It's Thursday Already! Time is Flying By

It's Thursday, my final day in the swimming pool for this week. The week itself has been a good one - a few fits and starts, but all in all, a good one. I ended up yesterday with a lovely chat with Aearwen. We've been chatting on Wednesday afternoons for more than a decade now, it's an anchorpoint of my week and a friendship that I cherish. What I find most amusing and amazing is that we've never actually met in person. Although she was raised in Minnesota, it was in the Southwestern part of the state, and her parents moved to California when she was quite young. She remembers Minnesota snow (not with a friendly thought, but with thoughts of how grateful she is to NOT be living up here any more - LOL). But she's in love with the temperate climate of California and the sound of the ocean. 

Aearwen's beach is a city beach, not this rocky expanse, 
but this was the picture that appealed to me - LOL. 

For me, it's the mountains that call to me. Although I love living up here in Minnesota, I'd seriously consider moving back to either Colorado or New Mexico just to get back to the mountains. They were my anchor as I was growing up, and they still call to me, decades after I left them behind to move to the many waters of Minnesota. I love the water we have up here - water rationing and periodic drought simply don't happen in Minnesota. But we do get the snow, and even though we had an almost snowless winter this past year (for which I'm VERY grateful since I was driving back and forth from the various cancer treatments for most of it), I doubt we'll be that lucky two years in a row. We'll get snow this winter, no doubt. 

There is NO WAY we'll escape snow for a second year 
in a row. I'm 100% guaranteeing we'll get more than the 
four light storms we had this past winter. However, since 
I was driving back and forth from cancer treatment for 
months, having minimal snow was a true blessing for me. 

Why bring up the weather when it's a beautiful, relatively warm Autumn day outside? I have no idea. My subconscious runs this blog. I sit down at the keyboard, and I let myself begin to write. I never, or very rarely, have any idea what will actually come through onto the page, but I've been posting this daily blog for more than a decade and don't think I'll be stopping anytime soon. 

I don't write my daily blog for any other reason 
except to get my thoughts organized and to reach 
out to my friends throughout the world. Many of 
those friends read the blog every day, others just 
drop in every now and again. It's all good. I need to 
write, and others can read, or not, as they please. 
Comments are always appreciated, and usually 
responded to (although not always as timely as 
I might want - LOL). 

Why write a daily blog? First, I only write six days a week. I sleep in on Sundays when possible. Second, it's a way of putting my very random thoughts into a semblance of order so that I can start the day with something productive. Third, as mentioned various times over the years, it's my way of reaching out to you - my readers - my friends throughout the world. Some of you read my postings every day and comment back and forth with me on this or that point. Others merely glance at it, and still others only read it randomly. All of that is fine. I write the blog because I feel compelled to write and this format is as good as any other. I touch base with all of you - dear friends, cyber friends, and acquaintances. And I touch base with my inner muse and keep it satisfied for one more day - LOL. So have an excellent Thursday, I'm off to the pool for my final swim of the week. I plan on being here again tomorrow and hope you will be reading, and maybe commenting, on my post. Slava Ukraini. 

Starting My Next 5000 Posts and It'll Be a Cold Swim Today

So now I take the first step onto the road to 10,000 blog posts. Who knows if I'll still be alive when I pass that number? Still, it's a nice goal to have. Hitting the 5000 mark for total daily blog posts yesterday was an accomplishment in its' own right, however, and I'm quite pleased. 

I'm quite pleased to be starting out my next 5000 blog 
posts. I might not make it to 10,000, but it's a nice goal 
to have in the back of my mind. 

I took the time to drive out to International Moulding yesterday morning. I wanted to see their layout, find out if our account had been approved, and look at their frame samples to see if they had things I could use for our artwork. I think we'll do very well with them. The frame selections are numerous in wood, metal and plastics, and they'll work with us, selling us straight stock, pre-cut to order pieces, or even totally assembled pieces if we prefer. I have a lot of artwork that needs framing before it can be sold or put into auction, so I suspect I'll be visiting often. 

I was falling in love with the Black Edged collection 
yesterday. There are a few pieces that I think would look 
outstanding in this frame. There's just a small pop of 
color in the stark black. You might be able to see that easier 
in the bottom left red or the center right yellow. 

