Saturday Sunrise

[DeeClutter]

Glad you'll not be home for this even colder snap, dKathryn. Have a wonderful trip!

but we aren't used to these temperatures and I'm cold.

Spot on, Harmony. I've been quite cold as well. Am dressed to the hilt for cold today. Know I will not be doing Disney today.

Dh and dd went for their walk along a nature trail today. She called about 1/2 hour ago to tell me they were just strolling and watching animals and chatting with people. I finally ate lunch as I was getting very hungry. Had thought maybe we'd go to our favorite little café for lunch -last chance while dd is on break.

Know both Dss were working non-stop with all that snow up home. Know there was over 2' where they are. Glad Kathryn and Ken don't have to deal with it now for a while.

Worked for a little over an hour on annual reports. I'm as far as I can get until the remainder of the reports come in. Have emailed our moderator to let her know what ones I'm still missing. Hoping she can prod a little tomorrow. I need to get them sent by sometime Tuesday. That way everyone who needs to can proof the reports and get additions/corrections/changes back to me.

Guess I'll go see if the mail is here. I'm waiting for a VIP piece from our health insurance company. Know they're going to need extra funds from somewhere each month and I need the form to let them know from where. Used to be that dh's annuity from Kodak would pay our rental fee at the campground, then it got so it all went to health insurance and starting this year we'll have to add to it. Better than not having any I guess.

[Harriet]

Wanted to say to Harmony from yesterday that many weight-loss gurus suggest when a person has been doing well on their way-of-eating for a while that they consider taking weekends off (while still getting good nutrition) so that they do not "burn out". That or some other type of intermittent change might help. Atkins of course suggested gradual easier restrictions, as several others do. Dr. Mike Moreno suggests 17 days restricting oneself, 17 days restricting every-other-day, back to 17 days restriction, etc., until goal is met.

HRH took me to lunch. So we missed the mail, not knowing he had a certified letter in it. We stopped on the way home at our nearby convenience store. As we walked out, our mail carrier waved to us. He just had HRH sign right there standing around in the parking lot, and gave us the letter. He is so good and sticks so beautifully to the spirit of his work, not the "letter" of it, no pun intended. I do so appreciate the times we have a moment in our community, to act in the way neighbors used to act with each other. Just, "there's my friend, I know his face", not computerized numbers and exacting methods.

Someone was rude in the parking lot and mail carrier apologized to me. lol. (Just one of those things a man says to a lady when there is general embarrassment - not that it was his fault, of course.) I quickly responded, "Not everyone was reared by Harry ____ (his father's name)". And that made him smile. I'm amazed at how happy I am to greet someone I know, to share a memory with a familiar person I meet out in community. It used to happen all the time - just commonplace. Now, very rare. Growth and progress.

[helia]

Our mail carrier seems to change every 3-6 months, it seems. The last two were friendly about the dogs. This one doesn't seem to be. . .

We are forecast to get 6-10" snow tomorrow. Then, the temps are supposed to dip way down M and T; temp range M is forecast to be 7 to -18, for T is forecast to be 2 to -5, though the hourly forecast says -16 at 6 a.m. I think there's a chance of cancelled school one of those days; perhaps T b/c of temps for the rural kids waiting outside for buses. Perhaps M - if they don't get the roads clear in time, depending on snowfall. Then, we're forecast to have highs in the 30s, even above freezing. for the foreseeable future. . .

Busy day. Just now taking a minute.
x finalize groc. list
x take dd15 to synchro
x groc. store - pretty crowded. I want to be out and about as little as possible until Wed.
x gas station to fill van - likewise, pretty crowded. I want my tank full when we hit the arctic temps M and T. We're telling dd18 to do the same. .
x put everything away
x worked on teaching
x lunch
x finally finished a.m. routine - showered, made bed, rotated laundry; dh and ds did the kitchen after their bfast
x wrapped and boxed up my parents' gifts

Dh picked up dd15 from synchro and is now out w/ her buying 2 belated bday (or Cmas?) gifts - a serger and 2 swimsuits. He is helping me out; I was planning on taking her shopping for swimsuits.

Next:
- get box in mail
- TJ for tamales and other frozen goods. TJ is in the same plaza as the Pack 'n Mail place
- home to work more on laundry and teaching

[Ivy]

If I'm not mistaken, I thought Sadie said her surgery was on Wednesday Jan. 8 because it's the same day as my dgd's 1st b-day, so I made a "mental connection" to both dates. She might have pre-surgery things to do Tuesday the 7th, though. I'm not sure. Sadie? Are we confusing Tuesday with Wednesday? You let us know.

I got up on the wrong side of the bed, but I don't mean that I got up crotchety. I mean that my back was facing my dawn simulator, on my night stand. So when I turned over, I was nearly blinded by full sunlight on the lamp! It was so bright, I was so confused in the bright light, that I couldn't figure out how to get the sun to set down to being out. Finally, I gave up, went to the bathroom, came back, then fixed it. Then, I noticed in my finger fiddling, I'd set the time for today at 7:44 a.m. when it was actually 8:30 a.m. So I got the proper time back. After breakfast, meds, I had a queasy tummy, went back to bed, and accidentally slept from 10 - 11:30 a.m. But, 1 very nice thing I noticed was how much more beautiful my complexion was, peaches 'n' cream, in the mirror and I look younger! So is this what they mean by BEAUTY SLEEP?

