Dog Days

It has been so long since I've posted. Just seems like I can't find rhythm, pace. Seems like I let so many things interfere with what I want to do/know I should be doing. Most days, I don't have anyone holding me accountable, so I know that is part of the problem. Self-accountability is very hard. We believe our own excuses and lies.

Old Business:

• Writing desk in living room has ups and downs, but for the most part, it has been good.
• With the end of school, there is now another HUGE stack of memorabilia to put away. Sad.
• Sometimes wish I was back on Medical with Gadget here to sit on me to take a nap. Sigh.
• Second Arrendale's room open. Many big changes coming in that department. More info to follow.
• 018's graduation and party went off without a hitch. It was so wonderful to have everyone here in the backyard to celebrate. Gadget brought down 2 popup canopies. Worked out great!
• Combined family vacay is in the books! All 6 of us had a great time! Went down to the Ohio River and stayed in a cabin for a long weekend.
• 018 worked at B Walter over the summer.
• 015 worked at the cemetery over the summer.
• My dad had a stroke. He's fine, NO deficits. He got very lucky. Still seems surreal. But he may quit working. He hasn't decided. I got to make friends with his dog. Ended up going better than originally thought.
• Been working a lot in the gardens. I had done a sinking fund (envelope system) to save up over the fall/winter and that worked out really well. Was able to get A LOT of bushes for the foundations of the beds. That's really going to change things. And a lot of flowers too. So I've been able to extend the outside of the fence beds down the whole east side, and even start on the alley. Super crazy! And I've found that I really like using straw instead of clippings or much so that has saved some time (being able to use the rider is cool!) and is not super expensive. Sad plant table at walmart and lowe's has also been helpful.

New Business:

• Always planning for the business.  Need to get memberships up and going. And work on the super secret stuff that I'm not ready to release yet.
• Read books and magazines more consistently.
• Study - needs to be a habit.
• Work on flow/pace/rhythm. I hate the "my hair's on fire" all the time.
• Move 018 into Trine. I am sad and happy.
• Get quotes on house damage. Major hailstorm. Roof, siding, windows. Wondering if it is time to talk to bank about refinancing (was going to do next year) and maybe get a little extra to put a second bay on the garage (currently 1 car). I've got lots of equity, so it shouldn't be a problem.
• Figure out how to be content in this season.

Gadget and I did an impromptu bike ride yesterday over to Allegan yesterday. Lots of contrruction and detours. But it was so much fun. The restaurant was great, the steak was amazing! It's called the Grill House. My bum's a bit sore today from riding (it is not the most comfortable, and it ended up being almost 2x as long) but so worth it!

Spring Fling...

The weather has been teasing us here in Indiana.  We've had some very nice, warm, sunny days. Only to be followed by cold, nasty days, and even more snow. But I think the trend is on the rise. Soon I'll be planting in the garden again! I can't wait!

Old Business:

• A little more reorganization on the laundry room. I found an old, small writing desk that I've moved into the living room so I'm not freezing all the time. It is a bit of an adjustment, but temporary. Once 018 is off to college, I'll probably do some work there to make it a spare bedroom/office.
• Insurance forms are done! Wow, it took forever!
• LLC papers are done, again forever! And such lack of communication on the Sec. of State's office.  I was never notified that there were issues.
• Surgery is complete. It did not go as planned. I nearly died on the table. They could not do it laprascopically.  I have an incision that runs from just below my sternum to almost my private parts. The healing is slower. Guess it was good that I went ahead and just took 6 weeks off. I've had to lighten my first week back. It has caused me to take pause and try to think what all of this is about and what I'm really supposed to be doing with my life. No answers, just a LOT MORE questions. I am so thankful to be alive. What do I do with this second chance? How do I make it mean something?
• May end up working at yet another nursing home. We will see. They are supposed to call.
• 2018 letter is mailed out.
• Finished Plains of Passage, now reading America's Original Sin by Jim Wallis. More questions and thoughts. Have finished 3 or 4 magazines since I've been on medical too.
• Have put away all of the piled up memorabilia and even filed away a few photos last night. That feels really good.
• Still haven't touched the anatomy book, but did read a few blogs. Gadget did not motivate me. He "sat" on me so I'd nap and take things easy. It was hard and frustrating, but definitely what I needed at the time.
• Arrendale's is moved to our new room. It is not completely finished yet, just needs new carpet but that will happen when the rest of the space is redone. And it already looks fantastic! I'm sort of excited about going back.