One thing I really liked was that Rook (isn't that a great name?) said they could supply a sample of any frame I was thinking about so that I could bring it back to the shop and run it by DH before putting the order in. I have several pieces backlogged at this time and am looking for a narrow black frame for most of them. I suspect I'll be back there next week (if not tomorrow) with artwork in hand to put some stock against some pictures. 

Every vendor I've ever used for picture frame moulding has 
walls stacked with frame samples similar to this photo. It's 
fabulous, and really allows me to try this or that at the edge 
of my artwork before deciding on a particular look. I'm gong 
to be spending some serious time at International. 

When I returned home I really wanted to get moving on matting up several pieces I had waiting for me. I wasn't sure if DH would approve of the mat colors I wanted to use, though, and decided to run that by him before cutting the mats out. I had plenty of other things to do around the house that kept me busy. I consider it a fairly successful day off. I'll get more done with artwork tomorrow and maybe have a chance to get some matted pieces over to International tomorrow afternoon. It's fun to be back into framing once again. I've missed it. 

Yesterday it was raining, but it wasn't massively cold. 
Today we're 10-15 degrees colder. It's not raining, but 
it will be a very cold run in and out of the building before 
we jump into the water. 

Have an excellent Thursday. I'm heading to the swimming pool for my final swim of the week. It was raining yesterday, so we were all swimming in the rain which has its' charm. It's looking like we'll be sunny, but cold, for today's swim with outdoor temps in the low 50's F. I'm going to be very grateful that I swim in a skin suit - I'm much more covered from the outdoor temps. It'll still be a cold run out and back, though - LOL. Enjoy your day and Slava Ukraini. 

Happy 5000 To Me

And with the post I just made about dumpster diving and UBER fails, I just posted my 5000th post to my blog. Thanks for being along with me for the ride. 

A Huge "Thank You" to All My Cyber Friends

It's a busy, busy day today, and my time is minimal, but before I leave to swim outdoors in the pool, just a few words to all of you. 

Just ... Yeah. This. 

It's a privilege to share my thoughts on screen with all of you, my friends of many years and in many lands. It's odd - my blog is almost a personal diary, and when we were kids and tried keeping diaries, the last thing we wanted was people to read the darned things. We poured our hearts out onto paper and locked them with very inadequate, cheap locks. They NEVER worked for me at all. A daily diary would be used for less than a week, then it would be set aside and rarely, if ever, taken up again. 

I tried physical diaries several times in my 
life, but I really HATE handwriting. If I 
could have typed a diary, I would have had 
no problem at all. I'm a keyboard kind of gal. 

But then I started this daily blog with all of you - my cyber friends - and this I could and can do. Six days a week I sit here at the keyboard and start my day out by reaching out to each one of you sending you positive thoughts, and sometimes sharing the things that really irk me. And you're there for me - you respond by reading, by commenting or by simply being there - the silent audience. But over the years, I've gained friends through writing this daily blog, and I've also had the opportunity to reach across the miles and share bits and pieces of your lives as well. 

I'm extending a HUGE "Thank You" out to all 
of you who read my blog and who comment 
(not required by always appreciated). You're 
important to me. 

I don't know if you've ever considered how wonderful and how valuable those outstretched cyber-hands are to me and to others across this vast world. You're a link to sanity, an outlet for frustration, and a stage for celebration. You take all of these events and reflect them back with soothing words, or clapping hands, or comments that usually are right to the point. I've allowed you into my life, and you, in turn, have sometimes allowed me into yours as well. It's a gift that I treasure. So, I just wanted to take today to say "Thank You" to each one of you who read my daily posts, and special "Thanks" to those who comment. You always make my day. Slava Ukraini. 

A Very Fast and Late Blog Post

Yesterday's swim was fabulous. I was greeted by so many of my swimming friends, hugs all around. And I actually got in a good workout. I had been afraid I wouldn't have the stamina for my full time, but I did, so that was great. My injured breast ached a bit afterward, but that's a minimal issue which I'm sure will resolve itself within a week or so. 

