Determined December

[treegirl]

Hello all -

Lav, so sorry for moon distress - this moon seemed particularly present - I saw it rising and this morning before it set - almost like it's trying to get extra attention! Also sorry for the negative thoughts. I have a 'worry-monster' that comes in the night; everything that could possibly go wrong shows up, and I have to think of solutions RIGHT AWAY or something dire will happen. Of course, in the light of day, things are not so dire. Trying to find ways of handling that. Good luck kicking the negativity out the door -- if anyone can do it, it's YOU!

Dill - I wish we had a wood stove! Yesterday it was a hard cold rain here all day, from pre-dawn to dark. Not pleasant, but I guess if it had been snow we would have had 2 feet or so! I wish our fireplace was more warming, but it doesn't throw much heat into the room, and all I feel is the house air being sucked up the chimney. We've looked at the glass enclosures with fans, etc, but they are more than I have to spend right now. Ideally, I'd put one of those gorgeous Danish stoves downstairs, and then we could heat the house in a power-outage. They are also very $$$ though!

Pap - so sorry for all the financial woes - as if just paying the bills isn't enough - to have to track down mistakes is really aggravating. I always hold my breath when the Propane guy pulls up in the truck...that's a surprise I don't particularly like.

Star - so glad your family gathering was good. I also meant to say congrats on the praise from your boss - how wonderful to work in a supportive environment where good work is rewarded. That's pretty rare these days!

I have been having my own health issues for a couple of months, and need some tests, but my doc is comfortable putting them off until the first of the year. I'm changing to a low-deductible plan for this next year so that I can get all the tests needed, and hopefully will minimize the out of pocket 'surprises'. Being a self-employed single payer is really expensive, and Blue Cross is almost punitive now - unless you go with one of their HMO versions (that they just came up with this year), the options are not great. Today I'll be settling on a 2015 plan, so I can stop agonizing about it. (Of course, the BLCR site for shopping plans was down yesterday! sheesh!)

Onward! Good luck with all the holiday plans, everyone. Just remember to breathe through it all ---

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Difficult day yesterday, looked at houses, didn't like any of them, getting grief for it. I am sick of this pattern. Glad it is Monday and time to go to work.

[dill]

Star, so sorry you had a frustrating day. I can only imagine how difficult house hunting would be at this point in my life. Mr. D and I are both rather set in our ways and want what we want. It's not as easy to compromise as it once was. Just breath. You can take your time with it because you certainly wouldn't want to move until the weather is better. I'm so glad you got positive reinforcement at work, at least you can find refuge there for today and a break from tensions on the home front. Oh, and I too am enjoying The Red Tent. Did you watch the show last night? As I mentioned, I recorded it. Have yet to watch it. I will record tonight's, too.

Lav, I'm sorry you have been having a hard time sleeping. I hate those nights when I wake up in the wee hours and start to worry. Lucky for me I don't have that experience on a regular basis as I once did. But when it happens....ugh! It happened to me last night. I wonder if we can consciously switch our gears by thinking of things we a grateful for in the situations that trouble us. IDK, I'm just wondering. I'll try it next time and see if it works! "Easy say, hard do." I got that abbreviated version of that saying while reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. Anyway, my current strategy when my mind is racing in the middle of the night is to put on an audio book and make myself listen.

Cyn, sorry about your recent health concerns. I do hope you take really good care of yourself! What is the BCLR website? I have been very frustrated by my own insurance lately that I get thru the State Teacher's Retirement Service but I doubt I could find anything much better elsewhere. The health care industry has been turned completely on it's head lately, as we all know. As far as wood stoves, they are worth the money because they last forever! We bought our Resolute when we first moved here and it is still doing it's job. Of course there has been maintenance along the way but it's still pumping out the heat! We live in a drafty old farmhouse with brick walls built on a limestone foundation. There's no insulation so it is very expensive to heat. This year we have shut off the front hall and upstairs and are only heating the downstairs. Last year with the kids living here we couldn't do that. Anyway, I'm hoping the limited space will help us be able to afford the heating oil. It was a killer expense last year.

Pmom, hope you have had a lovely weekend. Any news on the job front?

I was surprised when I logged on today to see that I had not posted yesterday. So where was I? Just here at home, putting a crock pot meal together, wrapping Christmas presents, watching TV, etc. We also went out for a short while to shop and last night, I went to the local university to enjoy their annual Christmas Concert. It was really wonderful to hear all those live performances! Mr. D had no interest so I went solo which was fine with me. I'd rather go alone than to feel like I've dragged some unwilling participant along and then have to worry if they were enjoying themselves or not. Some things are better experienced alone anyway, IMO. I could never, never, never have attended this event with wine on board. For one thing, I couldn't have driven there which would have left me having to entreat Mr. D to go along so he could drive. Then I would have had to try to act "normal" and although I would have thought I was enjoying the event, I know now that I would not have truly been experiencing it as I did last night, fully present and attentive. Then too, I was in the nose bleed section. Those stairs would have been a challenge in the old days! But last night, I found myself going down the stairs quickly without need of the railing! I didn't forget where I parked! I loved it AF. Honestly, I very rarely go out in the evening, which is a habit I developed while isolating with my wine. So last night was very special for me on many levels.

