'Tis the Season!

'Tis the season for being extra busy...or at least it seems like there is more going on than usual. This morning before I came downstairs I decided to move things from my closet that were summery. I don't know what inspired me...maybe the early morning temperatures...very cold. When I woke up, I asked Alexa the temperature and she said 19°. Brrrrr! That's the coldest it has been since last winter. We have had an unseasonably warm November for the most part. So I guess I can't complain about it getting cold. Yesterday I still had some of my plants blooming in the gardens, But I beieve the overnight lows took care of those blooms. Last night before I went to bed, I pretty much had the Sunday School lesson planned out. I have added a little to it today. My major accomplishment today was to get underway with my Christmas cards. I ended up running out of cards and stamps before I was finished with my card list, but a pretty tall stack of cards awaits being picked up by the mail carrier. Mail carrier gets later and later...I guess another sign of the season! I'm a little concerned, Alexa told me that a package was delivered at 7:30 this morning, but I have been outside numerous times and there is no package. I got to checking and there is a disclaimer on the P.O. site that says that sometimes a package gets marked delivered before it actually gets there. 7:30 is pretty early for a package to be delivered...I'm hoping that somehow the package got marked delivered instead of that it "is going to be delivered!" I don't want to go through the hassle of trying to track down a package or have to get the items reordered! On my multiple times to the mailbox to put Christmas cards in, I managed to get all Fall items removed from the front porch. And, did replace Fall with Christmas/Winter. Anyway, all in all today I have gotten quite a few things done. I decided that it was time to go over my Sunday School lesson notes one more time...well, I promptly dozed off...so after a nice little nap, now I will do that task! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Putting Things to Rights

Tonight's photo has a bit of a story behind it...a tradition, of sorts, for our family. The photo is supposed to give a view of the place card holder...you can see Isaac's in this photo and then to the right you can see the back of another one. Many years back, Graham found this turkey place card holder in a book of different K'nex builds. He decided to make them for our Thanksgiving tables that year. He continued to bring them over from next door (when they lived next door). He made more as our family increased. I thought about them last week, but thought that if I mentioned them and they had to look high and low for them that, that wouldn't be good...so I just remembered Graham and my K'nex days! When he was "into" K'nex so much our living room was pretty much a K'nex room! But the K'nex moved with them when they moved to the farm so I didn't know if they could be gotten to. But when Nathan came over Wednesday to help move furniture and set up tables, etc., he mentioned that he meant to bring the K'nex turkey place card holders...so I knew they were in existence still. He brought them when he came to put the turkey in the oven on Thursday morning. But I told him that I doubted that I would have time to fix them. But when his family got here, Kathy and some of the kids took over the task of writing the names on cards and then placing them. Graham was right in the midst...still...seeing that his creations of years ago were used and placed properly! A fun tradition...continued! I guess they wait each year to see who might move up to the "adult" table. This year Joy made her debut! She and Graham joined me, Melany, Wade, Nathan, and Kathy. We missed Erin, she wasn't able to come this year. We had sooooooooo much food...such a variety...even the pickiest found several things to put on their plates. One of the funniest things was when the living room eaters (Alex named that room "the Anex) finished, Alex came into the dining room with his phone saying that he had orders for "the anex" for dessert. I guess that was a hint! He forgot to offer cheesecake (Abigail's) and cranapple crisp. He went back to see if any of the orders changed and one did. So the tables were cleared and Nathan, Alex and I got busy on serving dessert. Once we all finished dessert, we adjourned. Some of the big folk got busy in the kitchen cleaning up. The kids got into the closet under the stairs and chose some games...Brooke brought some adult coloring books and markers...so some played games and some colored and some sat in the family room till we would call for help from the kitchen. Kathy washed dishes that couldn't go in the dishwasher, Melany cut the meat off the turkey, Wade and I worked on getting leftovers put away. We filled the dishwasher as full as it could be and got it washing. After the clean up, we adjourned to the family room. I had one double take when I walked into the family room...Nathan was sitting in the recliner...the recliner that Woody sat in...and I will say that I had to look twice because it was as if Woody was sitting there! Before everyone left tables were moved and furniture was put back in place, and dishes that reside up high were put back. I still had some things to do after they left, but nothing compared to what all had been done while they were here. We did make the comment that the clean up took quite a bit longer than the eating part of the day did! I have worked on putting away table cloths that I washed, putting back decorations that had to be moved...so today has been busy too. Abigail came over a little before lunch to try on a bridesmaid dress so I could pin up the hem. After she left I found time to baste up the hem. Abigail went Black Friday shopping with a friend and after she finished shopping she came back over to see if the hem was okay. It is okay...so now I need to get it trimmed off and hemmed before the wedding that is happening in two weeks! I have to put that task off for a couple of days as I REALLY need to get the Sunday School lesson prepared for Sunday. It has been hard this week to find time to work on it! And, I have to get back to my Christmas stitching! I guess we can NOW say, "Tis the Season!" To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Dorrells, The Proctors and the Houses!

