It's Cold, It's the Holiday Season, and I Want a Gift.

It's cold. I'm dressed for the swimming pool, and knowing I'll be standing outside the front doors to the YMCA for at least five minutes. I'll be wearing my heated vest, though. That helps a LOT in these sub-zero temps. The weather is great, but the cold has settled in to the Frozen Northlands and we're only in mid-December. 

I have this brand, I'm pretty sure. I've been using 
it for two years now, and I wear one of them 
almost continuously throughout the winter months. 
It works great. We're back to our normal sub-zero 
temps now, so it's nice to have that extra warmth. 

Last year was the winter that Jack Frost forgot. I felt extremely fortunate in that regard, since I wasn't able to shovel at all after my cancer surgery (the one time I tried set me back over two weeks and that was only 1/2" of snow on Valentine's Day). We'll see what happens over this Winter, but so far it's a lot of cold with some snow - last week's snow was a total PITA to get off the driveway. 

All holiday cards have now been mailed - international and 
domestic. Sharon's gifts are also on their way to her. I hope 
she, Cathy and the cats will enjoy them. Now I can concentrate 
on DH, Chickie and Chickie Mama. 

I'm dressed for the pool, and ready to go swim. I have some email addresses that I need to add to the store's data base on my desk - I'll probably get to those tonight or tomorrow. DH has been in a "mood" (i.e., cranky). He's been repricing our precious metals, as you know. We're through with all of the finished findings and into the footage wire. There's nothing like footage Gold Filled wire to dampen your day. It used to be quite affordable, but is anything BUT affordable now. 

DH is in the middle of repricing all of our precious metal 
findings and wire. It's a HUGE job. We used to stock a 
bunch of materials for our customers, but then the market 
went out of control. We used "adders" then, adding a 
percentage to the base cost to bring items to current market 
pricing. That grew cumbersome, however, and we wanted 
to get things more up-to-date. It's been an intense project 
of more than a month now, but we're almost done. 

I know it's just general stress, but he strikes out at me (verbally - any physical strike and I'm seeing an attorney). We're sparring almost every day these days, and it's annoying. I'm sure that other couples go through similar crap when they're under stress, but it's not fun to live through. Still, we push through. 

The Thermaworks Instant Read Thermometer has 
gotten the best reviews over the years. Yes, it's 
$100. But, I think it's probably worth it. I've wanted 
one for years, and asked for one for years. I doubt 
I'll be receiving it this year, but it never hurts to ask 
Santa for something special. 

I have an Instant Read Thermometer on my holiday gift list. I've had it on my list in the past and didn't get it and I doubt I'll get it now either. It is a rather specific item, and it's expensive. But there are some things that can be done with an Instant Read Thermometer that can't be done with any other kitchen tool. So, I keep adding it to my holiday gift list, and he keeps complaining about how I want more crap in the kitchen. The kitchen, actually, is in great shape. I keep it that way quite consciously. I work in that room a LOT. So, speaking of work, it's time to wrap this up, bundle up, and head to the pool for my work out. Have a lovely Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Fun Cooking Day, Now Reality is Knocking Again

I spent most of yesterday in the kitchen. My refrigerator looks much happier now - prepared meals and morning fruit are stacked on my side. I always enjoy a good day of cooking, and one of the best things about yesterday is the roast beef that I made. It turned out glorious - perfectly medium-rare, and my slicer still works well. I ended up with 30 slices of roast beef for sandwiches for about $16. A steal of a deal. 

The roast beef I had purchased on Wednesday cooked up 
wonderfully and I was able to slice it super thin, so even 
though it's a tough cut of meat, it's still very tasty and easy 
to eat. Lunch! LOL

We had been waiting for a reply from Travis regarding our next steps for our business liquidation, but frankly, I wasn't super happy with what we got back. We're supposed to schedule another phone meeting. I'm fine with a lot of that, but at some point I'm going to need more assistance and I'm hoping against hope that he'll be able to actually provide that. I'll also have to do some searching for firms we'll need to hire for publicity, mailings and website advertising. More things on my plate "sigh". 

