Happy Solstice! 😀

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Your night at the zoo sounds so fascinating!
How wonderful! ;D
I know too well that feeling that I'm just an ungrateful brat when given things that I have absolutely no use for.
Please keep repeating to yourself that it's really not the object that matters, it's the thought that counts.
Feel free to release the items to the universe where they will find the person who truly wants them.
Tuck away the puppets and fairy with the other like items.
She gave you things that she would have liked to have had if she were living your life.
You have been working so very hard to make your life your own.
Be true to yourself. (((HUGS)))

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Good luck today with the BIG meetings and presentation.
As if the season weren't already full of time sensitive pressing matters.
(((hugs)))

Today is clear bright cloudless skies but colder than a well diggers butt.
Just recently I had been wondering if my instincts would remember how to fall since it has been a long time since I trained.
Was very pleased that I did instinctively remember.
Basically just a "tuck and roll".
Do not extend your arms, they get broken that way.
Try to land flat, not on a shoulder or hip area.
Protect your head.
At 7:30pm I took the longest & warmest shower, felt soooo good after being out in the snow.
This morning there is no sore spots or any stiffness. ;D
My plans for today?
Eat, drink tea and be merry. 😉

Tillie! I'm so sorry about your fall. I know you know how to take care of yourself but gentle reminder: take a hot bath/shower today, put on some comfy pjs and have a bowl of soup or a cup of tea.

SubC do not beat yourself up--the answer is right there-you get great joy out of receiving gifts, you understand the magic of giving and receiving gifts, and it's ok to pass them along. Or swap out a different bookmark for the new one. You opened the gifts and felt loved by your mom. There you go. Do not beat yourself up.

Have to leave soon. Big meetings and a presentation this AM.

I love kitty prints in the snow. But Miss Kitty and I are indoor cats now.

Happy solstice!

Tatoulia, I am glad you posted here when you were feeling down. Winter is hard. I'm also glad you have your bf to help you.

Tillie, ar you sure you are ok? A fall like that can leave you very sore the next day.

My older Dd works at the zoo (construction, not zoo keeping) and last night she invited us to their Festival of Lights. She has free passes, so we only had to pay parking, we also got dinner on her employee discount. We arrived early and saw some of the animals before they turned in for the night, plus the projects she has been working on recently. Once it got dark the lights were gorgeous and our special tour guide made sure we didn't miss anything.

There was one place where younger Dd started out onto a bridge to see a lake, and Dd put her hand on her shoulder. She said "we'll see that from the other side. I don't really want to go out on that bridge with that many people. I'm closing it on the 8th to completely rip it out and replace it, and i'm Not sure it has enough brackets left." So we did that.

Then we came home and opened the box of gifts my mother had sent. My mother is a big fan of gifts. I now have candy, a new puzzle to put out while everyone is here visiting (family tradition), a pretty tote bag, a nice framed picture of my parents, three very nice puppets my mom found at goodwill, a summery fairy doll, a book of chocolate recipes, and a fancy bookmark.

I love my mother and I love her gifts, (I love presents. I don't really care what they are. When one of my students brings me two pieces of macaroni on a piece of yarn, it makes me really happy - especially if it is wrapped up in a wad of notebook paper so I can't see what it is until I open it!)

but her side of the family is how I got here. I don't need another tote bag, but I really like this one. I really like the puppets. I have a collection of quality puppets from when my kids were little and from years when I taught classes that I could use them in. But right now they are all packed away because my kids are grown and my classes are different. So these will stay out for a while, and then one day I will get the puppet box out, sort through it, travel down memory lane, fail to discard anything, and add them to the box.

I have a beautiful doll collection and not enough room to display it. So again, the fairy will stay out for a while and then rotate into a box. I did manage to choose one very large doll to donate in the last goodwill box, and the fairy is small.

I definitely don't need another cookbook. I have been struggling to thin out those I have. And i'm Sure I already have bookmarks, somewhere....

