Bouncing Around My Thoughts - Can You Keep Up? LOL

I hope all of you had a good St Patrick's Day yesterday. Mine was completely uneventful, but that's just fine. I have enough things going on in my life and really didn't need to add St Patrick's Day celebrations to the mix. And it was darned cold out - so people celebrating doing the various parades were most definitely bundled up if they were at all using their brains. (Sometimes I wonder if the brain simply goes on vacation sometimes when I see people in very cold temps without appropriate winter clothing on.) 

It was COLD yesterday, so I have no idea how attendance 
at our St Patrick's Day celebrations was, but usually the 
party goes on, no matter what. We're from the Frozen 
Northlands after all! LOL

Today will be a very busy cooking day. I'm out of almost everything I had made for my dinners, so I need to figure out what I'll make, and I also need to make a batch of baked fruit for my breakfasts. It'll be a day in the kitchen separated by loads of laundry and a bit of grocery shopping, ending with a meeting with our accountant for our personal income tax returns. I think I have everything together for Paul, but if not, I'll drop the rest by on Friday morning on my way to the shop. 

I need to make my next batch of baked fruit today. It's 
what I eat for breakfast, and I'm down to a single 
portion. It's not hard to make, but it does take some time 
to get all of the fruit prepped and onto the baking sheets. 

Meanwhile, DH keeps complaining about how Chickie and I aren't pulling our weight at the store, and we keep ignoring him. If we actually paid attention to him, we'd be totally in a bad funk of a mood, but we've learned how to just let his words blow by us. It's self-defense in our lives. 

Over the years, Chickie and I have mastered the art 
of letting DH's words just blow by us. If we actually 
paid attention to him, we'd be horribly hurt by his 
words at times because he has no filter and puts 
his stresses on us. Not fair, so we ignore him instead. 

I also have to remember to contact the customer service department of my vitamin supplements company. They resumed shipping, and I was on a "Do not ship until I contact you" order. I wasn't allowed to take any of my supplements for more than six months while going through cancer treatment, so I'm way behind. But I'm getting new shipments now, so I need to remind them to NOT send me anything until I contact them again! GRRRR I love my supplements, BUT I'm over-supplied! 

Stonehenge Supplements just changed their 
packaging recently to look more streamlined. 
I'm not a fan. I liked their old look with the 
Stonehenge monument on the label. Nonetheless, 
these two work well together and I really do 
notice a negative impact when I don't take them 
(as required while I was undergoing my surgery and 
recovery from cancer last year). 

Have a great Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully for a less busy and stressful day. Be kind and Slava Ukraini. 

It's a Deep Freeze and ICE Out in Minnesota

Yesterday was "ICE Out" or "No More ICE" in the state of Minnesota, or at least in the Twin Cities area. Multiple businesses were closed, people were demonstrating against ICE on almost every corner. The fact that the weather was at -8 F also didn't help/hurt. Essentials like banks, etc stayed open, and we were open, but the day was spent on some serious remodeling. We have to do a video walkthrough of the shop for Travis, and Chickie and DH dug into things - basically doing a fairly decent remodel of the North side of the shop. It looks good - really good. There's still a LOT to do before we film, but it's starting to come together. 

Minnesota is a state where we take personal freedoms 
very seriously. The entire state united in protest against 
ICE yesterday. It was remarkable, and given the wind chills 
of -16 or more, it was done in short, but sustained bursts. 

We didn't have any customers at all yesterday, and given the mess that the store was in when I arrived from appointments in the early afternoon, I was rather grateful we had been given this day. I immediately set myself at the typewriter and worked on getting the W-2 forms typed out. DH will look them over today, and then they'll be ready to distribute so that everyone can get their taxes done on time. 

I usually try to type the W2 Forms in the very 
early morning hours when I won't be 
interrupted, but yesterday afternoon proved to be
a good time to get them done. DH will look 
them over today and then distribute them where 
they need to go. 

It's going to be early mornings and late evenings for a while now, though, as we get the store ready to close, so my daily updates might be shorter on some days. The kink for yesterday came with massively cold temperatures added to the fact that our garage door at home wouldn't close properly. I contacted my garage door people and they added us to their list of homes. They arrived shortly after noon, replaced and repositioned some sensors, and voila! The door now works once again. I am pleased about that, but it meant that I was at home waiting for repair people for the entire morning - a real waste of time in many ways. 

