Monday Moving

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

In the northern hemisphere we will hit shortest day in the next week. And, at least for me, the skies will be overcast for the forecastable future.

Getting outside is a great way to offset the lack of light and the toll it takes on your energy and mood.

So try and get out for a walk at least once each day. As little as 10 minutes can make a huge difference. Park at the outer edges of a parking lot and walk around to the other side of the building. Walk to a farther mail box. Detour while out running errands and stop at a pretty area of town and walk along a body of water or through a park.

The time spent doing this will likely be made up later in the day as you find you have more energy, a clearer mind, or are not wasting time on 'stinkin thinkin'.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I've been battling 'stinkin thinkin' for the past week. And my sleep quality is slipping. Time to pull out the SAD light and try and reverse things.

I think the time I spent outside in November helped delayed my need for the light. I often blast through December, with the Christmas lights both inside and out, helping me with my mood. This isn't going to be one of those years. Despite doing everything I mention in the opening, I seem to be slipping badly. I've been outside almost daily, moving more than I have in years, and in the bright apartment (even on a dull day it is fairly bright because there are no trees to shade windows and the windows in each room are HUGE.) But I'm still getting irrationally grumpy. It is so weird to be full of gratitude (I love living here) and so irritated at the same time. It must be really difficult for dh.

So I'll pull out the light today and try and fit in the 20 minutes while eating breakfast. I've been reading while eating, so I'll just do that in front of the light. It won't affect the timing of my day too badly.

EGADS! Daily timing - I need to be out of here in 20 minutes and I haven't eaten yet and still have to s2s! So much for doing the light this morning!

[helia]

Well, what an appropriate title Kathryn! Did we have a little talk in our sleep or something? I am super-grumpy this morning. I actually don't struggle too much with moods and grayness. I think my grumpiness stems from 2 sources: (1) I think I'm actually a bit sick (this happens rarely as many of you have probably noticed), and I am dead tired even after getting enough sleep. It's a different kind of tiredness, which is my main clue that my body is not 100%. That, and I've been having sinus headaches, so I would guess that I have a sinus infection. (2) It finally happened. Maia actually knocked me over. I just scraped my hand a bit and one shoe (leather) is badly scraped on the side. She was just so excited to be outside and she was wrestling with Pepper and being generally manic and she got in my path/bumped into me and I couldn't move out of the way so, down I went.

Done:
- up
- fed cat
- laundry to dd16
- drove dd16 to school (my van will be in the shop today)
- got huge bag of dog food out of the car (got knocked down en route to the car)
- fed ddogs
- fed g. pigs
- dropped off the van with dh

Dh has gone for a run. I declined after all b/c I feel so carpy.

Next:
- s2s and self-care
- QT
- kitchen reclaimed
- laundry updated

Later:
- menu plan and groc. list
- groc. store
- meet with mentee at 1:00
- pick up dd16 around 2:45
- make cookies to take to band concert afterglow
- progress on Cmas
- not sure what we're doing for dinner; dh will be out giving his final exam tonight and then going to church meeting. Dd16 will need to leave early for the band concert. I'll be leaving not long afterward.

[DeeClutter]

I seem to be slipping badly.

Me too -only I would gauge it as very badly + Cards are nowhere near done, gifts have not been thought of YET, menus not planned. I've lost this whole last week being sick (still not 100% by any means) and lost the other week on the cruise. Think Christmas is coming down to gift cards & checks and I really don't like that.

Here it is 9:30 & I'm just eating breakfast. Was going to make chili for dinner & see dd has a large pork roast out thawing. Think you can add me to that list of 'grumpy'. I'm with Helia -part is being sick, part not enough sleep and part the Christmas rush. Better get busy.

[Nancy]

Cough cough sniff bs is up fighting it off!
Hens are fed.
Journaling is done.
Up on time h left early for work.
S2s done.
Sinks are clean - I need to spiff the rest of the counters.
Store run needed I am nearly out of oyster shells for hens makes the eggs the proper thickness.
Trash is out.
I spiffed the bed need to make it properly.
Make & drink coffee x.
I am going to crochet now one more row on the new pattern I am learning. I am half way through the first time of this one making progress not without mistakes but I am learning and keeping my brain challenged it part of why I do this! I want to get a new style of granny squares from this too! So happy!