And then I feel like a horrible, ungrateful person for having mixed feelings about her gifts. Especially when I know the love and care that went into finding things that made her think of me and I would like.

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Mac & cheese is great comfort food.
YEA! for kitty pods! ;D
Scooter thought we should call the police and report the snow as vandalism.
Twinkles was the only cat begging to go out so I let him out.
I was able to track everywhere he went by the kitty prints in the snow.
I hand made a special snowball and put it inside on the rug.
They all had a taste.
Yeah, too many sweets can mess up our moods.
That sugar high messes up the whole metabolism.
Wishing you a good night sleep and low sugar sweet dreams. 🙂

WELL!
I had swept the snow off the back porch all around the edges where the snow had blown onto it..
The painted wood porch was snow free but wet.
Had to step out there on my way to the trash can.
Didn't notice that the wetness had frozen over and become extremely slippery.
Didn't get hurt but it was scary suddenly finding myself laying out there flat on my back.
LOL ;D
All day today I walked slowly & carefully to not slip in the snow. Then I come home and throw all caution to the wind.

Thank you Tillie. Winter solstice is here!

I'd love to see the white fluffy snow. How are the cats getting on?

I slept tonight and I made Mac n cheese with sundried tomatoes and now I'm doing a few things to get ready for tomorrow.

I bought a table cloth to fit brother's table for Christmas Eve. I dropped it off at dry cleaners since I don't have what it takes to wash and iron. I'm going to do a few things now.

I ate comfort food but no sweets. Those sweets aren't doing me any favors in the mood department.

Kitty is asleep next to me. She's in her pod bed and so I know she's keeping warm.

I'll talk to everyone later. See you tomorrow.

Hi Everybody 🙂
Drinking green tea with fresh lemon "clink!"

Oh Tatoulia ((((((((((HUGS))))))))))
Wishing there was something I could do or say to help you through this sad depression time.
Please be extra kind and tender with yourself.
Take time off from everything not necessary and take advantage of all and any fun, enjoyable & relaxing activities.
Please don't send me anything for my B-Day.
Your friendship here is priceless to me and without your friendship my life would be colorless and lonely.
(((((HUGS)))))
WAY TO GO! for tidying up your home. 😉

Hi Subclinical 🙂
Welcome back 🙂
WAY TO GO!!!! for all you did at your mother's home!
Sounds like it was a very good time all around.
Have a wonderful time with your kids. ((((HUGS))))

Went to the store.
The snow was 6 inches deep but fluffy & light so I was able to sweep it off the porch and walkway and use the long handled squeegee to get it off the car.
The less used streets were slippery but in town they were just slushy.
So amazed that everybody was driving below the speed limit and behaving properly on the roads!
Usually there are a few "idiots" driving faster than conditions warrant.
For my B-Day I treated myself to a 6 pack of new panties.

At Sundown today I begin observing the Winter Solstice.
A time for new beginnings, a fresh start, more light.
That new life will return again in the Spring.
Blessed Solstice to you all!
((((HUGS))))

Checking in--got to work and then had a good cry with BF and worked on house and opened all drapes to get the sunshine in. I am still struggling but better. Sorry about this AM. I needed to reach out to someone and there you all were.

I worked on kitchen and bedroom and living room. And I felt better even though I cried during it. I did laundry and got two giant bags of recycling out. I do not know where this stuff comes from.

Kitty is keeping a close eye on things too. Went up and saw BF for a bit. He's been struggling too, he told me, which isn't like him to emote so that was nice. We had a big cry together.

SubC I am proud of all you accomplished. Tillie I do envy the snow BUT I don't like to drive in it so please be safe. I think last year you bought yourself a frozen pizza for your birthday.

Hello everyone. So glad to read your posts. I am suddenly, starting yesterday, terribly overcome with a serious depression. I'm not sure I'll be able to post. I'm not sure of anything.