Automatic garage doors operate with sensors that send an 
electronic signal from one side to the other. They weren't 
communicating on our door, and needed to be replaced. 
So, the techs pulled the old ones, installed new ones, and 
pushed the new ones a bit farther away from the actual 
door surface for a stronger connection. We'll have to be 
careful when we pull out the snow blower, but I think 
that extension was a good idea. 

So, I'm heading out into the cold. It's only -16 F right now, which is a big improvement over the -26 F of yesterday at approximately the same time. We're totally into the deep freeze of Winter. Bundle up, be safe, and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

It's VERY COLD and A Short Discussion of Weaving and Gowns

Happy Friday! My phone is telling me that the current temperature is -21 F. Yeah, that's a minus sign in front of the number. It's COLD. DH spent yesterday photographing Navajo weavings. We'll probably be putting most/all of them out to auction with our Santa Fe auction people, but to do that we need photos, dimensions, etc. We're also freaking out a bit over the scheduling for our closing sale - it's VERY precise - 15 pages worth of specific instructions and dates. The sale itself starts in early April, so time is running out and we're nowhere close to being ready. But, we're putting noses to the grindstone and working hard at it. 

Whichever way you look at it, it's damned COLD 
this morning. I'm grateful for my cold weather 
gear, but I'll still be shivering and Minion 
won't be happy being parked in the cold either. 

Yesterday DH pulled down a lot of our Navajo weavings, replacing them with other ones - mostly lesser quality at a lower price point. The good ones we'll be bringing down to Santa Fe ourselves after the shop has closed. But it was an all-day affair photographing each rug on the photo board, culminating with packaging many of them in plastic for storage. Our weavings cabinet is far from empty, but it's nowhere as packed as it had been. 

In this picture, the weaver is weaving a sampler 
weaving - one style on the left, a second 
style in the center and a return to the left style 
on the right. The loom is a vertical loom and sheep's 
wool is usually spun for the yarn. It's a tradition 
that goes back centuries. 

I spent a fair amount of time on the phone contacting a variety of places I thought Mom's couture dresses might be accepted at for resale. I have two "very interested by not accepting anything until April" responses, and one recommendation for a specific Minneapolis shop that I had thought would be worth while to contact. When I contacted them, they expressed an interest in photographs, but also warned me that they usually will only accept items in a group of 10. Well, I don't have quite that many - I think it's either 7 or 8 items that I have - but she said to go ahead with the photos and send them anyway, even if I'm below their minimum quantity. Exceptions can sometimes be made. So I'll try to get that done early next week. Meanwhile, they're in the trunk of my car - not the best place for them, but then again, with the temps as they are, the car is probably safer than many other locations. I might move them back into the house, but I'll leave them for the time being. 

Large weavings, such as this one worked on by two 
weavers simultaneously, are rarely made any more. 
The looms are too large to fit within the hogan, 
and the dollars paid don't make up for the time 
when several smaller weavings will sell for the 
same or more and take less time to make. This photo 
probably dates from the early 1900's. You can see 
a second loom in the background with an additional 
two weavers working on it. They were probably 
working at one of the trading posts and would 
sell the finished products directly to them. 

So, despite the cold, I have to get a very early start today. I need to get the W3 typed up for the Federal Government, and I only have a single copy of the form. NO MISTAKES ALLOWED. I have no correction ability on my typewriter at the shop anymore, and the computer and computer printer can't be used on it either. So, I've got to eat breakfast, bundle up, and hope that my car will start tonight after sitting in the parking lot for hours and hours. Minion was a bit slow to start last night when it was -11, adding an additional -10 to that and an extra hour in the parking lot ... well ... it could be problematic. Have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

It'll Be a VERY Busy Morning

It's going to be hectic today, at least for the early morning. We have an 8:00 am appointment with an attorney to sign the final documents for our Trust Agreement. That's (of course) completely across town. So, in sub-zero cold, we'll be joining the lemmings as they move from one part of the Twin Cities to a different part within a very constricted time frame on possibly icy roads. Current temperature is 16 F, which isn't as cold as the past few days were. 

It's one of those days that will be MASSIVELY 
hectic first thing, before it settles down into the 
usual routine. Nothing like dealing with rush hour 
traffic to and from the opposite end of the Twin 
Cities to start a day out right - LOL. (NOT!)