It's so easy to start a business - a minimum of muss 
and fuss and a single piece of paper filed with the 
city you're operating in. Closing a business, on the other 
hand, is a nightmare of regulations, governments (city, 
state and local) and procedures. ARGH! 

I took a bit of time last night to contact a friend about a gift for another friend. Since at least one of these people reads my blog semi-regularly, I'm not going into specifics, but I do hope that Friend #1 can do what I'm asking (I'm perfectly willing to pay a good rate for the job), and that Friend #2 will be pleased with the result. I'll have to wait and see, but I have high hopes on this one. 

Next Thursday is looking like a train wreck already. I have my virtual court hearing scheduled for 11:50 am, and as soon as I'm finished with that, Claire and I will head to the MCI course I'm taking at my local health center. I'll have to tell them we might be slightly late, but we should be there on time, if everything clicks. I'll have to do the Zoom call from the shop, so I'll have to gather whatever paperwork I think might be relevant and take it to the shop with me. My documentation is shit - my birth certificate is almost a joke it's so bad. But, I do have my naturalization papers and other things that back me up as being who I'm claiming I am. If the Judge asks for something I forgot, however, it's not going to go well. 

It's been a while since I was last on Zoom, and both 
Claire and I will be in the same room for the hearing, since 
we need to leave for our MCI group as soon as it wraps up. 
I'm just hoping it will be cut and dried without any speed 
bumps. 

So, stress upon stress for the upcoming week. I'm going to wrap this up and try and enjoy a busy Saturday and a Sunday raking leaves (ick!). Have a great weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Hopefully Today Will Be a Bit Smoother Than Yesterday

I have a bit more breathing room today, but yesterday was a bit of a train wreck. I was very rushed for my blog (although better than Monday), and when I got to the YMCA, I found out that the showers in the women's locker room were being worked on and hadn't been available on Monday. When we entered the building on Tuesday, we were informed that they still weren't finished. Although I could have used the family room, I decided to skip my swim and get on with what would prove to be a very busy day at the shop. 

This train wreck from 1910 had 41 fatalities. In those 
days, the train was what you took to get from Point A 
to Point B. Airplanes hadn't taken off yet (sorry for the pun). 

It wasn't that we had so many customers - we did have quite a few, but they were well spaced out and we had plenty of time to deal with them. It was the inventory that we're in the middle of - getting things appropriately counted, and also appropriately labeled and put away. That kept me busy all day, I didn't even have time for lunch. Oh well, that batch of Ogre Juice needs to be remade in any case - LOL. (It's on today's agenda along with cooking a few things for dinners.) 

I need to make a new batch of "Ogre Juice" for myself. I can 
tell I haven't had a chance to actually take a lunch for a few 
days at the shop. My body is screaming for my green juice. 

I've got a collection of items sitting on my computer desk that I need to wrap and send off to Sharon for her holiday gift. I found the perfect things at the craft show last week, and just need to get them wrapped and packed and off of my desk. And tomorrow, of course, will be my weekly MCD class with Claire. I purchased what I'm calling a "comfort chicken" at the craft fair for her. It's this knit, stuffed chicken that's large enough to hug well. I simply couldn't resist getting it for her. 

The knitted chicken I purchased for Claire is quite 
similar to this one and it's wonderfully hug-able. LOL 
You never know when hugging a chicken might be the 
perfect thing to do - LOL. I'll give it to her at MCD class 
tomorrow. 

But today will be a busy day - a laundry day and household day and if I don't get some things cooked, I'll be out of meals after I finish the last of my home-made soup from last week (which is, as always, super tasty). So, I've got to get my head in the game and start today out right with a swim, even if I have to use the Family Room for my locker and changing area. I missed my swim yesterday, and might take one on Friday so that I get my three days in this week ... maybe. I haven't made up my mind, and probably won't until Friday gets here. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Ups and Downs and Gifts and GRRRR - It's a Typical Christmas Season

DH went off the rails last night about a deposit that he had told me to get from my brokerage account. I had done EXACTLY what he had told me, and suddenly everything was wrong. I was quite miffed with him, which added to my general "ick" about the snow we're supposed to get today. I decided to skip swimming until Friday and use the treadmill instead today - work out my frustration on scenery instead of listening to my book while I do laps. I did email a Y friend to let her know I wouldn't be there, but I'm not 100% sure she was there today either - sometimes she does "spin" at a different branch. Oh well. Whatever. I'll be back in the pool tomorrow. 