Tillie I would like to send you some money for your birthday. I will see if Cory would agree to let me send him some money which he can send along to you. I know money is crass but I need to thank you for all you've done for me.

I'm sorry I don't have better things to say. Forgive me for being so down.

Good morning!

My skunk is the short haired, pet rabbit sized variety with a little v on his head and back.

My mother's attic is closer to empty (We - my daughter and I - could have emptied the whole thing in an hour, but she is resistant.) we did at least get down all the things she needs from now to February. She has promised nothing will go back up. My dad built her a big storage closet on the first floor this year when they expanded their house and retrofitted for accessibility. She is 73 and a few years ago she put her leg through the ceiling trying to get a big box out of the attic. The attic access is a rickety pull down ladder.

We found a small bag of Christmas decorations she is willing to donate and she sent two ornaments home with me (I hung them already)

We took the giant old speakers that were no longer connected to anything down from the tops of her living room bookshelves (to be donated), rehung all the pictures that came down during the renovations and painting, and put up her Christmas tree. (She still has some ornaments to hang at the bottom, but we did all the step stool height ones.) The tree is elevated so the bottom is about knee high to allow for gifts under it.

I helped her get the gifts ready for my nieces, including making doll bed sheets from some pillowcases that matched worn out sheets.

We had a lot of fun and laughs and my father fed us all well. the plane rides weren't too bad. The layovers with my daughter were actually fun.

Now back to getting my house in order! Younger Dd arrives this afternoon and my son and his wife arrive Saturday.

Good Morning 🙂

Well today I finally get use of the car again to go buy needed stuff like kibble & litter and some fresh veggies and...

IT IS SNOWING!!!

Oh Well 🙁
Maybe the store will not be too crowded?
Maybe most people will stay home and not drive in the snow?

Still trying to decide what to treat myself to for my B-Day the middle of next week.
Hard to decide what I want to eat. Do I even want any cake?
Oh well... maybe I will see something at the store that I'd like to eat.
;D

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
LOL sorry you have that "ate too many sweets" sick feeling. 😉
YEA!!!! for the new tires!!! 😀
Those are especially important this time of year.
I need new tires too, not good enough tread for snow any more.
Wonderful that you get to attend concerts!
When I lived in Tucson I was always going to the university to listen to the classical music concerts.
They were wonderful and very affordable, as in free.
So hard this time of year working in an office setting with all the cookies and candies and cake.
I remember box after box of chocolates and tray/tin after tray/tin of cookies and sweet home made quick breads all being delivered to us.
And there were only 4 or 5 of us total in the office including the doctor.
But somehow we managed to eat every last bit of it.
;D LOL

My mistake--good work CM on sorting and donating the clothes.

Marty is a helper!

I love hearing about your home economics skills, Tillie. Anony good work on getting rid of clothes!

Well let's check off another item that has been hanging heavy over my head--I got new tires yesterday. Then went to a Christmas concert with BF. I'm still at office now. Feeling sickly from all the sweets.

Will ttyl. Keep up the good work!

Hello 🙂

Marty is "helping" me maneuver the laptop computer.
Has my left arm pinned down and he's laying on half the keyboard.
Feeling better this afternoon. ;D
Showered & washed my hair.
Have the bodice of the dress I am altering all done.
Now I need to reattach the sleeves and it will be all ready to wear next Spring & Summer.
I will buy thrift shop dresses that are in new condition when they are too large and alter them down to size.
This way I don't have to pass up a dress that is perfect in every way but size.
When Steven got home tonight he informed me that he was taking the car to work tomorrow because he didn't fill the gas tank before he came home tonight.
So I will have to go Wednesday to get kibble & kitty litter.
Honestly, I'm afraid to venture into any store this close to the 24th. ;P

Good Morning Everybody! 😀
Tea "clink!"