[CathyS]

hi everyone!

I have less than 20 minutes to get one of the cats into her carrier and get her to the v-e-t. It's for a wellness check up.

I've cleaned one litterbox and gone through the fridge and tossed numerous leftovers and lots of out-of-date stuff. Yuck. That man has a steel stomach!

Sitting here acting all innocent as if I'm not trying to trap a cat.

[Twins' Mom]

LOL, CathyS! Best to not even touch the cat crate until you have the cat in hand..easier said than done. When I had cats, all it took was the crate coming out to send them into hiding.

Moving Monday sounds good to me. My steps over the last two days have been abysmal. 5K yesterday and 4K for Saturday. Yesterday ended up being quiet. Dh and I went to meeting at temple, then skipped the other event and came home. He probably slept from 5 p.m. (with some up and down and TV watching and drifting) until this morning. I had slept in until 10 a.m. yesterday so stayed up to 10 p.m. last night and slept well after. When I napped on Saturday, I woke up feeling like I was catching a cold but it never developed so perhaps have dodged it.

Today need to get on track with planning and following through for the week. Also need to get my steps back up. When I decided not to go see my dsis last Monday I had planned to go today, but I simply can't face it. I need today to regroup. The weekend felt like a big loss, but I needed the downtime with all the social engagements flocking around me .

This week is thankfully,somewhat, quieter, altho Hanukkah does start tomorrow evening. Today is quiet - no engagements outside of the house. Tomorrow have PT for dMacs, body work for me and we are all going to Hanukkah at the JCC tomorrow night. Wed I'll go see dsis and Thursday - Friday plan and set up for temple Hanukkah on Friday night. Saturday is another Christmas party in the evening. When the kids are up later, we'll discuss putting together a family Hanukkah dinner here at home.

Some OMM for today:
-make challah for dneighbors
-return emails, etc. re: Hanukkah at temple
-routines
-PLAN AHEAD

For right now:
-change clothes, brush teeth
-walk the ddogs
-start a lol
-kitchen counter clearing etc.
-make the bed

This will get me well on the way to finishing up a.m. routine.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Made it out the door in time (with clothes - bonus!)

Got ds to his appointment with 8 minutes to spare, then drove to ds's apartment. It was 10 minutes since I took the highway. Dropped off his clean laundry (he was asleep), talked with the rental agent (I found some keys in the elevator) and was back in the car just 20 minutes after dropping dh at the hospital. Just 8 minutes later I pull into the nearest mall and go to text dh to tell him I'm waiting nearby. Note that he's just texted me that he's waiting at the door so I went and got him. Easy-peasy. We filled his prescription at the specialty pharmacist which is another 8 minutes away and were on our way home by 10 (we left the apartment at 8:55.)

We parked the car, came up and dropped off the meds, picked up the outgoing mail and walked to the post office. This is our third time doing so in 4 days! The walk is seeming shorter each time we do it. And more pleasant (we keep changing routes and have settled on a favourite.) Our post office is pretty incompetent so it took forever there but we have the cards we've finished in the mail and stamps for the cards yet to be mailed so we don't have to wait in line again.

I'm back home, have had a snack (I was starving) and will now have lunch. Dinner is planned (fish and chips with us using the deep fryer for the first time since moving in.)

I made the bed this morning automatically, so have to strip and remake it with clean sheets. And do laundry. And all the other things I have to do. But at least I'm off to a good start with my step count (6300) and fresh air quotient. I do with the sun would shine, though.

[blessedw2]

hello!

[Nancy]

Back from errands found some wiggle room in the budget and got the little smokies in the freezer now. And glad I got the bird seed for the hens, and yarn I wanted too. Did some laps at the store! So I am happy. Figured out one more row on the new pattern.