Honestly, living with DH is sometimes like 
being stuck in a revolving door. If he would 
actually be clear with his instructions, and 
would maybe write things down, and then 
actually listen to me ... but that's pipe dreams. 

I received one of the major gifts I purchased for DH yesterday. I actually got one for each of us because it seemed like something I would also use a lot. It's a powered heated vest - computer heated and controlled with three levels of hot. I charged up my power source last night, got the connector out through the opening where it's supposed to be pulled (I actually had to cut the fabric at that point because their cuts hadn't actually penetrated). I'm all powered and ready to go. Since I need to shovel before I leave for the shop, I might just wear my vest under my coat today and see what I think. I'm actually looking forward to trying it out. 

I didn't want to spend a fortune on a heated vest for DH 
to wear while pulling snow off the roof, and the Voltex 
vest came in at a very reasonable price. If we like them, 
and they last the season, I'll be happy. 

Everything else seems to be on track - slightly. Sharon ... your package is being shipped today via Express Mail (or maybe tomorrow, but still, via Express Mail). Sorry I'm running late, but with luck and a spare reindeer or two, you should have your holiday gifts before Christmas. 

I'm looking for a spare reindeer to get Sharon's 
gifts to her quickly and efficiently - LOL. 
Maybe this spare reindeer? 

Now I need to think about what I want to cook tomorrow. I want something that will get me to Christmas and maybe a day or two afterward, but we have a hunk of beef for me to cook for the actual holiday, and that will last us for several days. Well ... I don't have to make up my mind immediately on that - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

LJ Idol, Phone Hell and an Early Christmas Gift

It was a real disappointment to pull out of LJ Idol. I might have not had the votes, but I think it was very close. But ... I looked at the time schedule, my own schedule, and the fact that I'm still dealing with minor/major irritations such as getting our new phone system completely up and operational and a small health issue, and I decided to lower my stress a notch or two. Not that writing is necessarily stressful, just that to write in LJ Idol, I have to bring my "A Game" to every entry. 

I loved writing for LJ Idol again this time. There's 
something wonderful about writing to a prompt 
that comes out of nowhere. I'm not sure where 
Gary finds all of these prompts, but damn ... he 
finds some really good ones. 

Looking back on the season, however, I'm very happy with what I produced. There was some solid writing in some of those tales, and I got farther this time than EVER before. In the top six! I'll continue reading and voting, of course. I have friends in the group of five that remain, but I always base my votes on the actual writing offered, not alliances or friendships. It's the only fair thing to do. 

We have two new digital phones from Nextiva. 
The phone on DH's desk is connected and 
can be used. The phone at the cash register, 
however, is an attractive paperweight, right 
now. *sigh* 

I spent an hour or more on the phone with customer service yesterday. We're trying to figure out why one of our phones is connected, but the other phone number (the main line to the shop) is still on copper wiring instead of WiFi. *sigh* I resubmitted some contracts to the customer service department at their request, and spoke to a couple of the agents there. Really lovely people, with the same goals that I have - getting everything up and running properly and switched over from our old phone service to the new one. I have a much better feeling about things after yesterday's calls. We'll see if things are better when I'm back at the shop tomorrow. 

I love having a container of baked fruit with my 
breakfast. I only eat fruit at breakfast, per WildFit 
recommendations. It works for me, and I love 
living my WildFit life. It's been several years now, 
and it just works for me. 

Meanwhile, back in the mundane, I need to do a batch of baked fruit today. A container of baked fruit is part of my usual breakfast, and I ate the last of my current batch a day or so ago. I didn't have the time to deal with fruit on Wednesday - I did a large crock pot soup and my alkagizers that day. So, today I shop and I bake fruit. 

