Throwback Thursday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Here's a chance to share something from the past that you think of when you are thinking about the SHE Village.

For example, every time I pull out my preaching binder (the binder I use for my services), I am reminded of the SHEs, especially Harriet's dd 7 (not at all 7 anymore!) because a piece of her artwork is part of the artwork that decorates the outside of the binder.

I feel blessed to have so many different memories of her at different ages.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Thanks for wondering how I'm doing.

Physically, my back is still not healed and I quickly go from mobile to almost immobile throughout the day. I'm trying to avoid meds as much as possible (thanks for the reminder, though) and only use them when really necessary. I'm trying to do several rounds of physio stretches a day.

Also physically, something is up with my crotch and I'm trying to figure out what. It feels like I've ridden 20 miles on a bicycle, sore and stinging a bit. I can't even remember clearly when it started but I have a list of possible causes (as it also feels like a reaction to soap.) I have to do some research on that.

Mentally, I'm doing OK but definitely on the edge of depression. I'm short-tempered, weepy, and sleepy a lot of the time (but failing to get to bed when I should.) I'm doing my light therapy every day. Most of all, I'm trying to stay off my computer as much as possible, hence I haven't been here much.

I'm still making progress, just with heavy effort:

* Christmas is put away (although I'm stilling finding missed items!)
* the sleepover with dgs7 went well, he and I went shopping for dgd's birthday presents so I had an expert consultant
* dgd(now)5's birthday has come and gone (although her friend party is on the weekend in a major snowstorm)
* I'm keeping up with the housework
* We completed the big project of emptying the spare bedroom, building the new bed (after 44 years I finally bought a head/foot board for our queen sized bed), setting up the bunk bed cots in a semi-permanent state and carrying the old box spring downstairs to the garbage room (thank heavens we own "forearm forklifts" that I got from an "As Seen On TV" show - they really work well for items like that that just can't be put on a dolly, even if we had one large enough, because it wouldn't have fit through the elevator door if it was on anything at all.)

The top bunk bed can be left assembled but half dropped to make a 'couch' (see a photo here and you'll see why I put that word in quotes: https://discobedshop.ca/collections/por ... organizers) so we left it that way and made the bottom bunk up for dgs2.75 to use as his bed here now. It is only a few inches off the ground and I have a pool noodle made into the bed to help stop him from rolling out of bed and foam mats to put out when he's here. I have two noodles so can use the second on the top bunk when dgs7 is here. I didn't leave it as a bunk bed because dgs2.75 is a climber and a fall from the top bunk onto my hardwood over concrete floor would likely cause an injury.

As all projects are never straight forward, I had a sewing project to remake the bed skirts (plural because the bed is 18" off the ground and my skirt was only for 12") because they now needed splitting at the corners to go around the bed post. So that made for a stressful day, I was overtired, very sore, having trouble concentrating due to pain and confusion with things piled all over the living room and our bedroom, and with a time deadline to get the beds made up so I could get the bedding piled on my bed off it so I could go to sleep.

That was Tuesday. I also managed an errand at the other building, a walk, and a phone meeting that day, plus a ton of email.

Yesterday, the ironing board and sewing machine were still set up so I spent a good chunk of the day mending with the machine and ironing and working on a sewing project to come up with a warmer option for my hands while walking.

On my Tuesday walk I learned the mittens I had were only a little better than my assorted gloves for keeping my fingers from freezing after about 20 minutes. These are single layer wool mitts my mom knitted for me as a teen. My Nordic walking poles have awkward hand straps that don't easily open wide enough to get my hand through if wearing any hand covering. I had been hoping it would be easier with my thin mittens. It was but they weren't warm enough (and it was just below freezing on Tuesday, not really cold.) With mitts, I could pull fingers off the hand grip to warm them up a bit but it wasn't ideal. So when I got home I dug through my scraps drawer and found some old fleece sheet material and lined the back of the inside of the mitts with a layer of that.

On my walk yesterday, it worked really well. It was just above freezing but windier than the day before and my hands, including my unprotected thumb, were actually hot. When I turned so that the wind was from the side and hitting the front of the mitts, it was blessed relief to have them cooled down a bit! I'm guessing the thumbs didn't get cold because the rest of my fingers were still warm so there was warm blood to heat them.

