Resistance is NOT futile....

 ... I will not go quietly into this goodnight... I will remain defiant, I will remain subversive, I will not bow. They can try all they want to try and suck out all of the good and decent parts of this country, but they are going to have to fight to do it.

Old Business:

• Still chugging through Hands Heal
• This past week was bad for chores, too many later afternoon appointments at work
• Finished Kings of the Wyld, and decided to pick up A More Perfect Union by Adam Russell Taylor.  I picked it up this year at the Brethrenpress.com booth at Annual Conference, as I like to support them.  It's been in my wishlist on bookshop.org for a while now.  Slow going, as it is definitely meat and potatoes reading.
• Enjoying having another team member.  Apparently, the governor is going to give us lots to work on as he's asking the state to audit all licensed professions to make sure they truly warrant licensure
• NCBTMB, I say I want to do it, so why don't I?
• P4S, yup, you guessed it, but I'm doing a 2024 recap, and that has been good
• Magazines, very good
• Garage - too cold, but in the next couple of weeks, it will get warmer
• Got my house/auto switched over.  Small savings on house, BIG savings on auto.  Very excited about that! Working on getting business and workman's comp switched too
• Still need to do that other scrapbook page
• All the drapes have been taken apart, and last week, E helped me get the panels cut out for the shades.  I still have lots left over.  Wonder what I'll be able to do with it!
• Human trafficking webinars were cancelled after you know who took office
• The new therapist agreed, she's also a K haha.  She will be working Saturdays only which should help compensate for me not being there on Fridays.  K1 went to another career fair, and got many resumes, so there might be a #3 in the future.
• Ended up being a cold. So I had E here last week, and he got to go to church and he was SOOOOOO excited!
• Still need to schedule the pulmonologist tests
• Spreadsheet is reworked, but I don't know if it is better
• We have another weather advisory this weekend, so we've been busy trying to figure out how to keep everyone warm.

New Business:

• Need to type up HAWC notes
• Need to get some SM posts out for GR regarding what we are doing for the EO
• Get to be worship leader again tomorrow!

Whelp...

 ... that just happened. I can't believe this is where we are as a country, but I'm not going to let it stop me.  Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work...

Old Business:

• Still chugging through Hands Heal
• Still doing well on chores at 2-3 per week
• Kings of the Wyld, almost done!  Big question now is do I read Bloody Rose next, the sequel, or one of the books that has been on my pile for longer???
• GR, doing better, and have 1 more team member!
• NCBTMB, my subscription to the test prep ran out, so do I just go take it and see how I do???
• P4S not so good, but I have been doing a 2024 recap/2025 goal journal, so maybe that will help
• Magazines, very good
• Garage is not bad, got the light hung up in the sanding booth, and for the most part it has stayed tidy.  Have a couple of garden projects on the work bench, but it's so cold I had to stop the repairs
• Have made contact with potential new insurance
• Still really like my 2025 book
• Have not done that second scrapbook page, but maybe this weekend...
• Have one panel left of the drapes to take apart for my dining room shades
• Adjusting to new schedule routine with being church admin. So far, so good
• AMTA budget meeting is done, and we've got some great ideas in the works!
• Have the second webinar on human trafficking today

New Business:

• Have an offer letter out to another therapist - nervous!
• Hoping to have baby brother here for the weekend, although I woke up with a sore throat today and hoping its just from it being so cold and dry, not actually being sick
• Need to schedule my tests for the pulmonologist
• Need to make my chiro appointments
• Need to rework my spreadsheet for GR so it's more manageable
• With it being so cold, Growing Grounds and the church have been close to overwhelmed with the calls for help getting off the street.  As have several other organizations

2025

 Is in like a lion!  Another round of arctic air on board. Christmas visit with the kiddos and family was wonderful!  Didn't really go as planned, but we all still had a good time.

Old Business:

• Still reading Hands Heal, I'm about halfway through
• Chores are staying pretty consistent.  
• Kings of the Wyld is good, and for Christmas 025 got me the second book! <3
• GR work took a slide over the holidays, but I'm hopeful.  Also looking for more team members!
• NCBTMB really took a hit with holidays and sermons.  But need to catch up to the wagon again
• Same for P4S
• Magazines, doing great
• Garage - did another fix on the sanding booth, have a couple more ideas I'd like to try. Got the wheelstand done for the cross-cut saw and that really helps!
• Still need to switch insurance
• Trading has been thrown a life jacket, so I am hopeful!  I desperately need it
• Really liking the 2025 book so far.  Has enough space in it for a to-do list, a tracking section, a section to list your wins, and a notes section!  It's going to save my from my ADHD LOL
• I scrapped!!!  I had Wed/Thurs off this week, and I did a layout and I have another one planned
• We're going to have a GG call later today, so I'm going to start ripping out the seams of the curtains I bought to make the shades for the dining room!