Happy Holidays to me! I've wanted one of these for 
a long time, and I think I will use it enough to justify 
the cost. Black Friday savings dropped $100 off the 
cost, so I felt it was do-able. 

I'm also going to take a nice, careful look at my Christmas gift - LOL. My postal person (who probably hates me forever more now because the box is HEAVY) delivered my new Kitchen Aid Artisan Mini 3.5 qt Tilt Head mixer to the shop. I've wanted one for a long time. I THINK I have the cabinet space for it. That's a requirement in my kitchen - I must have the room for my appliances. I'm figuring DH actually bought this for me. He usually gives me holiday cash and I've been saving up for this for a few years now. I'm very much looking forward to trying some gluten-free bread recipes. 

So, that's the news from my end. I hope you have a lovely Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

What Is A Gift? Time? An Object? Or How About Just The Kindness Of Giving

I awakened early today, at 2:30 am instead of 3:00 am, so I settled in for a comfortable meditation. Which I had, and it was lovely. Then I gathered the laundry together and got the first load started, and I found a couple of other things that need to be added to the recycling bin which is being collected today. Add in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and suddenly I'm tight on time. I need to be on my way to the swimming pool in a little more than 30 minutes. That extra half hour I got earlier has disappeared into the maelstrom of little bits of things here and there. 

Maelstroms are very real, as this photo attests to. 
Sometimes life can become a maelstrom, sucking 
you into thoughts and actions without your thinking 
about things at all. All you can do then is ride 
the wave and hope that it spits you back out again. 

Today will be a very busy day, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm on regular schedule through Saturday, but then have three days off for the Christmas holiday break. Then I dive into my "Four Day End of the Year Blow-Out Sale" and then I can collapse for another three days of rest. I'll have a chance to chat with Aearwen today, but it will be our final chat of the year. I'll be working next week Wednesday through Saturday for the big sale. 

We really count on our end of the year sale to pad out our 
sales numbers for the year. It's been a fairly decent 
Christmas so far, but we really need that final push of 
desperate shoppers - LOL. 

We've had some really fun customers over the past week or so. People are getting into the holiday gift routine, and they're buying components to give as gifts or for making gifts to give. Either way, it's a total win'win for both of us. We get the cash inflow we desperately need, and they get to leave with wonderful things in their hands. 

Remember that the gift is in the giving, whether the gift 
is appreciated or not. Since much of what I buy for DH 
isn't appreciated, I'm quite used to that backlash that can 
happen. Fortunately, gift cards are quite useful. 

My final customer last night was a lovely young lady buying beads for a friend. She was very concerned about whether or not her friend would like the gift, and kept wondering about that with each item she was choosing. I got her checked out and ready to go, but as I handed her package to her, I told her "The greatest gift you are giving to her, or to anyone, is the fact that you thought enough about them to give them a gift you thought they would love. Remember, it's a season of love, and don't worry about the actual gift at all." Maybe we should all remember that during this hectic time of the year. 

Thanks to those of you who have sent me a holiday 
card. They are brightening up my living room, 
and are so much fun to look at. I usually leave them 
up at least until 12th night, so I have lots of time 
to enjoy them. 

So, I'm off to the swimming pool. Holiday card "THANK YOU"'s go out to AdoptedWriter, Sea Ivy and my cousin, Missy. I got your cards yesterday and they're wonderful. They have joined my array across my fireplace mantle and my house is looking quite festive. I'm honored that you thought of me and sent it to me, and I thank you VERY much for your kindness. At that, I'm out of here. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Another Amazing Shirt and Thoughts on Food/Cooking

I arrived at work yesterday to see a USPS Priority Mail box sitting on my chair. Whoot!!! I had been warned to expect a package from an online friend and couldn't wait to see what she had sent to me this time. She's sent me some really amazing items over the past year - she's my ice hockey friend and sent that wonderful Kaprisov NHL jersey to me last year, along with other hockey-related items over the past few months. She's totally spoiling me (and I love it - LOL). 

I took a quick photo of my newest shirt this morning. 
I just love it and I'll get a lot of use from it. Since I 
try to wear long sleeves throughout the year, and it's 
relatively light-weight, I can see it being worn a LOT. 
Thanks again to la samtyr for the amazing and 
completely unexpected gift. 

