Conga Friday the 13th

[Harmony]

40° below? I would cease to exist! It is 69° inside the house, too cold for me. Of course, that's what the thermometer says, and it is just outside the kitchen in the main living area. Back here in the office it is much colder. In the family room it is warmer. I have the fireplace going again.

I love when we do a Conga Friday. Then I don't feel like I am cleaning alone.

First thing this morning I did a pedicure. Left that go way too long. I have 2 ingrown toenails that get very bad. Cutting straight across like they recommend does not work as that length is too long. I must keep them much shorter, so they do not go into the sides. That means I get out the major gold mining equipment and do surgery. It ain't easy, but at least I'm used to how that feels.

(blessed) glad things are working out better for DUncle and you & family. Sure feel for what DD is going through, and you as mother standing by helplessly to watch.

Went to bank on the way to county office. While I was there (health dept) another guy came in and said he was from our road dept. working in the county right-of-way and has been stopped by a lady nearby who said her uncle had been buried under that tree, quit digging...and what was he to do now?! Imagine!

I want to do a lot of work in the house, to get a little closer to that perfect magazine picture.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

The sun is out now and things are warming up. It is now -4F outside and -20 with the wind chill. I actually walked from the car to the car wash building without my hat and it wasn't a bad decision. Walking from the car to the lawyer's office (and back) was really cold.

Glad to be home, though.

Trip to the lawyer was a success and a terrible 'to-do' is now completed.

Other errands were quick and painless. Will miss the monthly package of unlimited car washes but will cancel for March (no point) and then just go for the "buy 10, get one free" package over the spring and summer (although we might go back to monthly for April and May depending on the melt.) I figure over the summer we won't need the weekly wash, nor will we need the specialty treatments. Regular dust can be brushed off with the California Duster. And we won't have the car out often, either, because we'll be biking instead of driving places.

Even this week, it took until Friday to get the weekly wash, despite it being a Monday chore. There was really no point taking it on big snow storm days. Our last super-duper cleaning will be on the 27th before we drive out to the village for a church supper. The 28th we are busy all day at a workshop.

Now to get some lunch and then get working on paperwork until ds gets here.

[Harriet]

40° below? I would cease to exist!

Harmony, that particular right-of-way problem makes you happy it's not your job to figure this out, doesn't it?

lucylee, maybe you represent someone neat and perfect to ddil? You and I have the opposite problem! I might be the one who needs to meet my ddil outside! My ddil is so attentive to every detail, so careful. HRH happened to glance at another friend's fb, and ddil herself is a "mutual" friend. He called me over to see the great photos their page picks up from ddil's page. He said you could certainly be proud the friend was seeing those - they were just ideal - current, professionally done and of course the family looks like they just stepped out of an ad. (So different from ds' posted photos, which are few and far between since he forgets the page for weeks, and usually with 4-wheelers or recently caught fish, but that's another story.)

HRH said then that this is typical of ddil's entire life - very put-together, neat, arranged well, planned. She seems to depend completely upon ds for anything spontaneous or carefree. It always surprises me to see ds walk into their neat home and keep carrying his stuff through the house to the right place! When did THAT happen!?! Learned behavior! Now, I will say that I could tease ddil about storing some stuff with me, but I bet she even has that cataloged. Can't really say it is clutter if she finds a way to get someone else to store it, now can I? (wait a minute. how did that happen again... ...)

[Nancy]

Hair colorist visit done.
All five chicks are fine.
10 miles on exercise bike done.
Yea for progress and a morning off.
I am excited to get to go to a used book store this weekend wish me luck on finding that weaving and sweater pattern book I want and others too!

[Twins' Mom]

Wow, lots going on in the village today. I brought my laptop upstairs while dcleaning lady did her magic and have been happily deciding my S tampin U p order. I'm the "hostess" this time so I get the party plan benefits for extra $$ to spend. Too many hard decisions! I just emailed off the spreadsheet.

It's up to 34 degrees outside so I need to go ahead and walk my poor ddogs soon. They've been in and out so have done their "business" but we all need a little exercise.

I don't think I posted that I fell a couple of nights ago. I got up to go to the bathroom and for some reason wasn't paying attention to whether there was a dog sleeping by the bed and I tripped over poor Moses. I landed on right elbow/forearm, right thigh and left knee this time somehow and am sore and stiff. Then last night I nearly tripped over dh's shoes but didn't fall at least, just spilled some water.

I think this may be the first day I've been up here at my crafty desk that it's been so cold out. This room is over the garage and I don't think my feet would ever warm up here. I need a heater for my feet, I think.

