It's beginning to look a lot like...

 ...Christmas? Not really.  We've had a few flurries, some even stuck around for a day, but alas, it is mostly brown out there. Some of the arborvitae are still green, some are transitioning to bronze (not my favorite, but nature does what nature does...) and the garden is definitely hunkering down for winter. I was able to add a few more loads of leaves to the pile, and may be able to get more, but if I don't, I don't.

Old Business:

• Still reading Power. Getting better at scheduling my chores and my downtime.  It's a process.
• Shift is amazing!
• Trail Guide I've had some trouble with, I was sick last weekend, and took a break.
• P4S still a fail!  LOL
• Magazines, doing good.
• Walk/Run still needs help.
• Craft Table still needs attention.
• Guitar - up to 14 weeks!!!
• Sanding booth is DDDOOOOOONNNNNNEEEE!  Go me!!!! In fact, I'm hoping today to spray paint some of the outdoor furniture that needs attention!
• Blood draw done, and just 2 arms this time. We'll see what results it yields.  Should know by Monday, or Tuesday at the latest at my appointment.

New Business:

• Wicker furniture repair and paint. I never treated it, and it was probably really supposed to stay inside, so it has some damage from being outside.  I think fixable, and once I paint it, it will hold up outside better.
• Make pies for Christmas
• Schedule chiropractor appointments for 2024
• Schedule therapy sessions for 2024
• Found some great curtains at Goodwill last night. I'm going to strip them down and make shades for the dining room!  Absolutely gorgeous fabric, botanical print and the colors fit perfectly!  Will bring a lot of character!

Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Selfgiving...

 OK, I made that last one up, but I do very much enjoy just being by myself. I am eternally grateful that I finally now not only understand and accept that, but thrive in it. I can remember glimpses as a child and feeling wholly myself when alone. I also have glimpses of when I felt incomplete when I was alone.

It is a beautiful sunny morning here in NE Indiana. I am waiting for my hair to dry a bit before going to have some breakfast. I see piles of leaves slowly settling and decomposing, waiting for next spring and summer to be spread upon the garden beds to nourish whatever life I might be able to grow there. The piles are not as big this year, but perhaps there is still time to add to them before the snow covers it all. I see a big pile of brush, again waiting for next spring, summer, and fall to be chipped and spread. No surprise that I have had the best luck with it in slowing weeds' progressions.  And I must say, that the front beds have gotten so much better at not growing as many weeds. Flowers are filling in, I've been very good this year at keeping them clean, and so perhaps that will have a snowball effect so that I can keep more of it clean.

The arborvitae are still green, it has not been cold enough yet for them to turn bronze. The fig tree dropped all of it's leaves during the last frost, and sadly, the remaining fruit did not ripen. I have half a mind to trim them off and plant them around just to see what might happen.

I'll be travelling down to the big city today to spend the day with my ex, his wife, and the kiddos. I've made a french apple pie, and I'll also take the leftover scones and lemon curd from last weekend's women's fellowship. I never got any trick or treat takers, so I've bagged up some candy to take down to share as well.

I hope this message finds you wherever you need to be today. Know that you are loved and wanted. You matter, and I am thankful for you.

Old Business:

• Still reading Power. Yes, still helpful. Have continued to try and have my bigger meals during the early part of the day. Also trying to be better at "scheduling" home chores and fun things so that they actually get done.
• Shift is getting really good, and I don't want the story to end!
• Back onto the Trail Guide.
• Planning for Success is still a fail.
• Magazines, doing great!
• Need to actually schedule walking/running so I do it!
• Craft table needs more work.
• Guitar - I'm up to 11 weeks!!!
• Sanding booth - I cleaned up that bay of the garage last weekend so I can start working on it again. So, progress!
• I was able to cover up all the areas that I got weeded, and that used up the leaf pile from last fall. It was glorious to have so much!  And all the weeds I pulled out? Well, I've been putting them in the "trench" where the sewer line was replaced. It's now almost level again from where it had all settled.
• Had 020's birthday with 022, and my brother and sis in law.  It was wonderful! 

New Business:

• Trip Ideas: See the Savanah Bananas, Float Troy, and Hocking Hills OH.
• Have some GR notes I need to type up.
• Need to get my online schedule updated.
• Need to get more bloodwork done. My lipid panel came back better this year, dropped 60~ points and triglycerides look good. Heart scan came back great. But white blood cell count down, hemoglobin near low, iron low so we're doing a repeat next month, with some others to see what we can find. Hopefully, the draw will go better than last time. It was both arms, and a hand before she got anything to cooperate.

