Friday, First of the Fa, La, La Month

[Harriet]

Are you ready for this? 'cause December is ready. Like Twins' dear dog, December is waiting at the door for us and nagging, insistent! Time to pay attention, as in, what have you done for me lately? Let's go!

The village is decorated with new December Creative, Declutter, and Health & Fitness threads.

[CathyS]

Hi!

Thank you for opening the village today Harriet!

Time to put up the lights, the tree, all the decorations that are in those neatly labeled bins over there... beside the table with the muffins and juice and fruitcake! Yum! Who would like some hot chocolate?


Darn. Unfortunately we aren't decorating our house because we don't think the cats can be alone with the tree for a week by themselves. There will be someone coming to feed them every day, so we aren't actually leaving them alone and unfed.

No idea what's for supper tonight. The patio was wet when I let the cats out. I can hear that the rain has started again.

[LadyMaverick]

Good morning

Harriet - Thank you for the monthly posts and opening the PWYC today.

I have been listening to (audible app) and reading (Kindle app) the same book over and over for several months. I consider reading or listening to a different book but always choose to continue reading and listening to the same one. The 4:8 Principle resonates with me in a way that I'm not willing to give up in order to move on to a different book. Yes, I know this is not what normal people do. How do I make myself normal?

My day is off to a good start with hitting my first 4 hourly goals.

DD47 called twice last night but I was at the ballgame and the loud noise made it difficult to have a long conversation. She called again this morning in tears and I listened to her rant for 20 minutes about her unhappiness. AFter years of experience, I recognize her coming down from a manic phase. Bipolar without medication isn't easy to cope with. Note to self....It is impossible to help someone who doesn't want to change.

[Nancy]

Thanks for opening up Harriet.

I was up in the night again checked my bs it was a bit on the low side so had my granola bar and cocoa coffee & had a great qt today and journaling session.

29* It is white outside we got 1/4" of the white stuff. I have soup & pizza in the house today.

[Hugs] to those who need / want one.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Cathy: Is there a room or two you can decorate that can be closed off to the cats while you are away? Ideally, your library or living room but with open concept houses, that may not be possible. Alternatively, some lights and decorations in your bedroom so that you can enjoy them in the evening and possibly the morning as it will be dark when you are getting up.

I'm up and at my computer. Another rough night and my brain isn't working. Each sentence in this post so far has had multiple corrections.

I tried sleeping in the bed last night with even more pillows (I'm up to 5 now) but had to get up after midnight to get ice water, and a hot bean bag for my chest, and rearrange myself to try and stop coughing. Then at 4:55 I had a never ending coughing fit so got up, made hot lemon & honey, went to the bathroom, reheated the bean bag and settled in on the couch. I woke up at 7, turned on the radio and went back to sleep until 8. Got up just before 9. I was comfortable, not feeling energetic and enjoying not coughing so I dared not moved.

I'm dressed now. The coughing comes and goes but the decongestant should be taking hold now so I need to put on shoes and get moving.

We visited with dd's kids yesterday and then did a costco run, bringing home a chicken for dinner. In the evening I managed to get a few more small decorating touches in place. Bin 1 of 3 "early December" are now in place. And I've filled my reusable Advent Calendar with holiday earrings. I'm wearing my favourite pair today. I also discovered I need more crystal and silver snow flake ones. So a trip to Amazon and Etsy is on my todo list. I only have 22 (!) pairs of holiday earrings so as I go through the month, I slip favourites into the last two days. Today's will become the 24th unless I get some pretty crystal ones.

Today I will try and get the lights up and the door decorated inside (wreath) and out (ribbon, bow & sign to make it look like a gift.) No wreaths are allowed on doors. Actually nothing flammable so technically the bow and sign are not allowed although the sign is just a 1/2 sheet of paper so not a lot of fuel for a fire. About a decade ago, a jokester lit an apartment door wreath on fire and walked away. The wreath fell from the door while burning, rolled into a corner, that magnified the fire, and two residents died from smoke inhalation trying to escape the burning building. So now wreaths are against the fire code. (At least the guy went to prison for a few years for manslaughter so it wasn't just every apartment dweller who was punished for his stupidity.

I'm amazed at how in a daze I am. My brain is really not working.

[CathyS]

We have decided on soup and grilled cheese for supper tonight. Dh says he is bored with some of the stuff we have been eating, so the only thing I could come up with was soup and grilled cheese.