So I'm rather proud of myself about that idea. I'm still wondering what to do about thumbs in colder weather. Before I had these Nordic poles I would just use my mittens that are wool felt on the palms and fur on the back of the hand. Those work really well for keeping the wind off my hands and keep them warm. (That's where I got the idea of adding a layer just to the back of the wool mitts.) But these won't fit in my new poles. So I guess in extreme cold I'll just use my old poles.

On Tuesday while I was working on the spare bedroom I was adding stuff to my A-river cart. After Christmas I bought a plant soil meter which registers moisture and light and there is not enough light for my plants. Pierre, the ficus tree, is struggling so I have bought plant lights for him. And a waterproof mattress cover for the bunk, and an extra sheet (I only have one set of single sheets) and some sheet straps since there is no mattress to wrap the bottom sheet around. Those things will arrive over the next few days.

Another thing I bought after Christmas was a fancy oven/meat thermometer. That confirmed the old toast oven wasn't working properly so I have a new, much smaller one, and have a much better way to know when food is cooked. It also measures the temperature of oil so the schnitzels I made last night for dinner turned out amazingly (up until now we had the oil temp too low so they were soggier that what we get when we go to restaurants.) I can't believe how simple it is to make schnitzel. This holiday season I also learned how simple it is to make sausage rolls. So I'm learning how to cook more things these days. We received a gift box of spice mixtures complete with recipes and so we'll try and use those through the year and learn even more.

So, that's what has happened with me over the past week. I haven't cuop on posts but will try to.

I was going to pull up a SHE memory that I have saved but have discovered not all files were moved over to my new computer so that set of files isn't there. Sigh....

[Ramblinrose]

Kathryn … good to hear from you and hope your back gets better

I’m dressed and getting ready to go to my drs appointment to see abt my migraine shots and if all goes well I’ll get three in my stomach. They hardly hurt so I’m not worried about that

Since I’ll be in that part of town I have several stores I want to visit. My ddil mentioned she wanted to learn about cross stitching. Oddly enough I am having trouble finding pattern books or even kits. Was at Michaels and the girl there said her mom does cross stitching and said she get her material at hobby lobby. I’ll be in that area today so I will stop there.

[Ramblinrose]

Tried to delete one of my messages but it won’t work

[LadyMaverick]

((RR)) Hopefully the migraine shots will be a blessing. I wonder where Cathy finds her cross-stitch inspiration, patterns and supplies?

Kathryn - WOW! you have been busy!

My normal morning out-of-house trips have been accomplished. DD12 was delivered to school and then shortly later the rest of us went to the gym.

I started documenting my workout information and find it is inspiring and motivating to try to do at least the same as previous or maybe increase a tiny bit. It is me vs me challenge. I am a big chicken about hurting my body, so I take care not to make big changes but still manage to challenge my muscles. Today my thigh muscles were vibrating from being worked hard so I know I have increased enough for now.

We have 5 medical appt today. It is the semiannual day where everyone gets their teeth cleaned and checked. Ugh. NO ONE likes this day but we all just get through it. The unknown of the day......Will the kids have a cavity this time? Neither kid has ever had a cavity. It is bound to happen eventually.

After we get through those appointments, we will take DH to get his blood work to check his thyroid levels. The family doctor saw something that concerned him enough to follow up on lab work done in November.

Everyone has suddenly developed a love of fruit salad. I will be stopping by the store to buy ingredients to keep it available. What do you put in your fruit salad?

[Twins' Mom]

Kathryn, I saw your post in J&C and was hoping you'd post today! Is your back better? (You sound productive, even tho you're still hurting. I need to read more closely)

RR, probably can get cross stitching patterns online too - and order the thread as well. I finally sent my thread (wound on cards and filed by color no, to the Goodwill. I hope someone could use it.)

I've been lollygagging about, didn't realize how late it it. I've walked the dog tho, and done some of a.m. routine at least. Still need to s2s.

Last night dh went to a program at temple - I had no interest in the topic - and then to someone's house for wine and snacks later. I had some extra time upstairs in the evening. During the day, I did some desk clean up and organizing - put away the stamps and ribbon that I had out for the Christmas season, and stamped a little bit, trying some new things. Then I got into genealogy and did some research.