New Business:

• Need to get my keys for the new place, and get over there so I can start setting up my area of it.
• I kind of like the new pace that I've had to have these past few weeks. I don't know how to continue that going forward and still having food on the table and a roof on our heads. But I honestly think I've just been completely burnt out on life lately. I know everyone feels this. But honestly, it has almost been debilitating. And the thought of going back almost causes a panic/anxiety attack. My throat closes up. I feel stressed out about it. I don't know what it means or what I'm supposed to do about it. Goodness knows my life has not ended up with any part of what I thought it might have looked like. Other than having kids. I kid you not, that is the only part. I don't even know what I want it to look like any more. And sometimes I wonder what the use is of even thinking about it, or planning for it, or any of it is. What am I supposed to do with that? Where do I go from here? How do I move forward? How do I honor myself, whilst still being the breadwinner? No one is going to come along and "take care of me" so I have to do it myself. But honestly, I just don't want to anymore.

Old Man Winter....

... is still a'blowin' out there.  Yet another winter storm. But short-lived. It is supposed to be in the 40s this afternoon, and then it all changes to rain. YEA!

Old Business:

• Corner of laundry room complete - taped and mudded, primed and painted, and flooring in. All was a bit tricky, but nothing we couldn't handle.  Even was able to get the drain for the washer (which runs RIGHT next to the wall) to be able to be taken apart and put back together so that tools can more easily fit there.
• FSA/HSA work complete!
• Working on Insurance stuff now. So.Many.Pages.And.Forms!
• Surgery is scheduled, and is now 1.5 weeks away.  I'm nervous. And scared. But it will be OK.
• Have signed another contract for on-site massage. I'll miss the first 2 visits due to recovery times, but I'm still excited.  I was able to hire a local gal to fill in for me. Super sweet!
• 2018 letter is printed out on my desk, just waiting to go into envelopes.
• Doing better at reading my book and magazines. I finished 1984 and have gone back to The Plains of Passage.
• Memorabilia and scrapping still on list, but still getting neglected. I've moved my desk out of the laundry area. It was causing me so many neck issues (not a real desk, not the right height, etc.) and it was COLD out there when the weather was bad. The whole situation was giving me a bad attitude. Now that I have that fixed, I'm hoping I'll get there.
• Not doing well on the anatomy book or blog reading, but I'll have 6 weeks of recovery, so I'm hoping I'll feel up to it. Gadget will be here for 2 weeks of it, since I won't be able to drive or anything for myself. I'm sure he'll motivate me.

New Business:

• Kim and I are flip-flopping buildings with Global Travel! Kathleen's is taking over that building again, we're going to reconnect the parts, and then we'll be over there. She's hoping it will be more like a spa (and she is a fashionista so I know it's going to look great!) and we are all so excited! Of course, this is all happening a day before my surgery - YIKES! We've been busy cleaning out closets and rooms.
• Joined a couple of marketing membership programs to see what they are like, and see if they will help me bring in business.  It still seems like most of what I get is just through the virtue of working at the salon. Not a bad thing, but...

Baby it's cold outside...

...we're still recovering from Winter Storm Harper around here. Subzero regular temps plus windchills in the negatives. Like more negative than anyone would like...Roads are still very icy where it was drifted. But today it is supposed to get up into the 30s so that will feel like a refreshing change from the "instantly freeze the snot in your nose" that it was yesterday. You know what I'm talking about...

Details on my 20 mile march (life is a marathon, not a sprint...)
Old Business:

• Cleaned the main part of the garage too, always a constant battle
• Fell off the photo bandwagon, again. Trying to get back on
• Reading, it is off and on
• Breakfast bar is middlin' at best
• Fell off the anatomy train (pun there, the series is called Anatomy Trains...)
• Contract is still doing well
• Menu planning is back a bit
• Winter project list is so-so so far
• Straw worked great. 2 bales did 3/4 of the back yard.  Good information for next year.
• Still trying to really watch my pace - not sure I completely understand what is going on, but I have my ideas....
• Doctor visit was very disappointing.  He was not even concerned about my energy issues and just chalked it up to age.
• Thanksgiving went really well, or at least as far as the menu was concerned. Family issues, on the other hand, always exciting!
• Christmas was also wonderful and especially so since the boys were with me during my time with Gadget. It is hard when the whole family is together just because there are so many of us, and all so very different, but that is also part of the reason I like it!
• New Year's & D's birthday also went well. Very exciting there as his house is almost ready for move in!
• My side family Christmas & Thanksgiving (Thanksmas, Christgiving??) went really well too and we were blessed to have one of my aunts and uncles with us.
• We also got to put in a new water heater that same weekend. And by we, I mean Gadget. But I did get everything I wanted out of it, so that was totally cool! Well, almost. We did not get to buy it from a local store. That was the one disappointment. But he was able to convert it to gas, and move it out into the garage. Now I get to finish that corner of the laundry room.
• 015 helped me get the snowblower up to the house so we could plug it in to start. We did not have to use it last year, so it was probably a good thing to do. And then we got to use it on Sunday!

