Surtsey Sunday

[helia]

Well, that was indeed a very bad night's sleep. I did get the phone call, 2 in fact. My mom has passed. Though I feel sadness, I also feel a lot of relief - for her and selfishly for myself. Thank you everyone for your very kind thoughts and comments and prayers. The last days were grueling for me, but coming here was always a bright spot.

I saw you popped in yesterday. Thank you lucylee!!
Gma, yes, my mom was getting her mouth moistened with swabs, thank goodness. Hope you can get some downtime today.
Is dh at the cottage trissie? Do you have apple trees there?
Kitty, on our first trip to Iceland, we took the ferry over to Heimaey, the main Vestmannaeyjar Island. It was really interesting and fun! Thank you for the pleasant memory! I hope church is rejuvenating this morning.
I like your attitude about the job search, FFB. What did you end up doing with the boys on this rainy afternoon? That sounds like another interesting book.

My day is actually very scheduled, but I've decided to just skip some of the events. I will not go to church or its BBQ afterward. I will plan to go to CG2 and of course, we will have Sunday dinner tonight. I will make some phone calls and send some emails to let people know of my mom's passing. More will need to be done this coming week - but since this is Sunday, there's not too much I need to do today. Thank you Mom!

Next:
- call girls
- call dbro
- text KS2J

Later:
- email cousins
- email trustee
- message ds + F
- back exercises
- jog - didn't do this yesterday; need to get back on it + will be good for my psyche
- s2s and self care
- reclaim kitchen
- make bed
- payroll: prep IW D3
- payroll: grade HW and update gradelink
- will I get together with AC?
- WF run
- 3:30 - 6-ish CG2
- 6 - ? host Sunday dinner for up to 7 people
- after dinner clean up
- duolingo
- update health apps -- get back on this

TaDas!
- 4:30 phone call from NH nurse followed by 6 pm phone call from hospice nurse
- up; weighed self - trending up. I guess I can't eat cheese and crackers every day.
- coffee
- email deletions and weather website (high of 82*F and sunny)

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sun 10 - 11:30-ish Church/ 11:30- ? BBQ after church? / 3:30 - 6-ish CG2 @ A/ 6-? Host Sunday dinner?

Mon 11-1 payroll: teach IW D3
Tue KS2J get together?
Wed 11-1 payroll: teach IW D4
Thu 1:20 payroll: phone call with director/ 2-3 work out with trainer
Fri 11-1 payroll: teach IW D5/ travel to IL?
Sat - not sure; in IL to visit childhood friend EP?
Sun travel home/ 6 - host Sunday dinner

September Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- clean fridge - wip
- get 2 guest beds remade with clean sheets
- possibly, polish stone counter tops
- repot my little orchid

This Week - Deskwork
- card to AR
- card to CM

This Week - Errands

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually
- buy queen bed frame + mattress + box springs for dd27's room - wip

MOM
- call Mom's church
- contact family
- contact trustee
- contact lawyer? Or will the trustee contact her?

[L.Ann]

Thinking of you helian. Glad you were able to plan a quieter day. Morning kittykatt. Hmmm Trissie, I think you described my body exactly!! My Utah grandkids have pretty limited screen time, FFB while Little Bit has quite a bit more. It is interesting to see the difference in how the kids approach the screens. Little Bit tends to use it as background and easily picks it up and puts it down while the ones with more limited time are intensely focused on it when it is allowed.

1-walk with friend
2-email to DD32s doctor
3-take DD32 to her sisters for the movie

4-maybe run a couple of errands before my movie

Menus
Sunday-chicken/black bean and rice bowls
Monday-ground turkey tacos
Tuesday-red lentil soup
Wednesday-DD32 out/leftovers for me
Thursday-DD32 out/leftovers for me
Friday-out after Hopkins

Events
Sunday-walk w/friend@9, Downton Abbey @1, DD32 to Toy Story with DD 38@11:30
Monday--Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-11:45, urn pick up
Tuesday--Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-11:45, 10 dentist me crown
Wednesday--Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-11:45, DD32 PS 3-8, lunch w/friends at 12:15
Thursday--Little Bit 7:40-5, Little Bit school 9:15-11:45, DD32 32 PS 3-8, fall book preview@8
Friday- Hopkins