This time it was indeed another hockey related item - a lace-up long scrunch-style sleeved "Winter Classic" t-shirt for the MN Wild. Again, an NHL branded item, and again a totally unexpected and very welcome gift. I'm wearing it now with my light-weight grey turtleneck sweater underneath because it's still the Frozen Northlands and it's still cold. 

I do love ice hockey - it's fast and furious, and there's 
no quarter given. I love football too, but I don't feel 
for the MN Vikings the way I do for the MN Wild. 
(Of course, my main football team are the Denver 
Broncos anyway, so MN always comes second in 
football). I love the Wild's logo - that indeterminate 
animal with the north woods and the single star. It's 
a great logo - visual and singular. 

The hockey team itself, however, is playing really crappy. They lost big last night in a 1-5 loss at HOME! We're supposed to win at home, not lose by 4!! To say the least, they have to get their act together because they're quickly falling down in their division. Next game is Saturday, so hopefully they can get their crap together before then. I'm quite sure the coaches and other players will be working hard to get the bad mojo out of their system. Evason (the coach) isn't happy and will be working the guys hard, and it was the team that let the goalie down last night. They get a day off today (and need it after two games in a row). Maybe that will help. 

My cabbage rolls weren't quite this neat, but they were 
amazingly tasty and I want to make them again. I'll have to 
pull the recipe out from my pile and add the ingredients 
to my shopping list for next week. I don't have the time 
to be making them until Wednesday (I also don't have 
the refrigerator space until then). It'll be something to 
look forward to, though. 

Today is a "day off" for me and I'll be quite busy in the kitchen. I need to make my next batch of "Ogre Juice" and figure out if I need to make something for Monday/Tuesday's dinners or not. I'd really love to make another batch of the stuffed cabbage that I made while I was on Jury Duty. That had turned out to be a lovely meal and I'd love to make it again. Maybe on Wednesday, which means whatever I make now only needs to be for a few days of meals. I still have a full container of chili left, which would take me through two-three days, so I may just stick with almond flour tortilla wraps until Wednesday and then cook a serious batch of something. 

That having been settled, I might as well wrap this up. DH is in a terrible mood right now, and I'm staying far away from him while he works it through. He'll take over the kitchen on Sunday to make a large batch of his own chili - several different canned beans, but also corn. All of the ingredients (except the ground beef), from cans or packages. No fresh ingredients for DH *sigh*. Silly man. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Life is Blurry Right Now, But Tasks Await

Today starts out with a bang. I awakened an hour early, so took my time with my daily meditation instead of rushing through it to keep on schedule. It's always nice when I have a little bit of breathing space. We're not dealing with snow (we sent all of it to the East for my friends out there who have been missing it - you're welcome), and the temperature, although cold, isn't abysmal. So it's a win of a day. But it's a busy one with a trip to the bank first thing in the morning before I open the shop. 

I'll be going from here to there to everywhere this 
morning before I open the shop. It's a good thing 
I filled up the car last week - LOL. 

Swimming comes first, though. I'm always happy for a swim day. I need to contact my eye doctor - my eyes have really been bothering me lately. I really can't see well at all, and for a job that requires exact reading of very small numbers, that's not viable. I'll contact them first thing this morning and if they can't get me in, I'll contact my clinic and schedule an emergency eye exam with them. Vision is important, and I'm seeing through soft focus instead of clarity. 

My vision has become much blurrier, and I can't 
focus well at all. That's making it challenging both 
to find beads for customers in our stock, as well 
as actually make sales transactions. I'll be calling my 
eye doctor's office today and seeing how quickly 
I can get in there. 

DH has a day off today which, for a change, won't entail pulling snow off the roof. I'm quite sure he's already relieved about that, even though it probably hasn't crossed his mind completely. Still, I hope he gets a chance to relax a bit. He's always really tense at this time of the year because we're doing end of the year financial books and reports. It is a mess, and not enjoyable, but better him than me. 