Have a good AF Monday all!

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning kids!

Not a drop of sun here & it's a chilly 25 degrees yet they say big rain is on the way tomorrow - ugh!

Cyn, sure hope you are OK :hug:
I know how frustrating it is dealing with insurance companies. My daughter & her family are facing huge premium hikes for the insurance they finally got earlier this year. I've worked with insurance companies from both ends - trying to secure more hospital days for inpatients & also working for Blue Cross for a year (bad job)! Have you tried consulting any insurance brokers? Letting them do the foot work is not a totally bad idea.

Star, could you postpone the house search until January or February? Give yourselves a break until after the holidays. My guess is a lot of folks wait to list their houses until after the holidays anyway. I listed my previous house in February & had lots of pre-Spring lookers

Dill, we put a woodstove in our basement/lower level of the house as soon as the building was finished. We had the bricklayer build a nice hearth for it since it sits in the big family area down there. Provides plenty of warmth downstairs & in my shop & it also helps heat up here through a floor vent in the living room floor. Of course there's all the work with finding firewood, cutting & stacking it - not my job!!!! Ha Ha!! I do appreciate not having to get that 1000 gal propane tank, buried in the front yard filled too often. I check the level frequently & try not to let it go under one-half. Propane prices soar during the coldest months, of course.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your solo outing! Listening to a live performance is the best! I rarely venture out after dark anymore, night time driving scares me & that's nothing new. It's something with my vision that I've had for the past 20 years - bummer.

I'm off to Curves & then straight back for work!
Wishing everyone a wonderful AF Monday!

Hi there Papmom!

Lav

[SnoopyC]

Good morning to all...

Dill, I love the Red Tent, watched part one, will save part two for Wednesday night when I can take my time and enjoy it.

Lav, I am definitely waiting for house hunting now. Not a good idea to push me around Christmas. I have lots to do and have to pace myself. Enjoying a great cup of coffee right now.

To all, have a great day.

[Lavande]

Good Tuesday morning all!

Expecting some mixture of rain, sleet & snow today from another coastal storm ~ swell.
I'm happy if we can avoid ice on the roads.

Glad you're putting the house hunting on the back burner Star
After the new year, when the decorations are all put away you can begin again!

Communicated a bit with Papmom on Facebook last night. She seems to be overwhelmed with sick doggies at the moment. Keeping her in my thoughts today!

Greetings Dill & Cyn. Hope you are both OK.

Not sure how I'm arranging my day due to this weather - we shall see. I have plenty to do right here to keep me out of trouble. Definitely don't need to go out & look for any, LOL
Have a great AF Tuesday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Star, we talk about balance and boundaries a lot, but we haven't hit on pacing ourselves. That's a really important thing to do! Slow but steady wins the race, just ask the tortoise and the hare.:happy2: I haven't had time for TV with the grand daughter staying the night last night. Also not sure if I'll get to watch Red Tent tonight because Mr. D got a two hour epi of Downton Abbey started last night. We got a half hour into it before I crashed. I think he'll want to finish that tonight. Thank goodness for DVRs, eh?

Lav, Thanks for the update on Papmom. I've been worried about her as she had so many financial upsets come her way. Now the dogs?! The poor lady! It's gray here today but the rain has stayed away. We had that yesterday, of course! I've been busying myself with the grand daughter, and now that she is gone, baking some shortbread cookies and doing some decorating for Christmas. I am really finding a need for those bright little Christmas lights lately because the weather is so gloomy.

Greetings Cyn, Papmom and readers. Have a peaceful AF Tuesday evening.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, it has been cold and some rain here, not complaining with no snow. My office is warm enough, today is our Christmas or holiday celebration. I made a bunch of sandwiches and it was fun. Looking forward to it. Learning lots of new things, keeping my brain working! Feeling really blessed in my new job. Yes, househunting will continue, but not during the week, but on my schedule. Sometimes you have to make things really clear.

Dill, I need the lights too. First thing this morning I turned on my Christmas lights, and it really looks festive. Such a dark time of year.

Pap, sorry to hear your doggies are sick, they have had a bad run of it lately. Take care of yourself.

Cyn, hope things are going well.

Have a happy hump day!

[treegirl]

Morning all -

The health insurance wait goes on - I know which plan I want, I just want to get it settled. Yesterday I called Blue Cross (Anthem, my state's Bl Cr), was on hold for 25 minutes, then spoke with someone who said I could leave my name and number and would receive a call back - in 24 to 48 hours! There's no way to just do the application online. I am currently a Bl Cr subscriber, and need to change my plan as they are retiring the one I have. How difficult can this be? I'm calling the state's Health Access, and if I have to, I'll drive to a center. I shouldn't have waited this long, but it's been tricky to figure out which plan will work for me. I wouldn't go with Bl Cr, but we travel so much that I really need a national company. Will keep you posted...