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
My skunks grow to be large but are actually just very fuzzy.
They have a small white "cap" that runs down their neck where it becomes two white stripes on the back then tapers down to one stripe again on the tail.
I believe that Subclinical's and my skunks are from hundreds of generations of skunks that have coexisted beside humans, making them more docile toward us.
I remember the skunks in Arizona would often stomp their feet and do handstands for a while but then give up and wander off, never actually spraying.
When camping they felt free to steal all our food and curl up and nap on anybody sleeping in a sleeping bag. LOL 😀
Big, big WAY TO GO! for doing so much in your home!
(((HUGS)))

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
I'm counting down the days to the Solstice too! 😀
It's been my experience that nothing ever gets done by anybody around this time of year.
So very inconvenient having to put our lives on hold.
WAY TO GO! for working on the clothing in your room!
When looking back on the past year make sure to see all you have accomplished. You really have done a lot. (((HUGS)))
Hard to believe you weren't up to date on Monty Python movies. 😉
I still often do the "run away!!! it's a bloody bunny!" routine. LOLOLOL

Hi Subclinical 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Thank you for your understanding.
Sorry that you don't receive the love, acknowledgement and respect you deserve.
(((HUGS)))
My blood family was so abusive that to save myself I had to sever all ties & contact with them.
I too paid my own way through college, worked hard and was extremely proud to receive my 4.0 GPA from UofA but they all said that everything I ever had/earned was just handed to me. ?
Keep enjoying the life you have created for yourself.
You have worked very hard, been a very giving and forgiving soul and deserve everything good in your life. (((HUGS)))

Taking today off. Almost noon here and I'm not dressed yet.
Woke up about 3:30am with a bad headache & stiff neck, took aspirin and slept until around 10:00am.
Soon I will shower and get dressed.
This cold or whatever I have is not too bad so far and I plan to keep it from getting worse by resting and flushing it out with lots of green tea and fresh lemon. 😀
Of course I will keep up with the cat chores. Already fed & watered them. They are all napping now.

Three days till solstice! Longer days coming, I can't wait.

Just checked my email from the insurance. Nada. I'm wondering how far I'd even get in this week before Christmas and next week between it and New Year's. Wonder if everyone's out of the office or if they're in, are they getting much work done.

I may or may not get the gumption to call today. Tomorrow is going to be an away from home day - including quilting, where my quilt is in the frame ready to go. Back to the insurance deal - maybe I'll bug them Wednesday.

Started breaking up the logjam in my room - although you know how it goes - these things tend to look worse before they look better. I hung up a bunch of clothes, though, that have been lying on a table for about a month. I'd realized I could squeeze into the space by the closet, grab out hangers, then hang up the clothes or put them in the chest of drawers beside the closet, depending on which place they went.

I got out 2 pairs of my old jeans from before my weight loss. They will be going in donations. I hung up the capri pants I bought last year, hoping that come spring, they can be taken in. I had a hard enough time finding 100% cotton ones with adequate pockets and drawstring waists. Alterations aren't my favorite sewing projects by a long shot, but I'm either going to get those wearable or pass them along to someone else.

After doing the clothing project, I felt it was time to leave the room and let my brain decompress. I'm dealing with the fallout from the crazy year 2017 has been (each year is crazy in its own way). The Big Storage Unit Move - stuff that prior to it I brought over thinking I could buzz through quickly but that
didn't happen. And some new things I got excited about - alcohol ink art supplies, and some new Barbie/vintage dolls.

Plus now that the quilt is done I'm also wanting to carve out time to work on my writing, especially my science fiction. I haven't seen the new Star Wars movie yet - I'm not as crazy about these newer ones, except for "Rogue One."

Last night, my roommate and I both, for the very first time if you can imagine, watched "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Now I get all the cultural references. Also watched YouTube compilation of "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition." LOL!

To everyone who is scared of planes - Me too! My last flight was in 1987. My dad worked for an airline and was in the Air Force (before he met my mom - even had his own small plane way back then, in the 50s). In '87, my then boyfriend had to coax me along, but I managed.