I have an extended memory evaluation scheduled for next week (Thursday, to be precise). I'm not really worked up about it, but apparently DH and Chickie think I've been slipping ... badly. I guess I'll find out, and I don't mind advanced tests, etc  but it's annoying in many respects. I feel - especially now that the appointment is coming closer - like I'm some amoeba on a slide. Every move I make, everything I say, every question I ask, is being analyzed and I'm (apparently) coming up short. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not as "on my game" as I have been in other years. But a lot of my efforts in finding products quickly on the shelving, etc has to do with the fact that the shelving has been seriously re-organized from top to bottom as we've been clearing out the basement warehouse and bringing everything up to the sales floor storage instead. 

So, to get to the point, Chickie handed me a piece of paper yesterday that she will also give to DH to bring to my memory test evaluation next week Thursday. She's saying that my symptoms started 1-1/2 years ago with minor lapses here and there, but have increased to multiple daily incidents including not finding an item on the shelving, not remembering that we carried this or that item, issues with unusual sale procedures (such as adders or sale discounts), and not remembering tasks I'm asked to perform causing DH and Chickie to have to write everything down (a good idea in any case). Also, double-paying bills (yes, a couple of times at home), and losing files on my laptop. Well, the files on the laptop I'm disagreeing with - it's not that I lost the file, the file got corrupted. There were a few times when Chickie sat down to correct something and couldn't figure out what had happened either - *sigh*. And, apparently my lack of recall is causing me "severe frustration and agitation". Oh ... and I no longer remember customer names when I used to recall them immediately. Frankly, it's not the lack of recall that's causing me frustration, it's the constant feeling like I'm some amoeba under a slide that's causing me increased angst.  

I'm chalking a LOT of this up to my high desire to be OUT of business and retired by now. I fully admit that I'd like to spend the last 20 years of my life cooking and writing and with my nose in a book. I also know I'm not quite as "up on my game" as I used to be, but that's because I really don't give a damn about the business any more. We were supposed to have been out of business several years ago, and DH dragged his feet. Well, maybe he's getting the message now. 

So, on that semi-depressing note, I'm headed for the pool. At least I can't have issues about forgetting things while I'm swimming my laps. *sigh* Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

(I was going to get pics into this and wrap up a couple of things before heading to the pool, but looked at my watch and I had to get going. I just got back from a great swim, and I'm going to get my day started, so this is what you get for today's post - wordy, non-pictorial and late - LOL.) 

Thinking ... It's a Thinking Kind of Day, I Guess

This will have to be a very short and sweet blog post, because I have to leave for the pool within 30 minutes. So ... not a whole lot, but let'e see if I can't make it thoughtful and maybe leave you with something for the day. 

Today I'd like to be more like "The Thinker", but I 
suspect I'll be closer to a tornado. Lots to do, and my 
thoughts, although they need to get organized, are 
probably going to get swept up together and sorted 
when I have a bit more time. 

Yesterday was hectic. We needed to get DH's truck over to the dealership for a six-month checkup. Since he refuses to just go there and wait until it's finished, we started our day. As it turned out, he would have been out of there by 10:00 am. As it was, by the time we got home, it was closer to 8:00 pm. *sigh* It was a very late dinner. 

There's nothing much better once the weather turns 
colder, than a warm bowl of chili, stew or soup at 
the end of the day. I'm already looking forward to 
dinner, and it's only 4:10 am! 

It was a busy day at the shop, though. A lot of customers, but never too many to adequately take care of both the customers and the store. All in all, I like days like this at the shop. I like to interact with my customers, but not feel too compressed on time that I can't get other things done as well. 

Today's meditation asked for us to use a journal in it. I 
generally don't do that - my blog is my journal, in many 
ways. After more than 50 years of trying to keep a journal, 
the blog is the only thing I've successfully used day after 
day for multiple years. I guess I'm just not suited to 
pen and paper. 

