In Motion Monday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Hmmmm, I'm not sure if I should qualify this Forward motion!

I think I'll leave it. If you are doing two steps forward and one step back, that will still count.

If you are doing one step forward and two steps back you may want to stop and regroup!

Whatever your pattern, try and make motion part of your day.

Every little bit adds up. Working to reinforce good habits will pay off in the long run.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm up. Another dodgy night, I think because I'm too hot. It is cool outside, the window is open and I still have the summer duvets and a sheet over the bed, not the blanket and summer duvets (spring/fall) or the winter duvets along with the blanket (supposed to be winter but our apartment was too hot for that last year.) But still, I'm having rough nights, waking up too hot.

Anyway, I'm up. Tea and chocolate consumed.

I've invited the last 6 people to Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. Dh is a bit upset with me since he won't be here to help and feels I was guilted into doing it. CM asked me what was happening. I had been holding off for someone to indicate an interest in this. So Saturday it is. Dd said yes right away, and it turns out she wanted something but wasn't saying anything. Ds said yes even though I didn't see enough time in his schedule for him to come over.

Dh is upset it is falling on me but this is potluck so it won't be too bad. And 'family' so the only standards I have to meet are my own. I just have to get him to help open the table up completely before he leaves since it is a 2 person job; although I have neighbours I could ask as well. He leaves on Friday and by then I should have the table being set anyway.

My feeling is we pay hundreds of dollars extra a month in rent just so we can have a full dining room and room to host large sit-down meals around my antique table. I also have a large kitchen that allows preparation of a big meal. And 2 china cabinets and 2 large silver chests full of the items required to host a large gathering. So to not do is ridiculous. Yes, I have a lot of stuff (people who visit me often comment on that, which I happen to think is rude) but despite my minimalist heart, I can warrant keeping all this 'stuff' if it is used.

The only large item that I keep that doesn't meet my 'used often' standard is my great, great-Aunts' treadle sewing machine since it isn't used to sew (although my grandmother did sew on it and it worked the last time I tested it a few decades ago.) But it serves as a display surface. And I did put it in the estate sale - moving it from my home to my Dad's and from there to the consignment store. When I saw it unsold two months later I had such a pang I had them put it back in my van and I moved it home. I do truly love this piece so it deserves a place in my home until my home can no longer hold it.

So aside from the rent, the price of my keeping all my antiques is that I must host large meals on a regular basis. The table has to be used for more than piles of paperwork!

[Nancy]

I am up at 4 a m bc of a low. Got soke drawing done I am bummed bc the book I wanted to use has to thin of paper and to much ghosting with my fav. Pens so had to change to a diff. pen only one color blue. So I will be doing a bit of scrambeling to get my other one going, I spiffed up the counters that helped progress already yea. Animals are fed. Our team won last night yea!

Heading tl see about news I am seeing postings on fb about Vegas shootings ack. Sigh.

[DeeClutter]

The table has to be used for more than piles of paperwork!

Hmmmm....and I thought that was the reason for that surface. (Ducking).

Had a down day yesterday -just felt really under the weather. Didn't even make church.

Want dh to bring me 2 or 3 more bins from storage today, Have gone through all I had. Keeping very little. I know one bin there is all paperwork from DS-A's when I did all the office work for him. I'm sure very little of that needs to go back to him. A lot of stuff has been from the 90's and spots of 60's here and there. There's been a little bit from the 2000's. Dh brought me a huge plastic bag for shredding yesterday. I was going to run out of trash bags this week at my present rate. Have some in an order coming Friday from W mart (dh needed me to order new shoes). Ordered several other things I either couldn't find when I was at the store last week or needed to get -had to get the order over $35 for free shipping. Then I discovered if I was willing to wait for delivery until this Friday (and that was fine) I got another discount of about $3. Looked at my order and decided that would be just fine.

Trying to decide if I want to take some antique small glasses with me to FL. Need to decide soon. Know I want to get them out of the storage unit.

Feel better now that I've eaten (BS was 63) so hope the day will continue in that vein.

[Lilac]

We do not receive a morning paper on Mondays. So I got on FB and what I saw had me praying that it was "fake news". I immediately got out of FB and went to a news source, only to see that the horror was true. So very sad for the lives lost and all the lives that will never be the same after this unthinkable tragedy.

[blessedw2]

shocking news about Los Vegas. My own opinion but I don't believe military type weapons should be sold.

d kathryn - d dee - d lilac - d nancy - and d ones .... good morning. I can't always be here all day but I do try to get her in the morning.

I went out with d mom and dd older for dinner last night.
I am still overeating at night... I need to stop this behaviour.

My biggest struggle right now:
routine
loosing focus
Need to start the day with positivity and action

But I do like Monday's as a beginning of a new week.

[DeeClutter]

Yes, Lilac, I didn't see the news item on LV until I turned on my phone. Again! So sad.

[Lilac]

I have been meaning to mention this. Labor Day weekend while at dbs for supper, 3 of their dgkids had paperwork for items they were selling for school fundraisers. Their dgd who is a junior in HS was selling trash bags! That was a new one to me. On top of that they were plain white or black trash bags, nothing special. No one expected me to order anything, since I'm not local and I didn't volunteer. My daughters have always hated these fundraisers, so instead of the grandkids going door to door. Between both daughters and I, we fulfill what they are suppose to sell. Dd2 wishes she could just write a check at the beginning of the year to cover all fundraisers and be done with it. But not everyone can afford to do that, so it isn't an option.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to dd2s to celebrate dgd8s birthday which was Sept. 22. The boys were with their dad for his week, starting that day. They had a bowling party for her friends on the 24th and yesterday was the first time available for her family party. Dd2 had a bunch of snacks prepared and we ate them before having cake and ice cream. This was Karson's first time to go to his grandma's who still hasn't decided what she wants to be called. Dd1 told her she better decide before he starts talking and calls her what he wants to call her. It was a beautiful fall day in the country. We didn't even eat after we got home because we were still full from snacks and cake. Later dd1, dgs23 and I walked.

The girls don't have school today, so at some point their dad will bring them to town and I will watch them until dd2s school day is done. I would like to take them to the zoo but don't know if that will happen. Guess I better shower and get ready for the day, before they get here.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Good long chat with the United Church Refugee expert here about options for airfare. As I expected, we cannot do it from the money raised. But she gave me several other options and I passed those along to my community group partner, pointing out if she handles it she isn't constrained by the government rules because she isn't a registered charity.

I don't think we need bribe money for them to leave the country so once airfare is settled, we should be good.

I've done a very small bit of tidying, had breakfast and organized my day. Found an activity for the kids on Saturday that can result in table decorations (dancing corn) so have asked dd is she'll supervise the kids with this since it is a science activity. My other ideas are a gratitude journal for each of them to fill in until Christmas when we see each other again and have everyone, adults and kids alike, come with 5 digital photos of things/events they are thankful for over the past year, and have the kids pull that into a slide show for after dinner. That has me buying a screen for the projector so I'll do that next (it is already in my Amazon cart since May, I just haven't bought it yet because there wasn't a definitive use.)

[Nancy]

I was so hoping it was a prank or joke or fake news not the case however sadly.

I have dejunked the table, put car seat in the car trunk. Jeep towels are now in the jeep. Third load of laundry is going now. Spiffed up the counters, took out the trash. I have donations to bag up.