Judicious January

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Freezing cold here, but no more snow or sleet. Moving forward on the move, calling movers, brokers, realtors. It is time consuming. I have to say this cold weather has me sleeping really soundly. It is so warm and cozy in bed, I could stay there forever. Enjoying my coffee now.

Lav, part of the fun of going to grandma's is the snacks! It will be fun to see what I can come up with in the future. Being married to a bully would be tough, but knowing me, I would give it back and we would fight. I hate being bossed around and treated like a slave, I get crazy.

Dill, so glad Lav's suggestions helped. Good grief, why did those worthless docs not do their job.

Cyn, hope your ride was safe. I slid twice yesterday, once into an intersection, layed on my horn, but luckily no cars were coming. An adventure on the way to work. I am leaving earlier today. Wearing something really cute too, to keep my spirits up.

Hello Pap.

Have a great day. Very happy to be AF with all that is going on. I could not manage otherwise.

[treegirl]

Morning all -

Star - good luck with the commute today; sorry it was slippery for you yesterday. I lucked out on the long and winding drive to the airport - the roads were just slick with rain, not ice. Still, I was careful and made it just fine. Wearing something cute! I love that! I'm trying to create a picture in my mind of what you're wearing...is it red?

Lav - that darn raptor - he is really harrying your flocks. That would be hard to see. I agree with you about the cost of AL addiction to our society, it's huge and deep and so harmful. Thank goodness we are keeping our candles lit. RE: gkids. Holy cow! Does your son and DIL realize what a miraculous thing it is to have you close and willing to take on the kids like that? Stars in your crown, grandma.

Dill - I finished the knitting on the sweater, but now it's the fitting and adjustments, making the neckband, etc. I'm afraid that I don't love the front...the yarn I used is different than the yarn they recommended, and I don't think that it worked the pattern very nicely. If I don't like the looks of it, I may redo it. Oh well!

Pap - hope you are staying warm, and that the ice didn't reach you yesterday.

I'm enjoying the lighter-longer evenings, and the slightly higher temps - sounds like we're even supposed to have sun today!

Cheers, all -

[Lavande]

Good morning friends,

We have sun here, yay

Star, hope your commute was better today!
I know it's tough managing the logistics of another move but just think - this spring & summer you will be enjoying the weather in your very own yard again. Will you have enough room to grow some veggies? Patio tomatoes are nice too

Cyn, there's not much I can do about the hawk. My neighbor tells me the thing has been living around here longer than I have Last winter I found drops of blood on the deck under the bird feeder from one of it's victims.
I hope my son & DIL know how lucky they are to have an automatic babysitter service! I didn't have anyone to help when my kids were young. YB & I tried to work opposite shifts for the most part so one of us could be with the kids most of the time. That was difficult!
The lighter-longer evenings are nice - enjoy!

Greetings to Dill & Papmom.
Have a great AF day everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Yay, sun here, too! It's 22 degrees this afternoon but no wind. The sun beckoned us to brave the cold and take a walk. It was difficult at times because the patches of snow on the ground are frozen and hard and the ground is uneven. But it was wonderful to be out. The dog was thrilled too.

I finally got my afghan done and did take pictures, but they are on Mr. Dill's phone so I will have to wait to get at them and post one or two here.

Lav, your son is very lucky to have your help with the wee ones. I didn't have anyone to help either when mine were young. We managed tho. I found a friend and stay-at-home mom to trade childcare with and that helped a lot. The friendship endures to this day.

Cyn, before you decide to redo the sweater, put it aside for a few days. Come back and try to look at it with fresh eyes. I know that often I am too hypercritical of my work when I am in the middle of or just ending a project. I have found that in the circumstances where I went ahead and gave the item away, then didn't see it for awhile....well when I did see it again I saw it thru fresh eyes and appreciated it and realized it was very nice after all. Does that make any sense to you? I'm not sure I'm expressing myself clearly.

Star, did you get a minute to look at the link I shared yesterday? I hope it was a useful tool for you.

I'm still using the gratitude review at the end of each day, even tho I am not writing things down. It's a good practice!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning ladies...

Dill, I saved the link but have not looked quite yet....moving is on my mind right now. It is all consuming, plus work. Thanks for the link, I will definitely use it.

Lav, I will be able to grow patio tomatoes, maybe a really small garden, we'll see. The yard is so small it can be mowed in 20 minutes. I have never had such a small yard before; at this time in my life, it will be nice.

Cyn, the commute was better yesterday, another cold one today. Glad to hear you made your drive safely, too.

Hello Pap, last day today?