Speaking of cold temperatures, the house has recovered and is cozy once again. My furnace guy is amazing. I wouldn't have known about him at all, but my shop landlord recommended him for our old furnace there when it quit within the past year. I still had his number, and I had liked his professionalism at that time, so he was my contact this time also, and he came through for us. I'm delighted to not be shivering in the house any more. 

Our furnace is closer to the bottom right photo in 
this montage of old furnaces. But we have zone heating 
in this house - meaning a set of piping that squirrels off 
in a variety of directions to heat a variety of rooms. It 
was state of the art in 1964, but it's OLD now and not 
everyone is capable of fixing it. My dude absolutely 
ROCKS! Old furnaces are his thing. 

So, today will start out very busy. After the legal appointment, I'll drop DH off at the shop and head to the grocery store. I'll only get my Wednesday off this week, so I have to pack a LOT of cooking into my day. I'm totally out of "Ogre Juice", so that's a MUST, but I'll also need dinners for the next few days as well. I'm not sure what I'll make. My fall-backs have been stuffed peppers and BBQ pork chops, and I still have two portions of pork chops left, but I'm thinking maybe a nice stew. Maybe. I'll have to see what looks good at the shop. It's chicken for tonight, so I may be lazy, pick up a cauliflower crust pizza from my secondary store, and let dinners ride until Sunday. DH will have to live with my cooking on a Sunday since I don't get my Fridays off until after we've closed the store. 

Hubby has been eating a lot of frozen pizza lately, so I 
decided I'd give Clo-Clo pizza a try. It's a cauliflower 
crust pizza. I tried the Margherita flavor and I'd definitely 
buy and eat this again. It was VERY tasty and totally fir 
my dietary principles. They're a local firm, too. So it's 
a total win/win. 

We have our next payment due to Travis, our guy who's handling our closing, on Monday. I was in touch with him yesterday and also had Chickie write out the exact directions for me to get the check sent to him - it's a photograph/Dropbox/email kind of procedure that is a bit convoluted because of the various programs that have to be used for a successful transfer. Since Chickie doesn't work on Mondays, I had her write the instructions out, step-by-step. We had all kinds of problems getting the last check to him in a format he could receive and I could send. Old computers and up-to-date electronics don't always mix well. 

It's always interesting to put the trash cans at the curb 
during winter. The sides of the drive are filled with large 
piles of snow, so the can actually has to sit at the side of the 
driveway, restricting our access in and out. Still, we 
have learned how to do this dance over the years. 

So ... life progresses. At least I was able to get the trash into the can early this morning so that I can put the can at the curb when I leave for our appointment at 7:00 am. I hope all of you have a more relaxing day than my day will be - LOL. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Our Furnace (Boiler) at Home Isn't Working and It's -8F Outside - Life Can Suck Sometimes!

 As all of you know (probably - LOL), I live in the Frozen Northlands - Minnesota, to be precise. Yesterday, our old boiler which provides heat to my house, decided it was on strike. *sigh* I contacted my furnace repair guy (yes, I have one of those who keeps my shop furnace functional) and he'll get back to me as soon as his schedule is set for today, to let me know when he'll be able to come out at take a look/fix my home furnace. I have zone heating in this house, but right now, it's qualifying as "frigid", "more frigid", and "ACK - Damn Cold". We have my small space heater in the computer room and that's where we're spending our time. 

It's cold outside (currently -8 F degrees), and since I have 
no functional heater inside, we're cold in here too. Nowhere 
close to as cold as outside, but not comfortable either. 

DH is the lucky guy who will get to stay home until after my furnace guy has been here. It's reasonable, because he's also the guy who'll get to write a check for the repair. Meanwhile, I'll head to the shop and try my best to be functional with about three hours of sleep. I got to sleep just fine, but the constant clicking on and off of the boiler trying to switch on awakened me in the very early hours and I moved to the computer room. There's no place to be prone in that room, but I sat in my chair, turned on my space heater, and at least I was cozy, if sleepless. I'll be a wreck today, but hopefully will return to a warm house after work tonight. 

It would be nice to just toss another log onto the 
fireplace, but since our flue needs a good cleaning 
before we light any fires (and I have a family of 
squirrels who have been living in the upstairs 
chimney for generations now), I don't light any fires 
any more. 