Autumn or Fall?

 Which do you usually use? Of course, it matters little, as the season is fully upon us. Trees are brilliantly orange, and yellow, and red, and brown, like a Bob Ross painting come to life. Breathe it in deeply, my friend.

For the first year ever, I had ripe figs on my tree. I greedily ate all 5 of them right then and there. So luscious and delicious! Amazing!  There are about 30 more on the tree, but I don't know if they will ripen in time.

My butterfly bushes continue to bloom, as if to say "to heck with thee, autumn hags. I will continue to be adorned in summer's beauty". No hummers, as they have sought safety and warmth elsewhere, but I do have a handful of fanciful blue jays. The bumbles have also retreated to their wintertime rest, and I am already anticipating their joyous return.

Old Business:

• Reading The Power of Engagement. It has been helpful, and I've picked 1-2 things to try and incorporate into life, right now. Mainly, eating bigger at the start of the day, and then tapering off.
• Started Shift. Again, it has been somewhat difficult to get going, but I've hit a bit of intrigue so I think that will help.
• Fallen off the Trail Guide, but hope to get back on it.
• Planning for Success is still a Fail LOL.
• Magazines, doing well.
• Running not good, but have been working on increasing walking. However, I have been doing a lot of cardio in the garden so not a complete slacker!
• Craft table is partially clean, need to keep it up.
• Cleaning is starting to get on a good roll.
• Guitar, I am now on a 7 week streak.  Not my longest, but close. It's always easier when I don't have to rebuild callouses!
• Sanding Booth - probably will hold off until I can't do work outside.
• Second brush pile is almost completely gone (I hope to get it gone this afternoon!) so I have been able to cover up the area where the fence was replaced (I had previously planted some butterfly bushes, arborvitae, and melissa there) AND continue to do weeding in the area by the west patio and get it covered. I also yanked out several invasive Asian honeysuckle. Mulberries used to be my arch villain, but it's been pushed out. While there is still lots to go, you can actually see where I've been doing things and that feels good. I always feel like the more I can get done in fall, the less I'll need to do in spring, which should then translate into being able to keep up with more. Am I wrong??
• Had Fall Education conference in Indy over 020's birthday weekend. It was a good weekend, and learned a lot! Was happy that I could (company...) pay for K to go too.

New Business:

• Mapping out 2024, and wanting to plan some trips. Since I know I'll probably never be able to officially retire, I've been thinking I just need to change my mindset to being semi-retired now.
• Working on a better management system of all the areas of my life. Sounds pretty ADHD doesn't it?  I need a system for my systems... sigh...
• Dad and Layne helped me round up brush from some folks here in La F which should help me build my leaf cages, and also be good mulch next year. Unfortunately a lot of it is still pretty green, so it's hard on the chipper.  Good thing it doesn't grow legs and walk off, but as I said, I'll be able to get the caging built.
• I've already raked up (and fetched from folks in town) a pile of leaves for next year's leaf mulch. It has reduced by half already (as it settles) so if I can get the stick pile done today, I want to go down the street where there is a big tree that has covered the road in leaves, and collect those to add. Or maybe just my neighbor across the alleyway.  There is a big tree there.
• Had a fun birthday weekend last weekend for 020.  She came up from BTown and her sib down from Grand Rapids. It was so much fun to have them both here again.
• Had PLA meeting this Thursday in Indy. There were a couple of sad cases this time.
• Although I will miss the outside, I am also looking forward to getting some inside projects done - sanding booth so I can get doors finished. And table/cart built for saw. And maybe the kitchen cabinet redo I want. And bathroom vanity/mirror cabinet. And garage cabinets. And laundry room cabinets. And, and, and...  And scrapbooking and painting! And did I mention crocheting...?

Warm days, chilly nights...

 ... tis the weather in September.  It has been beautiful here in Indiana.  I spent last week in St. Pete Beach, where it was hot! (not complaining) and when I arrived back, fall was fully upon us!  Trees are changing rapidly.  Before I left, we had had a few days of cooler weather, and definitely chilly nights, but it still looked like summer.  the butterfly bushes are still in bloom, but the Ligularia (leopard plant) is till holding on a bit, as is the garden phlox. The wild asters are out, and the sedum is starting to wane a bit. The hummingbird hasn't been here since I've been back, at least not that I have seen.  I imagine she has moved on to someplace warmer.  However, the butterflies and the bumbles have been out like crazy.  Before I left, I also had a swarm of dragonflies!  So beautiful!

