Saturday Surprises

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

This is more a Post What You Chanced (upon) challenge.

Sometimes in this season, possibilities open up, and you chance upon something unplanned but worthwhile pivoting to.

If that happens to you, you may not have any homemaking/holiday prep accomplishments to post about but you might have a surprise to share.

Hopefully, the surprises will be happy ones, although waking up with a blazing sore throat is also a surprise! Or a flat tire. Or a sudden storm that keeps you home.

I hope your surprises aren't that sort!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Surprise! I woke up to a trashed living room, having left it that way when I went to bed. So in theory, my day will be spent prepping for the surprise tree-trimming party tomorrow.

Surprise! dd just texted and asked me to be the backup to get dgd to her covid shot appointment in case dd gets too sick to take her. She has enough energy at the moment but dsil is too sick to do anything today and dd never has enough energy to care for the kids on her own.

Surprise! I offered to come in any event and give them a drive to save the hour on the buses. That will cost me 2 - 3 hours but gain dd at least 90 minutes that she either has to do something else, or has to preserve what little energy she has.

But first, I need to throw on some clothes and deliver stuff across the way. I'll s2s when I get home.

[LadyMaverick]

Good morning

Kathryn - Thank you for opening the village this morning.

I have a surprise couple hour of being alone (sorta). DD12 is here but still asleep so she isn't making any sounds or movement. The 3 dogs, 3 rabbits and cat are here but they are all being quiet also. Maybe I should adjust my thought process from being alone to being in a quiet home for a couple of hours. hum...

DH is at a men's breakfast this morning. It is a monthly gathering held on the 2nd Saturday. I suspect their attendance will be low because many of the men are on the fishing trip.

My first 3 hours of the day were mostly smooth with cards being done one after another. I did have a surprise this morning when I went outside for my 6am steps and I heard leaves crunching from being walked on. In the dark I couldn't locate where or what was making the crunching sound so i came back inside. I was intrigued because I had already been outside for my 5am steps and didn't hear or see anything. Once it was daylight I went outside again and did a little investigating. Because of the 8' solid metal fence I can't see what is on the other side of the fence. I did verify there are no leaves in the yard surrounding the garden to enable the crunching noise to be made there. I opened the gate and looked at the forested area and pasture side of the fence line but didn't find anything out of place. With no clues to what was walking in the dark I am assuming the leaf crunching noise from being walked on was made by cattle in the pasture.

[blessedw2]

thank you d Kathryn for starting our day! thank you thank you!

d lady I hoped you enjoyed your time alone! I used to have deer crunch their way through our woods and once in awhile our neighbors cows would break through their property. In the dark you could hear the movement. (that' when we lived in the country).
nothing like not knowing what's out there

hello dear all.

[blessedw2]

time to get to work - I worked all day on getting all but the tree done. I woke this morning to disarray. I didn't think I had left that much out.

next: put mom's meds together for the week .

[Twins' Mom]

I was thinking, Kathryn, when I read last night, what a serendipitous surprise it is for you to have a tree-trimming party tomorrow! And your entire family can attend together. (I hope it's a good surprise!)

The Hanukkah service and dinner last night was enjoyable but loud and too many people. For the temple, it's a good problem to have. I think there were reservations for 140 or so and our social hall was really overfull and over loud. Latkes as usual were wonderful and we have a bag in the refrigerator. Dh alluded to something next Friday night that was being planned among select latke cookers too. He showered when he got home to get the smell off but I need to wash those clothes today!

We are out on Tuesday p.m. - dh was willing to find a sub for bowling toto Hanukkah at friends' home. Otherwise quiet week. I would like to call dcousin J and have lunch and go to cemetery with her to place our wreaths to remember her dh and my parents and siblings. Better late than never.

What else? Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards. Also back into genealogy: corrections on DAR supplemental application and try to organize goals and thoughts for going forward. Sometimes I feel like the dog that caught the car and didn't know what to do with it. What I'd most like to do is to publish more. But there's not a scholarly journal that is regional, and the NGSQ is mostly case studies. What I have to write for now is narrative, family histories similar to the KDP in the portfolio. In a little more than four years I'll want to submit my renewal for CG, and the those narratives would work, and satisfy my desire to get some of what I've researched published and "on the record" for others.

I pulled out my Trigeminal Neuralgia journal (TN) and am restarting there. Last entry was 2021. If I need increases in meds I need to document what's going on. And it's good for me to keep a record to possibly ID patterns.

LadyM, I can't believe your step goals start with the 6 a.m. hour.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Twins: I'm glad you had a wonderful service and dinner last night.

Surprise! I got on the treadmill for 40 minutes. I decided to pop onto it when I got back from dropping stuff off across the street.

Surprise! I unplanted the dead stick in a big pot and planted the jade plant that fell over into the larger and hopefully more steady pot. Later today I will deep clean that corner of the office while vacuuming up the dirt once it dries.

Surprise! When I took my defrosted blueberries out of the microwave I went to put them on the shelve below and discovered two croissants that I had taken out of the freezer yesterday morning to warm up before baking. I've just taken them from the oven. They actually look ok, but may not be good. I can't think of why I would die from eating them but if I don't return, you'll know why!

The tree has lights and garlands on it now. So I'm casting my eye around at other things that need doing. I should cast my eyes down and note I still need to s2s. I'm wearing yesterday's clothes.

[LadyMaverick]

I am surprised and a bit shocked that I have completed all my cards. I do still have hourly steps to do but they can't be done ahead of time.

As a reward for finishing the cards I am going to create some new cards to add. I have been eagerly awaiting this reward for what seems like a long time. I acknowledge adding more cards on the day that I'm not dealing with DS15 might not be a good idea. I would guestimate that I spent an average of 4 hours a day mentoring and interacting with DS15. He requires a lot of time, energy and focus which I am not doing today. HOWEVER, the little kid in me has been waiting for this moment when i finish all my cards so I want my reward.

[blessedw2]

I am heading to mom's so dh can do his laundry. I am sorry I am not thrilled that he expects me to stay for 2 hours so he can do his laundry with my moms machines.
I have so much to do and I don't have that spare time everyone thinks I have right now.

sorry just bemoaning the fact that he can't do this on his own and it frustrates me. he has been good about my mom being here all the time. so I will be positive even though I would tell a teenager go yourself. attitude adjustment needed.

[CathyS]

Hi!

We've been to the landfill. I don't think I've ever seen it so busy. I guess people are clearing out the homes and getting ready to host people for the holidays. Almost every parking spot was taken.

It's warm and windy here today. 13C in December is nice! We had the windows down in the truck on our tiny road trip of 15 minutes each way.

No idea what is for supper. We went out for Indian food last night and I had the leftovers for lunch.