In some ways it's too bad we don't live in the days when we'd just toss another log onto the fire in the cave, in other ways it's damned nice to have electricity (even though Tesla's electrical ideas were WAY more efficient than Edison's). We all rely on electricity so much, and even though we often have fall backs available, they're far from convenient. The last time our heat died at the house was more than 20 years ago and I sat near the downstairs fireplace and fed it with wood. The flu needs a cleaning, however, and I don't want to roast the squirrels who nest in it every year, so a fire is really a last resort for me this time around. 

Time for a nice, hot, cup of tea. 

So, I'm signing off and going to make myself a nice, hot cup of tea. Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow - hopefully with heat and a bit more than three hours of sleep. Slava Ukraini. 

Still No Success - My Certificates Just Aren't Here Any More

Yesterday's swim was more normal. The roads, although typical winter, weren't skating rink icy, and the usual group of swimmers showed up. (I rather missed my "private pool" - LOL). It was good to see my friends again though, and to share my lane with Jolene. Even Meg showed up, her Hubby having once again dropped her off in her wheelchair. I'm sure she's getting closer and closer to being able to put that wheelchair behind her, but it was a serious lower leg break that she experienced at the dog park, and she did say it would be a minimum of eight weeks before she'd be able to walk on it again. I think it's been longer than that by now, so her doctor must be erring on the side of caution. With a weight-bearing fracture like that, caution is a very good thing. 

Winter up here in the Frozen Northlands can be beautiful, 
but we all know to dress appropriately, and have the proper 
boots for walking on ice and through snow. I really feel 
sorry for our ancestors who didn't have down coats, internal 
self-heating vests, or good snow boots. 

I'm still looking for my "certificates" from DH for this past Christmas, but I'm almost ready to give up the hunt and admit to him that I have lost them. It's totally tearing at my heart. The certificates are my absolute favorite gift that he gives to me. Losing/misplacing/throwing them away (all possibilities) just makes me sick to my stomach. But, there's nothing much I can do about it. It's rather like a lost sock in the washing machine. You know you put in a pair, but there's only a single one when you remove the load. It's rare, but it does happen. In this instance, I had a brain glitch and I have NO idea what I did with the certificates. *sigh*

Sometimes my brain glitch really stops me short, and losing 
my certificates was a brain glitch. I've totally run out of 
places to look, however, so it's time to tell DH about my 
stupidity. *sigh*

I did, however, get a LOT done in the kitchen yesterday. I did my "Ogre Juice", I did a new batch of baked fruit for my breakfasts, and I did at least two different things for my dinners. My empty shelving on my side of the refrigerator are once again filled. What a relief! 

I squeezed in a quick run of baked fruit in my kitchen 
work yesterday (I don't do the crumbles that this photo 
has, but the general fruit mix is pretty close). I adore my 
baked fruit for my breakfast, along with a couple of 
pieces of toast and a nice, hot, cup of tea. 

So today I'm off for my final swimming time of the week. I listen to audio books while I'm swimming, and my current book's characters are in the middle of a hidden city inside a glacier - very cold and icy. Highly appropriate for a Minnesota winter's day - LOL. I'll be back tomorrow, so have an excellent Thursday. Slava Ukraini. 

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. 

I'm Angry, I Have NO New Phone, and It's Also Damned COLD

Well, THAT was a disappointment. No new phone. I knew exactly which model of Pixel I wanted, and I was on time for my appointment. I sat down with their representative, who went through the numbers and suddenly things weren't sounding right to me. I had them print everything out, and (hopefully I didn't get so angry that I shredded it). Sure, I could get the phone at a great deal (which I could also get from a number of other sources, including the manufacturer directly). But, in order to use the new phone, I also had to upgrade to a different phone plan - their "Unlimited" package, which would have changed my monthly charges quite a bit. I walked away, and I'm still furious and considering filing a formal complaint with my state Attorney General's office for a "Bait and Switch" con. 

It's sure looking like Verizon was using a bair 
and switch tactic to get me to upgrade to a 
higher-priced plan just because I wanted to upgrade 
my equipment. I might not have a case, but I might 
file paperwork for it nonetheless. 