I'm getting a package mailed to you today, Sharon. It's not 
a box, just a large envelope, but keep an eye out for it. 
Hope you like it. *hugs*

And that's about all I have to say today - not a great deal of interest, I'm afraid, but not all days will be headliners. Sharon - I'm mailing a package to you. I saw it and just thought it would be perfect for you. If I get the label printed this morning, it'll be mailed today, otherwise it'll be tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it. For everyone ... have a fabulous day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

At Least Today I Swim - Yesterday Was BORING

Yesterday was a Lot of "hurry up and wait" while on Jury Duty. It turns out there are a total of 50 groups of people who were called up this time, and I'm in Group 7. The first session was groups 1-15, maybe 16, and that filled the orientation room. The chairs are fairly comfortable, and that's lucky, because we spent a LOT of time sitting in them. There were six courtrooms that were going to jury trial when we started, but as it turned out, before we left for lunch at noon or so, only one had called for jurors, two others had either settled or changed the method of trial. 

So, I wasn't even called to be a possible juror ... at least 
not yet. They always call for more than needed because 
not everyone is accepted by the lawyers for a particular 
trial. So, I think they called 20 for the first trial, but 
since they never called for any of the others (at least 
not yet), I have no idea if that's a standard number or not. 

So out of our group, about 20 people were pulled to be considered for the jury for Trial #1, Trials #2 and #3 changed their requests, and we were waiting on Trials #4, #5 and #6. In the meantime, the second group of jurors had arrived for their orientation, leaving us highly overpopulated. So they released groups 1-6 prior to lunch. Of course, I was in group 7. *sigh* 

It would have been nice to have a nice 
alternative for lunch, but I really wasn't in 
the mood for Chipotle, and wasn't in the 
mood to spend a lot of money for lunch either. 
So I just skipped lunch all around. A mini-fast, 
in essence. 

I spent a rather boring 1-1/2 hours of "lunch". I wandered downtown, but I didn't feel like Chipotle, and the only restaurants I was interested in either weren't open for lunch on Mondays, or only had dinner service. So I didn't eat. I did have a couple of small cups of hot tea (I brought my own teabags, which was a good thing because the courthouse provided NOTHING - no coffee or tea, just a dispenser giving out cold or hot water. 

After things got back for the afternoon, they released groups 7-12, so I was able to get to the shop by 2:00 pm and send Chickie home with thanks. Now I get to phone in. I already made my call for today's morning session and was not needed. I'll have to call again after 11:30 am to see if I'm needed for the afternoon session. But today I'm probably fine at the shop. They have to go through all 50 groups of jurors before beginning again with Group #1, so I expect I'm at least covered for today, and possibly tomorrow before I might be called upon again. 

This comes under the heading of "watching paint dry". 
I haven't been so bored in forever. Too bad I'm not 
a hand-knitter, I could have done some serious damage 
on a sweater if I was. 

This comes under the heading of being really bored and/or watching paint dry. I was rather amazed at the number of people who brought their laptop computers along with them. Obviously they knew something I didn't. I was pretty happy just with my phone - doing puzzles and reading my current e-book - but yeah - the laptop would have been a nice plus. I will get a check in the mail for a whopping $20 plus mileage, and my parking fee for the ramp was $15, so my net so far ... under $10 total. Whoot! 

I love my 1970's vintage Minnesota North Stars 
patch. I have to figure out the perfect place for 
it, because it's pretty darned awesome! 

I did come home to a wonderful package from an on-line friend of mine who sent me three ice hockey patches and a wonderful collectible trading card featuring Lemieux and Gretzky when they played in the 1987 Canadian Cup against the Soviet Union. It's a treasure and I'm extremely pleased. I'm trying to think of what I want to put my patches on. That will take a bit of serious thought. It's got to be the right item, for sure! So THANK YOU!!! to my fellow ice hockey fan. I'm totally THRILLED. 

On that note, I'm off to the pool. I really need a good swim today after sitting around for half the day yesterday. Oh, and I know I thought they would serve lunch? Well, no. They don't ... and they don't even have a breakroom or cafeteria or anywhere on-site where you can actually get something to eat! So, yeah. I didn't eat until I got home for dinner last night. *sigh* Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Slava Ukraini. 

