Opportunities abound - Monday -love me some Monday pwyc

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Twins: no offense at all. You are the one, reliably, who reminds me to start my SAD light in the fall because you notice the change of tone in my posts! My issue is this is the same weather we have in November and we've had poorer weather and much less sun than usual for going on 8 months now. Things we always said, "Too cold to snow but look at all that sunshine!", "April showers bring May's flowers" are no longer true.

The flooding didn't help matters either. The water is still too high, 7 weeks later, to use the riverside paths. Dh and I tried on Saturday night. We ended up having to walk along the grass up by the road because the path is still underwater. On the plus side, that meant we crossed the parkway away from the intersection (if we were walking on grass anyway, no need to walk to the lights when there was a break in traffic) and we saw a deer, not along the river but next to a small stand of woods on the subdivision side of the parkway.

We did have 3 or more bright enough days a week or so ago and I started to feel better. I also noted the same despair I had been suffering in Blessed's posts. Her weather was actually worse than mine at that point.

I'm still not done all the travel stuff but made some progress. Not empty bin progress but more weeding. I'm taking a snack break and then I'll get pretty labels (I think I have some) and relabel the bins since I've rearranged quite a lot of things. If I can't find pretty labels, I think I'll use my label maker.

I have got rid of a shoe box sized container that is usually on top of dh's built in drawers. That space is slowly being cleared out (my mending items used to be on them too) and I might be able to put a few of his 'spark joy' knick knacks out. After we moved in and mostly unpacked, I hung a painting he loves, but I don't, over top of it so I seldom have to look at it. That also kept me from piling stuff too high on it!

I have to remember that when travel is done, I have to do the linens which have to get done before bed!

Travel is also making toiletries a higher priority since some items, like shower caps, are being moved over. As well, some travel things were put in the guest bathroom in case someone has to sleep over unexpectedly. That showed me how desperately that room needs a deep clean. With a guest coming tomorrow afternoon, I need to get at that as well as the vacuuming.

OK, break over, off I go!

[DeeClutter]

I do have one "to do" thing off my plate for this summer. And this is being very optimistic at this opportunity. Just made my return flight reservation for Tuesday, October 22nd. Somehow that is freeing to my mind, just knowing that date as a deadline. It's always been up in the air when we would leave. Flying SW because that's one airline that lets me change with no charge & we can also have two checked bags. It'll probably be about a week before dh drives down. It'll give me plenty of time to get all my appointments in and done as well. Dh wanted me to go ahead and book it as it was $145 the other day & now is $160. The way things are going I'm afraid it'll only go up and I'm locked in now.

[LadyMaverick]

Kathryn - I wonder if anyone has figured the percentage of times that the weatherman was correct.

Thinking..... What if they posted the percentage of right/wrong information the weather person gives. IMHO that would be good information for the public to know. The weather person with the highest percentage of being correct gets a better job while the lowest gets the boot.

I don't think I posted this here but I did share it on FB.
During the month of May we had 770 severe weather warnings issued.
We had 179 tornado warning issued but only about 1/3rd of those resulted in confirmed tornado (68) on the ground. Most of the tornadoes were shown on the radar but the tornadoes remained "disorganized" and didn't drop down. I am thankfully for that!

I am sitting with my foot up. It is still swollen but much better than it was 2 days ago. I have zero pain from the knee & foot now. I am feeling rather thankful that I dodge the bullet on this fall. It could have been much worse.

[LadyMaverick]

Do I just flip a coin???

If you want some serious accountability then write them on a piece of paper and let your DGChildren choose one. They will be watching for progress so they can pick another one for you to do. At least....that's what happens here.

LucyLee - I wanted to say that I am astonished at your DGS knowing all of the presidents, vice presidents and wives names. POTB with providing him the opportunity to learn more about things that he is interesting to him.

[lucylee]

LadyM -- thank you -- but all the credit goes to him! No one has really "worked" with him on doing this, except for providing opportunities, books, etc. He just memorizes stuff like a machine. I'm sure it is a sign of the Autism/Asperger's, and it may be the thing that makes friendships and social interactions difficult for him -- but his mind is just like a tape recorder. He knows all the countries of the world and most of their capitals, and certainly all the US states and their capitals. He reads VERY well, and makes excellent grades in math and spelling, yet was not in the top ten or so that received awards at awards day. What's up with that, we wondered? The reading, we suspect was "graded" on speed as well as accuracy.
I don't mean to be bragging about him, because I'm sure this IS a "quirk" that is not going to help him win friends as he grows older. And ddil worries a lot that school will get boring for him and he may be bullied as he gets older.

OTOH... so far he has been extremely blessed with wonderful teachers, and he simply LOVES school.
And it is very easy for us to encourage him in all his interests, because dh and ds are history buffs too. We are hoping to take him to Chattanooga this summer to Rock City and the Civil War battlefields there, and to Nashville and the battlefield at Franklin, TN.
On my bucket list is to take him to Williamsburg, VA, some day.