I need to regroup for the rest of the day.
-shabbat dinner or go out? (downside, Valentines Day weekend = busy restaurants, we also agreed to stay in tomorrow night anyway so that would be two nights cooking, can I survive that?)
-challah
-what else do I need to do today?
---valentine stuff for dh
---start laundry
---stamping?
---desk day for my mom - didn't get to it earlier in the week
---drop off at cleaners
---grocery, somehow we are out of eggs
---make an appointment for a haircut and highlights?

I am trying to get my plans together for next week. At this point I have a meeting on Tuesday evening, a luncheon to attend on Wednesday, and the neighborhood get together on Thursday evening. So that leaves Monday or Friday....or blow off the neighborhood get together and go Thursday. Chance of snow Mon-Tues makes me hesitant to get on the road Monday also. So I'm leaning toward the end of the week. I mailed her a Valentine earlier in the week.

Yes, I am glad I don't have to deal with that road right of way issue, Harmony!

[Twins' Mom]

Right now I am going to humor myself with a little stamping time until 2:30.

[lucylee]

So. DS called back, said they would visit with us tomorrow before leaving for the weekend... Said ddil was having a panic attack at the thought of us coming in!
DS says this is not going to be a way of life -- that things will be different when they move.

That IS a thought, Harriet... Maybe so. Hard for me to see myself in that role, but maybe so.
DH says (sadly) she will "never really think of us as 'family'."
I don't really think that's the problem. I don't think she would want her own parents visiting either! She told dmom last night that she just can't stand it if anyone just drops in!

DH also fears that the much larger house will just lead to MUCH larger problems... But I don't think so, and neither does dmom. We think the problem of no space to put away anything has just led to ddil feeling overwhelmed, helpless, frustrated, and depressed.

Maybe I need to do better at expressing my understanding of her frustration.

[Dove]

Hi everyone. I'm warming up with a mug of hot cocoa, rewarding myself with some computer time after a long wait at the motor vehicle office to renew my license. I got there around 10:30 & the place looked empty -- until I was given my number & told to have a seat around the corner. About a dozen people were seated, & 4 or 5 more were on line. I settled in with my book to wait & it took over an hour. Dozens more people showed up during that time, but there were only two people working in this department. Glad we don't have to renew every year.

Twins, I'm so sorry you fell. I hope you are not sore today. And hooray that your jury duty is over . I always get called in the winter, & each time there are several sick people sneezing & coughing. I end up praying not to be chosen, AND not to get sick. I've teased dh that I'm going to call attention to the fact that I've been called 3 times in the last decade, yet he has not been called at all.

Kathryn, -40 degrees? Mega cold indeed! Hope you stay toasty warm, inside & outside.

Ski trip sounds so fun, Helia! Have a great time.

Woohoo, Nancy!! How fantastic to find $300.00! Glad the baby chicks are OK.

Sounds like a good cleaning strategy to engage dd, Harriet


You are such a blessing to your duncle, Blessed. (((Hugs))) & get well prayers for your dd. How upsetting that she is in so much pain.

Hope the weather is sunny next week for your get together, Lucylee. How nice to let former caregiver & housekeeper choose momentos. ((Hugs)) about ddil situation. Sure she will be thrilled to have so much more space when they move into the larger house.

Harmony, I wonder why that woman's uncle was buried there? What shocking news.

You could ice skate on our yard. Very treacherous to walk on. Last week when dh was away we had some sleet overnight & I didn't get the mail, bring the garbage can in from the road, or feed the birds. As it is I'm still worried ddog will slip & get hurt. So far, so good. Looking forward to the spring thaw!

I got up to the letter "M" in my file project last week. Did more shredding & managed to spill paper all over the rug when emptying the bin. Oh well. I won't vacuum until after I shred the rest this afternoon.

Next up is lunch, then change the sheets, put away last of the laundry from yesterday, & possibly vacuum. Dh is sick & if he naps after lunch I'll do it tomorrow instead.

Waving ~~~ to everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day.

[Nancy]

I have swiched the laundry.
Sewn up two fabric bags.
Sorted some fiber to card and blend later.
Organized a bit in the sewing zone.
Processed mail.
Dried hair.

[Twins' Mom]

Just wrapped up stamping. I made some changes to an old Valentine card that was in my stash so I can take to dMacs' physical therapist tomorrow. We've seen her weekly now for a year and half. I also took a stamped image from my stash and mounted and embellished it into a decent looking card. So I guess that's my creative time.

Next up:
-walk ddogs
-thaw chicken or fish for dinner
-start a lol
-s2s
-grocery - eggs, what else do I need for supper
-drop off/pick up at dry cleaners

This round will probably take around 2 hours, the day is slipping away.