I'm even more easily freaked out these days - and 9/11 capped it for good. Anony, seriously is it a federal offense to freak out? Then they'd have to sedate me pretty well if I were ever forced to fly. Hopefully I'm not in any danger of ever needing to, because most of my family is within reasonable road travel distance (even then I don't drive highways alone, so I have to get rides). I'm a happy homebody - and will be even more so as I get my home space decluttered.

Have a great week, everyone!

Anony! I love it when you are happily getting things done! SubC, one of my co-workers once said to me, "you really are a city mouse, aren't you?"

Tillie I feel your pain on the constant struggle with S. Sometimes he does what you want but then again, it's half-way or worse. It's like everything is always half-*ssed and it is somehow YOUR fault. Just this weekend I was t.hinking about how much I do not like my brother or my sister. They each managed to insult me greatly this weekend. Sister with an email praising me for all I do with a follow up saying, well I don't know why I admire you. Sweet, right? And my " good day" with my brother was he only pushed me around once and only started screaming once. I try to disassociate by pretending it didn't happen. But it all did. And they are jerks. But I don't let them know it ONLY because then I feel guilty for being educated (on my own dime unlike the colleges that they dropped out of after my mother paid for their first year) and employed and having friends and eating out and going to concerts and theatre, etc. I play into their ideas that I am selfish.

Thank goodness I am like my mom and I find a way to balance it all.

Thank you all for loving me and letting me love you.

~♡~Good Morning!~♡~
Im curious about y'all's skunks that are so well behaved. Are they the liitle mini variety with lots of stripes? These type are of a whole different attitude!!! They have no fear at all & they chase you with their butt aimed at you while running towards you on their front paws! Im serious!
Im so pleased how i managed to get what i wanted done! I bought a second heater, which will also make cleaning & organinzing inside much more comfortable, as well as enjoying my new opened up area in the living room! I made lots of good food last night & the table is clear & clean for sitting & eating while my friend is here helping! Im really pleased!
~♡~Love, Light & Goodness to you all!~♡~

~♡~Good Morning!~♡~
Im curious about y'all's skunks that are so well behaved. Are they the liitle mini variety with lots of stripes? These type are of a whole different attitude!!! They have no fear at all & they chase you with their butt aimed at you while running towards you on their front paws! Im serious!
Im so pleased how i managed to get what i wanted done! I bought a second heater, which will also make cleaning & organinzing inside much more comfortable, as well as enjoying my new opened up area in the living room! I made lots of good food last night & the table is clear & clean for sitting & eating while my friend is here helping! Im really pleased!
~♡~Love, Light & Goodness to you all!~♡~

Hi Subclinical 🙂
So happy your layover is pleasant! 😀
Wishing you a great trip.
I'm glad your skunk is a sweetheart. My skunks are always well behaved and a joy to observe.
They like my compost pile where I toss all organic edibles and sometimes I will place a perfectly good egg out there for them.
I suppose I would feel differently about them if they were able to roam free inside my house.
Although I have had friends with pet skunks and they always behaved inside.

Steven removed the manure bags from the trunk because he wants the car again tomorrow.
The drive to Carson City is a long one and the extra weight makes a difference.
When he is only driving in town here I do not allow him the use of the car, he has to use his truck.
Had he not needed the car again he would not have helped.
He won't even carry in the heavy kitty litter & 22 pound bag of kibble when I grocery shop and he gets nasty if I even ask him to.
His truck is always completely filled up with random "stuff", including garbage.
It's filthy in there too and it would take me a whole day to clean it up enough for me to want to sit in there or drive it.
When he uses the car he fills it up with lots of "stuff" too but I make him empty it out.
He never gets all the stuff out though and I have to remove that and wipe down the inside & clean windows & clean the upholstery and carpet.
I don't understand how one person can make such a mess in just a few hours. 😛

Tillie, we cross posted.

