement.

So back to a little straightening and taking a shower.

We've never done Turkey day just the two of us. I have no idea what to wear and what would possibly fit me.

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍽🍁!

I picked up our meals in the pouring rain.

Here's a bit of good news, that only you all will understand:

I was looking for which table cloth to use when I found one I hadn't seen in a while and I decided to use it. Then I was looking for matching napkins, and I went into a box with some tablecloths. It had a tablecloth from growing up, that we typically used at Easter. I will never use it. Fond memories but I will never use it. We may have used it at Thanksgiving too. I remember putting the salt cellars on a certain spot in the embroidery. So I've put it in a donation bag. Yay for a good story! And the box is in the recycling pile. Look at me!

Tillie I am grateful to hear from you. I can picture you braiding your hair. SubC this non-mask wearing absolutely infuriates me. I don't get it. It is one of the easiest things to stop the spread. Easy.

I see runners and athletes and they take it off and the second they encounter another person they pull it up. That's good practice. They are taking care of their bodies and mine. I saw two runners this AM. And they both were doing the right thing.

Well I have put the table cloth on the table and I think I just remember where the napkins are. I'm going to go find them and put them in the wash.

There's a lovely person name Lila who started a thread and I hope she'll come join us over here.

Good morning.

Happy thanksgiving. I'm thankful for all of you.

Tillie, keep trying to get some rest.

Tatoulia, i'm glad you got your walk in and we're careful on those slippery streets.

Our cases keep climbing. More significant, hospitalizations continue their slow and steady rise with new records every day. Our state death count hit a huge new high yesterday bringing our average well above the summer high.

Meanwhile, Dh had to go to two stores to get parts for his car, and they were apparently full of unmasked people (ok, by full, I mean three or four people in a small store, but even the employees were not wearing masks!)

I told him he should have called the health department. Our governor has said he will shut businesses down for 24 hours if they are not enforcing mask mandates. Also, I am not happy that he went in the stores. I'm feeling very cynical and angry and trying not to say the horrible things I am thinking.

The chances of school reopening in January are becoming nonexistent.

I just sent an email dropping my December pottery class.

Hello

Wonderful to read your posts.
Been trying to sleep all day but too restless & uncomfortable.
Did nothing but brush/braid my hair, brush my teeth and washed my face.

Everybody stay as safe as possible.
The virus and death rates here are sky rocketing.
The Reno morgue has run out of space and has refrigerated trucks coming for the overflow as funeral homes across northern Nevada are getting all filled up.

People mingling over thanksgiving will cause the rates to all go up even higher.
So keep wearing masks, washing hands and wiping down everything.

Stay safe (((HUG)))

Thanks for looking at his pictures! He was a great cat.
Glad you got your feed! And a delicious dinner!

I took a brief walk tonight. It was raining and he brick sidewalks are very slippery.
I will pick up our dinners tomorrow. My house was cleaned yesterday so not a lot for me to do tomorrow. Find the table cloth, etc and decide which China to use. Wash a few of my crystal glasses and I'm set. Not a lot to do.

I am definitely ready to lay down. I did two loads of laundry tonight, so I'm a bit pleased with myself.
Goodnight my dear hearts.

Hi Tatoulua,

Thank you.

It's the weather mostly. I'm seasonal and with the short days and rain I am like a solar battery with no charge.

I have done as much as I have today because Dh has been so wonderful. He even drove the truck to pick up the feed (I ordered it and came along and helped unload when we got home).

He even cleaned our dirty shower. And now he is making me delicious mushroom soup.

Tigger was a beautiful cat. A really like the box picture. 😺

I posted a few tigger pics on Instagram. Back when he was a big, healthy cat.

Good to catch up with everyone.

SubC I am so sorry that you are so overwhelmed. I like your husband. A good human being.

Cm, so you are making progress! I am amazed at how well you are holding up. I get very upset about things and will try to draw on your strength when I need it.

Tillie naturally we are all worried and want you to be peaceful. Knowing you are reading helps me a lot.

I slept a lot on Monday and Tuesday and it was wonderful. Last night I had a zoom meeting from 5 to 7 and I did not put o the video and I slept most of the time. It was fantastic. I heard my name twice and the second time I unmuted and said no questions but thank you for a lovely presentation. So I attended.

Today we closed early at 2 and afterward BF and I went to get pies for our annual Great Pie Giveaway. Generally we get our pies on a Tuesday, and it coincides with my going to Symphony alone.