Preparations Well Underway

I just got the living room tables set and ready for our family feast tomorrow. I still have the dining room to set. Nathan came over and helped me get tables into place and gathered the chairs from around the house and helped me get things that are stored up high. He is going to come over in the morning a little before seven to help me wrangle the bird into the roasting pan and then into the oven. The pies are baked. I still have the vegetables to slice and dice for the dressing. I also plan to put together the crumble for the top of the Cranapple Crisp. I will put the dressing together in the morning. I will have quite a bit of peeling to do...apples and potatoes. Once the turkey is out of the oven I will make gravy. Wade usually lends his hand to mashing the potatoes. We plan to eat noonish to one...we'll see how well the planning goes! I did get the two Christmas stockings made last night before I went to bed...I won't say how late that was! But I knew that I wouldn't have the time today to work on them...and I was right. I have been pretty busy today with only a break once in a while when my back objects too much! The heating pad has been my friend several times today. I know I will be ready to sleep whenever that times comes! Guess I will go chop celery, onions, etc. It will help in the morning to have those all ready when I am ready to make the dressing. Gobble! Gobble! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Signs of Thanksgiving!

Why does time fly so fast when you have lots to do?!? I think that today needed hours added to it! I spent a good part of the day working on Wade and Erin's Christmas stockings. I wish that I could say that I have at least one finished, but that is not the case. I am very close to finishing Erin's...but Wade's still has a ways to go. Just a few minutes ago I added the stack of pie crust dough discs to the refrigerator...part of tonight's photos. Getting the pie crusts to this point is all the Thanksgiving cooking that I had to do today...not so for tomorrow! But still I have lots less to do since Melany, Wade, Nathan, and Kathy are bringing most of the sides. I made pie crusts for four pies, though I may only make three. I can freeze the fourth pie dough disc if I stick with what I planned. It was just easier to make an even number of crusts, as I double the single crust recipe. This way if I decide to make the second pumpkin pie I won't have to make the crust tomorrow. I will make the pumpkin and pecan pies tomorrow and chop ingredients, etc. for things that I will put together Thanksgiving morning. I'm not used to sewing for long periods of time these days so the sewing has been tiring. I do plan to get Erin's stocking finished tonight...and...maybe...get the bias strips cut and the piping made for Wade's. That way all I would have to do tomorrow was sew the piping on the front of the stocking and then sew the stocking pieces together tomorrow. I used to burn a lot of midnight oil when sewing...these days my oomph needed to continue to sew seems to not last as long as it used to last! But it has been a good day...at least to this point! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Sundries

I've just gotten back from the Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting. I was greeted when I came in the door with a notification from Alexa that it was about to start to rain. I'm not sure if it has started yet, but I was very thankful that I got home and back inside with no rain. I have been pretty busy today doing all sorts of things from cleaning to sewing (well, preparing to sew). I got the whole downstairs vacuumed and dust mopped and did various other cleaning jobs here and there. I need to get the stockings made that Melany needlepointed for Wade and Erin. I want to be able to give them to her on Thursday so she can put them up as she is now in the midst of decorating. I got the needlepoint stockings trimmed around and then cut out the backings and the linings. Next, I have to cut bias strips of the backing/lining fabric so I can make cording. So I am getting closer to finishing...one step at a time. I am also trying to finish an e-book before it is whisked away into cyberspace...afraid that I won't be able to finish it since these next couple of days are going to be so busy. I have already put myself back on the hold list so I can get it back and finish it at another time. I did do more cross stitching last night...trying to finish a couple of Christmas gifts. This year, I haven't done my usual amount of cross stitching for Christmas. I guess Christmas will be just a bit different in many ways. I do have everything gathered to get my Christmas cards ready to send...cards, a Christmas note, address labels (with one of my photos of a red barn on them), address book, Christmas card list, and stamps. I think that next I will sign all the cards. So I have all sorts of little tasks lined up...some for Christmas...some for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is pie crust making day. I will make the pie crusts and form the pie crust doe into discs that I will wrap in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator until I am ready to roll them out on Wednesday, when I make the pies. I checked today to see recommended amount of time to cook the turkey. My oven has a special program that you can plug in the weight of the turkey, etc. and it will do the rest of the settings. This will be the first time that I have used that feature as the last few years we haven't done Thanksgiving cooking here except for the pies since Woody couldn't eat most of the Thanksgiving dishes. We invented "pie day" to be our Thanksgiving with family. So we will be gathering back here as a family for Thanksgiving since before Covid. Hope I can wrangle this big bird into the oven!!!!! And, the settings on the oven that I mentioned above...well, I don't totally trust that so I am figuring out what I think the amount of time should be so I have a double check. I have an oven thermometer probe, but I also have an instant read thermometer...as another double check. I have cooked turkeys so many, many times over the last 56 years...but I will say not having cooked one in the last five makes me a little leary...but I know that it will turn out fine...and if timing is off a bit...it won't matter all that much...after we are all family!!!!!! Lots to do tomorrow...time will tell as to how much I will get done. But I will say I do love this time of the year...so thankful for family gatherings at the holidays. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorites

