Worthwhile Wednesday

[blessedw2]

dd's are in Florida with d mom.

today: cooking for uncle and some dishes for d mil.
freeze dishes and give instructions for uncles care givers
grocery store us and uncle

stop by d mil

walk
work on laundry only (it's building up) in my dining room with the rush of christmas and dd's packing the dining room has 3 piles of laundry sitting on the table and chairs
put tree outside
New years cards because I didn't have time for Christmas cards. dd younger made a beautiful painting that I am going to make into cards.

[Lilac]

Happy Anniversary dNorma and dh!

Dm is coming tomorrow. She plans to stay until Tuesday or Wednesday. She doesn't plan to work again until the 7th, so I am leery that she will stay even longer than she has said. I love her to pieces but she can drive me crazy while she is here. She is constantly telling me when I need to eat or go to bed. If I am on the phone, she is right there listening to every word. I am use to privacy and being able to do as I want and not have to explain every move I make and why I am making it.

Dm has not hosted anything in her home, since this week in 1990. I have not been in her house in 26 years and the only person besides her and her late dh is db2 has been there twice. In March it will be 30 years since I have been able to stay at her house when we go back there. 3 different times in the last 30 years, I have had issues with all this and called her on it. Each time she has chose to shut me out for a time. No one ever stepped up to back me up in those times, which might have made a difference. Db1 has been irritated at her for 2 years after she led us to believe that db2 had been staying at her house. When in fact, once he walked in and looked at the mess, he demanded she take him back to Oklahoma. Instead she took him to a motel. He had gotten hurt and has been disabled since then. He is still living in Oklahoma and she visits him once or twice a month. Db1 is so bitter towards her and they just don't get along at all anymore. Maybe if he would have backed me up when I tried to take the bull by the horns, things might have changed. As it is, nothing has changed and it is plain to see it never will. I know you have all heard this before, but every time she comes out here, it irritates me that the only time I can spend any length of time with her is here. Every single time she comes there is some kind of drama that comes up. By the time she leaves I am so stressed that I could explode. Then I have to watch her drive away, all by herself. When she gets home she calls to tell me that she is home and it is so good to be there. Are you kidding me, you are happy to be back in your hoarded home? So sorry for the vent.

Guess I better get busy so I will be ready for her visit....................

[DeeClutter]

Vent away, Lilac! That's what keeps us sane through some things after all! I can empathize as that's the way dh and I both would feel whenever his mom came to visit. Never felt that way (either of us) with my mom. In fact dh actually told his Mom at one point in time that my Mom could live with him any time she wanted, but his Mom -well he'd buy her a manufactured home first.

[helia]

That sounds really difficult ((Lilac)). No worries about venting. We all take turns doing that here. We all (I believe?) have difficult people in our lives.
Happy Anniversary to Norma and dh! I hope you have a special celebration.
Take care of yourself and get better soon, LadyM.
Nice to see you all here, blessed, RRose, Dee, CathyS, nancy, Kathryn, Twins.

It is sunny today with clear blue skies. I'm taking a break from jogging today, though. I may have to enjoy it in another way.

Dkids left this a.m. to stay with a friend up north and go skiing at the northern MI places. I gassed the car for them and made sure they had enough money. They're taking the new Subaru up north as it's safer on the highway and definitely safer on snow. Said good bye to them.

The counter guys just left and we now have counters! And a sink. The stove and dw will be moved back into place tomorrow. We think the counters look really great, matching the wood well and not too dark

Goals for today:
x 1. Groc. store run -- When I went to the store on Monday, I had forgotten about the meal I'm bringing to a family with a new baby tonight.
2. Progress on New Year's card -- need some photo for the back (back photo goes with layouts that include space for text), write short family synopsis, upload and order
3. Make meal for family with new baby (and for dh and myself) -- brisket, baked potatoes, salad, brownies (for the family only -- not for dh and me)
4. Deliver the meal
5. Can I deadhead the flower gardens?
6. Start reading and studying for moms group teaching -- I'm up front Jan. 12.

[Twins' Mom]

Coming back through here at home, had a successful morning. Off to cousin's next.

[Nancy]

I have taken rx, got some thing picked up here rounded up some laundry. Did one sketch, did some journaling. working at some clearing but it is slow to progress, getting pages set up in my planner one w out a zipper I like the best.

[Harmony]

Oh, Lilac, I understand how frustrating that must be for you. We want the very best for our relatives and the people we love, and this is not it. I think every single person who hoards knows it isn't right, otherwise they would not keep people out.

In my case I have DD2 who does not hoard. She has given away more stuff that I would have kept. But she's never finished everything from her remodel years ago. Not major stuff, just little things, and her work schedule is insane and she can't do 100% cleanup so is embarrassed and does not want people there. In her case, I do think she's trying to fix it all, as she was telling me last week about her plan to get rid of her office and stretch the kids out in their own rooms and be able to clean up. Her boys absolutely don't care about any of it except that now 1 is too tall for his bunk bed! It is hard to watch our families struggle.