I do want my new phone, but I might purchase it elsewhere. I did that with the phone I currently have - I purchased it from an outside source and had Verizon put in the SIM chip that allowed it to be used on their network. I'll probably look into that possibility, after my temper has cooled a bit, and when I have a bit more time to web surf. But I'm thoroughly disgusted with the way the entire thing was approached by Verizon. They're reacting to stiff competition, and I might be one more reason why their customer base is shrinking. But they still have the most comprehensive coverage for my area, so I'm between a rock and a hard place. I might still file a case, however, Cases are built one cog at a time. Mine might be the last complaint needed for the State to actually take action against the company. 

Keith Ellison is the Attorney General for my state, 
and his office is very helpful. I filed a case with them 
when AT&T was being ridiculous about already paid 
invoices. They took the case and we were refunded 
over-payments and able to get legal satisfaction. 

But, I was fuming all late afternoon and into the evening, and I'm still not happy. On the other hand, yesterday greeted me with a couple of inches of snow on the ground, so I had to quickly shovel the driveway before I could take the trash and recycling buckets out to the curb and drive over to the swimming pool. I got there on time, but it's a reminder to me that I need to be very aware of the weather. I don't want to be late for swimming, but I still need to do my morning meditation and write my daily blog before leaving the house. So much to do between 3:00 am (for swimming days - my running days give me a bit more sleep) and when I have to leave the house for the gym no later than 4:45 am. That's my time schedule, though. It has been for many years. It works for me - I get my exercise, and then more exercise, and then I'm fit to deal with DH, Chickie and various customers. 

We're into the deep freeze now. We're going to be below 
zero Fahrenheit for several days in a row. The Winter 
that ignored us last year is reminding us that we just got 
a lucky break last year and is returning back to more 
"normal" temperatures. *sigh*

I'm out of here. Maybe I'll take a bit of time to discover an alternative purchase point for my new phone ... or not. I'll check into it some more when I get into the shop later today. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

At Least It's a Swimming Day - LOL

We were supposed to have a conversation with a retail expert yesterday morning, but got caught up in discussing a variety of things and ended up phoning slightly late. That was all it took for that appointment to be cancelled. However, we were able to reschedule for tomorrow, and to fill out the form for an extended conversation at the same time. So it wasn't a total loss, just a bit annoying. LOL In the main, yesterday went relatively smoothly, which isn't always the case. 

I doubt we'll actually hire him (although I think he could 
do quite well for us). But we'll both talk with him and 
see what he can offer us. Our appointment is scheduled for 
tomorrow morning and we'll try our best not to miss the 
time zone this time. 

Today I hit the swimming pool for the first time this week. I'm dressed in my swim gear and ready to hit the door running (or driving, in this instance) to the YMCA. I do enjoy my swimming days. I made sure to top off the battery of my audio book last night, so I'm good on power. I don't recall how close I am to the end of the book, but I don't think I'm super close - still a few hours left before this one is over and the last one of the series will be loaded onto my headset. 

I love my Shokz underwater headphones. They fit 
comfortably and snugly, and I can happily listen to 
my book while swimming my laps. Laps without a 
book is WAY too boring. 

I always listen to audio books in the swimming pool, and to music on the treadmill. I've found that if I listen to music in the pool, my strokes change to match the rhythm of the tune(s) I'm listening to. That really doesn't work well for me. So I listen to books in the pool. For the treadmill, however, I'm looking at scenery on the screen, and music works really well to keep me on pace. That's what works for me, at least. Everyone is different and you might approach these two types of exercise differently. 

We're getting colder up here in the "Frozen Northlands", but 
I'm not quite to parka weather yet. I'm wearing my leather 
jacket though - I'm not a total idiot. It is in the low 40's, so 
not many more degrees until we're into freezing temps. 

We're getting colder up here in the "Frozen Northlands". Today isn't too bad - mid 40's F. But it's raining, so it will be a wet wait for the gym doors to be unlocked. Still it's way better than it will be later in the season when we will be bundled in our cold weather gear and turning into icicles while waiting for Sabrina to unlock the doors. 

Boring can be good sometimes - LOL. 

So, as you can tell from above, I don't really have a lot to report today. Sometimes boring can be a very good thing, though. Have a wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow for a little more hectic morning. Slava Ukraini. 

It's My "Day Off" and I Really Need It! My Cupboards Are Bare!