So I had a decent day and procrastinated on the HOA accounting, which I still need to get back to. My mind is percolating on this. I hate the software and I'm tempted to abandon it in favor of an Excel spreadsheet, with the exception of using it to write checks. And by the time the renewal comes in August, I would need to find a new software package, hopefully one that makes more sense? Meanwhile I need to get checks to the bank today (I forgot three checks on the printer yesterday so couldn't do that deposit, but now I have more cks to deposit because I went to the post office box. And I do need to write checks. So the plan is to not focus on year-end stuff right now - i.e. "closing the books" but to focus on doing the routine things. (The young bank teller came back to me yesterday, mystified, because he had four cks totaling $2400 and the deposit slip said $4200. If he had turned the deposit slip over, I had listed seven cks with a total of $4200 and he would have realized that I was missing some cks. He suggested I had transposed 24 for 42. I wish Harmony was here to commiserate with me!)

Small bites:
-verify all cks there for yesterday's deposit.
-record new deposit/get ready for bank
---mark each what the lot no is (customers are by lot no, not name)
---record receipts in QB
---make deposit slip
---photocopy checks and listing on deposit slip
---put in planner to deposit later
-enter/print four checks
-distribute cks (mail one, let others know they are going into mailboxes later.)
-remail an invoice returned because I didn't get a stamp on it

Posting so I can keep my head down. I need to CUOP on Kathryn and LadyM.

[blessedw2]

d Kathryn I am so glad to see you again. I am praying you feel better!!! No aches no pains allowed.
I also love that you call your ficus Pierre.
You have been very busy even with your back hurting!
I wish you a very good and pain free day.

(pain and illness can make depression easier to enter)- I had it bad over the weekend. Praying that you feel better physically, mentally and always spiritually.

hi d rose! praying that the shots are not uncomfortable and that they really help reduce the migraines!
I can't find cross stitch patterns like I used to either. Most things are online or in cross stitch magazines. I hope you find it at hobby lobby.
have fun perusing the stores!

hi d lady! hope your family is cavity free!!! good luck on all the appointments! may it be an easy day.

my fruit salad - I don't care for guava, papaya, and most fruits like that (my kids love it and they also like coconut shavings, pomegranate seeds).
-Generally I put in whatever I can find - sometimes a fall type with apples, dried cranberries, etc. or the basic strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, grapes, kiwi, raspberries and bananas once in awhile. Sometimes I will add bit of jicama for a crunch. (cherries when in season). my girls like blackberries but I am not exactly a fan.

hello to all! have a great day.

[Nancy]

CI / throw back I think of the stuffing recipe with cream of anything soup P & P had in one of their books I used to like to use.

LM I do not eat fruit it jacks my sugar up too much. I have done sug. free jello salad instead for holidays.

I am up and doing better after good sleep up on time today.
Bread dough is rising in the oven that I did a cold start with last nite.
Bread is done house smells heavenly now!

[Twins' Mom]

I like a berry fruit salad: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and/or raspberries. They are not overly sweet and dh can eat them. I often have it for dessert here for company with some whipped cream if anyone wants.

I've done all the HOA tasks for now. Need to put checks in mailboxes later, and actually mail the ck for the grounds company, but that's off my mind for now.

We are having company on Saturday night - a young couple we are friends with. Not sure if they are bringing their kids along yet. Thinking about making a brisket. They got "cut" unfortunately from our Rosh Hashanah party when we made it smaller post 2021. And tomorrow night we're having dinner with our "other" son and his wife, and our ds. So my focus needs to be off the accounting for awhile.

I'm having a snack and getting ready for my workout. Need to leave in 30 min. While I'm out need to stop at drugstore and bank and drop off those checks. I also called the vet to set up a check up for dMillie.

LadyM said:

I am a big chicken about hurting my body

Me too! That's one reason I really like where I am going. They are all about not getting hurt.

[blessedw2]

Hello hello!

I just had the best time outdoors with my brother - loved every minute - he reminded me about the ice chains for my shoes - for ice fishing. He gave me his and then I remembered my and dd Youngers ice walking covers. (I had ordered stabilicers max this morning before he came.)

my brother cleaned off moms car and my car and our drive.
I worked on the garage so that I could get my car in and out before the snow storm tomorrow. I then followed him to mom's building so that he could drop off mom's car; then I picked him up to bring him back to his truck. (got rid of a lot of garbage).

It truly was a joy being outdoors - the ice shoe covers made such a difference! wonderful! Being outdoors and working what could be better.

Next have lunch
play with dogs

cards pulled:
wash the bottom walls in the kitchen and the trim.
put away
15 minute each room has been helping.

I have to go to the grocery store as the online system isn't working.