Simply Saturday

I got up this morning and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and then go in and sit and look at my tree while I sipped it. I took some pictures and am sharing one of the tree tonight. I probably sat longer than I meant to, but finally I got moving and got ready to head to the Credit Union, JoAnn's, and the Post Office. I got some Christmas fabric and a pattern at JoAnn's and then got stamps for my Christmas cards. So all errands planned happened and I added the JoAnn's in at the last minute since I was right across the street when I was at the Credit Union. I got out Christmas mugs and some Christmas luncheon-size plates (from a box upstairs). Doing that means I have to put away some of the every day mugs so I will have a place for the Christmas ones. So I continue sort of nesting for Christmas! I am enjoying being surrounded by Christmas. I have done some planning for a party that I am doing a centerpiece for. I need to get busy on the Christmas stockings for Wade and Erin that I am supposed to finish for Melany. She did the needlepoint and I am doing the turning them into a stocking. I worked, at least in my head, on organizing what I will be doing on what days when preparing my part of the Thanksgiving meal. I actually wrote Tuesday and Wednesday and the tasks that I would do those days. I still need to look at a recipe to make sure that I have everything for it...it is for Cranapple Crisp and that recipe isn't with the other Thanksgiving recipes so forgot to look at it. I'm pretty sure I have everything that I need...since I have apples and cranberries, and oatmeal...and the other basic ingredients...I am pretty sure that I have everything...but want to look at the recipe to make sure. At this point I am just planning ahead. It really feels good that I have my decorating done...one less thing to think about...plus just had to have the mess out of the way for Thanksgiving. I am hoping to do some stitching tonight. The stitching has sort of come to a hault these last couple of days...need to get back to it. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Different Direction

I moved away from decorating and into cooking...aka...getting ready for Thanksgiving...and also cooking so I will have something to eat between now and the Thanksgiving feast! I did finish decorating last night and moved the last of the boxes upstairs today. I did finally get the pictures to post last night...I think they were too big. I did a little editing to both of them and then they posted. And, I didn't have any trouble with tonight's photo. Maybe it is just that I am now holding my mouth correctly! Last night before I went to bed, I made up my list for the grocery store...mainly concentrating on my part of the Thanksgiving meal and then added a few items to get me through till the big day. I headed off to the grocery store after 8am. I will say it was obvioius that Thanksgiving is in the air...the store was quite crowded...there were several traffic jams in the aisles...but I made it through unscathed and scored an almost 20 pound turkey. So I had my exercise today hoisting the bird around until it made it safely into my refrigerator. I got the groceries put away...except for the items that are specifically for my Thanksgiving cooking that are nonperishable. I left those in their bags near the window next to the pantry. So I don't have to go searching for them when I need them. I probably need to go through my recipes one more time and make sure that I really got everything that I need. I can remember having to send Woody to the store on cooking days when I left off one or two items from our grocery list. I'm just happy to have the turkey in my possession. Nathan stopped by to make sure that he had closed the flue when he removed my unwelcome guest. He had. I got him to wash the upper half of the kitchen window over the sink. I found another deal on pork tenderloin...not as good a bargain as last time...when I got it for less than a $1. This time I got it for less than $4 this time. I decided to cook it today as I was pretty much out of food as I had been attempting to clean out the refrigerator before Thanksgiving. I cooked them in my iron skillet. Well, my iron skillet was sticking a bit and I decided that it probably needed to be seasoned...why...I decided to do that today, I'm not sure! But I am in the process of doing that according to some instructions that I got from the internet...a bit different than when I have done it prior to this. The pan is cooling at the moment. And, at this point I haven't smoked up the kitchen which the instructions said might happen. I have put away a few more boxes...the upstairs is still pretty much upside down...but that is one of the reasons that I like having an upstairs! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Almost..!

