Talk it over Tuesday PWYC

[Twins' Mom]

Let's talk it over today! What's on your mind? Goals? Resolutions? How are things working out in the New Year?

We're halfway through January, is it time for a restart? restructure?

[Twins' Mom]

Despite the outside temp of 16 degrees and ice everywhere, dh has gone to his office, probably because he's extremely bored here at home. He's supposed to call me when he gets there, so I'm waiting. Now I'm antsy waiting to hear from him. Ddog had to crunch around the yard and finally found a place next to the concrete pad of the screened porch where she could empty her bladder. High is only 25 degrees today but there will be some melting.

I have laundry going.

The gym is closed today, no workout. Dh wants to try to reschedule our dinner out to tonight if possible, but don't know if restaurant will open. I have a webinar to watch at eight p.m.

Those of you in wintery climates that are used to ice, low temps and snow - yes, this is how the south is.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I have a swirl of to-dos in my head. But I'm excellent at talking myself out of doing them, so I don't need any help thank you!

After I left last night I got the bedrooms vacuumed and dusted and the LR/DR vacuumed. It felt good to get all the salt up off the front hall mats.

We had dinner and then I dragged myself up and worked on the kitchen. I haven't done those weeklies for far too long so it felt good to give it some attention.

My back was killing me after the vacuuming so I was slow but got things done and watched the end of the episode of The Morning Show lying on the floor in extension. That was the end of the second season which was the season in which Covid was a sub plot. I won't continue with the next season as I don't really care much for the show anymore but I was interested to how the plot progressed with the 'gathering storm' as a background story.

I got to bed at 10:30 and woke at 1:11 feeling wide awake. I thought about it and realized I'd been having Covid lockdown dreams and had a flashback to that time in my life when I was unable to sleep properly. Note to self: I still react emotionally to those years. I'm likely not the only one, looking at how awful everyone is to each other right now and how everyone is focused on themselves and not the common good for anything.

It is snowing again. Not forecast. I won't bother looking up the forecast to see for how long or how much. If it was a lot, I would seen a warning.

Lucylee I'd advise cutting back the corn plant.

I only say this because I had been given an artificial plant and put it on the radiator, next to the window in winter (the leaf colour matched the room well.) Then we had Christmas and the tree blocked my view of the plant. Turns out it was real and when I took the tree down, I found the 'artificial' plant had lost all its leaves! I moved it somewhere else not on a radiator or literally against a cold window, and threw some water on the soil. A week later there were signs of life so I continued that. It became my croton plant. BUT, along with a new bushy bit at the soil, it also had an 18" stem with a crown of leaves (part of the original stem), not at all what the plants in the pictures looked like. Turns out it needed more light. So I cut it back. I took the crown off the stem and rooted that. I cut the soil level bushy bit away from the stem and planted that and I left the stem and roots and watered that. After 5 months nothing happened to the stem so I abandoned that but I now have two bushy crotons.

If I were you, I'd cut the corn plant back and also try and root the bit you cut off the top.

Now, if a corn plant is something that isn't resilient, maybe just give up on it. I tend to have plants resilient plants. For instance, I used to water them once a week, whether they needed it or not. Yes, I noted how much happier they were when I missed a watering, but that didn't stop me. Now that I'm not traveling as much and that I have no south windows and a super dry apartment, I pay a lot more attention. Not all plants have survived in my home. I've had a number of plants died tragic deaths under my care, including all my dmil's precious African Violets that I inherited. But I have fun with the others, like my 30+ year old Christ cactus which is now 3 plants (and I've given others away over the years).

Off to get dressed and then mop the kitchen floor (and finish dusting.) I'll leave the office for dh to vacuum.

[Nancy]

Waving glad to say I have all the utilities working today.
Snow is in our forecast.
Some businesses are closed bc of the weather here too, despite being used to the icy conditions.
I slept well.
Trash needs to go out but not till it gets lite outside.
I need to put on the sweats over my thin pj's again.