Old Business:

• Finished Massage is Weird, started  The Power of Engagement, which talks more about energy management than time management
• Finished Wool on the plane back home - I was having to pace myself on vacation because I forgot to bring Shift with me.  So I started Shift last night!
• Trail Guide - still doing well at 3-4x per week
• Planning for Success - I took it on vacation, but didn't touch it :(
• Magazines - good, probably 5-6x per week
• Running - not good, but did a  lot of walking at National Conference in August, and more last week on vacation.  Still having some issues
•  Craft table is back to being messy - need to put away from National Conference and now vacation too
• Cleaning - it's rolling, and I do feel better after I do it
• Guitar - pretty good, 1-2x per week
• Laundry equipment is moved out - yea!  I went up to see 022 in Grand Rapids the weekend before vacation with Dad's truck and we got the equipment down into the basement (shew, that was freaky!), changed out the electrical plug, hooked up the washer, and it worked!  Only had slight mishap, which was more comical than annoying, when I remembered we didn't have the clamp on the drain hose and the washer was already running.  Let's just say that part of the basement got mopped!  They have since gotten themselves a nice folding table and some shelves.  It's looking good!

New Business:

• Sanding booth can now officially start back up again
• K is marvelous!  We did her 90 day review before I left and I am super pleased!
• AMTA conference in Phoenix was wonderful!  Did better with the group this year, but still had a lot of time to myself to just process.  Lots of learning, and unfortunately a few issues back home popped up while we were gone
• Donut dude has had a hard time letting go. It has been a bit annoying
• Weeding/mulching has caught up with where we put the fence back up - this is huge!  That means I got the huge pile of limbs chipped up, and yesterday even spread out some of them where I had weeded and gotten cardboard down, but ran out of time to mulch before I left. It is looking great! I have another huge pile to chip up, so that will help the backyard look better too.  And the leaf pile is mostly gone.  Have been thinking through ways of doing that better next time, perhaps with some stick cages
• 019 made a surprise visit before I left on vacay, and it was nice to visit with her
• Went to St. Pete Beach, FL on vacation. Mostly did not do much of anything other than sit, read, and go out to eat!
• Am anxious to get some house projects finished up, and start on new ones
• On vacay, went through Q4 to get some days off scheduled, as well as block of "me" time so that I have time and energy to do stuff here at home

Dog Days...

 ... August is full upon us, the Perseids have peaked, schools are back in session, and summer is winding down. Iris, peonies, weigelas, bleeding hearts, and creeping phlox all done, as is the magnolia tree.  The blooms survived this year!!!  So incredibly beautiful!  We now have Echinacea, black-eyed susans, russian sage, melissa, garden phlox, and butterfly bushes!  The little hummingbird has become a daily regular.  She is absolutely amazing! It continues to feed my soul to be out there in the backyard, cleaning, trimming, weeding, transplanting, and just sitting.

Old Business:

• Still working through Massage is Weird, but very near the end
• Wool has gotten incredibly good, and I don't ever want to put it down.  It has helped me get my love of reading back - what an incredible gift.  I started out only being able to do 1-2 pages at a time, but now do a full chapter in 1 sitting
• Trail Guide, still plugging along, 3-4x per week
• Planning for Success, not successful at all lol
• Magazines, good
• Running - horrible!  Did do 1 5K with almost no training. And ran all but about .5 miles, so I can do it, but am still struggling with heart rate and breathing
• Craft table is actually pretty good right now!
• Cleaning - rolling along, getting more consistent
• Guitar - not so good, but...
• Sanding booth - almost done, but now laundry equipment is in the way until I get it up to 022.
• K at the office continues to just be marvelous!
• Visited the cousin in Denver, had SSOOOOO much fun!  It was way too short!
• Church conference in Cinci is done.  Drive down was beautiful, huge learning experience, difficult on the neurodivergent brain, but so glad I did it.

New Business:

• Looking forward to AMTA conference next week!
• No longer dating donut dude. Too many reasons to list, but most important, just not who I wanted to be with long term
• Got fence section put back up, and have started replanting that area!
• Have hosted my 019 kiddo a couple of times, that has been wonderful!
• Last thing I did with donut dude was go to Bluespring Caverns down in S Indiana. That was absolutely gorgeous!

To every season...

 ...turn, turn, turn....

Not sure if that is the exact order of the lyrics, but I'm sure you still get the song in your head. Spring is fully upon us, and the year is almost half over. I am forever amazed at how quickly the pages of the calendar turn over.  Crocus, hyacinth, tulip, and daffodils done. As are the pussy willows. On to the iris, peony, weigelas, and bleeding hearts. Even some of my perennial salvia are starting to bloom. Butterfly bushes and hydrangeas are popping their heads up. So very exciting!!!