And on the OTHER other hand, LOL... it makes it hard for us to accurately judge dgd's abilities. Like him, she has been a late talker, and she doesn't seem nearly as interested in learning her ABC's, etc, as he was. She knows all her colors, but she is only beginning to learn to count, I think. Since she has been so slow to talk, it's hard to know what she knows! DDIL readily admits that they "babied" her when she was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, and on the JA discussion boards, ddil says lots of parents talk about how it has made their children slower to reach some of their milestones. It's like their bodies are using all their resources fighting the JA, and they can't process how to speak and do potty training and all those things.
I don't mean to make it sound like she has any sort of serious mental delays, it's just that she is not as advanced as her brother.
It will be very nice to find out what they say when she is tested for the pre-k program.

~~~
Posting accuracy rates for weathermen. That IS a great idea, LadyM!!! TV ratings would go up for the stations with the best weather people, and everyone would have so much more confidence in the forecasts. I'd love to see that happen!

Also a good idea to let the dgrands choose my next task.
I'm trying to think, which will bring me the most joy to see it completed? think think think...

While sitting here at the computer, I have managed to transfer this weekend's photos to the computer. That's something, anyway.

[Nancy]

I was outside gardening when h drove up. They had cancellations bc of wind at work.
I finished watering 90% of the plants.
H. Has farm paperwork h got lots of mail today so that worked out.
I am considering my next plantings. It is going to cool off Thursday or do the planting in the morning..
More laundry doing.
Did more soul prep. On the west side of the deck.
Dog had a tick on the outside of her ear it is dead now..

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! The report that was due today was sent off at 2 pm. Everything else has been a downhill cruise. Thorin is doing well in his new home, but Briggs is seriously ill. He is normally between 11 and 12 pounds, but has dropped to 8.5. He has been given sub-cutaneous fluids and has an appointment at the vet now. (Cat coordinator is taking him). He won't eat more than a few bites, but drinks a lot. His dental work that seems to have triggered it all was more than 2 weeks ago and he was declared "healed nicely" at his followup visit. The worry now is that the stress of the surgery and anesthesia has kicked off some condition that would not have appeared until a few years later. He could be two years older based on the estimated age of his traveling companion, who could be a brother. Even geezer kitties generally do better than this with dental work.

This weekend, I made major progress on the hall painting and bought two pairs of pants (budget = 100, pants = 25!). I went to a camper show and have more ideas on what I can haul. I did NOT buy anything! I got lots of cooking done - ham croquette and a pot roast.

This evening, I need to touch up one painted door then cleanup after painting, call a church friend, and clean the kitchen (disaster).

I hope LadyMaverick's foot is better. I don't want to scare you, but I have broken bones in my foot several times and assumed all was well because it stopped hurting. When in doubt, get it checked.

In answer to Harriet's question a while back: All the materials for the paint night were supplied and the participants took home only one painting. However, I don't need another mediocre painting by me. I have GOOD paintings by me (and others). The two paint night paintings I have done are in a closet.

I think lucylee SHOULD flip a coin!

Numbers for Harmony: 0.32' -> a little less than 3 + 27/32, 0.37" -> 4 + 7/16.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Finished the travel stuff. Moved the guest linens to the pile on my bed to take a photo of all my linens.

On the way to my computer to upload photo, I brought camera with me to the kitchen to start heating up my supper. The sun was out so I thought I'd take a picture of the flooding as of today (I get clearer shots when there is sun.)

Out of the corner of my eye, my brain notes ~somethings wrong~ ~is that smoke?~ ~fire!~

There was an SUV on fire at the intersection. I started shooting pictures, then moved to the other balcony (clearer shot) then thought "Video" so went to the closet to get the tripod and got the camera mounted before the fire department got through the rush hour traffic.

Here's the video:

https://streamable.com/wkrov

Dinner was 30 minutes late. The fire is over in 2 minutes but then I have to get it up on social media! By the time I finished eating, the vehicle was gone.

For the first minute or two I couldn't hear sirens and I kept thinking surely someone called it in. Still, I nearly picked up the phone but just as I was thinking phone vs tripod, I heard sirens.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Ok, 90 minutes before bed. I can get the linens Konmari'd in that time. Deadlines will focus me! Pass along everything!!!!

Earlier today I picked up a silk shawl that my great grandmother sewed, probably on my treadle sewing machine. It has disintegrated (both the silk and the lace.) I looked at it and realized that for the 30 years I've had it, it has been stored in my chest. I wore it once to a pioneer days like event (and have a picture of me in it.) So that will be what I'll keep, the memory. It was surprisingly easy to let go.

Since it was so easy to let go, I'm really anxious to pass along the clothes that are too small for me! I'm willing to bet only 1/5 pieces will be kept. (Technically, that is to be sorted another time, but I have them out because they share the sea chest along with the off-season linens.)

[LadyMaverick]

Kathryn - It sounds like you are ready to make the decisions on what brings you joy.

I watched the video a couple of time looking for the driver. After I found him then I was surprised to notice the fireman not wearing protective gear. The fireman had to be breathing in who knows what kind of chemicals from the smoke.

DS10 has a friend here playing. They just had another bike accident. Young boys are hard on bikes! I wonder if they make a bike tough enough to stand up to their shenanigans. We don't have a bike shop around here so I wouldn't know where to start looking for one. I'm going to spend a few minutes googling a tough bike and see if it exist.