Well, I have photos to show my progress, but at the moment the blog program isn't allowing me to add them. I will try again after I finish writing. I have made a lot of progress today. The living room is all but finished. I made add a couple more Christmas bells to the shelf on the bookcase, if I run across them when I am going through and deciding what angels to use up on high. I have even vacuumed the living room...all ornament boxes are upstairs. Even the dining room table is cleared and the centerpiece is on it. I have dusted off the top of the china cabinet and am ready to put at least a few "angels on high." The stepladder still resides in the dining room as does the vacuum...but those will be gone once I have the angels placed and the floor has been vacuumed...the vacuuming may not happen this evening! I put three boxes that contain angels on the family room couch so I can look through them and choose what I will use this year...so that couch still sees Christmas decorting clutter...but very close to all boxes being upstairs. Well, I just tried to load the two photos that I wanted to share tonight and they just won't load. Maybe tomorrow?!? To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Really Close!

The tree is all but done. I have moved most of the ornament boxes back up to the Christmas closet. There are still a handful of ornaments that I may or may not use. I will make a walk around the tree and see if there are any glaring empty spots. Doubt that there will be many...it is pretty chock full! So many memories hanging on this tree. It is hard to leave some off. There are ornaments dating back to our first Christmas all the way to the present. Some remind me of the family members and friends who gave them to me. Others remind me of events in our lives. I've definitely thought a lot about Woody as I hung ones that we bought together on some of our trips. I have hopes that tomorrow I will be able to get empty boxes all upstairs and out of the living and dining rooms. That would mean emptying a few...so I need to decide what other nooks and crannies I "need" to decorate before all the boxes are out of sight and thus out of mind! If I can manage to finish decorating tomorrow, that will mean that I have a week to get ready for Thanksgiving and do other things that have been neglected due to all the decorating mess. We'll see if that happens. It will largely depend on whether my back allows me to finish. This afternoon, I just had to stop and head to a recliner and a heating pad. I probably should have done some stitching while resting, but I just didn't even pick up a needle...instead I watched a Christmas movie and relaxed. When it was time to head to church for Bible study, my back was feeling much better. I am okay as long as I give in once in a while and just make myself stop for a while and take at least a little short rest. I don't think that I have napped today...just sat and vegged when I rested. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Making Good Headway

I've managed to get quite a bit done on the tree today, but that is about all that I have done. So I have spent a lot of time walking around the tree and back and forth from the couch to the tree. At this point in the day I am calling it quits...I've done enough for the day and it is time to rest my back! Donna and I had a "library meeting" via the phone today. We didn't go to the library to work, but did check in on each other. Donna needed the most checking on, as she had a fall over the weekend, which brought back memories of my fall last year. I couldn't remember exactly when I fell, but it was the week just before Christmas. Now if we can just get Donna healed up and no falls for the rest of us!!!! We did have a little rain today. I didn't think to check the rain gauge to see how much. I guess I'll have to check tomorrow. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Underway!

The top picture shows what the living room looked like this morning after I got all the ornament boxes downstairs and on the couch. I did get the tree branches moved downstairs yesterday and before I headed upstairs for the night, the tree was together and waiting for ornaments. I put the angel (I know she is crooked at this point...will work on her once all the ornaments are on and I'm not jiggling the tree as I put other ornaments on the tree.) on before I put that top section on the tree. And the second picture shows where I have gotten to today. I have emptied and removed several of the boxes of ornaments so progress is being made. As always, I am enjoying being reunited with my ornaments...talk about LOTS of memories! I must hold myself funny when I decorate the tree as it is rough on my back and I can't decorate for too long before I have to rest or at least do something else for a while. I will plug away at the tree over the next couple of days. I headed to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry Center today at lunch time. I ate lunch there and then after Joy came over from her last class and had her lunch, she cut my hair. I came back home and put ornaments on the tree till it was time to go to Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting. I have been home for a few minutes, took a picture of the current condition of the tree for tonight's blog and am now blogging. That about sums up my day for today. I think I will hang a few more ornaments on the tree and then head to my downstairs recliner and stitch and watch TV for a little while before I head up to bed. Tomorrow I will get busy once again on the tree and perhaps put away a few more things...need to get the dining room table cleared off. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Simply Saturday