All Holiday - Gifts Delivered and Cards Received

Fortunately I'm not in a massive rush today, so I get to write an actual blog. I'm quite happy about that. I gave personalized cat mats to each of my three friends who own cats here in the USA. (I'd have included the four "Ginger Boys" who own my friend Linda in the UK, but shipping one of these to her would have been quite expensive, so I kept it to USA friends only). Each mat is personalized with the name and cat likeness of the cat or cats. Chickie got one for Roxie and Tilde, Sharon got one for Sam and Dean, and Chickie Mama (Claire) got one for Milkweed. They were all a hit, but Milkweed has claimed ownership of her mat. She curls up on it all the time. It's totally become her private properly. LOL

Milkweed, my friend Chickie-Mama's cat, has 
claimed ownership of her "Cat Rules" mat. 
The mats were each personalized with the 
approximate image of the cat(s) and the names 
of said beast(s). It was a holiday gift that was 
well-received by all who got one; two legged 
and four legged, both. 

I've received more than 20 holiday cards from friends this year. My family didn't sent any out (they only send card sporadically, so I never expect any from them). Yesterday's mail brought two very unexpected cards from friends overseas - my long-time friend Rose sent me one from the UK, and it was LOVELY, and my long-time jeweler friend Hans and his wife Anne sent me one from the Netherlands. Of course they were immediately added to the mantle. I'll try to take a photo later this week, I need daylight to be able to get the full spread and I leave for the shop in the dark. 

My friend Hans, along with being a very talented fine 
jeweler, also makes these amazing steampunk-inspired 
creatures. He's made them for years now out of copper 
and bronze with jeweled eyes and movable joints. He's 
always creating something new in his "spare" time. 

Today is "Day 3" of my four-day sale. We've had some good sales, but I'm hoping we'll have an excellent two days to wrap things up. We've been quite fortunate, seeing old and dear friends who have been MIA for a while. It's always good to catch up a little bit while selling them supplies to spark their imaginations or enable them to finish a project. 

I do love my swimming, even though the chlorinated 
water isn't good for my skin. The exercise I get is 
unparalleled for excellence, and I don't get bored quite 
as easily as I do on the treadmill, No matter what, though, 
I'm always listening to my latest book. Sometimes that's 
all that gets me moving in the mornings. 

Today is my final swim of 2022. It's bittersweet, in a way, because it's the last swim of the year, but rather silly in another way because I'll be back at the pool next week, starting the New Year out on a good swim. I actually should get a treadmill run in tomorrow, since I work tomorrow. That'll let me end my year on a positive note. 

So, I'm out of here. I hope all of you have a tremendous Thursday and I have every intention of being back here tomorrow for another blog post. In the meanwhile - Slava Ukraini. 

It's COLD and I'm Actually On Time for a Change

Another day in the deep freeze for me, and I'm trying to get my packages shipped today, latest tomorrow. Sharon - I think I'll be able to get yours out to you today - but unwrapped. Just leave it in the box until you open it, and be careful with your box cutters - you don't want to cut the items by mistake. I'm sorry it's late, but I just received your final gift on Tuesday and that put shipping timely into the nearly impossible realm. I know you'll understand. *hugs*

Sharon, cut your package carefully until you can 
open the box. Keep it in the box until you're ready 
to open it since I'm not wrapping the items in 
fancy paper. 

Today is the final day of Hell Week. Chickie and Chickie Mama made it to Rochester and back without incident yesterday, although the snow was definitely coming down. They missed the brunt of the storm, though, being on their way back to the Cities shortly after 10:00 am. 

This week of work has been Hell Week for me. I did get 
my grocery shopping done on the way to the shop 
yesterday, put the chill things into the shop refrigerator 
and left the frozen things in the back of my car since we 
were in 1 degree temps for the day. 

DH will try to get snow off the roof today, but the temperatures are wicked cold and I'm not sure how much of the cold punishment his hands are going to be able to take. My current temp is -4 F (-20 C) so yeah - it's cold. I hope he remembers to come inside to warm up periodically. He gets intent on just finishing the task ASAP and forgets that his body is getting punished so heavily in these cold temperatures. 

