Jan 2 - Another chance to get it right!

[OKay]

Due to multiple conflicts, I ended up cancelling tomorrow's planned trip to visit DSon & family. I'm trying to reschedule it for Sunday. It will be below freezing all day Sunday but no moisture is expected. Driving should be fine. Now if we can just get the other things to come together for that day.

I've enrolled for 2 classes. One class is 2 months long and will finish up my Master Gardener certification. The other class is a year long and is just for the challenge - it is a online class.

Spent some time going over the Dibels Nonsense Word Fluency requirements and guidelines. Awhile back I started a private group on FB with LO classmate parents. It has been a good experience. We are all trying to figure out what the kids are going to be tested on so we can help prepare them.

Dinner was pork sirloin roast, mac & cheese, salad. I cooked the pork roast in crockpot and it came out flavorful, tender and moist.

Tonight is the sugar bowl where our football team is predicted to get stomped....clobbered....skunked.... Oh Dear. We won't be watching it since we only have antenna, but will be listening to it. Maybe it won't be as bad as they predict......Miracles do happen.....

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Shivering away here despite my layers. I need to get moving. (Just noted the time, the heat should be on but I don't hear the fan running, nor do I feel anything remotely like warm.

I spent the time dh was fetching his dinner taking down some of the easy Christmas decorations. Will start in on the tree in a moment. Kitchen, family room and front hall are done. Living room and dining room are left. Got a winter wreath out on the front door as well. I have a cute saying sign for the back door so will put that out next time we have to open the door.

I'm letting the outside lights stay on tonight and will unplug tomorrow and bring in the garlands and wreath. The extension cords will be there until spring since they are under snow and ice.

Removed jeans from my packing list (which means I spent money on them unnecessarily, since I don't intend to be this size when I get home.)

BTW: trying on clothes was a challenge and made my wrist sore again. Plus I could only take 6 at a time into the dressing room. The clerk gave me the spot next to the hanging rack and let me keep the cart close too. The first load of things included a dressing gown so after removing all 4 layers of my own clothes (not including underwear) I never had to put on much when trading the first six for the second six.) I'm going to remember that for the future.

[Nancy]

After a productive a.m. I had the baby here for a while in the afternoon for a while that worked out great, then after that h. Came home he brought deli chicken so dinner is done. Hens have been fed dinner.

I need to work ten min. Putting away some Christmas decor items. I worked on that so I feel better about that zone.

I got a few rows of knitting done.

ex. Is done.

[Harmony]

Harriet: I sent a message to MamaPiano through my FB page and wished her a Happy New Year from all of us. She messaged me back and said to thank you and everybody for remembering her. She said she intends to but just never does get over here to our village. She doesn't say much about how she's really doing these days. I do know she gave up driving a while ago.

Too bad you had to cancel your trip, OKay. Hope Sunday works out.

Kathryn, maybe your wrist will feel better when you're away not using it for everyday stuff.

(helia) it does sound like a lot on your plate.

I did some more at my desk. You wouldn't think there'd be anything left after all the hours today, but I found a few more things and then I dusted it all. I need to go do dishes now.

[Harriet]

Oh, thank you, Harmony! ! ! That is a delightful message.

OKay, thank you. I immediately sent the link on to dd33 since this is her specialty, teaching instructors in traditional settings how to manage online college classes, or assist handicapped students who can't always attend, etc. : online classes, "OOCs" or "MOOCs" (M for massive). I have the feeling she already knows about the New York Times resources (second link down), but I like being seen as "on the cutting edge" to my children sometimes! It wasn't clear to me from the link which class you'll take - have you decided? Extra happy for you that you have your plan in place to complete your Master Gardener course. I only wish bittersweet were here often to chat with you about it, since your classes would be so different in different climates and you would probably be amused at each other. I was astonished when she studied vermiculture, thinking of those freezing cold little worms, but of course it makes sense - worms just bury deeper in Alberta, I suppose!

Kathryn, consider alteration, or enjoy the jeans for gardening. The gown is a bright tip for dressing room efficiency.

Tomorrow is the Desk Day to end all Desk Days. Sigh. A January convergence of many responsibilities for estate plus both households, and a lot to hold in my head. Signing, paying, reporting, agreeing, reimbursing, survey-taking, yuck. I'm considering laying everything out tonight in stacks. We're to experience lousy weather (of course not as bad as others will, so I should not complain) but 11:00 a.m. will find me headed for the mailbox no matter what is blowing in my face, I'm sure. Gotta get it done and off my mind, grateful for those who .... ....Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Just hope the stamps hold out. Oh, SHOOT just remembered one form still has to be notarized. Auuuugggghhhh.

[helia]

Yes, thank you Harmony. It is nice to hear from Mamap.