New Business:

• Started back at the church as the Admin on Friday, definitely a change in the routine/schedule, but I'm hoping it will work out well.
• Getting ready for AMTA board in January.  It's budget meeting time
• Have played guitar now for 65 weeks in a row!!
• Starting a human trafficking webinar next Thursday.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

 .... not really, no snow, and it was 60 yesterday, 40 today. Because of new kitty, probably won't have a tree.  But will get a visit from all the kiddos!!!

Old Business:

• Still plugging away at my Hands Heal book
• Chores are getting pretty consistent.  That's all I'm looking for...
• Kings of the Wyld is still a good read!
• Got my message done at Eel River.  Was so much fun, they are a great group of people
• Again, starting to get consistent with work/GR
• Need to get back on the NCBTMB bandwagon
• P4S, oof
• Magazines, again, pretty consistent
• Garage, always needs attention
• Still need to switch insurance
• Trading is still barely afloat
• 2025 book is getting fleshed out
• Still no scrapping or painting, just don't seem to have enough energy any more
• Finished 3 lanterns!
• Thanksgiving was a blast!
• Possible new therapist is looking like a good potential.  Keep praying!

New Business

• Christmas meal on 12/24
• Mending pile
• Figure out ingredients for lasagna so I can go shopping!

Giving Thanks...

 Most of us really do have a lot to be thankful/grateful for. We woke up, we have people we care about, animals we care about, food to eat, shelter, water to drink, and clothes to protect our bodies.  It's easy to forget that you only need to make $30K to be considered in the 1%.

Old Business:

• Still plugging away...
• Chores, doing pretty good, getting at least 2-3 done a week (outside of like laundry, cooking, cleaning kitchen)
• Got back into Kings of the Wyld
• Have 1 more message this year to give, on the 15th
• Working towards consistency of scheduling work and GR duties
• NCBTMB took a dive with message preparation
• P4S is dead lol
• Magazines, doing pretty good again
• Garage, have done another minor cleanup, and that feels good
• Still need to do website - actually wondering if I still need it, or if MassageBook would be enough
• Still need to get insurance switched
• Dinner was good, but not sure that I really felt any connection
• Trading schedule took a dive again!  LOL
• Working on getting 2025 book squared away for Q1 and scheduling Fridays for Church Admin.  Hoping to get there at 8 (last time I was lucky to be there by 9, so pray for me!)
• Career Panel went really well, and met a gal who might be interested.  We talk on 12/7
• Pie was delicious!
• Still need to work on scrapping and painting
• Did start the next lantern project, so might have 2 ready soon

New Business:

• Family get-together for Thanksgiving tomorrow (Saturday). Baby brother already here
• Have a mending pile
• Need to make soup and pies for tomorrow

Noxious November...

 ... very upset at the outcome of the election.  Not doing to do a dump here, however. And going to try really hard to not hold it against November.  LOL

Old Business:

• I'm about halfway through Hands Heal.  Good review in a lot of instances, and learned new things too
• Doing pretty good with keeping up with chores, so that is encouraging
• Haven't read Kings of the Wyld lately, been busy putting together a couple of messages for church
• Trying to be more consistent with scheduling work activities, good weeks and not as good
• NCBTMB I haven't done for a couple of weeks, see comment about sermons
• P4S - still horrible!
• Magazines, good until I started working on the messages
• Garage, has been on hold....but is manageable
• More weeding done at work, so that is cool, done for the year, and hopefully will get an earlier start next year
• Website still needs done
• Still need to get insurance done
• Responded to the ask for dinner, we go on the 18th.  Keep me in your prayers!
• Message at Wabash CoB went really well
• TSA pre all done
• Trading schedule better

New Business:

• I'll be going back to the church admin position, temporarily.  So my schedule is going to change
• Participated in a Career Panel at IWC and met a gal from Marion, so hopeful about that
• Made a couple of pies for 2 different charity auctions and decided to make one for myself too!
• So need to get back into scrapping & painting
• And house projects - hopefully this winter

Finally Fall...

 ... yeah, I think we are finally there.  Have had a couple of frosts and then a bit warmer.  Today, it cools down and brings some rain, which we definitely need!