Weekly House Blessing-mop kitchen, dining room, vacuum
Extra Stuff- work on last Shutterfly book, fix dress for DD32’s dance, make wrapping paper with Little Bit
Little Errands-drop off DM’s driver’s license, send email and documentation to delete DM’s Facebook accounts, mail package to Utah, bank
Phone calls-pick up urn

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for dog me and DD32
-temp and meds for DDD32
- dress and pick up bedroom

[FrenchFlybebe]

helian (( )) Thinking of you today and in the days to come. So much to process, I suppose, and also probably many things to do.

L.Ann that is interesting. It's true that when you don't allow screens, kids consider them a precious and valued thing when they finally get access to them. But I wouldn't leave TV and computers on all day just as an experiment to see if my kids end up going to their rooms to play board games or read a book ! By the way they both enjoy reading books, so I haven't done do such a bad job raising them so far

trissie good luck with all the apples. I'm surprised about the tomatoes - not about the radish, I think clayish soil explains that - did you manage to grow the plants to at least 80 cm high ? or did they just not grow ? Or did they get mildewed ?

Lunch eaten and cleaned up, I baked two cakes, one for dessert and one with less sugar and some oats and hazelnut powder, for healthier snacks during the week. Also fixed two payroll lunches, from leftovers. I want my application letter do be done with, and I also want to get some Zone work done (kitchen)... I see some structured procastination in the near future!

TADAs
all fed
fish and potato parmentier for lunch + baked apple and banana cakes
2 payroll lunches in the freezer
copied MrNG's training sessions on my paper planner - whole weeks scattered from September to June

TODO probably not in that order
cover letter for job offer
zone work
vacuum DS9's bedroom
some sewing (mending)
weekly to-dos for next week
some planning for fall school break...

[Lauralind]

Morning all. I am so sorry helian. But it definitely was a long stretch of knowing it's coming but not when. I hope you will be able to rest some today. Take a day to breathe and rest before the busy times of cleaning out her room and settling affairs. Hugs and prayers.

The screen thing is interesting lann and Frenchie. My ds 15 I don't even remember the transition but no matter how much I tried he did not play with toys much. Now that I think of it and know it he lacked imaginative play. That was big in the autism testing questions. Because his siblings were that much older they didn't play like that with him. He took to screen fairly early but even now he is easy to break his attention off it and onto something else. There might be something to the thought of limits but not hard fast rules on screen time? I dunno. He seems to have finished with that game from summer break. YouTube. But mostly educational stuff. He's different though. I have yet to completely understand.

In chatting with his sister yesterday I told her his diagnosis. She sees it. And is now comparing some of the kids in daycare with her brother.

Anyways I'm on get ready for work time this morning. But different. I have to be at church at 8 instead of 9. Might be a little soon but gives lots of time. Breakfast is 10 service 1045. Practice at 8 and maybe some extra time
Long as A's voice holds out. We could play a couple that we aren't using today. We're still learning to play together.

Shower in main shower and finish cleaning it
Fold some laundry
Put a few things away in kitchen
Make sure music is organized
Finish getting ready for church

[trissie]

helia, hugs and prayers for you and yours! I am glad that you can have a quiet day to deal with all the emotions before you have to "face the crowds" tomorrow. DH was at the cottage yesterday, they came home around 8pm (it's an hour's drive) - the apple trees are on our garden at our primary residence.

L.Ann, we would have been very valued during the hungry middle ages - or as settlers of the West! Not so practical in the age of supermarkets

Frenchie, my veggie patch is in a 3.5metre area between the house and the fence, on the north-south axis. So you have a tall house on one side and 2.5 metre tall thujas on the other, and on top of that, we have the columnar apple trees next to the fence. I don't have a good photo on hand, but this one gives you a good idea:
anyway, the plants are tall and with lots of leaves, but this year, they had next to none blooms. I'll have to try growing tomatoes in buckets, but I'll have to figure out where to actually put them.

lauralind, I must have missed that, your DD works at a daycare place?