New Business:

• Fix corner of laundry room. Can't find my joint tape, but 015 and I were able to remove the conduit for the electrical, and then get the wire up into the attic. Now we have another circuit breaker free. It has been a hope of mine for awhile to spread out the load of the house a bit more.
• Work on getting set up with providers so I can start taking insurance at work. Already set up for FSA/HSA.
• Schedule surgery. Need to get my guts yanked out. I'm fairly at peace with it now. I hope that continues.
• Another exciting business opportunity. More on that later. Don't want to jinx it as I've not told all the correct parties involved yet.
• Work on 2018 letter to send to family.

May 2017 Flickr Upload

Yea me! I got some more uploaded today!!  You can see the stream here....

My favorite pie - well, one of many... Strawberry Rhubarb

015 Helping with replacing the kitchen faucet...

015 running sectionals at IWU...

Gadget fixing my car...

016 Academic Honors...

013 being goofy...

013 falling asleep at work...

Hazy Shade of Winter...

Look around, leaves are brown...

I'm sure I've used that song before, but it is very apropos for today.  If it hadn't been for being on the receiving end of a massage, then YUCK!  But that made it all better!

Old Business:

• Got the storage area of the garage cleaned a bit, swept up cobwebs and insect carcasses.
• Still filing away photos.
• Reading is going OK.
• Breakfast bar remains mostly clear daily.
• Been studying my functional anatomy book fairly regularly.
• Contract is going well.
• Menu plan fell off for a bit.  Over the weekend I just decided to write down all of our faves.  Close to 30.  Something to use when I have no inspiration.
• Flowers are all planted.
• Talent show went well.
• Hoping winter project list proves to be better than spring/summer.  Not much done.  I've been dealing with some health issues that just zap my energy.
• Mowed the yard this weekend.  Got most of the beds covered. Need to do the front yet to see what it yields.  Then I can use the straw that my dad got me.

New Business:

• Busy this week and next with evening appointments of the massage and church variety.  Please pray for stamina for me.
• Visit doctor on Thursday to see what he wants to do based on the blood tests we had done last month.
• Trying to really watch my pace and GO....SLOW... BE...THE....SLOTH... because that is what I CAN do right now. I have the tendency to go like gangbusters when I have the energy, and then really pay for it.
• Working on Thanksgiving menu.  Gadget has put me in charge of it for his family this year.  I am very honored about that.  Trying not to go overboard, or keep it all to myself.  Being the control freak I am, that is hard...

Let's go fly a kite...

... up to the highest height....

It has been windy, and rainy, and sunny, and hot, and cold... It is fall time again in Indiana. Today, little breeze, but sunny.  And it is just a fun song.

Old Business:

• Have given away a few things out of the garage.  Cleaned up small areas.  It is always baby steps.  Always in progress.
• Pictures from 2014 are sorted, and starting to get filed away.
• A few bumps in the road with sharing the room.  I guess that is just life.
• Wood fence, stoop and ramp will have to wait until spring, due to it needing to be over 50 degrees.
• Brickwork still looks like a patchwork of color. Top cap is also done.  And another color. And can't seal until spring.  See comment above.
• Still reading fairly regularly.  Both my book and magazines.
• 015's birthday party is complete.  Even though it's not until Monday. But got the breakfast bar cleaned off, and have done really well at keeping it that way.
• Gave away a few things in the living room.  A dresser, a table, and some stuff back to my dad.  That feels good too.  Lighter.
• Contract is signed, contractors have been hired.  Have had a few bumps, but again that is life, and it is working out just fine - Thank you God!
• Menu planning going pretty well.  Been busy putting recipes we like in page protectors and in a binder. Organized by type.  And trying to weed out what we don't like or are duplicates.
• Scheduling is going better as well.
• Just a few more flowers to plant.  Maybe today.
• Doctor is so-so.  We will see. Nature of living in a small town??

New Business:

• Trying to stay on top of stuff that I like to do. It's recognizing the beauty of small steps and some progress vs. none
• Talent show at church on Sunday
• Getting winter project list lined up
• Making bread today to go with the soup
• Trying to be OK with reading just 1 or 2 blogs every day instead of cycling through the entire list, or worse, none.
• Need to mow the yard