Old Business:

• Finished So I think you need to talk to someone, and have started Massage is Weird.  So very good.
• Gave up on Lovers for a Day. Started the Wool (Silo) series
• Trail Guide - doing well
• Planning for Success - not
• Magazines - good
• Running - has been hard since the second round of COVID. Shortly after that, I got strep. I still sound like an emphysema patient.  
• Craft table - you guessed it. Needs cleaned off
• Cleaning - always the roll
• Guitar - lost my streak, but trying to get back on it again
• Sanding booth - coming along.  It has been some stops & starts, but I think we are on the right track
• Still with the donut dude. It is definitely fun.  And challenging as I've learned the past couple years how much I really just like being on my own. 

New Business:

• I hired another therapist, in Marion. So far, she has been wonderful, and might actually spoil me! I think she really has the potential of helping make this a huge deal!! Super excited.
• Spring cleanup is definitely underway. I have been out weeding quite a bit, and refreshing the leaf mulch.
• I was elected to the AMTA-IN board, and also serve in the Government Relations position. It has been a serious learning experience, and a lot of fun!
• Still working with Growing Grounds/Housing Action and trying to find new and helpful ways to serve people.
• Have many trips planned for the summer: June = visiting my cousin in CO, July = church conference in Cinci, August = AMTA conference in AZ, September = Girl's vacay in FL.

Change is in the Air...

 It is definitely starting to act more like spring, which of course I love, and has me looking forward to getting dirt under my fingernails again soon! I have pussy willows, Lenten Rose, and crocus out.  Daffodils and lilacs are trying....

Old Business:

• Almost done with So I think you need to talk to Someone... Still so good.
• Still not great at Lovers for a Day, but still trying
• Trail Guide, fairly consistent
• Planning for Success, still need to get back to the grove
• Magazines, going good.
• Running, treadmill helps, and have used it a lot.  Have also been able to do a few days outside too.
• Craft Table, piled back up with stuff to do.
• Cleaning, trying to stay on the roll.
• Guitar, I've now done 15 weeks of at least 1 day.
• Sanding booth needs work.  Need to raise it up a bit so garage door will open.
• Got Marion office mostly sorted out after moving Wabash over.  Still a few things to deal with.
• Still dating, haven't decided on squid or donut dude for a nickname yet.  It's been going great.  We continue to have fun together.

New Business:

• Would actually just like to finish up the old business.  LOL
• Have a potential interested party for the extra room in Marion.
• Spring cleanup!
• I am down with COVID again, so I missed out on Spring Ed this year.

Fool's Spring

 Yup, we are squarely into Fool's Spring.  It's been sunny and balmy, topping out at 50+ and getting those spring flowers to start popping through BUT... snow forecasted for the weekend. It will be a minute yet.  But I am itching to get back out into the yard and garden...

Old Business:

• So I think you need to Talk to Someone, I'm about half-way or so.  It is soooo good I don't want to stop most mornings.
• Not as good with Lovers for a Day, but I am reading it.
• Trail Guide, still working on it.
• Planning for Success - need to get back to it.
• Magazines - working it, but they still seem to come in faster than they go.
• Not been doing exercises lately, but now that I've acclimated to new glasses, seem to need it less.  Still seeing chiropractor.
• Running - I got myself a treadmill for early Christmas present.  It has come in handy, but still having a hard time getting consistent because I'm having a hard time developing a routine.
• Craft Table - actually scrapped a week or so ago, that was cool!  Now cluttered with end of year letters that need to go out.
• Cleaning - well, I get 1-2 major chores done a week.  It's something....
• Guitar is going pretty well. I've done 10 weeks in a row of at least 1 day.
• Kids' door is done and hung. Doorknob cleaned up so nicely - gotta love Flitz!

New Business:

• Started making a sanding booth in the garage.  Get so tired of having to clean everything every single time I saw or sand.  I have the frame up, but now need to do guide lines, pulleys, and the actual "curtains".  It will be retractable so I can still use that section of the garage.
• Closed down the Wabash office and moved everything over to Marion.  That was sad, but it needed to be done.
• Neighbor has been cleaning out another neighbor's house, so have had a lot of items donated to Growing Grounds and so have been doing a lot of laundry!  LOL
• I've started dating someone!  OMG, that was so unexpected.  I was very good with just being me. But, it has been a lot of fun.  I've not laughed so much in all of my life. He shares his thoughts and emotions (what the heck!?!?!?) and has been very respectful and considerate of my boundaries and traumas.