I started the day moving and emptying boxes and have continued for most of the day with breaks here and there. One of the breaks was for my monthly Cottey College Alum Book Club. There were probably a dozen of us at the Zoom meeting. None of us were too enamored with this month's book, Tom Lake. I had to find some summaries of the book last night to refresh my memory. I had read this book quite a while back. We had a good discussion, but did get off track at the end and talked about the college itself. One of our book club members is on the Alum board so she shared information about our alma mater. We usually stop at exactly one hour, but with the discussion about the latest at Cottey, we talked for a little longer. Nathan's timing was perfect. He arrived just a little after we finished. He came to add a new ROKU device to the TV in my sewing room. Since I have learned how to use the ROKU TV downstairs, I want to be able to use the same upstairs and the old ROKU device had been bypassed with more technology. While Nathan was here, I got him to carry down a few more boxes...I am to the point of bringing ALL the boxes down that contain Christmas tree ornaments. We started lining them up on the living room couch. Nathan also helped me to move a couple of pieces of furniture making a spot for the tree. I finished, almost, what I needed to put on the tables, etc. in the living room. Most of the boxes except for the ones with ornaments have been taken back upstairs...still a few to take up that are in the dining room. Today after the bookclub, I decided that I had better figure out how to get the next book for December's discussion. Neither my library nor the e-book app has next month's book. I won't buy the books if I can't get them at the library...I need no more books in this house...nor do I have room for more...not with the number that I read. So today, I checked on Amazon and they offered it as an audible book...and, for a very small fee, I was able to get it as an audible book. I have been listening to it while I worked in the living room. My problem with audible books...is that I miss parts when I happen to doze off...and have trouble figuring out where I was when I dozed off! So I just end up missing parts. So far I think that I have a pretty good grip on what is going on...so I just went on listening when I realized that I had been dozing! Tonight's photo shows that I did get to the box with the snowman cookie jar...finding that I was able to complete that corner of the kitchen. I am pretty much finished in the kitchen. I will work on getting the tree put up tomorrow and hopefully start decorating it. After it is decorated, I will decide if I am going to put up the "angels on high." I did decorate my first tree today...a small one that I put tiny cross stitched ornaments on it...small as this tree is, it has about 50 ornaments on it...so that was one of my accomplishments today. I will put a photo at the end of this tree and my Carolers. Years ago I stitched each of these ornaments for my Aunt Lois for her doll tree. Aunt Lois was a doll collector and she asked me to make orhaments for their tree. I did this over a period of years. After she died, I got the ornaments back and now they are here decorating a tree for my Carolers. I am ready to sit for the rest of the evening. I am working away on the last few Christmas ornaments that I am stitching. I have a good portion of the stitching finished...then I will need to make them into ornaments...this year what I am stitching is less detailed which means less time to make each one. Most of the ones I have been stitching can be completed in a sitting...not what I usually do. Less time...but at this point I am pleased with them...now to hopefully be pleased when I have them made into ornaments! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday Doings

I've kept pretty busy today...my steam is running out at this point in the day. I have opened lots of boxes and have put lots of things in lots of places. I really don't have anything exactly as I think it will end up...but more things are in place and have been found. This corner in the kitchen will probably end up with more trees and more snowmen...but for tonight...this is it. I will say that the fireplace decorations have changed quite a bit...maybe it is finished...maybe it isn't. The dining room table still has lots of trees and snowmen on it...and, I haven't gotten into my boxes of angels. I have to decide if I am going to put the "angels on high" up this year...this would mean lots of trips up and down the step ladder placing angels on top of the china cabinet...tonight I am thinking that it may not happen, again, this year...but we will see! I still haven't gotten to the box with the snowman cookie jar in it. I can see it, but it is still wedged into the Christmas closet. I can't really work on the other corner of the kitchen until I have him placed in the back in the corner...then I can place trees and other snowmen around him. It has been fun finding decorations. I am using quite a few decorations that I haven't used in the last few years. Besides decorating, I have done a load of wash...all done and put away and made a pot of soup, Cream of Chicken Florentine...made a pretty good supper. My back is suggesting that I need to rest it for a while. I plan to finish cleaning up the kitchen and take a few more empty boxes upstairs to get them out of the way. If I get rid of the boxes, I will be able to see better what still needs to be done. Maybe...I will get to the point tomorrow that I will be ready to start the tree on Sunday...what a job that is...but I do look forward to reacquainting myself with all those favorite ornaments and find just the perfect spot for each of them on the tree! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Thoroughly Thursday