It's my "day off" today and I have a HUGE agenda of errands and things I need to accomplish before I sit down to dinner tonight. I have to get some serious cooking done today. I'm totally out of my baked fruit - my usual breakfast, and I only have two dinner portions pre-cooked ready for reheating. Not enough. The fruit is the focus today, though. So I'll be buying pears and apples at the store today, cutting them up, adding spices, and cooking them. 

I love making my baked fruit, and I love eating my baked 
fruit. I knew I would have some problems because of the 
extra day I had to work last week. I ended up two portions 
short, so I've had to rely on fresh fruit only over the past 
few days. But I prefer my fruit mix. 

My weight is at the upper level of my comfort zone, so I'm going to try and eliminate nuts and dried fruit as my lunch. I've been eating that because it's convenient. I can work on the computer and still get my lunch. But, I want to drop a few pounds, so time to pay attention and eat a bit more sensibly. 

Remember our beaver at our outdoor pool last year? 
We haven't had a return, but I still remember his 
visit with great enjoyment. That was just a few 
days before the pool opened last year. 

Except for cooking, the day should be pretty laid-back for a change. It's been damned COLD outside, and wet, and rainy, and DH hasn't been happy. Our plants aren't very happy with the weather either. It's been tough on some of my newly planted herbs and some of the greenery and flowers we've planted over the past two weeks. Today we're getting rain until about 9:00 am, but things should clear afterward. It's still going to be cold, though. It's only 40 F right now and for this time of the year, when the outdoor pool will be opening in three days, it's COLD. I'm NOT looking forward to running in and out of the outdoor pool in cold weather. 

I've been to several funerals and funeral meals, but I've 
never been to a Celebration of Life. I like the idea of it, 
but this is new territory for me. 

Saturday is the Celebration of Life get-together for our oldest nephew. DH is dreading it, I think it will be interesting. This is the first Celebration of Life I'll have attended - I'm far more familiar with funerals and after-internment get-togethers. I think DH is totally confused by it - more than I am. He'll just have to deal. Catie and Michael had discussed all of this in detail before he died, so she's doing exactly what they had jointly decided would be best. We'll close the store at 2:00 pm. DH wanted to close at 3:00 pm, but we wouldn't get to the Celebration before 4:00 pm at that rate, and it only goes until 6:00 pm. I'd like to spend some time with the family, so I'm insisting on that extra hour. 

I'm wrapping this up and heading out to the pool. It's only 40F (4.4C) out, and it's raining. I'm super happy to be in the indoor pool today! LOL Enjoy your Wednesday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's a VERY Cold Morning

Good morning, my friends and fellow peeps. It's cold (-7 F, -21.6 C), so I'll be bundling up for my drive to the shop. I should also get some gas into my car - it needs it. Of course, like an idiot, I have one of the coldest days of the year on which to do this. It's going to be even colder tomorrow, with a stronger chance of snow, so I guess I'll get my gas today. The realities of living in the colder climate areas of the USA. 

You might recall my friend Meg from swimming who dropped by last week and gave me a daffodil? Well, it's blooming like crazy right now - every stem with a flower. I know that's temporary - they'll bloom, then die back, then be green for a while until that too dies back, and then they'll be dormant for several months. I'll have to keep an eye on it, but I'm enjoying the blooms while I have them. A reminder of Spring still ahead in both the calendar and my life. Spring comes, goes, and then comes along once again. 

I have two bills to pay before I wrap things up on this computer, have breakfast, and head out into the cold. I'm grateful that I can pay bills online, it does make things easier and faster. However, I still have to remember to pay them ... sometimes that's problematic, and I've had other things on my mind this past week or so. I'm not late with the payments, but they have to be done. 

So, life settles back down into "normal" rhythms. My next doctor appointment is in another week (next Wednesday), so I'll make do with grumbling at the tape covering the stitches, and be grateful that the stitches are minimal. No "Bride of Frankenstein" for me ... at least not this time. Still, I'll be very happy when I'm allowed to pull the tape off. I'll be even happier when the stitches are removed. Everything itches slightly - a sign of healing, but annoying nonetheless - LOL. 

Have a happy and productive Tuesday, I'm off to grab a quick breakfast, then freeze while getting gas into the car. "sigh" The vicissitudes of life - LOL. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. (And thanks for all of the personal E-notes, cards and comments - I appreciate each and every one of them!) 

 

ARGH and Sharon's Retiring! YAHOO!

