The first Friday of the New Year

[Nancy]

I will leave the tree up until the 7th this yr. I did not put ornaments on it until after Christmas I put sewhawks ornaments on it.

I have done the 1st round of hens chores and s2s has happened I have had breakfast.

it was 47* when I got up cooling down to 40* later on in the day with wind gusts up to 45 mph we have a wind advisory in effect here now. I picked up a few things that blew around.

I had a slight ache in my shoulder last night usual for me when I went to bed it is gone today yea! I skipped the extra arm work out.

[Sadie]

Hello Dear Ladies,

Another sunny but cold morning here.

Work day for me at WM so just posting quickly.

Am so angry, insurance co. called last night to say the deadline for January was missed so they'll try to get in for February. I called every week to ask them what was going on. I hate Obamacare, it has messed everything up. Now DH has no insurance.

Off to the shower.

Have a great day all!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm s2s now. There's a load of towels in the washer. More stuff piled by my suitcase.

Time to put on loud music and get my stuff into the suitcase. This is going to be tight. The poles and yoga mat, plus dh's tux shoes are in the extra suitcase and now it is looking tight for the formal wear.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Packing is going well.

First load of laundry is in dryer, second is started. My new t-shirts have adhesive on them from the sizing strip so the white is in the wash. The black will have to wait for the ship to be washed.

Checked in and have printed off boarding passes. We were upgraded on the second leg, finally since I asked 2 weeks ago, so we won the aerolotto (that's what aeroplan members call the upgrade sweepstakes - you have to pay more for a chance at an upgrade.) Our flight is full in economy so the upgrade makes sense and probably would have happened without having to use our upgrade credits but they expire at the end of Feb anyway and we didn't pay the extra for a chance to upgrade on the way home so they have to be used up on this flight or they'll expire.

[Ivy]

DH left at 9:40 a.m. for Costco, will return roughly by 11 a.m., we'll put stuff away and then I'll s2s. But I'm d2s, after freshening up to get ready in case someone rings the doorbell. Don't want to be caught in robe, nightgown, and slippers.

The sun's shining, it's about 35* here, the sun's pretty shining with its rays through the tall trees. It frost last night, which is on DH's truck still.

I wrote DD a letter last night. She'd written a thank you card/letter for her b-day and Christmas money, what she got, etc... She had a wonderful birthday and also thanked me for my last letter, which touched my heart. ♥

Tutu, my kitty cat, loves to jump into the corner garden window tub in the master bathroom now, because she knows I'll run some water from the spigot, for her to drink out of the floor of the tub. She looks at the water's spigot, when it first comes out, then looks back at the handle I turned to turn it on, trying to figure it out. Yesterday, she'd jump over the water, then jump back into the seat in the corner of the tub, she'd claw-claw-claw at the tub, not scratching anything because of the material it's made from. She looks back at the water, jumps over it, and jumps back and forth, clawing, to play, and it was delightful to see all her energy! I wish I could just bottle up her energy, especially for my mornings, because it certainly would pep me up. She's about 8 1/2 years old now. I accidentally stepped on her foot the other day, so now she'll look at my shoe, then run, but she runs to the tub, so it's a new game for her now. At first I thought she was spazzing out because my foot was near to her, but now, I realize that stepped-on moment is long forgotten and she wants me to chase her to the bathroom, so she can play in the water. I sound like a kitty mama brag book. She just brings so much joy to our empty nester home.

I need to run, need to crochet a leg warmer mate for dgd and hope it'll match the first one. I sure HOPE it will.

I can't believe it's the first Friday of the New Year! Tomorrow's my deceased MIL's b-day and my living DBIL's 50th b-day.

Happy First Friday of the New Year, Everyone!