Nathan stopped by this morning on his way to work at his church and helped me hang my newly framed needlework. The three newly framed pictures are the small ones in the group. I have had the large print of Williamsburg hanging in the family room for a while. The smallest of the pictures is a cross stitch picture of the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg. The monocrome picture below that is George Washington's Mt. Vernon. This piece my mother started before she married and at some point I found it and I ended up finishing it. It is a stamped piece done in outline stitch. I finished it before we moved into this house...so more than 40 years ago and Mother married in the mid 40's so it was probably started in the 30's or 40's. The other piece is a cross stitch picture of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello that I stitched in the 80's before we moved into this house...so more than 40 years ago. I'm glad that I finally framed them and can now enjoy them on the wall. The planter was a wedding present that I pulled out when Cheryl was here and she said that I needed to put it back up. The dipper was brought back to us from one of Nathan and Kathy's mission trips. I am going to have to ask Kathy whether it is from Africa, the Philippines or..? Anyway, I am happy with the grouping and very glad that I asked Nathan to help me hang them. He figured out spacing very easily. Plus his height was an advantage when leaning over the back of the couch to measure, pound nails, and hang and level the pictures. He also brought down another of the heavier boxes and I have gone through that box and a couple of others. I continue to put things around the house. Nothing more is totally finished, but getting closer. Hopefully I will have something else completed to take a photo of for tomorrow night's blog. I am pretty sure that I am heading in the right direction for feeling better. Today has been a much better day, but I still tire easily. It stayed really windy over night and we did have rain. My rain gauge said that we got 8/10 of an inch. That is the most measureable rain I have had in my new rain gauge. It's good to see rain off and on once again. I doubt that it has done much for our drought condition, but at least it is raining every so often! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wednesday

I found things that I wanted to decorate the fire place with, today. There will be some changes before I am entirely finished...as I find a couple of other things that I haven't found yet. But it is close to done. This morning, Nathan and Elijah stopped by to do a sonny-do job. I had an unwanted visitor drop down my chimney last week...and it wasn't Santa...but a wayward squirrel. Today they stopped and got him out for me...he had met his demise...I consider this "survival of the fittest" and this squirrel wasn't the brightest since he decided to explore my chimney! When I got my new roof, the roofers were supposed to cap the chimney off to keep critters out...but they decided that it was too high up for them to do the job (insert eye roll!). So I am still having the same problem from time to time. We have trapped both squirrels and birds in the past. I hope they stay out for a while! Elijah helped me carry a box downstairs and that is the box that I got decorations out of today. That box is now empty and ready for me to store other items in, if needed. I still have some items from that box to find places for. I have started finding trees so they are being added to places throughout the downstairs. I did go to Bible study tonight and managed not to cough during it or need to blow my nose...progress! I even made a cake today. I had a cake mix in the pantry that had been there for some time. I made the cake and then made browned butter frosting...pretty good. It was a spice cake...I always think of my mother when I eat spice cake...one of her favorites. Nathan is supposed to come back to do a few other sonny-do projects. I need him to help me hang some pictures. I have three newly framed cross stitch pictures that I'm ready to see on the wall! Lots of 'Tis the Season projects besides the decorating...so I will keep on keeping on. It is really windy tonight. I had considered since it was dark when I got home that I would leave the car out of the garage tonight and put it in tomorrow in the daylight. But with the wind, I decided that I would go on and put it in. I will say that it is getting easier and easier to put the car into the garage...something that I didn't do until recently, but I am learning to line it up! I was glad to be back in the house and not be blown away this evening. I just wish that it would blow some rain our way. We may have had a sprinkle today, but not anything measureable. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Truly Tuesday

I had a slow start to the day, but as the day continued, I did get to feeling better. I haven't done a whole lot...still doing a lot of resting, but I have gotten out a few more decorations and have put away some more. The stacks of boxes on the guest bed have increased...those are the ones that I am through with and they can be put away without looking in them again. I have mainly found odds and ends today and have put them in spots around the house, but nothing that finished a grouping. All the Carolers are out, but tonight's photo shows the only Caroler grouping completed. As I told my sister today when we talked..."I haven't found any trees yet." And, she said, "Then you still have a lot to get out!" Her statement is very true...still lots of decorations to go through. I gave Donna another day off from the library. I just still didn't feel like I had the energy to put in a couple of hours there...maybe by next week? I did during my resting time finish another book. This is one for the Cottey bookclub on down the road...hope I remember it when it is time to discuss it! This was not my favorite book...well written...but not my favorite subject...Vietnam War...brought back a lot of memories...not pleasant ones...part of late high school memories and Cottey memories and early marriage memories. Just glad these memories are in the past! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Veterans’ Day 2024