Star - glad that you are making things happen on your terms. Sometimes the people in our lives get a little forgetful of their partner's needs - been there! Thanks for the reminder about lights - I need to put some up - this endless week of cold rain/snow and no sun is taking a toll.

Dill - I loved your post about the concert and going out at night. I've lived that scenario in the past - I forget to be grateful in all the myriad ways we are FREE now to experience life. Good for you, and thanks for the reminders.

Lav - good luck with your work load this week, I'm sure you are up to your eyeballs in embroidery projects! Thanks for the update on PMom - give her a hey from us here. Also, please give LBH a hello - we haven't connected on FB (which I really need to log onto and check!)

I'm dealing with lots of emotion about my Mom and the holiday. I managed to order some cards that I personalized with her pic and a thank you from the family, so that I can send them out to family and friends. Christmas was her favorite time of year...

[treegirl]

BTW Lav - thanks for the MindBodyGreen link. It was fascinating, and I followed all the other links to great info about diet, etc. Things that I haven't come across on other sites. Now I am getting the daily links - too much great stuff! But I'm going to try to get a few of the habits going. Another victory for the Lav's Links!

[Lavande]

Good morning & happy Hump day friends!

Cold & windy but the sun just popped out - yay
Yesterday's darkness & dampness was more than enough!

Cyn, I just love the MindBodyGreen website & kind thought you would too.
Nothing radical on there just good, healthy, common sense stuff
I know dealing with Blue Cross is not always easy but they do have good comprehensive coverage & it travels well. I hope you get it squared away soon.

Star, good that you are standing your ground & protecting your boundaries!
We can only do that when we are fully present & feeling like a complete human being. I spent way too much time in a depressed & almost helpless state & felt unable to defend myself. Makes me cringe to think about that now but apparently it was a lesson I had to learn. Keep doing what is right for you

Dill, it's hard to find time to watch what you really want to watch on TV. When the kids are here my TV is busy with Sesame Street & other animated shows, LOL
I have a lot of kid watching dates coming up over the next few weeks so I won't be sitting down much anyway.

Greetings Papmom, hope everything is OK :hug:

Have a great AF Wednesday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Just a quick check in for me today I'm sorry to say. :hug: to you Cyn. I understand missing your Mom at this time of year.

We are heading into the darkest time of the year. Thank goodness we will turn the corner in a little over a week and the days will start getting longer instead of shorter, and shorter, and shorter.

Greetings Lav, Papmom, Star and readers. Keep the candles and Christmas lights lit!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Feeling sick, fighting a cold. I am a big baby when I feel like this, but nothing I can do but take good care of myself. Have a good day all.

[Lavande]

Morning friends!

We had a light covering of snow overnight, just enough to look pretty.

Star, get plenty of fluids in & drown that cold virus right out!
Too much to do this time of year to be sick

I need to get tons of stuff done today. I will be watching my grandsons tomorrow starting at 4 pm until sometime Sunday morning. I think I'll be busy this weekend, LOL

Greetings Dill, Cyn & Papmom! I hope your girls aren't in the heavy snow areas!
Have a great day everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Hi all -

Star - so sorry about your cold...treat yourself well - lots of yummy hot tea and hot water bottles (that's what I'd do, anyway!) Can you take Oil of Oregano - it really can bump up your immune system. Sending you healing thoughts --

Lav - isn't it interesting that the Universe always puts us in the situation that we most need to learn? Congrats - it sounds like you came out the other side of this karmic issue! That's pretty amazing. But no one I know of has worked their plan like you have. You are a great model.

Dill - good luck with all the activities around your house! I do miss my Mom, but I feel her presence very close. This was her favorite time of year, and her child-like delight in everything is a great memory and a great model for me.

PMom - hope you are hanging in there.

I have been reading a cookbook I got (long ago) 'Cook your way to the Life you want'. She's a macrobiotic cook, and so I won't be adopting the whole plan, but I wanted some more options for clean nutritive food. She comes at food from a completely Traditional Chinese Medicine orientation. I love reading about the 5 Elements and how they are reflected in the body/mind. Turns out that Winter is associated with Water, a very deep nutritive source. She talks about the dark being nutritive, giving us rest and readying us for activity in the spring, but also as expansive and getting us outdoors to do things like ski and snowshoe to enjoy the bright reflected sunshine. I loved having a positive way of thinking about the dark - as if we are protecting our energy 'seeds' to let loose later in the spring.

We had a beautiful snow yesterday, which will continue a little today. I am a strange bird - I'd much prefer snow (in the country!) than the 40s and rain that we have recently had. I'm thinking of getting out my ancient X-country skis and seeing if I remember how to use them. I'll keep you posted!

Success on the insurance front. It's done. Lav - no more national plans, though - everything in-network has to be in my state. Oh well, at least I chose a plan with a lower out-of-pocket maximum.

Wishing everyone moments of contentment today -