Blah February Start

After two days of sunshine at the end of January, February started out much like most of January...rainy and dreary and blah. January's total rainfall came to almost 12 1/2 inches. And, today we started February and got almost 1/2 inch...with more to come this evening. We seem to be in a pattern...a rainy pattern. I never even stepped outside today...just didn't want to get out into the dampness. Woody did go out several times...once in the morning to go to the doctor for further blood work, then after lunch he went out to get the mail and then he waited till the rain had stopped for a while and ventured out for a walk to and from the library. Today I haven't gotten as much exercise climbing up and down as I have pretty much finished with getting decorations down needing the assistance of the stepladder. Yesterday the angels "flew" down from their lofty position on top of the china cabinet and all the work on the shelves above the kitchen cabinets was complete. So today the main climbing that I have done is up and down our stairs to get boxes and then take them down to fill and then take the full boxes back up. I have packed and repacked boxes trying to downsize the number of boxes. All boxes are now downstairs that still need to have Christmas put into them except for the two Christmas tree boxes and the boxes for the Christmas tree ornaments. All the carolers have congregated together for one last sing on the coffee table before they get put back in their boxes. All their boxes have finally been found and are on the living room couch. The angels that flew down to the top of the buffet are now being put away into their respective boxes. Everyday mugs are back in the kitchen cabinet and the Christmas mugs have been put back in the box to be taken upstairs...except for the three that still remain unwashed! One shadow box is back to everyday. The other shadow box has the Christmas items taken out awaiting the everyday ones to be put back in. The mantel's snowmen and trees are thinning. So things are progressing, but it seems like ever so slowly. I work at it for as long as I can and then I have to stop and rest for a while. This is the time of the year when I wonder "why" I do so much decorating and start thinking that I will do a bit less the next time that I decorate...but I know when the time comes to decorate once again I will have trouble not putting out favorites...which leads pretty much to what I am putting away...since I don't put out all that I have...I pick and choose when I am decorating. Along with it being a "blah" day it is also becoming a "bah" kind of day...as in "bah humbug" as Scrooge would say!

We are another step/day closer to our NIH trip next week. I have gotten our hotel reservations. We will be staying just a little way out from Bethesda, MD...on the VA side of the beltway and will drive back and forth each of the days that we are there. Should work well...as long as there isn't a problem on the beltway! His appointments for the scans and MRI's are a bit later in the morning this time so we don't have to be there quite as early as in the past. I just checked a 7-day forecast for Bethesda and it shows clear for Tuesday and Wednesday. We're just hoping for no snow...well, at least for no bad road conditions!