I am up super early, went to bed at the normal time, but woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. More time for coffee and MWO! Feeling good, thankful to be AF, making it through the winter. I was thinking how thankful I am for my job. Last year at this time I worked for someone who was such a piece of work and now everyone I work with cares, culture is kindness and helpfulness, all coming from the top. Wow, what a difference. Dill, I agree with you, mentally making time for gratitude must send endorphins soaring, it just feels good and it is the truth too. I was thinking how we have freewill, to do and think whatever we want. Let's choose the good thoughts and actions.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends,

It seems a virus has caught up with me, yuck
Had major chills, aches & pains all over last evening. Had a hard time sleeping too. I guess I'll just lay low today & wait for it to blow over. Happy I made a pot of chicken noodle soup yesterday.

A happy work environment makes all the difference Star. Glad you are enjoying your new job.
Staying positive is #1 on my list!!!

Papmom, enjoy your last day! Are you staring right up in your new job tomorrow?

Dill, send milder weather my way - please!
This cold, damp weather gets to me in terms of increased aches & pains.

Cyn, hope you are OK.

Have a great AF Wednesday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Hello all -

Lav, can a person have a 3 hour flu? I've been sleeping poorly as well; got up extra early to help HB get on the road to the big city, made my normal breakfast and tea and sat down. Started feeling queezy, arms like lead, chills. Got a hot water bottle filled, went back to bed and slept for another 2 hours! Unheard of. I feel better now, and had some canned peaches - so far so good. Weird! Sure hope that you feel better soon - you're probably exhausted from taking care of the little ones - maybe your kids need to have a back-up childcare plan?

SERIOUSLY EVERYONE - Take Care - a friend of ours has been sick with some respiratory thing since Thanksgiving, got worse after Christmas, and at the New Year ended up in ICU, and fighting for her life. I've sent her white light repeatedly during these days, and lots of prayers, counting the hours until we hear how she is doing...

Thanks for the good idea about the knitting, Dill. I've been picking it up and putting it down for a while now - but won't really know until I get the neck circle done. (I'm kind of getting to the place where I'm over it!)

Star - take care of yourself during this pre-move time. All details seem crucial, but keep a priority list. Remember, you can always get people to pack you up - save energy for the Moving In part!

Pap - hoping this is a good last day - and hoping that you've been staying warm!

I'm grateful grateful grateful grateful or electricity and a house that's heated!!!!

Cheers all -

[Lavande]

Cyn,
I think just about anything is possible where the flu is concerned this year!
I guess we are better off having gotten flu vaccines months ago - at least we're not getting full blown flu.
Sure hope you friend recovers soon, that's pretty serious.
Take care everyone!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, so sorry you caught a bug! Yuck. I hate being sick. Take care and be good to yourself. Nothing better than chicken soup.

Cyn, so sorry about your friend. I am telling you, I was sick for about a month, I finally quit coughing, can hear, feel normal. Whatever is going around is powerful in a bad way. Hope you continue to feel better. Maybe you were catching something and were able to fight it off.

Hello Dill and Pap. Have a great Thursday.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Much improved this morning after a decent night's sleep
Whatever I had didn't linger & moved on quickly, thank goodness!

Greetings Star, Dill, Cyn & Papmom!
I hope everyone has a good AF Thursday!
I'm going to try to get back to my 'normal' routine today, whatever that is, ha ha!

Lav

[treegirl]

Good morning -

Lav - take it easy today - so glad that you feel better. 'Moved on' is an excellent phrase! I also was OK yesterday after I finally roused myself. Maybe sleep really is the answer. I was reading a site that talked about liver and toxins, and that night time is when the liver does it's main de-toxification work. So if we get tired and run-down and no sleep, fewer toxins flush out. Also interesting was the theory the many of the calcifications that we call 'stones' are actually made in the de-tox process in the liver, not the gallbladder, and that upper back, shoulder and neck pain is associated with liver toxins (which is similar to the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach). It's all so dang interesting!

Star - hang in there and take care - preserve your health!

Dill - hope that everyone around you is starting to heal - and you take care!

Pap - is this day one in the new job?! Hope the walk to work was do-able. Only 15 degrees here this morning...

Grateful for fingers today, all working and healthy.

OK, off to work for me - cheers all -

[dill]

Hey Everybody, where was I yesterday? I didn't post! Well, here I am today. Glad everyone is feeling ok. Star, I think Mr. D caught what you had. He can't stop coughing and it is now moving from his chest to his head. He's been down with this for 10 days already.

I finally finished my crochet. IMG_0237.jpg
IMG_0233.jpg

Cyn, Lav, Papmom, AF greetings!

I'm grateful for yarn! LOL!