This is a photo of our church when I was there this morning. I was pleased to see the flags up around the church in honor of our Veterans. I made two outings today...one to pick up a key at church, that I needed for tonight and then the other time out was to go to prayer meeting. I am just home from prayer meeting and those two outings have done me in for the day! I am still struggling to get my energy back after I have been sick. I did not feel very well over the weekend, but today I seem better...again...not blowing my nose as much or coughing as much...maybe it is working its way out of my system. But still tire very quickly. I have done very little with my decorating today. I have packed up some things that I had gathered on the dining room table. As I empty boxes and sometimes refill them with ordinary decorating items, I am putting them on the guest bed. That way I know that those boxes are ready to be stored back in the closet and that I don't need anything else out of them. I did find the last box of Carolers, but haven't taken them out of their box yet. The decorating this year is even more "slow go" than other years...hard to decorate when my energy is lacking! I took a nap this afternoon so I would have enough "get up and go" to go to prayer meeting. Now I feel worn out again. I continue to attempt to be patient with feeling better! I did manage to get some more cross stitch done over the weekend...one thing accomplished from so much sitting around! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Plugging Along

I've been moving a little slower today. I have worked more on the decorating, but it is slow go. Tonight's photo shows that I got the shadow box in the family room changed over for Christmas. This is the first time in several years that I have done that so today I took everything out of it so I could give it a good dusting. Today was sort of a step back in how I have been feeling...sort of dragging a bit today...very tired and have done a lot of nose blowing and coughing. I've taken lots of breaks and a couple of naps. I am well underway getting boxes out of the Christmas closet. I think that I have found all but one of the boxes with Carolers in them. I am within reach of being able to get out the Precious Moments Nativity. So things are moving along and eventually they will be done. Just not pushing it today. I'm glad that I started eaarly...especially when I lost quite a few days when I was sick and now things are going slowly as I recoup! One of the times I sat to rest, I did a little stitching and at others I read and other times I dozed! I guess the way to describe my day and how I have felt is "slugish." Hopefully I will be more awake tomorrow and the next day and the...To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday

I've had a pretty busy day...cleaning, polishing table tops, a little decorating, stitching, and cooking. I guess I am tired...I sat down a few minutes ago and ended up dozing off. A few minutes ago, I brought down the first box that has Carolers in it. I haven't gotten into it yet. But at least I have started getting into the decorations. One of the next things I'm going to do is look at photos of decorations from last year. I won't necessarily do things the same, but just want to be reminded. I'm still just getting started with the decorating and inspiration hasn't happened...yet. It's fun getting into the boxes...sort of like opening gifts! Good to get reacquainted with what I have! I will say that I continue to feel better. Today when I got tired, I sat and stitched...so accomplishing something (sometimes) when I sit to rest. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Unseasonably Warm

Not only is it unseasonably warm, it is also quite humid...not exactly what you expect at this time of the year when you walk out the door. I spotted this white kitty enjoying the sun on the ramp. I definitely feel better today. I worked this morning on moving and putting away everyday decorations, clearing the way for Christmas. After lunch, I decided that I would venture out for the first time since last Wednesday. I took my three needlework pieces to Hobby Lobby to have them put in their frames. The framer told me it wouldn't take long, if I wanted to wait. So I looked around the store a bit and then went back to get the framed pieces. On the way home, I stopped at Kroger and picked up a few items that I needed to make the soup that I want to make next. The car tricked me. When I came out of the grocery store I was surprised that it was after 4pm...I didn't think that I had taken all that long. When I got home and saw a clock, I realized that I hadn't been in the car since the time change so handn't fallen back with the car's clock. After I got the groceries brought in, I went back out to put the car in the garage...and...changed the clock in the car. It was sort of good to be out and about, again! And, I seem none the worse for wear for my outing. Tonight are the two shows I really enjoy, Matlock and Elsbeth. I am going to try to do a little stitching while I watch...but in order to not miss anything in these shows, I need to keep my eyes on the TV...so this may be another evening of "not much" stitching! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Being Patient!?!