My cleaners came yesterday, so my house is nice. I'll pick up our meals tomorrow at 11, then we will have dinner around 5, I think.

I'm washing towels right now and desperately trying to stay awake.

We are coping fine with Tigger. Just a bit sad. Today is the first day that I saw him out of the corner of my eye, and it was great. I have some wonderful pictures of him that I'll post later. I like seeing him when he was big and robust.

Okay, now to check on my laundry and look for a way to stay awake! I'd love to do lots of laundry tonight but I'm sleepy.

It's a large and troublesome family, CM. 😄

I hope your sewer line is not under the raised beds, but I am glad that you have something that at least works for now!

My paper cutting table has wheels. Dh is putting the shelf up over my freezer that I have been requesting for some time (and which has been sitting on the floor, leaning against a cupboard) He lectured me firmly that I cannot put weight on it because it is held up by drywall anchors, not studs, but that is fine. I want a spot for plastic containers that I use in the freezer or for transporting food to people. Currently the plastic containers are taking up valuable pantry space.

I have done my morning chores, washed and dried my nasty barn coat - one of the few things my new washer and dryer do very well - unloaded, loaded, and run the dishwasher, and carried an assortment of random items to their proper homes.

In a few minutes I will call the feed store and go pick up feed - there is supposed to be a break in the rain.

I am not ok with the grey weather. And I'm afraid I don't share your optimism CM. 26 days to solstice just means that there are 52 days until it will only be this bad again. At one point this morning I sat down halfway up the stairs and cried. So you can see my clean dishes (and supportive handyman Dh) are a big deal.

When I was crying on the stairs Dh sat down behind me and gave me a hug and told me that I am doing better than I think.

I don't know, but today I am just trying to keep Now and Momentarily and their kin (Later, Eventually, Someday...) from taking over my house.

SubC, I believe Now is a brother, sister, or cousin of Momentarily.

Well, we have a sort-of working sewer line as of yesterday morning. And trenching to look forward to hopefully on Friday. At least, Friday is when the guy from the city will come to put the flags to mark where the line is.

Roommate is hoping it doesn't run under one or more of her raised garden beds. She is good at thinking of those things when planning, and when she originally put them in, she had thought she was avoiding that. But last year there was some doubt raised about whether the line angles off oddly in another direction.

We shall see. The beds are made with cinder blocks, and she can't lift them for sure, and I could but it'd be about my limit. My abdominal strength is fine, with having had 4 years to recover and rebuild after that big surgery. But my back and neck may scream at me.

The SUN is finally out today, after several days of gloomy grey. Yay! I don't always mind grey weather; sometimes it feels peaceful. But that's usually when I don't feel so stuck in the house and stressed. Pre-Covid, living on my own, not having to fit my life and schedule around someone else's so much.

We're just going to get barbecue carryout meat today to have tomorrow, instead of cooking a turkey. I'm glad. Simple is best for me these days.

Weather is steadily moving from lower autumn into upper winter temperature ranges. Which may still be okay for working in the storage unit. I have been distracted getting a routine reestablished after roommate's surgery as she has become more mobile again, with the sewer line problem hitting and knocking us for a loop so soon afterward. But I'll hopefully find my lost motivation soon. Or else I may need the Badger.

I started a count of the number of days until Winter Solstice when they start to get longer again. It's 26 days. That doesn't seem so bad, it's less than 30 days, less than a month. We can survive! It'll still take awhile to notice much difference, of course, but the psychological boost is something.

That's my exciting news for today. I hope on Friday we'll be getting the sewer problem fixed for a good long while, and if possible have no other major crises.

Good morning.

Yesterday I watched 4 videos in front of the fire. Very unproductive. Then I ate unhealthy things for dinner, did my chores, and called it a day. Some days are like that. Today I will do better.

Dh has offered to do several small jobs for me over break, which all involve a lot of prep by me. I'm thinking about trying to clear up the space in the basement for him to put wheels on my paper trimming table today. It would involve removing a large pile of loose objects that are stacked on the table (taking them I don't know where? And also clearing a spot on the floor big enough to turn the table (which is a 4x4 table) sideways/upside down.

The idea is that I would keep a clear space that I could pull the table out into and turn it. This would let me roll it up against the wall cutting arm first so that the handle of the cutting arm is not sticking out into the room, but still use it easily.

Also there is the challenge of keeping Now's stuff off the surface....

Meanwhile many other tasks already stacked up to do, and it's dark and raining. I definitely need badger today.