It soundslike Steven is doing a tiny bit better these days. I hope so.

Made the first leg of the trip. Our next flight is delayed, but we found a nice place to relax and eat dinner.

Tatoulia, sometimes I smile at our different lives. In my life "service provider" means something like "phone company"

Good job on cleaning out your car! That is one I really have to keep an eye on or my car becomes the repository of "stuff that is not important enough to move"

Tillie, did you clean yours out too?

Anony, I think skunks are smarter than cats. I have a little fat skunk that lives in my barn and I love him. Once he bit a raccoon for me and I gave him a piece of chocolate. I wish your skunks were better behaved.

Hi Everybody 😀

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
This time of year busy people all get behind on housework.
Most people have at least one room closed off where they are sticking wrapping paper, bows, random boxes, wrapped gifts, newly received gifts and any other clutter gathered up from other, more public areas of the house.
Your Mom will surly appreciate your BF's gift. 😀
Those small inexpensive but thoughtful gifts are always the best to receive.
Shows that the gift giver has taken the time to truly get to know you.
GOOD LUCK! and the BEST OF WISHES for your plan to tackle that troublesome task!
(((HUGS)))

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
I guess the skunk is too smart for the trap.
The cats still go in because they know you will come and rescue them.
Marty goes into the cat trap, eats the bait and sits patiently waiting for me to let him out.
Marty will also climb into cars and hope he gets to go for a ride some place other than the Vet.
He acts more like a dog than a cat at times.
WAY TO GO! getting stuff done in anticipation of having your friend come by to help you!
(((HUGS)))

I haven't flown in a big commercial jet airplane since 1982.
I did fly in a small private plane in the 1990s.
We flew all around the area and I got to see my house and everything around me from the air.
That was fun even when the fighter jet from the Naval Air Station tried to engage us in a dog fight.
The TOP GUN pilots all practice out here and in the movie they used actual aerial footage from here.
Sometimes when I've been out in the desert the jets will fly low overhead, circle around and do it again.
I always wave to them and they tip their wing, the way they say "HI" 😀

Anyways...
today I have been doing some sewing.
Had a large rectangle tablecloth, heavily embroidered and showing a lot of wear on the sides.
The embroidery is perfect and beautiful and she also embroidered her initials and date on the edge.
She did this for XMas 1929.
It's still rectangle but I cut it down to remove a lot of wear issues.
Machine hemmed it and also salvaged the signature and reattached it to the new edge.
Now I can happily use it in many different places around the house. Bought it for a dollar because the needlework is just so beautiful and vibrant.
Now I have been working on altering a Summer dress.
Problem with this is that I need to remove my warm clothes, put on the dress and do my measurements and markings.
The bathroom where the full length mirror is, is only 57 degrees.
It is all the way up to 67 degrees in the living room area, finally.
So anyways I am sorta dragging my feet right now. ;D

Steven wants the car again tomorrow to go to Carson City for their annual XMas party.
He told me this as I was putting 2 manure bags into the garden cart.
Said he wanted the bags out of the trunk.
He then dumped 4 bags into my cart, rendering it impossibly hard for me to pull it.
So I went inside and he was left to unload the car all by himself. 😀
He even stacked it in the spot I had cleared for it in the carport.

Thank you for the kind words, Anony!

I'm home. I just put everyone's stockings together for Christmas. I need to sort out if there's anything left that needs to get wrapped. I need to finalize my gifts to service people such as drycleaner, hairdresser and florist. I also need to see if any small office gifts need to be wrapped or labeled. I don't do much and I beg people to get me nothing. So far this season I've received two boxes of Godiva chocolates, both of which I passed to other departments which don't receive as many gifts as my department does, I gave away two dozen cookies, another box of chocolates and a lovely piece of luggage a vendor sent me. I don't re-gift, I just say, I received this would you like it. And my colleagues know I don't want gifts.

