Sunsational Saturday

[OKay]

I just looked at the upcoming week on the calendar and it is bare!! YIPPEEEE!!! A week with no extra commitments (other than normal church meetings, library story time, etc). I am greatly relieved to feel like we might have some time to exhale a bit.

Harriet - yes on the protein keeping me feeling full without desire for something to eat. However, when we started eating like this it wasn't that way. We ate protein 5-6 times a day as evenly spaced as i could get them. We didn't go longer than 3 hours without eating. Most of the time we had no interest in eating - it was taken almost like medicine. Now that DH BSugar stays consistently in good range, we have cut back to eating 3-4 times a day. Our meals are almost always on schedule to keep DH BSugar from fluctuating and the weight to keep coming off.

[lucylee]

Kathryn -- well, you're right -- left arm IS a warning bell, and dh IS pretty stressed lately... but I do really think this is muscle-strain, or joint/arthritis pain. The day before it started bothering him, dh did a lot of yard work -- cleaning out dead leaves in shrubbery, etc. He didn't really think he did anything unusual while he was working, but I can't help but think that he did. He does seem to be very gradually getting more movement back in it. But I will pay close attention.

On the up side of all this, he is now extremely appreciative of everything I do. This morning when I offered to go get breakfast, he began listing how good I am to everyone, said he didn't want to take advantage of my good nature (as he believes my ddad does) and ended up comparing me to Mother Teresa. ROFLOL.

Not related to that at all... I still just have this weird, edgy feeling. I don't know what it is.

I mixed up the Chex mix, and I think it really needs some more color, or something. It looks too Chex-y.

I have done nothing else except watch our team lose.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm glad you aren't too worried, Lucylee. I trust your judgment so if you are OK with this, then I'm OK with this. And the yard work could easily explain it. We are all getting older and feel things more. I'm really stiff tonight even though I barely did anything today or yesterday. But I was on my feet for 7 hours (in low heels) today and a lot of shopping yesterday and moving furniture last night. So there is an explanation: I'm getting older!

I spent a while before going out, reconciling the ticket sales (everyone gave me their money and stubs today.) We've sold 79 dinners for sure but possibly 88 (I haven't heard from one person.) The money added up to too much so I'm not sure what's going on there but I'm not complaining - perhaps one family of 3 has already paid but not picked up their tickets. Anyway, I phoned the man in charge of the church sign and told him to put a Sold Out sign up.

Despite selling out, we'll make only a few hundred dollars because the ingredients are so expensive. We are going to have to seriously rethink how we do fund raisers because this amount of work for such a small profit is ridiculous.

Dh and I went out to pick up a computer part he needed, getting into the store 20 minutes before closing. They had stock so we were in and out of there quickly. Then on to the Chinese grocer where I checked out decorations for next week while dh bought his drinks. They were too expensive but it gave me some ideas (such as putting tissue paper over the florescent lights - they are too cool to be a fire risk.) I'm still hoping the minister might have a Chinese lantern to put over the one incandescent light in the room.

We noticed a headlight out on the car so hit an auto part store for the part and got out of there just as it was closing at 7. Then on to the dollar store where I bought 7 stems of silk orchids. I'll put those into my non-blooming orchid plants and use them for decorations at the Asian supper. I thought of making origami decorations for the table (we have a ton of paper and pattern books) so that's another decoration. Bit by bit, this is coming together.

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
The good news is the adjustments I've been making to my computer have not resulted in the thing blowing up or otherwise making it unable to access the internet.

I spent Thursday and Friday working on the desktop pc. Literally working on it, as in updating the internet browser and virus protection software. It took so long because of course programs don't come on CDs any more, one has to download them. Download them with a dial-up connection that the ISP frequently and arbitrarily disconnects.

So yesterday as I was planted in the desk chair fiddling with and babying the screen, I emptied some boxes. One that I thought was old craft supplies to donate turned out to be years-old newspapers. (Obviously the result of a stash-&-dash.) Although I could not bring myself to dump them unseen into the recycle bin, it was easy to quickly flip through the pages, pull out the comics for a future coffee-break treat, read a few feature articles, and toss the rest. The recycle bin will definitely be stuffed full on Wednesday.

One thing I found interesting was the difference in the physical newspaper. Current issues are physically much smaller in the size of the paper and also in the paper's thickness. Each page of the Sunday's comics pages used to be somewhere between the thickness of printer paper and card stock, very easy to handle. Now it's more like the weight of old newsprint from the 1800s.

Plus there is not nearly as much content in current print issues. I hate to give up the printed page. However, last week when I renewed the subscription, I only paid for the shortest timeframe while we evaluate reading the online version once we get our high-speed connection.

Yesterday I placed the order for DSL, hoping that the phone line infrastructure in our Tiny Town can handle high speed internet. DH is concerned that it might not, he's been told that the town's system is still several decades old.

I'm desperate to give it a try, though. Part of the reason I can't come here to the village every day is that it just takes soooo creeeeping long to connect and load the pages. You can imagine how long it takes for pages with photos ....

I misunderstood the timing of the DSL install, though. The modem instructions make it sound instantaneous. Actually it will not be "activated" until late Tuesday afternoon.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Booksaver When we first got internet (dial-up) we gave up the newspaper and our cable subscription (returning to rabbit ears.) I said to dh that I didn't want to add another 'low monthly charge' to our budget so some things had to go. High speed wasn't available but we had an extra phone line installed so our computers were online most of the day. Eventually, we put high-speed in at my Dad's because it was faster for dh to drive the 30 minutes, set up his laptop there, upload the job to our customer and then drive home, than to upload using dial-up!