Also, Dh got the groceries and we got everything except the broccoli and the pretzels. So I am totally set for holiday baking for us and the girls. I wish I could mail ds a pie. :(.

Well, that was long and cold and stressful.

They will mail me my new license and then I will be able to fly on a plane if I ever want to again.

Since I hated flying before covid, I'm not sure how much I care.

The house is cold. I need to restart the woodstove. Dh doesn't keep it going when he works from home, he just cuddles up with the little space heater by his desk.

The blue jays and the squirrels are very busy getting the last of the acorns outside my window.

Good morning, coffee clinks!

Tillie, keep resting. I'm worrying quite a bit about you. Are you staying in contact with Nate so text knows how you are?

Hi CM!

The bath room situation sounds just tertible. I hope your guy comes through for you quickly! Good to hear roomate is able to drive.

Hi again Tatoulia!

I got a few pots made yesterday, but they are not particularly good. I am out of practice. I need to find time to try again today.

I also need to renew my very expired drivers license and get some feed (the feed can wait for tomorrow though.) I'm very stressed about going to the BMV. I wish they would extend the deadline again.

Still haven't made cheese.

I have been working on my seed order for next year.

Dh is picking up groceries today - lots of sugar and flour and nuts on the order - we'll see if I get any.

Hi Everybody

Sorry for not replying individually but read with interest all your goings ons.

I am taking comfort in thinking that Tigger had one last item on his bucket list.
To go on a great solo adventure out the door.
(((((HUGS))))) Tatoulia and BF and all who knew and loved him.

Haven't dressed or even brushed my hair today.
Feeling very weak and dizzy.
But did feed all the cats.

Hi

Tatoulia, condolences to you and BF regarding Tigger. I'm sure he knew he was loved for so many years.

Roommate now driving some, which is good because that way we can take turns going to places that have a public bathroom, while we await our handyman. She's down to the grocery store. He had some equipment rented for today, so you'd think he'd be on deadline and that'd speed things up, but it isn't so far. I wish I knew why he is ALWAYS running behind... sigh. You'd think just the odds would make it so that he'd be on time some of the time.

But anyway. He's going to do a thing, which will give us the ability to use the water for 2-3 months or until he can do the big digging thing which involves permits and such. And much US currency changing hands.

I just hope it doesn't drag out. Especially with Thanksgiving coming up; I guess there's always the convenience store for potty business though. All this just throws the daily routines off right when we were beginning to have some daily routines again.

I've been unable to settle into much. Been doing a bit of genealogy looking up on the computer. Tatoulia, if I ever go to MA, my 5x great grandfather Richard Falley Jr. has a monument to him in Westfield I'll have to look up. He had an armory that made muskets for Gen. Washington and he fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. I didn't know all this stuff. It's interesting. The surname was my maternal grandmother's maiden name. As an only child with no children of my own, feeling connected to the past helps me feel less insignificant.

SubC, that idea your sil has about the farm is great if it can work out, a win-win for everyone it sounds like. Your tomatoes must indeed be plentiful. My roommate's went to critters this year. There would've been enough otherwise for her to eat fresh.

The weather here is grey with occasional light drizzle, not cold but not mild.

Hi tatoulua. I'm sorry about tigger. He was a good cat. It sounds like he was ready to go, but I know he leaves an empty space behind. At least he came home to you after his last adventure so the space is full of the knowledge that you took great care of him to the end.

I hope your mom got her phone figured out too.

Yesterday I canned 4.5 quarts of tomato sauce and took all the full jars down to the basement. I have a nice little hoard of pickles, jams, apple sauce, and tomato sauce - plus dried tomatoes and green beans, and lots of cheese and ice cream in the freezer. I have some chocolate sauce frozen too. Today or tomorrow I need to make more cheese. The chickens are laying very little these days and I need all their eggs for baking, so ice cream making seems to be done for the year.

Dsil has been asking about what he can do to help me expand the garden (he has very little garden space and is committed to producing as much of our own food as possible.) Dd was complaining about the egg shortages (I had more chickens when she was little) They are going to build me a mobile chicken coop in the spring so I can have 36 chickens in it and move it from place to place instead of cleaning up the manure. All I have to do is take care of Bean while they work. Poor me - lol.

I got my thanksgiving decorations out yesterday, but I didn't work on my pots, so I am prioritizing that today.