I'm waiting to see how my turkey comes out. Another hour I think. Meanwhile, I'll be puttering. Tomorrow is garbage night. Need to get as much out as possible.

Oh! I didn't get bag together for goodwill. . Instead I cleaned out the trunk of my car.

.....i personally think that anyone that is NOT afraid of being hurled through the air a mile off the ground has a screw lose upstairs!!! ;D

.....ooops? I just realized i got yall mixed up. The flight happening is SubC, not CM..?!? Im sorry?!? ~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

~♡~Happy Holidays To All My Internet Loved Ones!!!~♡~
Joan, im so glad you have a health care/Dr. that can actually help you! I agree with your caution & suspicion in dealing with the very backwards Medical Mafia. You are very wise! 😀
CM, im sorry about your accident. I worked for an insurance company as an investigator & they do not like to cover claims! I havent flown since the early 90s. I was a complete basket case on every plane i flew on during my many years of travel. I found out that its a federal crime to alarm the other passengers by getting hysterical...ha ha
Tillie, thank you so much for the internet family invitation! I accept with open cyber arms!~♡~
The skunk wont go in the trap. The sad thing is that my cats kept going right back in the trap, back when i was getting them all fixed?!? Are skunks smarter than cats?!? ...i dont even want to know...ha ha
Tatoula, you are such an amazing daughter, sister & person!!! You are filled with such LOVE!~♡~
Im doing good in getting stuff done! The pressure is perfect! Ive already gotten a lot done just in preparing for my friend to help! YEA!
~♡~I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH & AM GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOU!~♡~

Happy Sunday!!!

SubC I too am fearful of flying but luckily have managed to go to a lot of places, including Asia twice and Europe multiple times. Sometimes I hold the hand of the person next to me. When I was recently flying to St Louis, I reached for the woman's hand next to me and she just held it and never lost a best while talking to her husband. I am a believer that people are kind and I ignore the mean people as much as I can. I understand your fear and I'm grateful you have your daughter.

Joan I hope you consider me family, I certainly think of you and all of our other friends as family. I am grateful you have a reliable, skilled health care provider. I worry about you so--yet I have faith that brighter days are ahead.

Oh that bored feeling, Tillie. I hate it. I hate it most when I know all I have to do is put in a little music and putter--but your chores are done.

CM, Anony & everyone else--let us try not to let things out of our control detail us.

I'm making a turkey breast in my slow cooker today. I am also getting ready to go see Mom.

My house is a mess and it is causing me stress. Oh dear, the singsong nature of that statement belies my disgust. Yesterday had a good full day with brother and then afterward BF and I did Christmas shopping together. He bought himself a lot of things (oh boy) and he got a nice gift for my mom. Small, inexpensive yet very thoughtful and useful. I will have a bag for goodwill before I leave house today and I will drop off while out with mom.

Will check in later. Taking tomorrow off to take care of one of those things that is causing me giant angst--will be able to check off one of my challenge items!

Good morning...
8:25am here.
I am bored and lonely.
16 degrees F and everything has frost on it.
Pretty when the sun shines on it but terribly cold.
There are a few dishes that could be washed, later, maybe after I eat breakfast, if I eat breakfast.
Only a few items in the hamper so no need to do any laundry yet.
Later today I need to go outside and clear the space where the steer manure is to be put and then using the garden cart remove the bags from the car trunk over to the clear spot.
This is going to make my back hurt.
Not at all looking forward to it.
Sometime in February we always get lovely days where it's nice enough to work outside getting the garden ready for Spring.
Pruning and spreading fertilizer and generally cleaning up the area.
By then the cabin fever is so bad that I really look forward to getting out there and doing the physical labor.
But right now I need the car trunk empty because I will soon need to go to the store and buy another 22 pound bag of kibble and about 35 pounds of kitty litter.
The cats have been really pigging out, eating twice as much as usual.
Scooter has developed a really big butt.
Funny because he is the most active cat, playing and running around so much every day. ;P LOL