Now we have high speed and love it (of course, we run an internet-based business so need it too.) And we still don't have cable and newspaper subscription, although we get a paper (or three) every day. That's because we gave a home to the local paper delivery person for 8 months and she gives us any extras she has (or goes and reads her paper and then drops it at our house later in the day.) I love a paper but not enough to give up my high speed internet.

I think you'll find you'll be happy without a physical paper. You can always read it at the library or many coffee shops or McDonalds. And the advantage to reading on-line is that if something is happening in a far-away town you are interested in, you can read the local paper's coverage instead of just the few lines that might be on the wire service and typed up in your local paper.

One thing about the Internet is you catch news that may not be covered. For instance, my sister just sent me a link to the news coverage that our holiday resort has burned to the ground. Sigh....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... -fire.html

[BookSaver]

Kathryn ~ Have you ever tried adding a silent auction to the dinner event? The fundraiser concert I worked last weekend included a silent auction of donated items. Things like themed gift baskets; pieces from local artists; coupons from businesses such as carpet cleaning, spa day, theatre and football tickets, yard work, cleaning gutters; handmade quilt.

Our Friends of the Library group does a silent auction along with the annual book sale, too. Their only problem is that IMO they set the minimum bids far too low. For example, the lap-size handmade quilts that my friend donates have starting bids of $5. One winner last summer received a coupon for carpet cleaning 2 rooms and she only bid $16.

Harriet ~ Does your DDad do any chores around the house? Is he used to working and just can't get used to being idle?

How about one of those crumb-picker-upper floor sweepers they use in restaurants, they don't take a lot of strength or balance to use, and they're quiet. Seems like DDad should be able to clean up some of his own messes, especially if his actions are attracting critters.

Is he a writer like you, has he documented his family stories? Does he know how to use a word processor?

Does a local library or college have an oral history project going, could he share his knowledge and history of dogs?

At what point do you start the process of hiring a helper so you, dd, & HRH can have a break at least once a week?

Forgive me, I know I'm speaking from ignorance of the situation. I just hate to see you getting stressed to the point of migraines and arguments. (((Harriet)))

[Harmony]

Hi everybody. I've just cuop from past 3 days. Thursday I kept getting interrupted, never did post.

Distressing to read some of what's been going on around the village. Harriet with such caregiving worries it turns into a migraine. Indiana not well enough to come home yet. Lilac with 3 houses to clean and 2 to move, sounds like too much to me.

And I think of OKay a lot, especially this past few days. You must be in really good shape to keep up with that schedule of yours and with the care of LO and so much else in your life.

I am struggling to keep up. Thurs. just got away from me. I've been recovering from a little intestinal bug earlier in the week, and that was gone but left me weak on Thurs. Friday was marathon shopping trip, $140 of groceries with a couple gifts thrown in. Lunch bought and driven up to the crew. Whole house cleaned, sort-of. For the first time in I don't know how long, I did a stash-and-dash, and ran around with my mop wiping up spots here and there, no nice big clean. ..sigh...

DD1 & family came in Fri for dinner which somehow I'd gotten made, I babysat while they went to football game. Today was picnic lunch at town park, and again I babysat while they went to HS reunion dinner. Honestly, this babysitting is getting harder and harder. DGD is 15 months so it's a lot of pick-me-up and bend down & pick up this or that toy, etc., and change diaper, and bath in the tub on my knees...

And the whole time I was thinking of OKay and how does she manage...really, how...when I am so sore and everything screaming for me to just sit down quietly...

Baby is in bed and I managed to get 2 LOL folded, a bunch of desk chores done and kitchen cleaned and a shower.

Lucylee, I do hope your DH is ok and no lasting injury to his shoulder...after what DH went through, I hate anything to do with shoulder injury.

Ok, enough of all this. I'm sorry I always seem to sound so dismal. I'll try to lighten up next time.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Booksaver our Asian supper is on the 19th. On the 20th, the youth from the second point in the charge is doing a time and talents auction to raise money for the youth of both churches. So we really can't add dip into that well for another 6 months or more. We'd be better off to have a non-banquet, where everyone buys tickets to a non-event and then spends the evening at home, instead of hours cooking, then set up at the church, then serving, spending $25 to eat the food you brought, then clean up. I've heard that sort of event can raise more money than putting on a dinner. And the tickets are tax-deductible.

[BookSaver]

Kathryn ~ Oh no, I wasn't suggesting adding to the current event. You were talking about planning for next year. I do like the idea of the non-event very much. You can even print up fancy tickets for it, giving the participants either "permission" or "orders" to goof off on that night, not use it for normal work.

[Harriet]

BookSaver, I thank you for brainstorming. It gives me perspective and makes me think. Auction fundraisers are smart but I believe those who set minimum prices should know something of the item. $5 for a small quilt's minimum shows that the person didn't know what it was - did you faint?

Harmony, HRH and I certainly know what you are saying about the shopping and baby lifting that comes with dear visiting family! I'm so glad you feel better after bug.

Good night everyone. Sending good sleep vibes.