I s2s, stripped the bed, cleaned utility room paw prints leading from the potty box to the utility room door, dried the cleaned up spots, and walked out of the utility room into the great room. DH said, "Did you see the floor there?" There were MORE paw prints, which he said he'll clean up. I told him, "Yes, but that could be 4 days from now." We laughed.

Katherine, your sunrise sounded so very descriptive and beautiful! Have a lovely trip. You and Ken deserve it.

I plan on putting the FOCUS duties for the year, onto my email calendar today, finishing a leg warmer, and perhaps I'll write 2 short thank you letters to gals who sent me cards.

Helia, It's frustrating getting used to new mail carriers, isn't it? Their times of delivery change, too.

Harriet, I'm glad HRH got the certified letter.

OKay, Have a good visit.

Harmony & Dee, keep warm- and those of you all in the colder temps.

Lynlee, Now that's HOT!

[Twins' Mom]

Since New Years Day this has been a busy week. Yesterday was in and out - cleaned up for dcleaning lady, then made grocery list and went for a big grocery load, home again and on phone about getting dsis' water cut off since we have near zero temps coming through. Couldn't do over the phone so I drove to that office, then visited dmom. I was home again about 1.5 hrs, then out to temple for services and dinner last night.

Today I was up quite early, thanks to restless ddogs, read the paper, answered some emails and used the SAD light for awhile. Some discussion w dh about various temple stuff. Was at temple at 10 a.m. for bar mitzvah, spoke at the service, then home again. (Skipped luncheon.) I got the sauce for lasagne started and dd was starting challah, then took dMacs right out to PT. Home again about 20 minutes ago - I CUOPed here, shaped the challah to rise and now going to take a small nap while dh runs an errand.

Lasagne and challah is for tonight, when both dkids are home for last night. Ds flew from D.C. today and his stuff ended up Detroit. Assuming it comes home late today or early tomorrow, dh will get him back to ATL tomorrow a.m.

For dinner tomorrow night, I think I have 14 plus us, with several who haven't checked in yet. I have at least 7 couples or singles I haven't heard from, and will start sending texts, emails and phone calls later for RSVPS.

I am going to give myself a little power nap before I put the lasagne together.

[helia]

What are you hosting tomorrow, Twins? I've missed that.

Yes, Ivy, that is true! Our mail delivery time has changed.

I succeeded in getting my parents' Cmas in the mail today! Yay! The cars were lined up both directions on the road to get into the plaza parking lot. I ended up circling around and parking in a nearby neighborhood and walking - with my big box, yes. I decided I was strong enough and could use the exercise. Now, I can feel my arms. TJ was crazy, but I got the few frozen food items I wanted.

It looks like my niece might be coming here for a rotation in pediatric cardiac surgery!! It sounds like the Univ. here can't give her credit and will only let her observe, but her email to dh sounded like she strongly wanted to come anyway. We have no idea when this would be happening. . . .

There are about 3.25 hours before dh and I need to leave for dinner reservations.

Next, I will:
- update laundry
- make a cup of tea
- work on teaching flow; I'm trying to decide which concepts and accompanying activities/questions to do which days. . .

[CathyS]

Hi everybody!

Safe travels and a Bon Voyage to K&K!

Mike and I spent a couple of nights at the Niagara Falls Hilton and last night when I woke up to go to the washroom, the room was very, very cold. Found out this morning that a pipe had burst in the ceiling of the main lobby and the heat had been off and the water would be "warm" in about 20 to 30 minutes. We were glad that we were heading home, and delayed our morning showers to "when we get home this afternoon" showers. Hilton did give us a partial refund to make up for the lack of heat and hot water. That was good.

We are now home. It's hot in here and the showers were perfect.

[Twins' Mom]

Helia, I am hosting the temple choir for a choir appreciation supper tomorrow evening. Somewhat stressed, partly because of all the "special requirements" (Kosher, vegetarian and gluten free, I think I am accommodating everyone except the gluten free.) Of the lasagne I'm making for tonight, one will be saved for tomorrow night, and tomorrow I will make one or more veggie lasagnes. Still looking at soup recipes and wondering if I should add a gluten free veggie soup of some kind. (One of the vegetarians is gluten free.) BTW, the Kosher style requirement precludes mixing meat and cheese, so my regular meat lasagne (which we will have tonight) is out for those folks. Anyone have an easy vegetarian soup recipe that is dairy free and gluten free?


I can't get the water reservoir for my CPAP back together after washing in dishwasher, per the instructions that I was given.

-put lasagnes together and into oven
-reboot laundry
-inventory whether I need anything else to double the veggie lasagne recipe
-text, email or call first three people who haven't responded
-clear kitchen table so we can sit for dinner tonight

[Twins' Mom]

Done with that round, the meat/cheese lasagne for tonight is in the oven.

-clear kitchen counters
-microwave and start cutting up butternut squash to see how much I have
-clear breakfast bar, sorting what's there by what it goes into...
-email one person, call three re: RSVP (I hate to call, but....)
-set table for us....

[Twins' Mom]

Done with that round, the meat/cheese lasagne for tonight is in the oven.

-clear kitchen counters
-microwave and start cutting up butternut squash to see how much I have
-clear breakfast bar, sorting what's there by what it goes into...
-email one person, call three re: RSVP (I hate to call, but....)
-set table for us....