I forgot we had a zoom with dh family in the morning. Dh mom called it zoom thanksgiving, but it wasn't thanksgiving, and we weren't eating or anything, just answering his dad's questions about the local effects of the pandemic and what everyone is doing these days (jobs and school, not interesting stuff) a few times an actual conversation tried to break out, but his dad was quick to redirect. It was exhausting. And zoom took away the 40 minute limit, so it went on for over an hour. Dsil was lucky because Bean cried and he got to leave.

We said goodbye to Tigger tonight. He was a good buddy. We didn't cry too much. I spent about three hours with him tonight. There wasn't much left of him. Bf held up okay. We both agreed that losing him a few weeks ago was a good thing. It got us crying all day and helped us to see him with fresh eyes. Tigger was a very good boy. We weren't with him when he passed because they had trouble getting the catheter into him and the doctor came back and said they didn't think he'd survive the catheter and did we want to see him one more time and BF said no, we'd said our goodbyes.

So we've said our goodbyes.

I did mom's grocery shopping and dropped off. Definitely drizzling out. Very dark. It's actually my kind of weather.

I'll go spend time with BF in a little bit. I want to hang with Tigger.

Hello everyone! Glad to hear from each of you!

Very good on emailing the student, SubC. Kids would prefer email, anyway. I am impressed with how much you are doing and won't that be fun picking out the Christmas tree! Yay for a date night with your husband-sounds absolutely lovely.

Tillie keep resting up. Thinking about you.

Cm that is great news about your roommate. That is so frustrating to have your house a bit torn apart and hunting for things. I feel your pain.

Today mom called to read me the list of groceries she needs. She had to set the phone down to find her magnifying glass. I was kind of chuckling to myself, imagining that she'd hang up the phone but instead I could hear her struggling and grunting, and by the time she had her magnifying glass, she could no longer find the phone. Once she picked up a different handset, I explained she wouldn't be able to get calls til she finds the other one but anyway, in the meantime, she'd lost the list.

The neighbor picked up the ladder today. I was still in bed but had enough warning to get dressed. It's rainy dark and raw here. I'll go get the groceries for mom then I'll go visit BF. We are putting Tigger to sleep tonight. A great cat.

I have to put my hallway back together. Rug down, table back, etc. I was waiting for the ladder to leave. And now it's gone.

Tillie, thank you for posting. I have to admit I was getting a bit worried.

CM, such great news about your roomate!

I'm glad you are coping and proud of you for finding things!

I hope your handyman doesn't keep you waiting. Plumbing is a big issue.

Keep on coping!

Tatoulua, thank you for keeping this thread alive. Some days I don't have the energy to post, but it is nice to check in and kniw that you are still out there sending pistcards, checking in on mom and kitty sister, and supporting the museums.

Updates here - my mom got her hair cut. I am a little stressed about it, but she assured me that everyone was very careful and she feels so much better now. Apparently the long hair was depressing her. I thought it looked lovely.

I sent an email to my student just saying I was glad to see him in class last week and enjoy having him participate. Snail mail would be strange. It would mean I looked up his physical address on his emergency form.

I haven't seen Bean in person since he stayed with us last week, but on Friday both my girls, sil, Bean, and maybe dd2's bf are going to join us at a safe distance at the tree farm where we cut down our tree every year. - outside. With masks. Dd has already informed me "no one is touching my baby!"

I think I can talk her into letting me keep him for a little while again once I have been out of the school building for two weeks.

Yesterday I cooked basically the last of the tomatoes down to sauce (I have a soup bowl left that will either ripen and be eaten or start rotting and go to the chickens.) I did not have time to can it, so it is in the fridge and I will reheat it and can it today.

The reason I didn't have time to can was that we had a concert last night - (which included some modern works that I really liked. Dh is still on the fence - he's a classical guy.) and Dh picked up a very fancy dinner and a nice bottle of wine for us to enjoy before it. He got so much we will be eating it today too, but lots of variety and flavors.

My other goals for today are to get back into my studio and make some pots - I need them fired for a class I am taking dec 2&9 - alternative firing, outside, 2 hours each night. And to put out the thanksgiving decorations.

Thanksgiving for me is not so much about the historical colonizer survival story as it is about the harvest. I like to take stock of all the things I harvested both literally and figuratively in the year and celebrate them. Dsil is helping me a lot this year because he is emailing me wanting to get heavily involved in the farm next year and encouraging me to dream about what I could do with a young, male farm hand.

He and Dd want more eggs and have offered to build me a real chicken coop!