Memorable March - week 4

[Stargazerlily]

Memorable March - week 4

Good morning...

Seems like we might finally get a springlike day and I will be outside this afternoon.

To all, have a great Sunday.

[dill]

Memorable March - week 4

I'm back! Greetings to all. I just read back and got caught up with things. Our trip was fantastic in terms of time shared with family. It's such a long drive but well worth it especially since we get to visit with both my daughter and her family then my brother and his family. We were exhausted by the time we got home. The last day of driving it rained the entire trip until we got home. Then the rain turned to sleet! The weather down in New Oreleans was rather cool unfortunately, but we didn't let it keep us from having a good time. We brought some souvenirs home for our son and gkids and they were tickled. Gson especially liked the alligator head we bought at the French Market.:H Gdaughter was pleased with her fancy spoon from the French Quarter and our son was pleased with his bottle of extra spicy hot sauce.

Papmom, many congratulations to you on your CR graduation!:l You look marvelous! I was struck while reading your most recent post by just how busy, active and engaged you are! You have accomplished so much since you have kicked al. You are a role model for so many! Thanks for mentioning you tried yoga. I have a beginner CD that I have never even looked at. I've had it 3 years! I'm going to see if I can find that and try it today. (The dog will be outside, for sure!)

Cyn, what do you mean a bear got your suet?!!! You have bears where you live?!! Yikes! Do they bother your dogs? Are they at all aggressive? Wow!

Lav, thanks for that website. Very interesting recipes. I am going to try the miso/red bean one when I find some miso. I wonder if they have it at Kroger. Where do you buy yours?

Star, I'm glad to hear you are liking your new job. Do you do the same kind of work but just at a different place or is the job different from your old job? AF dinner with friends sounds really enjoyable. I find I much prefer socializing while AF. You don't have to worry about accidentally saying something stupid or inappropriate and you have a clear memory of things the next day.

I surely do miss Rusty and wish she would return, but I am happy to know that she was solid in her AF lifestyle when she left. She has a good job, a wonderful family, a full and happy life. I miss her voice on this thread, her perspective on life. Of course the same is true for LBH whom I still greatly miss. There are others as well.

Greetings to Mick and DTD, nice to see you pop in here. You're most welcome any time!

[dill]

Memorable March - week 4

PS~ I don't know why or how that little orange triangle appeared on my last post? Was it something I said?!:H

Cross-post, Star!

[Lavande]

Memorable March - week 4

Good morning friends!

Still in rain mode here, huge puddles of water everywhere. The resulting mud should be interesting - glad I only have 8 muddy dog feet to worry about cyn :H

Welcome home Dill, glad your trip was a good one!
I'm afraid there is unusual weather all over the country. Great that it didn't interfere with your visits

Papmom, I've had to forego a lot of suggested lab tests, dental treatments, etc for my dogs at the Vet's office. Their prices are way too high anymore
Glad to hear you are in good health & really enjoying life!

Dill, your triangle looks like the one on the back of the Amish buggies except theirs is orangey-red :H

Greetings to everyone else & sending wishes for a great AF Sunday.
I think I am supposed to watch the boys this afternoon so I guess I'll be busy.

Lav

[cyntree]

Memorable March - week 4

Good morning all -

Dill, welcome home - so glad that your trip was worthwhile, and really glad that you arrived safely - driving in sleet in the last hours of a long road trip is pretty scary, Yes, I did say 'bear', as in big furry animal with claws and teeth. Last summer he/she found our house, and has been back a couple of times. (I have pics from the first 'visit'; I'll try to figure out how to post them). I was bummed out about the suet cage because it was close to the front of the house, and I was enjoying watching the chickadees and flickers feeding. No more of that, even though right now is really when the birds need food - but at least most of the snow cover is gone, so they'll have more food options soon. I think the bears would leave our dogs alone, unless it was a mother and cub. But after last year's incident, we spent $$$ putting in a (rustic-looking) fence so that the dogs can go out in a secure place. (But the 2nd time the bear came, he crashed right through 2 places in the fence, so who knows!? I keep some pots and pans at the ready to make noise in case I see one in person...

Straw! Brilliant Lav! I'm going to buy a couple of bales today. There's flood warnings out here (!), and though we are on the top of a hill, the fenced-in area has a low spot, which is a lake, and the surrounding areas are mud-central. Maybe I'll borrow some hens from a neighbor to spread it all out for me...