So ... as for thoughts - there are actually quite a few running through my head from this morning's meditation, but I want to mull them over a bit more before writing any of them down. So, I guess you get  rather innocuous post today. Sorry about that. I guess we all swim in the shallow end sometimes. But I promise, I'll venture back into the deep end again soon, and pull you along for the ride. Have an excellent Tuesday, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

When I Run Late, I REALLY Run Late! LOL

I'm super late getting this posted today because we got a LOT of snowfall overnight and I had a 9:00 am orthodontist appointment. So I shoveled the 3-4 inches that was on my driveway (I have a really long, wide drive-enough for two cars abreast, six to eight cars in total length. So ... I shoveled, and then told DH that I had shoveled but it was already coming back down like crazy and I had to leave. I put the garbage and recycling bins out at the curb and headed north. (As it turned out, the garbage company called all of their customers and told them they were suspending all pickups for the day for the safety of their drivers and customers. So, I'll put the bins back out at the curb again tomorrow morning). 

My trash hauler does both trash and 
recycling, although they have separate 
trucks for each. Still, I needed to put 
two bins at the curb so, needed to clear 
the driveway and space for the bins. 

Apparently DH didn't hear me well, so when he was ready to leave for work, he realized that the driveway needed to be cleared again. He pulled out the snow blower and took care of it before he left (obviously it didn't take him an hour, probably more like 20 minutes). 

I'll be wearing the orthodontic rubber bands twenty hours 
a day for quite a long time. I suspect my teeth will be sore 
with this, but I'll manage. 

At the orthodontist, he put the rest of my grillwork into place. I get to start wearing rubber bands 20 hours a day beginning on Friday. He wants the glue to really set before that tension starts. So my teeth are a little sore today, and I might be using the Tylenol that I haven't used yet. My next appointment is March 1st, so I guess I'm doing OK so far. 

Sorry I didn't post first thing this morning, but time ran away 
from me until late this afternoon. 

So, it was a REALLY busy morning which led into a REALLY busy afternoon and I didn't have a chance to post my blog until now. Those of you who wake up with my blog ... I apologize - LOL. I didn't even get to the pool today because of the snow. I'll go Thursday and Friday instead. Hope you've been having an excellent day and I'll try to be more on time tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Ukraine, Snow and My Internet - Problems All Around

I was in tears yesterday, watching the events taking place in Ukraine. I'm so angry at that idiot in charge in Russia, I can't even say his name. The man is a poison on the earth, and he's killing everything he touches. I wish there was something I could do that would help the people he's assaulting, but I can't spread a blanket over them for warmth or give them a place to rest that is warm and safe. I'm not sure there are any safe places right now - for anyone. 

Is there a safe place for anyone to hide these days? I wish 
there was a way to protect the people of Ukraine, but the 
situation there is just getting worse and worse. 

The idiots in our own government are of the "hurry up and wait" mentality, which doesn't help much at all. In fact, the only things I've seen that are helpful are the efforts of individual people. There's the pianist who travels with his piano to brighten the hearts of those who pass. He was in Minneapolis right after the George Floyd murder and played in George Floyd Square for the people, helping to heal in his own way. He's now in Ukraine, pulling his piano along behind him as he goes from place to place, playing in the cold to help the people with a bit more hope and a spark of joy as they flee past him. What a brave man, who only wants good in the world and does whatever he can to facilitate it. 

Pianist Davide Martello (German) believes in the power 
of music to heal and help life the spirit, so he travels to 
places where people are troubled with his piano, and 
plays for them - quite beautifully. He's in Ukraine now, 
near the border of Poland, and is playing for those 
fleeing the war zone. He pulls his piano behind him on 
a wheeled sled. It's quite amazing to see. Here's 
a CNN piece on him in the Ukraine. 
https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/03/06/piano-man-poland-ukraine-border-refugee-shelter-sidner-dnt-vpx.cnn

When I first went on-line this morning, I was afraid Live Journal had been pulled off, but it was my internet service, which was down for a quick routine maintenance. It was back up in five minutes, and so was Live Journal. I've always had two accounts - LJ and Dreamwidth, but I do need to put my icons into my DW account. I've had the account as a freebie for a long time, but purchased the full account last week and I'm going to pull over my icons as well, so that I'm fully functional on Dreamwidth. I'll continue posting on both platforms (as well as my personal blog) for as long as possible, but I suspect Live Journal will die soon. 

One of the first things dictators and despots do when 
taking over a nation is cutting the internet off, isolating 
the people from outside contact. Although the internet 
hasn't been around all that long, it's become a serious threat 
to dictatorial power struggles. 