Donna told me that I just have to be patient to put this "not feeling the greatest" behind me. I am trying to be patient! I am feeling better today than yesterday...so continued progress. Still just sticking close to home. I'm still not going to run any races! I did do a little more today around the house. Still trying to get ready to decorate. I can't believe that almost a week of November is behind us. I have shifted some things off of the tables in the living room, dusted a bit, but haven't done any furniture polishing. Still have more shelves to clear off before I even think about what I may put on them. Still emptying Kleenex boxes at a rapid rate. My cough seems to be some better, but...I also haven't talked much today...talking tends to bring on the coughing. I have taken lots of breaks and at one point this afternon I had to have a little nap. Again, I am losing track of days and time...today is Wednesday. I should just be getting home from Bible study. This week I will depend on the notes and video of tonight's study so I won't be behind. I continue to do quite a bit of reading, though this afternoon I started getting fidgety while I was reading...maybe sign that I am getting better and am ready to do more than just sit here and read. I think I will try to do a little stitching, though my head is still a little "thick" and not sure that I want to do the concentrating that my needlework needs. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

No Sense of Time!

Being sick has gotten my sense of time off...no daily routine! I was surprised when I just looked at the clock and see that it is after 7pm. I am feeling better but still moving pretty slowly and have jags of coughing every so often and am a bit hoarse, but still much better than yesterday. I'm still lying low. My energy level still isn't back yet so I don't mind staying at home at all. I am so glad that I voted early. Sounds like a record turn out of voters both early voters and Election Day voters. My eyes have stopped feeling sore and tired (a good thing) so today I decided to read, and, am well into this book. Tonight I plan to have one eye on the TV and the other on my book. Not sure how long my eyes will stay open! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

After All These Years!

Since we started hearing about Covid back in 2020, Woody and I managed to avoid it...mainly by pretty much isolating ourselves. Well, my isolating has pretty much ended so I guess it was inevitable that I would get it and it looks like I have. I have not tested as I see no reason to test since it is easy for me to isolate in my own home. I will stick here until I feel better...and, so far I don't have a big desire to be out and about. I am still not doing a lot...don't feel like it! Kathy made a Walmart run for me...needed cough medicine, cough drops, Tylenol, and saltines...needed those last for my chicken noodle soup. I don't always have crackers with my soup...but I always did when I was sick as a child and Mother would bring me a cup of chicken bouillon...she always brought me saltines with it. The cough medicine definitely has helped. Still don't want to be up and about too much so pretty much resting and waiting for this to go away!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Down For The Count!

Well, I seem to be sick. It's been so long since I have been sick that I wasn't sure as "this" began. I thought yesterday that I had just worn myself out with my undecorating for Fall. But not long after I blogged last night, I started feeling chilled and realized that I was running a fever. I felt really achy and had a headache and my nose was running...I've gone through lots of kleenex! I have done a lot of water and tea drinking. Still don't feel the greatest, but feel better than I did last night! I'm just going to lie low for the weekend. I've done a lot of resting...maybe that will help my body adjust to the time change. I have started changing clocks...always a pain especially when we have to move them back. Well, I'm ready to rest again...haven't felt like stitching or reading...my eyes have felt "tired." Just sitting and resting. And, when I wake up in the morning, I will be an hour closer to Arizona! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wow! Measurable Rainfall!

Finally...measureable rain since I got a new rain gauge more than a month ago. We got 4/10 of an inch. I am pleased with my rain gauge...I can actually read it from inside. I will have to bring the gauge tube in before it gets too cold...don't want it to freeze. I've had a busy day...a big woosh on surfaces throughout the downstairs and all my fall decorations are off the tables, etc. and all put away. I do still have Fall still on the front porch so will finish putting those away after Thanksgiving. I can easily get to my Fall decorations that I might like to use on the tables for Thanksgiving...some pumpkins and turkeys and leaves may come back out for that special day. I have put our a few Christmas things...very few...but it is a start! I just know that if I don't want to be stressed about getting things done, I need to start early and move along steadily but not too much at a time. Already today all the up and down and carrying things mainly up that my back was protesting. I did manage to make as few trips up and down as possible. I am glad that I actually got all the Fall decorating items put away that I took upstairs. I have several surfaces cleared off...ready for a good dusting and polishing before Christmas gets placed. I put up one Christmas needlework picture and a couple of Christmas pillows...so far that is it! I had to rest for a while this afternoon after my busy morning. I am going to attempt to stitch tonight and just sit...and enjoy what I have gotten out, since it is in the room with me! I will keep you posted on decorating progress...I know early...but for my peace of mind...it's worth it...plus I am really looking forward to getting to see my Christmas once again! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!