Made a fire last night for the first time in ages. Also took a walk in the rain (I'm in training for a trip to come in April; more about that later) which was curiously pleasant. As I came back to our house, I thought of all the spring things I wanted to describe for my Mom when I called her....and then realized I couldn't. A sad moment, but now I am learning how to 'ride' them out better.

Thank goodness for an AF life in place. I think about how I would have covered up all these 'uncomfortable' feelings with AL, and what a complete disaster that would have been. Though we've never talked about it, but I'm sure my brother has also made a decision to live without AL. And thank goodness for that too, as we are co-executors of the estate, and must work in tandem to get all of this done. I feel proud and happy to be in a place where I can handle all of this with open eyes and an open heart.

Wishing everyone happy restful time today --

[cyntree]

Memorable March - week 4

x-post, Lav! (I love it when that happens - like we are all inhabiting parallel universes...)

[Lavande]

Memorable March - week 4

We could....just possibly be inhabiting one universal heart & brain cyn

There's not supposed to be any bears around here but you never know, do you?
Hopefully the dogs would make enough noise to chase them off.

The chickens picked off every last blade of grass in their fenced yard (years ago) so I have no choice but to drop a bale of straw in there from time to time. I just drop it in the middle & they go to work spreading it around - team work
The rainfall total after this weekend is going to be quite impressive I think!

[papmom3]

Memorable March - week 4

Afternoon All!
It was a monsoon last nite and I swore I heard hail against the window. Luckily I too live on one of my city's seven hill and the low spots in the yard are outside the makeshift potty area. Still muddy tho. I'd love to cover the potty area with those deck squares (fake wood of course) but can't afford it. The pics today on FB from the North and South of boston are unreal. Huge sinkhole in Chelmsford (north and a major route to highways):




Flooding to the south in New Bedford:



And for Cyn-a warning for NH residents to take down their birdfeeders but really for everyone (my brother has regular visitors this time of year:



Dill-Welcome home! Glad you had a great time in NO and visiting with family. also glad to hear you made it home safe and sound! Thank you for the kind words. Try the yoga tape and if you have a sturdy blanket you can fold (fleece doesn't work but wool would) and a yoga block and strap, you can modify the moves. Sitting on the blanket allowed me to actually cross my legs-what a neat trick! The block can be used to balance you and to not stress your hamstrings and back when doing the forward moves. I will tell you my arms are sore today!! Even doing 6lbs with a hand weight never made them sore!! Good luck!

Cyn-can't wait to hear about your April trip-I'm guessing the Cotswolds?

Lav-hope you're having fun with the boys and able to keep them occupied indoors!

Star-I can't wait for the day we have Spring weather that is nice enough to go out in!! It will also be the day I have to clean up the potty yard :upset:

Have not done what I thought I would do today but have started some purging and rearranging. I love to repurpose stuff instead of buying what I need and that has worked out perfectly today. While moving things to the attic, I found an old exercise balance ball my sister gave me years ago. Just saved myself $15! Also found an old antique sewing table that's been up there for decades (although throughout the years I've used it in different ways). Its now an end table for my couch and hides a dog crate. Pulled out a hand needle work table cloth that I think my grandmother did and it fits perfectly. I a happy camper today as I was going to buy a card table for $20 at Christmas Tree Shoppes when I got my mileage check on Tuesday. I also went on Freecycle looking for pegboard and an XP CPU or laptop so I can use my "free" embroidery machine. No offers yet but you never know. Might try the free section of Craig's List as well.
Will definitely finish the wall hanging today and will go in search of a decorative curtain rod I think I still have. It's gold which is sort of out of fashion and hopefully it's not too beat up (if I even have it). I think gold will go nice with the rich colors of the quilt. Otherwise I'll have to buy one at Walmart. Good thing I saved some money today!!
Wish this day could go on for ever!! Don't want to go into work tomorrow at all. My boss is stressed over the catalog (which is 2 weeks late being published and I'm sure she blames me) and some personnel problems and gets really nasty when she's stressed. I try to let it roll off of me but it's hard.
On the upside I will join the gym tomorrow nite!! Can't wait!! So that is what I'll be looking forward to all day.

[Lavande]

Memorable March - week 4

Good morning friends on this very last day of March - yay!!

Potholes have been a problem around here too papmom but nothing like that - Geez!!!!!!
This prolonged winter has been doing some serious damage to almost everything!
Sounds like you are making the most of your free time, that's nice
I hope you find the XP you need for your embroidery needs. I had to pay a guy to build one for me for my business when the old one crashed - what an expensive pain that was

Greetings to cyn, Dill, Star & everyone!