I had a nice Sunday, except for the tears late that night. DH and I had a somewhat relaxed day ... well, I did at any rate. He used the snow blower to clear out the five inches of overnight snow we had gotten, then shoveled the back walk, and then pulled the snow down from the front and side roofs. It was a long and tiring job, but fortunately not in frigid temperatures. Still, he was happy to have it done and settle down to a toasted English muffin for his breakfast. 

It's a bit of a pain to have to post from two completely 
different computers. But, I'm determined to get this 
up and not miss a day just because my internet at home 
is toast right now. Hopefully it will be back up and 
running by tonight. 

I'm going to wrap this up. I got my swimming reservation for Thursday made this morning, so I'm good to go. My internet is down again, so I'm heading over to the shop, hoping that my internet there is functional. I'm going to get this posted and then catch up with what went on over the weekend. I hope you have a lovely Monday and that wherever you are, you're safe and warm. I'll be back tomorrow. 

And ... I'm Back!

Well, my personal blog is back up and running. Blogger (aka Blogspot) is now a Google company, so when Google had their issues on Monday, I was "lucky" enough to be one of the people affected. Everything seems to be OK now, though. 

It's nice to have gifts under a Christmas tree. It doesn't really 
feel like Christmas at all this year, though. I don't have 
anything for DH, he doesn't have anything for me. It's a 
mess. I don't really feel like it's much of a holiday this 
year. I'm waiting for next year after people have been 
vaccinated and things are starting to return to "normal". 

I couldn't sleep well on Saturday night, which wasn't a good thing. Usually I sleep in on Sunday mornings - it's my "catch up" time for lost sleep during the week. But I had holiday gifts on my brain and finally gave up around 4:30 am, got my shower and started my laundry load, and set up my knitting machine. I still have Chickie's gifts to make, and they have to be finished and blocked no later than Sunday night this week to be able to give them to her on Wednesday afternoon when we hold our store gift exchange. 

After more than an hour of knit, pull off, take apart and re-knit, I finally ended up with one successful project and started the next one. That one also entailed several false starts, but I was 3/4 done when I realized I had dropped a stitch back a ways. I thought about taking things down a little bit, but decided it was better to just undo the entire thing, count the morning as a practice zone, and try again another day. I left the machine set up (something I NEVER do), covered it completely, and put a small note on it promising that everything would be put back to proper locations after this gift was completed. If I finish this early (since I woke an hour early today), I might get things started again before I have to make breakfast and get to the shop. 

I was afraid the store wouldn't be open on a Sunday, or 
that they would open too late for me to replace my 
battery, but they opened at 9:00 am. I wasn't even the 
first customer in the store! I was in and out in 15 minutes 
and got my computer backup power source up and 
running again shortly afterward. 

To add to my Sunday morning, the battery in my APC died, so I had that annoying beeping sound telling me to "Buy A New One NOW!". Fortunately Batteries Plus opened at 9:00 am on Sunday, so I was there and got a new battery as soon as I could. Just one more thing for a busy day. 

"Thank You" doesn't express the joy I feel when I have an 
opportunity to interact with all of my friends and 
cyber-friends. Every one of you enrich my life and make 
it that much more special. 

I'm receiving holiday cards every day now, from friends all over the country and world. I love each and every one of them. I'm going to hang them along my mantle later this week, and it's going to be a glorious and beautiful spread of special love sent to my little house. It warms my heart every year. I'm totally blessed with wonderful in-person and cyber-friends. 

Have an excellent Tuesday, be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Safe and Happy New Year's Eve

Calendars are a construct - many societies over time have had calendars in a myriad of forms and designs. The Western world that most of us live in have embraced a particular calendar that declares tonight a bridge night - a passage from one year to another. 

Happy New Year to all of you! I look forward to sharing
another year with you in 2020. 

As we ready ourselves to cross that bridge to the other side and begin wandering the virgin ground of the next year, I hope for happiness, peace, love and joy for each of you. I can do nothing about governments, I can do nothing about municipal standards or rules, but I can attempt to spread a small bit of happiness among my friends and acquaintances. That's what I'm doing today.

Happy New Year! 

I have Wednesday and Thursday off work, so probably won't be posting again until Friday morning. That gives all of you the opportunity to stake out the path we'll travel over the next year; I'll follow your stakes as you blaze the trail. 