[Twins' Mom]

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplan ... useplants/

Lucylee, above are instructions for rooting the crown of your plant, once you cut it down. Might wait another month until spring - it's the best time to repot when the days are getting longer and they're ready to grow again.

My thumb hasn't been green for several years, in part because I've been irregular about watering. DH received a small ponytail plant when he had surgery about a year ago and it needs repotting. I'd like to keep it going. I have a fiddle leaf ficus that has done well the last couple of years, before that every time I walked by it, it dropped a leaf. And a peace lily in our bathroom that is probably twenty years old. It badly needs to be divided and repotted because all that's left are a bunch of smaller plants. I've managed to keep my mother's aloe alive. It was the only living plant in her house when she moved to assisted living and was barely clinging to life. I repotted and it has done well when I've paid attention to it, I've divided several times and given new plants to cousins and dd.

I called dh when he hadn't called after about 30 min. His office is 12 min away in little traffic. He had been there awhile and had forgotten to call of course.

[blessedw2]

hello hello!

d twins thank you for starting us! Isn't crazy that half of January is here already?!
stay safe today! Hope your dh calls soon -

hi d Kathryn
(((I hope tonight you have a good night sleep free of worry and brain flashbacks)))
I can feel your energy! well done on your work!

hi d Nancy waving! yay on having your utilities working today!
stay safe as well.

hi d everyone!

[MysteryWoman]

Good morning! I missed that you had had some utilities out, Nancy! I'm sorry and glad that all is well now. Don't apologize for not being able to handle the winter weather, Twins. It takes a certain amount of preparedness, and the south needing to handle snow and ice is a recent thing, just like the north needing to handle 90/90 days. Glad your DH is safe and sound.

DC did not want to get up this morning, and I am worried for tomorrow, when they start class at 8 am. Until we get them a license of their own, I will also have to get up early -- a little extra early to be able to get in and out of the bathroom before DH gets in there. We only have the one bathroom, and he takes forever in there. Although he shaves, etc., before taking a shower, and I brush my teeth after taking one, so theoretically, I could take a shower while he uses the sink and vice versa. But I like my showers hot, and sometimes the mirror fogs up.

I need to make sure DC is ready for the semester. There's a web-based organization app I want to check out: Amazing Marvin. Supposedly, it's crazy customizable, so I'm hoping that DC will be able to find the right combination of features to keep them on track. It is also crazy expensive, but worth it to me if it works for DC. I also need to see if they need any notebooks or such. That could be an outing for them to drive.

I also need to work on my bedroom and get a shopping list done, so I'd best be saying toodle-oo. Keep warm out there!

(Hi, blessed! I hope you are warm now!)

[blessedw2]

Sunny winter day means cold but definitely not as cold as yesterday and the day before! Right now it is -5 (feels like -25) - at least it's going up instead of getting colder

I have heat again! They said nothing was wrong with the furnace but as soon as he finished downstairs then we had heat again. yesterday the inside of the house (in the morning was 42 degrees; but I got the kitchen and dining room to 66 degrees because I blocked off the rooms with blankets and had space heaters. I also baked yesterday.

I have always loved the idea of big open rooms but now I am really glad that I have rooms with French doors. a couple years back we had the -17 and no electricity for a couple days. We lived in our family room - blankets up and fireplace. I can see, now, how hard it would be to heat a big area.

I would like a wood stove for our fireplace as a preventative for future cold days. I think it would be a good idea. Dh and I will have to decide: function over looks.

I made scones and banana bread yesterday and will freeze them today. I also have biscuits and left over sausage so I will make some eggs and make breakfast biscuits for the freezer. Along with breakfast enchiladas.

okay time to start.
15 minute round robin - it seems to be helping me.

I wish you a wonderful day!

[blessedw2]

thank you d mystery!!!
hope the learning program fits your dc's needs and is really interesting!
have a wonderful day!!!

and d Nancy I am really glad you have utilities again!!!

[Nancy]

My utilities were not out I am just glad for that and they are on today again yea!
Got the trash out to the curb.
Fed the wild birds.
Fed the ddoggo.
Made the bed.
Took vits.
Did some qt & journaling.