[OKay]

~~~waving Hi to all~~~~

Sadie - that is NOT fair! I'm sorry the Obamacare problems are having such a negative effect you and your loved ones.

I think it is fabulous that you are taking a Harvard course!! For the certificate? Let us know how you like it.

Thanks! I am thrilled to be doing it, however.....enrolling is easy but I may be over my head. Who knows? I'll give it a shot and the worst thing is I'll fail. Failing is fine with me as long as I give it my best effort. I do enjoy learning online so it can fit my schedule. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and to take a course from university & professor that I would never be able to attend IRL is just icing on the cake.

Family interaction has taken up a large amount of time today. DSon, DMom, DMIL, DH, DNephew, LO, DGS!6......I'm thankful for their drop in visits, request, txt & phone calls. I just need to lower my expectations of how much I can accomplish doing other things.

FNG meets in our home this evening so I need to spend an hour or so in prep for that. will bake some cookies, prep drinks, move furniture and pull out extra chairs.

But first I'm going to run to store and hopefully find the 2014 planners we need for MPB changer machines. I have looked several places and haven't found them. They have to be a certain size and shape to fit and normally they are easy to find, but not this year.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dh is home. I'm stalled on my packing until he catches up with me so I can see just how overpacked we are. I just noticed we have 4 bags, not the three I indicated at check in. One bag is just books.

The outside Christmas decorations are in the garage now and the lights unplugged. I had to leave the time plugged in because it is under snow and ice and I can't get to it.

I'm so large I'm constantly frustrated. I knock off the cute saying plaque at the back door because I'm too wide to get through the space without brushing against the open door. My coat won't stay shut because when I bend I need more material and it pops open. Everytime I bend over, my undershirt and turtleneck ride up and then my back is exposed. If I have a long sweater on, I still feel the draft of the other two layers have ridden up to my ribcage. I've gained 12 pounds since seeing OKay, almost 20 since seeing Harriet.

[helia]

Moving more slowly than I'd like.

Sorry about the insurance problems, Sadie.
This cruise sounds great for eating well and exercising, Kathryn!! And you seem to plan to take advantage of that! I'm sure you're as beautiful as ever.
Do all the family interactions tire you out, OK? You're smart and hard-working - I bet you'll do well and learn a lot through that course! Maybe I'll do one of those one of these days. Not now, too much on my plate as it is, a fact which this day so clearly illustrates:

Kind of a brain dump and possible PODA:
X a.m. routine
X fill out passport appl.
X call dh and tell him location change
X pick up dd15 from sleepover
X called po and made an appt. for passport renewal on Wed.; it wasn't going to work out today after all. I made 2 appts. b/c now dh wants to renew his passport too
0 meet dh at post office and get passport appl. done -- happening Wed.
/ continue getting caught up on towel and bedding laundry - haven't done much but re-run the dryer
- exercise!!
- put together moms group binder for this year
- work on teaching
/ call fellow moms group teacher re: who is teaching Jan. 30 - she emailed me
- odds and ends from groc. store
- dd15 to synchro practice 5:15 - 8:15
- out to eat w/ family

I forgot about my parents gifts! They're not getting in the mail today. I'll wrap them tonight and get them in the mail tomorrow.

I don't think I can get this all done. It is now 3:45. SO. . . my new plan is

3:45 - 4:15 put moms group folder together; I want to do this to more easily review where we've been as I'll start out Thursday's teaching with a review -- after some discussion questions about their break. The women will be chatty and desiring to socialize this week. It's been over a month since we've met.
4:15 - 4:50 Work on teaching; run another load of towels
4:50 - 5:00 change my clothes
5:00 - 5:30 drive dd15 to synchro practice
5:30 - 6:15 GYM - unless dh wants to leave to go eat before 6:30.

Evening - don't know times yet:
- out to eat
- pick up dd15
-wrap gifts
- keep towels/bedding going
- maybe more work on teaching - but that isn't looking likely at this point, though it is badly needed.

[OKay]

Kathryn- this frustration can be a blessing. It might help in making a change. ....at least that is what I tell myself.

I'm frustrated with my late night eating. I'm trying to let that frustration spur me into making positive changes. This morning I dumped the rest of the holiday candy into the trash and put yucky stuff on top of it (so I couldn't dig it out of the trash later) I've made the decision to add a glass of milk to my bedtime routine in hopes that it helps in whatever is triggering this "desperate need to eat" that hits me when I'm tired and my decision making is poor.

Do all the family interactions tire you out, OK?

Sometimes. Although I'm learning to put up boundaries and it helps. In the past, some interactions would drain me emotionally and suck the energy out of me. I'm learning to let what I can't change go and working on those becoming just a note in my journal.

I found a couple planners for MPB equipment that will work. They aren't the size needed but we will make them do. I'm going to leave the planners on my "buy list" in hopes I can run across them in the near future.

I just told DH that I'm ready to get with local developer and listen to his ideas. A few years ago he proposed renovating our current house and buying our pasture land. We weren't ready at the time, but I am ready to move forward now. This developer built his home next to our fence line so it personally affects him what we do (or don't do) with our land and home. Now to find a good time to get with him ......

[Twins' Mom]

Okay said:

In the past, some interactions would drain me emotionally and suck the energy out of me.

This is where I am. Just visited dmom and feeling frustrated and edgy. Going to give myself the gift of a short nap before s2s for temple.