[papmom3]

Hello hello!! Thanks for thinking of me everyone! My last day was very uneventful. I believe I have left them in VERY good shape!! At least I hope so!! My boss brought in a carrot sheet cake and invited everyone to come by and say good bye. A lot did which was very nice. One of the Deans started crying! She and I have hit it off from my interview and I will miss her the most. Rushed home and loaded Mickey up to bring him to his 2nd acupuncture session. Not sure if it had any effect so not sure I will continue. Of course he is on heavy pain meds so who knows? He was very excited to be there tho-all wiggly butt and tail wags.
I have taken today and tomorrow off and I'm not working the demo job at all this weekend so another mini vacation. I start the new job on Tuesday.
Today was Mickey's followup at Tufts and it went very well. Has to stay on the pain meds but we're done with the pred after 2 more doses. I can take him for 2 ten min walks a day and gradually increase. The neurologist was very happy with his progress. We follow up again in a month. I've reworked my bedroom and put the mattress on the floor so Mickey can join us at night and be out of the crate for extended periods with supervision. When i'm not there he has to go back in. Things are slowly getting back to normal! After his appointment I had my first hair appt in 8 months!!! I took a deep breath and told her to chop it! Also got an overall color -bright blond with a few highlites. I like it but haven't tried to style it yet-that should be interesting LOL!! I also bought some makeup-foundation, shadow, liner, mascara and a first for me-lipstick!! My stylist told me the blond color washed me out and I needed some lip color at the very least. I have moved away from makeup totally in the past few years probably because I had such a poor self image. Time for a self makeover!!
Dill-that afghan is gorgeous!! What colors!! Were you working with 2 skeins at a time? I caught a bit of an old knit/crochet show on Create that showed how to do that. So sorry your hubby is sick-I'm sure he's getting great care with you by his side. Is your son feeling better?
Tree- Mondays' commute was pretty tough but tues and wednesday were fine. All done with that!! I hope you will post pics of the finished sweater!! So weird about the 3 hour flu! Your immune system obviously kicked into high gear. You also had the luxury of going to bed when you needed to. I do believe that is key.
Lav-Glad you're feeling better!! I think you're right about the flu shot helping to shorten the duration. I dread my turn. Last year I missed it. So many people at work came down with it and it seems more respiratory than anything else. Dangerous for me with my pulmonary history.
Star-you're going through a lot right now but you sound in control and very happy!! I'm excited for you and Mr. star!! So good to hear you still like your job and that the top down is kind and caring. I hope it is that way where I am going. I'll do my part to make sure it is!
Tomorrow I'm making the trek to my old old job and meeting my friend I used to work with (her hubby has the brain tumor? doing well). We'll visit with former colleagues and walk around the campus. Maybe even get to go into the new science building. I'm excited to see her and catch up.
Tomorrow nite I have to go to a wake. After quilt class on Tuesday, one of my classmates got home to find her DH unresponsive. He didn't make it. It's going to be very very sad. Only in his early 60's. No idea what happened or if he was sick or had a condition. I don't think so. I think this was totally unexpected. I don't even know what to say to her. Another classmate lost her hubby in the fall. He had intestinal problems and went in for surgery. Had major complications and ended up passing away. I didn't go to that wake-I can't remember why-it might have been on a weekend I was working.
Saturday and sunday/monday I'll spend cleaning and reorganizing-fresh start. Will also have dinner with my dad on Saturday. Will try to sneak in some workout time as well-definitely water jam Sat morning. Maybe I'll get my rear out of bed tomorrow morning and do a workout. I'm feeling somewhat unmotivated these days. Got to get back in the groove.
My boyz are all sacked out on our new low bed and I'm very happy. Life is good right now!

[Lavande]

Very pretty Dill
Love the colors, good job!!!
Not what? Ha Ha
Hope Mr D feels better soon. The hospitals around here are at about full capacity ~ so many sick people

Well, once again YB has decided we should try to go to the farm show. So he's taken the day off tomorrow & we will make the trek halfway across the state & hope to get into one of the parking areas. It's amazing how crowded this event is every year. At least the weather won't hold us back this time.

http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/

I will check in sometime in the evening, let you know how it goes!

Cyn, the human body is an amazing machine. Makes me wonder why we mess with the fine tuning by eating, drinking & smoking all the wrong things. I am grateful everything is working for me today as well!

Papmom, check in

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, have fun at the farm show. May the good weather stay for a few days. You feel better quickly and that is amazing.

Dill, loved the afghan, lots of work. Anything exciting for the weekend?

Cyn, glad you are feeling better too.

Pap, how great to have a few days off. You deserve it. Best of all, glad your doggie is better.

So happy it is Friday! Have a good one.