Lucylee, I vote for keeping the poncho. Would probably make DDiL very happy.

I hope everybody's colds go away. I've been lucky not to have caught anything this year.

I am working on my desk today, some year-end stuff. If I get things all done and ready for 2017 I can relax for a bit. We have a ton of work ahead of us and there will be a lot of paperwork to get that started, and I don't want to have both the year end and this to hit at once. I got my last cash account done (monthly reimbursement for cash spent) and took it down to the bank and cashed it so it wouldn't be outstanding. I get my business mileage back.

Also got my dailies done and 1 LOL done and whole load of tea towels folded up. DH is out working today and tomorrow so the house is quiet.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO NORMA AND DH!

[Dove]

Happy Anniversary to Norma & dh!

I made it through the holidays, but have been a little sick since Monday. Slight temp & no energy, so I'm taking it easy this week. Sheets are washing, some bills are on the DR table waiting to be paid, & I pulled out the 2017 calendar earlier & filled out all the routine appointments for the coming year for dh & I.

Dh is out running some errands. He went to S ams for some things, including a rotisserie chicken that I'll cut up after posting here. So much easier to do that when the meat is warm. I'll also mix up the spices for a pork tenderloin I'm cooking for dinner.

Waving ~~~ to everyone!

[DeeClutter]

Hmmmm.....went in to take dd's LOL out of the dryer and it's still quite wet. Now, either I never turned it on (which I somewhat doubt) OR the dryer is not working. Bad plan! I also noticed a little water on the floor of the laundry room this morning -think I really saw some a couple days ago too. Thought maybe it was coming from the door, but dd thinks it's coming underneath.

Just sent two of my most important reports off to our chairperson and our pastor to read them over for glaring errors. Think I may have it all okay now. Also printed off the 'staff' page. I'll work on some more in a little while -maybe. I really want to get all mine done as dpastor up home is finished as of later today or tomorrow. Not sure. Know she plans to pack up her office at the church tomorrow. I had contemplated not re-upping for another year. But with the pastor leaving and our secretary only staying on through the annual meeting, I thought better of it. Maybe next year........ They really do need some 'younger blood' in there. I've done this Clerk position forever.

[lucylee]

Happy anniversary to Norma & dh!!!

I'm having a one step forward, two steps back sort of day. Probably due to two things: (1) early internet check-in (on phone) before I even got out of bed, always leads to a bad a.m. routine & general wasting time and laziness... and (2) woke up with a terrible headache, which has led to lots of junk food & caffeine in attempt to ease it, and not exercising, in effort not to make it worse. Couldn't bear the thought of the "jostling" motions of walking away the pounds.

If y'all say so... I'll keep the poncho/sweater. I don't know WHEN I will wear it, but at least she'll know I do INTEND to wear it, right?

DH is not feeling well today either -- bp problems/heart rate high. He REALLY does need to see the doctor, but discussing it just makes him stress out more and that leads to more bp problems and more racing heart issues... Y'all do NOT have to tell me how serious this could be... believe me, I know... but talking about it just makes it worse and there is NOTHING I can do with him until he decides to see the doctor. He goes for check up in Jan/Feb, and I am hoping the new doctor will see something in his lab work & tests to tip him off.

Household repairs... (((Harmony's dd)))... I definitely know the feeling. I started to do the walk-through clearing list P&P recommend in the Happiness File, but I do NOT think it would lead to happiness... I mean, already I know w/out looking --
-- shrubbery needs heavy pruning
-- porch ceiling needs painting;
-- in the study, crack in sheetrock from house settling years ago;
-- wallpaper in back bathroom needs to be replaced (it is literally peeling off the wall and taking top layer of sheetrock with it) and cabinets need repair b/c the wood has split/peeled inside doors b/c of temperature extremes in that part of the house when we didn't keep it cooled & heated.
-- whole house needs interior painting
-- problems with kitchen sink, master bedroom sink & tub
-- problem w/master bedroom floor
-- light fixture in kitchen needs replacing
-- dh's closet needs re-working (shelf is about to fall)

SEE??? Does this sound like dd's house, Harmony? Good gracious it is awful...
None of these things are apparent to the casual visitor, but they are definitely weighing OMM -- and dh just won't entertain doing ANY of it right now, b/c we are about spent out, after getting ds's house ready for them.

Oh well... I guess I should put these on a bucket list for Someday... and concentrate on the things I CAN do on my own.

DH has gone to take a shower "in case I have to go to the hospital."
I will be totally AMAZED if he does consent to an ER visit, but still... guess I better go s2s and be prepared.