Kathryn the only 2 rooms with doors are the bathroom and bedroom. The cat food, water and litter box are all in the bathroom and they sleep under or on the bed for most of the day and after they have been fed, so nowhere without cats. Right now the whole (tiny) house is upside down until the hall is finished because all the stuff from the shelves is wherever I could put it. Most of it is on a table in the library. I hope that all that will be put away and dealt with by Sunday night.

I "might" put up the village, but I haven't decided yet.

[blessedw2]

d harriet thank you for starting us!
FA LA LA LA LA to you too!!! Hello!

hi d cathy!
I would love some hot chocolate! Also can you give me a young body for the holiday season so that I can get a lot of work done.
it's so nice you have someone coming in for the cats. it makes it easier than taking them to a vet for boarding.

hi d lady!
I agree - thank you d harriet!
Normal is highly over rated. you are amazing!!!!
the manic is hard. I can tell when my cousin is going through it by what she posts on fb. I am praying this to be a short period for her.

hi d Nancy! hope you bs stabilizes soon
what soup did you make?
I love to hear what you do during your day!

hi d Kathryn I have been praying that cough disappears and you feel 100% soon.

d all good morning!!!!

[blessedw2]

I am so excited that I have a new day!
dh is at his dentist - yay- his face has been swollen and dh fought going but he decided to call.

dd younger cleaned the family room yesterday and did a put away!!! She had mom help - mom loves to sweep.
Mom's dementia has been present but with the dementia comes a super sweet side of mom.

Yesterday I had to laugh as when she went home she took two apples . - she takes an apple home every day; but yesterday she took a bag of chocolate chips from my groceries and put it in her bag as well. I told her that I needed to keep it and she asked me why - it made me smile on what she believes she needs considering she never made cookies when we were young.

it was cute: she called me to tell me she decided to rest in bed bc she said it felt good. I told her to enjoy every minute! Her reason for call: She just didn't' want me to worry about her. very sweet - I will take it and enjoy it.

time to work: timer going on. say a prayer of gratefulness
1. meds
2. kitchen

I thought it was 8:30 it's almost 11;00 wow how did that happen

[Harriet]

Oh, yes, hot chocolate please!

Hopeful that blessed's dh dental visit is not difficult.

Kathryn, that is awful about the fire history.

Our tree is delayed.
bom, bom, bommmmm. (or maybe remember The Price is Right down-swoop of sad music when a contestant lost) We are pouting, reminding each other of the assurances we got that it would arrive today. It sure would have been convenient, because dd25 could help decorate over the weekend.

Oh, well. Bounce back, feel better, look up.

We have had a grocery order going through the morning, and it is now on its way.

HRH did a bunch of declutter/clean-up that was through the morning. He's just in the mood!

2 grands' presents down, 4 to go. HRH has suggestions for me to consider, and they are indeed from the wish lists dd43's boys have, but ... .. They are jackets. I dowanna be the Grandma who gives jackets. That's just a downer. It's so, so... .. practical.

Today is the young man's birthday. His sister's solo is back on tonight, the event having been moved indoors, so dd25 will have a nice time with their family. She has a good present for him - nice headphones.

TaDa from yesterday was a LOT of gardening, cleaning up the garden beds. I think I kinda hurt my arm once, and this morning as I got out of bed I felt it again, but it is not a constant pain, just with certain movement.

Small TaDa was vinegar-soaking and cleaning the dish drainer.

edit!
This, from Nancy in H and F:

Personal atta girl from my step counter phone app. 365 days badge achieved.

congrats!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Feeling sad because dh threw out my shoes.

My fault, I put my shoes on top of the garbage can when I went into the kitchen to make my tea. I didn't want to put them on the counter and I meant to put them on while the tea was steeping.

He emptied the garbage cans and saw them on top so assumed they were for the garbage. He put the bag down the chute. They are gone, along with my Dr. Scholl's orthotic inserts. Which are no longer available.

Thankfully we can eat the cost of the shoes ($200) and I guess I'll go get custom orthotics but I consider them not a necessary investment for me. The Dr. Scholl's solved all my issues and I could have a pair in all my shoes for the same cost as one pair to have to move from boots to shoes to boots to shoes ad nauseum or spend an additional $500 for just a second pair.