TaDas
- midday routine
- 15 on laundry
- apple time big time!
- towels flipped to dryer
- chicken korma in slow cooker for freezing later

ToDos
- afternoon routine
- 15 on laundry
- homework with kids

Braindump
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
- bake something sweet
- process apples
organization
- DBD's speech therapy
- 15 on filing
- find and pay water bill
cleaning
- clean office
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
laundry
- load of cleaning rags
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading
garden - not likely today, but there's next week, right?
- plant/sow fall salads
- water and fertilize veggie garden
- deadheading
- weeding in veggie garden
- deadhead roses
- weeding in front garden
- oil patio furniture
- tree and bushes pruning
- general pick up in garage
- general pick up around the house
House&Holidays
- week 1 deep cleaning - office
- week 2 deep cleaning - master bedroom
- week 3 deep cleaning - DBD's room
- week 1 Christmas tasks
- week 2 Christmas tasks
- week 3 Christmas tasks

[blessedw2]

dear Helia I am so so sorry for the loss of your sweet mom. im thinking go you and your family!

[Peaches1000]

Good afternoon!

Next:
-Check email
-Update Toodledo
-Check bank accts/Amex
-Files/Med Info/Papers/Emails - 45 min
-Laundry #1 hang/fold
-Put away laundry
-Kitchen - 5 min

Extras:
-HH Speech - text about Monday 3pm appt
-Monday 3pm Dr B Appt - Telehealth
-Tasks - (Amex)/(DH reim)/(make food options list)/(move desk area chargers)/(addtl)
-Declutter/organize/clean - 10 min
-Files/Med Info/Papers/Emails - 10 min

Routine:
-1pm Eat
-Cat - brush/food/water/litter
-Vacuum something
-6pm Eat
-Close blinds
-Open & sort mail/file
-Prep for next day (clothes/calendar)

Done:
-Bedroom - pupa
-Dress/ready
-Foyer Bath - pupa/restock
-Fresh food for kitty
-Open blinds/get water
-Medicine/vitamins

[trissie]

hi Peaches!
nice of you to stop by, blessed!

DS has a test tomorrow in German. He sucks in German. And he has no idea what that test will include. Oh the joys of mothering an ADHD child!

TaDas
- afternoon routine
- 15 on laundry
- homework with kids
- dinner
- load of cleaning rags

ToDos
- evening routine
- DBD's speech therapy
- make and can apple sauce

Braindump
routines
food
- bake something sweet
- process apples
organization
- 15 on filing
- find and pay water bill
cleaning
- clean office
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
laundry
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading
garden - not likely today, but there's next week, right?
- plant/sow fall salads
- water and fertilize veggie garden
- deadheading
- weeding in veggie garden
- deadhead roses
- weeding in front garden
- oil patio furniture
- tree and bushes pruning
- general pick up in garage
- general pick up around the house
House&Holidays
- week 1 deep cleaning - office
- week 2 deep cleaning - master bedroom
- week 3 deep cleaning - DBD's room
- week 1 Christmas tasks
- week 2 Christmas tasks
- week 3 Christmas tasks

[Harriet]

Thinking of you, helia, of dh, the kids and your brother and other family.

[Kittykatt]

(((Helia))) praying for you and your family.

Trissie, your plants look very healthy - may e you could try things like kale, beets and carrots that done need so much sun?

L.Ann, the kids in my street tend to use their phones as an information source (how to make slime at home? And later: how to get slime out of the carpet?) rather than just"being" on them all the time.

Cheering you on with your job application, FFB!

How nice to see you, Blessed and Harriet and how kind of you to post here.

Hi, Peaches!

Church was very good - we had a much larger congregation than usual (possibly the Charlie Kirk effect? I know a vigil was held for him a few days ago. The university students aren't back for another 2 weeks).

DF E was in very good form today, and we had a good catch-up.

Today's lunch menu was roast pork, roast potatoes, roasted carrots, peppers and courgettes, gravy and Savoy cabbage, followed by chocolate pudding and cream. Freddie has had his walk and I've folded and PA laundry. It's raining, so not much achieved outside today. Maybe I can have 15 minutes on the photos? I haven't touched them for months.