I'm officially going on record that I'm really pissed off at DH for giving me his cold. I'm not constantly coughing the way that he is, but there's a tenseness in my lungs. Of course, I have my MRI scheduled for Thursday where I CAN'T move, so coughing isn't on the menu. Yeah ... I'm pissed. 

Coughing - bleh! I'd better not have a coughing fit 
while I'm getting my MRI on Thursday. 

We're in the deep freeze here in the Frozen Northlands, and I gave in last night and added my Mom's crocheted afghan to my bedding. I was warm and cozy, so I decided to allow myself a bit more sleep (desperately needed). Thus, today's post is a short one. 

I was warm and cozy under the blankets once I added 
my Mom's afghan to the layers. But it's frigid outside, 
and I'm not looking forward to going to the shop. 

My BFF Sharon has turned in her documentation and will be retired from being the BEST Librarian in the Denver Public Library system, on February 1st. I'm so pleased for her. She has loved being a librarian, posted at a crazy little library with some serious class. I know she'll enjoy her retirement too, but it will be a radical change for her. Mazeltov, my dear friend! 

Sharon has worked at the Decker Library branch for many 
years. It's a charming building constructed in 1912 and 
restored in 1993. It's got class, and it's loved by its' neighborhood. 

\

And that's it for today. Short, to the point, and I'm heading up for breakfast and then out into the -18F temperatures. Ick! Have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be here tomorrow. 

Today I Find Out My Future - Planning My Health Care Pathway

I was up early today. Normally it would be a swimming day, but I knew swimming wouldn't be allowed while undergoing my cancer treatment, and I wasn't sure if the biopsy was healed enough to allow the chlorinated water. Despite the temperature, I got dressed and went over to the gym in -7 F  degree temps (yes ... that's very COLD) to bring my friends and fellow 5:00 am swimmers up to date. I got a lot of hugs and will get lots of prayers, so I'm ahead of the game, right? I think so. 

I'm trying not to think too far ahead, just stay with the game 
for each little bit. Just one step at a time can be a game-changer. 

Yesterday DH and I were going to make a backdrop so that he could photograph some of the items we want to put into auctions in the Southwest this coming year. I brought my staple gun over to the shop with me, and I know I had it, but somehow between the time I took it out of my backpack and the time we actually needed it shortly after closing, it had completely disappeared. You know how sometimes you swear there's a dimensional doorway that takes something you KNEW was there into a new realm? That's pretty much what happened to my favorite staple gun. I'm NOT happy, nor is DH who couldn't get his board covered and set up. Stumbles in the pathways of our lives. I'm now without my staple gun, and I have to look yet again today. It has to be there, I just can't think of where since we checked just about everywhere for it last night. 

Most staple guns (DH owns three of them) are 
too hard for me to actually use effectively. The 
one I had was PERFECT for me and I loved it. 
I'm very upset that I couldn't find it last night, 
when I had just brought it to the shop in the morning. 
I think I looked everywhere, but will check a 
couple of other locations this morning. The project, 
to say the least, did not get completed. *sigh*

And, of course, the Minnesota Vikings football team were a disaster last night. Our season has come to an ignominious end. It's a good thing I'm a hockey fan. The Wild are still doing very well, and there's lots more hockey remaining to be watched as we move through this new year. 

It's a good thing the Minnesota Wild are skating really 
well in hockey right now, because the Minnesota Vikings 
rolled over and died in the playoffs last night. It was a 
pathetic show and I didn't bother watching it for long. 

I have a 10:10 appointment with my Care Team at the cancer center. My friend Claire (aka "Chickie Mama" is coming along with me to help me have another set of ears and questions. I'm very fortunate in my friends. They've all come to the top with this twist in my life, and I know they'll be there for me if I need to call on them. 

Back to the Breast Center again today, this time for a 
meeting with my Care Team. I'll get a much better idea 
of the plan they have in place and the timelines I'll be 
looking at after today's meeting. I'm glad Claire is coming 
along with me. I can use a second set of ears and eyes 
to make sure I'm not missing anything. 

So, I'm going to wrap this up and have breakfast and a WARM cup of tea. I'm still defrosting from, my early morning "chores" and I think a nice 'cuppa' is merited. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow,.hopefully with more of an idea about my treatment choices and prognosis. Enjoy your Tuesday. Slava Ukraini.