This was the roof after the previous snow storm. He did 
a great job of cleaning it off. However, today won't be 
as "easy" (it's honestly NEVER truly easy). Today, with 
sub-zero temps, there's a real threat of frostbite and his 
hands will be nothing but pain. 

I received two more cards yesterday - my BFF Sharon, and my "sister" Missy (aka Andrea). It amuses me that both of my Denver cards arrived on the same day. Great minds (and the Post Office) think alike. The mantle is starting to look quite festive with it's row of cards. I'll try to take a photo. Maybe tomorrow when I finally have a day off again before heading into the three-day Christmas weekend. 

Oh, and I sold a strand of trade beads on Etsy yesterday. That was a welcome sale. The trade beads were one of the first items we listed, and we haven't gotten any bites on them. So, maybe this is the start that I needed - the "icebreaker" so to speak. I'm running late today, so cutting this off here. Have a wonderful Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow morning. Slava Ukraini. 

An Amazing Gift From an On-line Friend and A Buck Moon - Magic

Sometime in the afternoon DH texted me to say there wasn't any mail in the mailbox, but that a Priority Mail package had been left at the front door. Hmmm ... I was a bit bewildered by that. I always have packages delivered to the shop - don't want porch thieves grabbing my things. And I wasn't expecting anything. When I got home, I saw it was from an on-line friend in Nebraska. I've known her for many years, but we've never met. I send her holiday cards every year, and we bond over hockey - we're both big ice hockey fans. When I opened it, I was floored and DH was almost speechless. 

DH was absolutely floored. "That's an 
amazing gift you got from a stranger," he 
said several times. I think he's totally 
envious. It's a gorgeous jersey and I have 
the BEST friends EVER! 

Look at this beauty! It's a Winter Crossover Classic NHL Licensed Kaprisov jersey - it's a BEAUTY! I'm going to be wearing this during hockey season and loving every minute of it. It's hanging in my closet, and I'm going to be stroking down the sleeve whenever I see it. I have two other hockey jerseys - one from the Minnesota North Stars without a player's name, and one generic MN Wild Jersey - again without a name. To have a Kaprisov jersey ... DAMN! So happy! 

I should be able to see this as long as we're not 
cloudy. I'll be swimming under the Buck Moon, 
so it should be a totally magic swim. 

Today will be wild and crazy, and it's also a Full Moon, and a Super Moon, so if you're able to see the moon from where you live, it'll be worth the look today. Of course, I wanted to do my "Meditation with the Moon" Full Moon day today, and it wasn't loading up properly. GRRRR  Actually, Insight Timer was having problems for me today and it's usually a very stable app. I restarted my phone but that didn't seem to help either. I think it's on their end, and I'm unhappy about it. Still, I did get one guided meditation in, and it's a very busy day, so I got moving right after it ended. I'll try to make a bit of time this afternoon and see if things might work a bit better. 

I use Insight Timer for my guided meditations - at 
least for the bulk of them. It's an excellent app, and 
it's free - even better - LOL. It's got a lot of teachers 
whom I like and follow, so it's a total win. But today 
the app wasn't working well for me. I don't know 
if it's them, or the Super Moon, or my phone, but 
it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do. GRRRR

As you can tell, it'll be busy today. I'm already dreading next week when I have an eye doctor appt on my Wednesday, and then have to go to the shop to work for Chickie. That's going to blow my whole week out of the water. I won't be able to do my grocery shopping, my laundry will have to stay dirty for another two days, basically, I'm already VERY unhappy about having to give up my Wednesday. Yes, it's in a week, but it's the one day of the week where I'm always crunched for time. Nothing to be done ... needs must. 

Needs must - it's an odd twist of words. It comes 
from old English. The quote above comes from 
Percy Bysshe Shelley. 

On that note, I'm going to work some of this joy and some of this frustration out in the pool today, so it should be a good swim - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow ... a Kaprisov jersey ... DAMN! LOL