I value each of you, and I look forward to sharing another year with you through the pages of my blog and your own postings. Be safe, be warm and be happy. *Hugs* to all! 

This Is Going To Be A PITA!

Thanksgiving was wonderful - really delightful. Even though the turkey took longer to cook than planned, that was because it wasn't 100% defrosted when I took it from the refrigerator. It turned out to be a very tasty bird, though, and all of the accompanying side dishes, rolls and finally pie were also perfect. The one downer to the day was that my main computer died - it won't power up properly. I'll send an email to my computer guru later this morning and hopefully take it out to him on Wednesday, first thing. In the meantime, I can handle my day-to-day with my laptop and occasional use of DH's main computer. I'm injured, not brought down. 

I'm getting the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" on my main
computer, so I'm stuck using my laptop and a vastly
inferior graphics program for my pics and blog until
my computer guru can fix my main machine. *sigh*

You might not have graphics to accompany my posts on the laptop, though. I don't have Photoshop installed on this computer and usually graphics are too large - I downsize them in Adobe to keep things reasonable for all of you to open easily. So, apologies - it'll be text only for a short time. 

My two-day sale at the shop begins today, and we had a really good opening percentage of our email, so hopefully will have a great response. We only have two sales a year - after Thanksgiving for two days and after Christmas for either three or four days. We'll have a four-day at the end of December, with a Sunday off between days two and three. 

I'm going to cut this off here and try to get it posted to all the appropriate locations with the correct settings. This might be a bit of a POA for a few days, so I apologize in advance. Have a great Friday and my plan is to be here again tomorrow. 

Time and Attitude - How Well Do You Wait?

I'm not sure why I feel rushed today. There's really no reason. I'm actually a little (very little) bit early sitting down to write my blog this morning, but I feel as if there's a breath at the back of my neck telling me to hurry up, no time, must rush through. 

Life is a limited time special, so it seems as if we
should always hurry up. Sometimes living in the
fast lane means we don't take time for ourselves,
and that's something I would regret. So I try to
not hurry up too much. 

When those voices speak - the "hurry up" the "not enough time" and the "push it through no matter what" voices - they can lead to sloppy work, poor decisions, and major errors. These are the times when I take an etching out of the bath early and ruin the previous two hours of work. These are the times when I push a bit harder against the saw blade and end up with a chip that takes an extra amount of time to sand out (or makes the piece unusable for the planned purpose), and these are the times when I can let my temper and impatience take the better of me in heavy traffic - never a good idea when behind the wheel of any vehicle. 

Time is rarely actually on our side, but we can make it work
for us. We can multi-task, and we can take advantage of those
off-times to think things through in more detail. 

Impatience isn't always bad. Drumming my fingers while waiting for water to boil is also conducive to viewing the next twist in my latest chapter take place in my head. It can allow me to duplicate the rhythm from the latest song, or it can allow me to think of the colors I want to grab for my next project. Impatience can force me out of bed in the morning, and it's the clock ticking to remind me (sometimes somewhat firmly) that I don't have a clue about what I'm making for my solstice cards this year. (OOPS! Have to get going on that one.) 

It's funny how the locations we wait it make a
difference. Waiting next to a babbling brook is
much more pleasant than waiting in a waiting
room for a dental appointment. 

All of my life I've practiced patience, waiting casually (usually with a book in my hand because reading is essential to my life and off-time is the perfect time to read another page or thirty). I wait in offices for my appointment. I wait at stoplights (no book in hand for those times, though). I wait in lines for the movie or in the theater for the show to start. 

It's always now - not the past and not the future. Try
to make it the BEST now you possibly can for
yourself and the people who are around you. 

But there are the times when I take time into my own hands, and my own schedule rules. Between the time I awaken (ideally at 3:15 am, but sometimes earlier) and the time I leave for the gym (no later than 4:45 am), I force my brain to wake up. Between reading and answering emails and writing this daily blog, (whatever comes out of my subconscious for the day), I'm getting my thoughts in order. I'm telling my inner voices to work constructively. All things considered, they obey pretty well - LOL. Have a totally fabulous day and I'll return tomorrow for a VERY busy day. *sigh* 

A Quick Year-end Wrap-up

Although people in the Frozen Northlands may not like rain, it appears that even though the temperatures drop, if the rain stops, they'll come out. Our incredibly poor sales day on Thursday was made up by a nicely busy Friday. If Saturday can follow along, I can end the year relatively content. I got several of my charitable donations made last night, and will try to get the rest finished tonight or tomorrow. The year is wrapping up. 