OK, I heard an interesting fact about your state on NPR today as I was driving around town. They said that 2013 was a year of very high seismic activity in OK, about 3,000 earthquakes rather than the more usual rate of about 50/year. It sounds like they're located near the center of the state and tend to be small quakes. They interviewed a couple who live in the area where all these quakes are happening. It was all interesting to me, and I immediately thought of you! I had no idea there were earthquakes in Oklahoma, let alone so many.

S seemed kind of apologetic for eating here so now I feel bad for being cranky about it earlier. There was enough food; they brought 2 loaves of WF bread. And baby J was as cute as ever. I don't think her cheeks could possibly be any fatter!

Dh has taken dd15 to Walgreens and then on to her sleepover party. Then, we're meeting at a coffee shop so I can get some work done on my teaching. It isn't working to try to work on it at home; too many other things to do here.

Kitchen is clean, thanks to the help of everyone, including S and R.

[OKay]

Harriet - I'll be cheering for your desk day success tomorrow.

I'm taking Intro to Computer Science. I wanted to try a Harvard course just for the fun of it.

Helia - Crazy, huh? Earthquakes are happening almost everyday here. I suspect someday in the far future they will prove our earthquakes are result of the oil production practices (fraking) and pumping the millions of gallons of toxic waste back into the wells. However the oil business is powerful so they will continue to play the denial game well.

Game is tied! It is a long way to being over though....

[Ivy]

Hi! This is my first time to the forum here and it's 6:40 p.m. Pacific Time. I've been doing letters and laundry, made the bed, etc.. Put groceries away when DH got home, sorted the mail, had a lot of it, but some went to recycle, too.

I just wanted to 'pop in' to say hello!

I hope Everyone's 2nd day in Jan. has been a good one. Ours is. I now have 6 b-day cards.

Then, last night, I emailed my photo to a dfriend, she wrote back and said how young I looked! I'm turning 62, so told her I'd been feeling like, "I wonder if I'm OLD now?" She made me feel so good!

Better go! DH is fixing dinner. I might pop in back later, but wanted to do more letters, read, finish laundry, and all that kind of busy-ness stuff.

[lucylee]

OKay -- looks like y'all are holding your own pretty well. You've got two -- well, yeah, three -- honorary Sooners here in this household tonight. (Please return the favor and cheer for AU on Monday! ) I try to play like I'm neutral for dmom's sake, LOL... but then I hear some fan from the Other School being sooo obnoxious and cocky. Yeah, we all know, they've won 72 National Championships or something... * sheesh *
(Really -- it's only 15, I think, but y'all get the picture.)
DH and DS make no bones about it. Their favorite teams are ALWAYS Auburn and Whoever Is Playing Alabama. LOL.
And forgive me for the bad attitude, those of you with ties to this state who do cheer for the Other Team. It wouldn't be so bad if we lived farther south, but here in the northern part of the state, we're kinda outnumbered by fans of the Other Team.

DGS has been awfully fussy, but I think he has fallen asleep now. That was probably the problem all along.
* Lynlee * He did sit with me for a little while and we (I) read -- quickly -- the names of the animals in the pop-up book!

Talked to my dmom for a bit. No tears tonight. We kept the subject on lighter topics. As long as we don't talk about how she is feeling, physically OR mentally, we're okay.

OKay -- a Harvard coed! WTG, girl!

Helia, I think you are amazing to do all the cooking and hostess-ing that you do, and I can certainly understand why you might feel like you are running a restaurant. My goodness -- keeping 3 teens fed is enough, and then adding 2 more as often as you do? You deserve a medal in my book! You have less cranky moments than most people would in your situation.

Soooo glad to hear from Mamap!!!

(((Harriet))) for the desk day ahead of you!

(((Kathryn))) I despise trying on clothes.

I know I'm kinda spotty cuop... waving to ALL!!! Y'all stay warm. Looks like it is going to be pretty chilly everywhere -- except maybe Florida & California? I know they are predicting the coldest temps in 10 years here in our area. DH is saying, "We always miss everything!" I am saying, "HOORAY!!!" (LOL -- our last big January trip, when we went to AZ, we missed the biggest snow storm we'd had in years here. I had taken days off from school, and then school was cancelled!)

[BookSaver]

Library group meeting went well tonight. They finally said yes to sponsoring the start-up purchases for a Lego club. Only $250, but it will be enough to buy some basics.

Of course, now I'm thinking, Wait, what have I gotten myself into? But I've only committed to once a month for the first 4-5 months, going to the library to play with kids for an hour or so. Another woman has made the same commitment, so I won't be doing it alone.

If it stays small, we'll keep that schedule through the summer reading program and I can still do it. If it takes off, the children's librarian would like to increase it to more often during the summer, like every week, and in that case I would not be able to go every time.

Tomorrow I'll have another meeting a the library to work out the Lego order and other club logistics.
I also need to get back to sewing group stuff. Somehow those file archives did not manage to reorganize themselves over Christmas.