Old Business:

• Still eating a bite of Hands Heal every morning.  Didn't do great when I was at conference, but back on the bandwagon
• Chores have made a comeback, and I've been successful the past couple of weeks of getting 2-3 non-daily activities done
• Still reading Kings of the Wyld, very engaging!
• Work game plan ebbs and flows.  I need to do a better job at scheduling times to work on them intentionally
• NCBTMB has been shaky this week, but it is going.
• P4S - horrible!  LOL
• Magazines, pretty good, but still piling up.  Need to put in another shelf in the closet to help. That makes me sad. But there is at least 1 that is no longer in print, so as I read those, it frees up space. "Trouble" is when I hit an MTJ or National Geo or another that I like to read cover-to-cover so they take a while.  Some of them I just flip through.
• Got conference memorabilia put away, just a couple of odds and ends here and there now
• Garage - I did bring in all my potted flowers that I try to overwinter, and some perennials that I didn't get planted, so I cleaned up that section a bit.  I've also done a big sweeping all over. Still several projects out there that I need to finish up - getting the lanterns painted (I want them all black) for the solar lights; converting the desk to a table saw station, etc.
• Guitar - Week 55 baby!  Who-hoo!
• Bloodwork done, cholesterol climbed back up a bit.  Was very frustrated about that.  Had a check up on Monday to go over it.  That was all she wanted to talk about.  Didn't even want to discuss my possible POTS symptoms (which I am thinking more and more is correct - K&K agree). Had my med checkup with my psych NP and they gave me a recommendation to another cardiologist here who works with POTS patients.  So thankful I said something!  So I'm working on getting that appointment set up, along with Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins POTS clinic in TX.  We'll see which one happens first...
• Was able to continue west from the east patio, so the walkway out to the shed that cuts through the gardens is done, as well as 1 whole side on the west patio. I've had to make a lot of it significantly larger due to bush growth (such a great thing!, so I've had lots of clumps to help fill in where the sewer line was repaired and settled. And doing the edging as I go along made so much sense.  I've used up almost all the vinegar bottles I've been saving over the past couple years.  And I probably still have 2 of the 3 truckloads of woodchips unused yet!  I don't know how much more I'll be able to get done this year (ground is back to being hard!) but I will keep going if I can.  What is left is the west fenceline, south fenceline, and the alley.  I've got several flowers that need to be divided and transplanted, but I need places to put them!  Acutally, I have done some of that already and/or moving stuff around, and just cleaned out the area where I wanted to put them, and that does work too.  I guess it just depends on what mode my brain is in that day.  Being this close gets me excited about the other projects that I want to do out there.  I've got more of the embossed brick to finish that walkway from the patio to the yard, I want to pull up the stepping stones out to the shed and put down woodchips and about half-way down, I have a small brick project that I want to put in, and then put a birdbath with a solar fountain in it.  and I have a brick patio idea that I want to do in the south-east corner fenceline.
• Izzy has been growing more independent as she has gotten more comfortable.  We are pretty much over trying to scratch on the furniture (and trimming her nails helps too), but still having trouble with jumping up on dining table, kitchen counter, stove, and crafting box on the wall.   We will get there.  She cuddles less, so it's wonderful when she does.  Although at night, she is always in there with me, either above my head, or down at my feet. Love her to pieces!
• GR work is done, and the RFP  
• Raises so far have been OK
• Weeding at work done, looks better.  It is taking less time each time, so I'm able to go a little bit further each time.
• Website still needs done
• ISP for E is done, that was a lot of fun to go up to the workshop and meet all the people he works with
• Still need to get insurance switched over
• Finally got to work at Chili for Charity this year!  GG receives funding from them, so we are supposed to work the event.  Every year, it's been when we are celebrating H's birthday.  I was so glad it worked out.  It was a beautiful weekend for it, and I got another elephant ear!
• Earlier in the month I did a motorcycle ride for Riley with a friend of mine's husband (she doesn't like to ride), his sister, and his cousin. That was fun, and got an elephant ear there too!  Probably should be done with the sweets for awhile!  LOL
• Had H's birthday at Bob's.  That was so much fun!  My brother and his wife were there, and I surprised E with it.  He had such a great time!!! and V came down from Grand Rapids.

New Business:

• I've been asked about to coffee or dinner by a friend's cousin and I've not responded back yet.  I'm nervous.  I don't trust myself.  But I know I should not leave him hanging.  I'm not sure I've ever done just dinner or coffee before.  It seems like it always turns into something serious right away,  and I know I don't want that.
• Giving the message at church in November, so I've been working on that, and then Eel River in December.
• Need to follow up with the lawyer on E's guardianship papers
• Need to get my TSA Pre renewed, doing that today!
• Gotta get my massage trading schedule worked out better, I think that is part of the reason why my symptoms have been worse lately, I'm only getting every other week.