I need more coffee then I'm off to Curves then back for some work.
I hope everyone has a wonderful AF Monday!

No bear sightings here, thank goodness

Lav

[dill]

Memorable March - week 4

".....in like a lion, out like a lamb!"

Hello All,

Wow, Papmom, those pics were really something! Was that bear in your bro's back yard? That would freak me out! I found my yoga CD and popped it in. It wasn't long before I was interrupted and had to pause it. Haven't got back to it yet! Obviously I am going to have to find some "me" time to get into it.

Cyn, the most trouble I've had with my bird feeders has been due to raccoons. I'll stick with that and forego the bears anyday!:H

I'm enjoying being home. Travelling truly gives you an appreciation for home-sweet-home.

Hi Star, Lav and all who read. Have a great AF Monday!

[cyntree]

Memorable March - week 4

Good evening folks -

Missed posting this morning, as I ran Mr Tree to the train at 5:45 AM. Came home and made a cup of tea and fell asleep while holding it (woke up to set it down), and didn't wake up again until almost 9 AM! I think I am finally getting caught up with the sleep debt I worked up while away.

I plowed into work, and have gotten some good things accomplished - the last of the Memorial Thank You notes, for heaven's sake...late, but extra-heartfelt. This evening will be Estate stuff, and hopefully a little re-orientation on the taxes that I was working on in mid-February.

It was sleeting when I arrived home at 6:30 AM, turned to light snow, everything had icicles hanging from it all morning. Then suddenly around 1 PM, the sun came out and there was an icicle shower, and it felt like spring! Still lots of snow in the yard, but the grass is winning...

PapMom, you are super-productive; I hope today wasn't to much of a problem with your boss.

Star - are you OK? I love to hear what you are up to, and I've been missing your voice these last few days.

Memorable March. Yes, I would have to say so. This has been memorable and sweeping in my life, and I thank all of you for hanging in there with me through it all.

Wishing you all a good evening, and a peaceful close to the day.

[papmom3]

Memorable March - week 4

Hi Everyone!

No Dill, that was a stock pic for Channel 5's website I think. Although my bro has sent me pics of the bears that visit them in the spring. Home is nice isn't it?

Yes Star-you OK? Busy I bet.

Cyn-nice that you've finally had time to catch up with sleep and things. Wasn't the ice storm this morning something? I left my house in pouring rain and 20 min later, I was north and in the middle of sleet and ice. Luckily I got to work before the worst of it-I heard there were multiple accidents shortly thereafter on Route 2 past Fitchburg. It was treacherous walking across the parking lot and of course I didn't bother putting on my yak traks!! But I had my umbrella!!

Lav-there will be no hand built PC for me LOL!! If i can't find a machine, I'll just use the Quantum as a regular sewing machine and experiment with the different stitches. I've also got to learn how to use the Serger I was given in the deal. I so would love to learn how to use the Embroidery mode tho! Hope I can make it work.

Work was actually pretty good. My boss was done with the craziness and left all the decisions up to me. Our problem employee must have gotten some things worked out over the weekend because she was actually present in mind and body for the first time in months. I put my head down and coded for 8 hours. It was the first Monday since I got back that I didn't have to leave early and it felt pretty good.

Plans to get to the gym tonite changed as my boss kept me late to chat about her weekend and then I had to get home to the pups. I hate when she does that!! Mickey was vomiting all day yesterday and about 4 times last nite. I had planned to stop in and check on them, potty them and then go right to the gym, then hit Walmart afterwards. Oh well, I'll get there on Wed and might ask my dad to let them out around 2 so I don't feel like I have to stop in between. Micky seems to be better tonite. He'll get boiled chicken and rice tonite. My kitty Timica is also not feeling well. Hasn't eaten much in the last couple of days but she did finish her breakfast thank god. Still not sure how I'm going to pay for Micky's dental but I'll figure it out. Maybe they'll accept a payment plan if I pay for most of it at the time of service.

Watching the Voice and then Black List, then to bed. Hopefully won't be awakened to the sound of retching LOL!!

I do feel so productive these days. And when I do take it easy I can truly feel like I deserve it. I can't imagine going back to a life that includes AL anymore.

Have a great nite all and hope the lurkers will check in!!

[Mick]

Memorable March - week 4

papmom ..smart pics!!!