I really love my daily swim. It's not always easy to get up and
get over to the gym, but I can't imagine not doing it after
more than three years in the pool every day. It's routine, now. 

Comparing date to date from 2017 to 2018, I'm actually up four pounds (although that's totally holiday weight and will be off within two weeks). In 2017 I was at the gym 279 times, but I beat that this year with 287 times in the pool. I'm pretty happy about that. It just doesn't seem like a good day unless I've started it in the pool, so I guess my daily swim is totally under my skin. 

I'm looking forward to brunch on Sunday. We haven't had a
brunch together in years and it's always been something
we've enjoyed. 

DH and I will be going to brunch on Sunday - we've been wanting to try the one near our house for quite a while, and decided to make it happen. It would be really nice to have that as an option if we end up liking it. We used to do brunch a few times a year, but then most of the restaurants we went to either closed or changed to a different style of menu. There's something nice about a brunch every now and again. 

Thanks to each of you. I may not write directly
to you, but you're always in my thoughts. 

So as I wrap this up, I want to thank all of my readers because you mean a lot to me. I write my daily blog as a way of getting my thoughts in order and waking my brain for the upcoming day. I try to avoid political tirades - I think we get too much of that through Facebook and other social media. I rarely know what I'll write about in advance, I just sit at the keyboard and let my thoughts flow to my fingers. That you care enough to read and, occasionally, comment is amazing and humbling. Thank you! 

Have a safe and wonderful New Year. I look forward
to filling your in-box every morning in 2019. Thanks
for being there for me. 

Have a wonderful Saturday and a Happy New Year. I'll be back to posting on Wednesday, January 2nd. (Of course, that's providing I survive the family get-together on the afternoon of the 31st - LOL. I'll be cooking my Asian-inspired meatballs tomorrow so everything is ready to go.) So cheers and hugs to all, I'll return in 2019! 

A Very Special Anniversary

I promised that today was a VERY SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY, and indeed, it is. No, it's not a birthday. No, it's not a wedding anniversary. No, it's not a recurring event. Today is my 3000th blog post. Yes ... that's THREE THOUSAND posts in my blog. Taking an average of 300 posts a year, that's Ten Years of posting in this blog, although it's probably a bit longer than ten years. That's a lot of history. 

In 2009, I shared this artwork entitled "Dreaming" by Jo Parry. I still love
the piece - it's deceptively simple and evocative. 

Over that time I've shared a lot of things with my cyber-readers - experiences, thoughts, and lots of photos. I've shared art, architecture, sculpture and locations around the world. I've shared the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival each year through thoughts and photos. I've shared joys, sorrows and those times when I'm left scratching my head in total bewilderment. 

In 2010 I shared this photo of a sun pillar taken in Wyoming. The beauty
just begged to be shared with my friends and readers. I still love looking
at natural beauties today, I'm a very early sunrise person, but sunsets are
equally exceptional. What a fabulous world we're privileged to share. 

What I haven't done a lot is share political views, spiritual viewpoints directed at any specific faith, or other possible trigger posts. I have pissed some people off - lost "friends" over a few posts, but friends lost through things like that probably weren't good friends in any case. I've also gained a few friends through my posts and discussions on other people's blogs that generated on-line conversations and new cyber-friends. It's the rhythm of life. 

In 2011, I shared that DH had purchased a Nook Color
for my holiday gift. Now, more than 1500 e-books
later and several apps ahead, I come down firmly
in the e-book section. The ability to carry 1000's
of books in the palm of my hand (or in my phone,
since that's where I read now) is a daily joy. 

Although I write this blog to clear my own thoughts for the day ahead, I'm really happy to have shared some or all of these past 3000 posts with you and I look forward to my next milestone anniversary for 5000 posts in just a few years more - LOL. Thanks for walking alongside me on this journey. 

I began studying aeolian harps in 2012, with the help of
Fiondil. I still plan to make one or more of these
wind-played harps. It's on an extensive "to do" list
for my retirement years. I suspect I'll be busier
when I retire than I ever was during my working
years. 

Have a glorious Friday and end of November. I'll return tomorrow for the beginning of December. 

Cyber Pen Pals - That's What My Blog Is All About

The days are shorter and the nights are cooler. That makes for great sleeping weather so for the past few days, I've actually slept until awakened by my alarm. Of course, I'm writing this at 3:50 am, so quite obviously my alarm is set just a bit earlier than that of most of my readers. I am VERY much an early morning person. 

Dawn is coming later now that we're nearing the end of the year. Here's
a lovely shot of dawn over the Mississippi River near Le Claire, south
of the Twin Cities. So beautiful! 

There are plenty of times, however, when I would rather re-set my alarm and go back to sleep for another hour or two. I know I'd regret it though. I know I'd miss my morning swim, that I'd be off-schedule for the day, and that everything would just feel wrong throughout the day. It's not worth it to me. I make sure I get around 5-1/2 to 6 hours of sleep most nights, and that's enough. I also indulge and allow myself to sleep in most Sundays, sometimes getting as much as twelve hours of sleep overnight. That's a luxury, but again ... not one I want to do always. If I slept in all of the time, I'd feel I was missing out on too much life. 

When I sleep too much, I feel off kilter, like these rather amazing
and fun houses on Ganghwa Island, Korea. Aren't they fun? I
don't know that I'd want to live inside them, though. I'd always
feel a bit off, even though the interiors may be level floors with
straight and upright walls. 

It's silly, I know, to feel that I have to be awake to experience what life has to offer me. I sit in front of my computer, write my blog, catch up with my emails, stay in touch with friends, read fan fiction, look at things to buy, and generally allow my mind to wander far past the four walls of my computer room. I allow my mind to do waking dreams, in essence. I imagine the area where friends live, the projects, people or pets they are involved with, and the varied interest that they share. It's not actually going to visit my friends, but it's the next best thing. It's cyber-pen pals through their posts, stories, photos and updates. 

The great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 hit on March 27th. It was
magnitude 9.2 on the Richter Scale and was followed by several
tsunamis. Here's a photo of 4th street, the main street of
Anchorage, after the quake. Lives lost - 139. It was front
page news throughout the US, and devastating for one of
our newest states (Alaska became a state in 1959). 

Did any of you have pen pals as you grew up? I had a few, although I wasn't really good at writing regularly and none of them lasted more than a few exchanges of letters. I didn't have a typewriter, and certainly didn't have a computer - a dream far in the future. I couldn't manage to stay in touch for long because life got in the way. I do remember I had a pen pal in Anchorage, Alaska during the 1964 earthquake that March. Although my friend survived, they were impacted, of course, and when the school year ended two months later, we stopped writing to each other. 

I don't get a lot of chance to do things that are just for myself. Writing
in my daily blog is one of those rare times. I have the chance to wake
up my brain in my own time, but have a specific schedule and time
frame to stick to. It makes me write quickly and much more flow
of consciousness than I would otherwise. 

Somehow I do manage to blog every day. Well, to be honest, it's not EVERY day. I don't blog on Sundays, I don't blog when I'm out of town or when I'm entertaining Sharon for her annual visit to the State Fair. As I look back, however, I'm now fast approaching 3000 blog posts, so I guess I've made daily blogging a habit for myself. It's my way of waking my brain, writing just a little bit, and shaking the fuzzies out of my thoughts. If you're a reader, I appreciate you. You're a cyber pen-pal of mine and a friend. Maybe we can meet some day, if we haven't already. I'd really like that! 

Thanks for being a reader of my blog. I really appreciate having
you to reach out to every morning. It means a lot to me. 

Have a wonderful Friday. I'm off to the pool, of course. It's not that I enjoy exercising every day so much, it's that I really do love swimming. The results from my daily swim are pretty good too - better physical condition, and the ability to cruise through my backlogged library of audio books while swimming. A total win-win. I'll be back tomorrow, so be good and enjoy your day.