SHEs Organized

I will be celebrating "Christmas" today with dh's sisters.

There's a lot to celebrate at any time, that's part of the reason we moved Christmas to July because it wasn't the calendar that made the day special but the fact that we are together. So December's stormy travel was traded for a summer bbq.

What will you be celebrating?

Did you make it through the week with grace?
Did you care well for yourself?
Did you accomplish something you've been putting off?

Didn't sleep well. Partly the bed, partly pain. The hotel was quiet and the a/c didn't cut in and out a lot (if at all) so it was a steady noise. At first it was blowing over me but dh fixed that by finding a way to redirect the airflow.

Dh was awake from 3 to 5. I woke up when he woke at 3 but had already woken lots thinking it was closer to 6 and that I had missed a pill. I toughed it out until 4 when my pill was due. Will take another pill in a few minutes.

I woke up again at 6:30 and got up just after 7 because I'm so sore and thought moving around will help. It is a little bit.

The fridge has frozen the milk so I assume all the veggies and fruit are lost as well. Sigh... (bought all that on the way here.) So I have to go buy more food for myself today. This hotel cost me $15 more per night (the other hotel didn't have a fridge) and now it has destroyed $10 of food. I will never return here. I hate it enough that I'd skip it and push for home tonight except that 2 hours in the car was more than I could manage yesterday and if we went home tonight it would be 6 hours total in the car. If we come back here, just 4. So I really have no choice. I will say I could have saved well over $100 by staying at a lessor hotel but knew I wanted to be comfortable so picked here. I feel extremely ripped off. It is a 2* hotel charging 3-4* rates.

I love that you have a family Christmas in July Kathryn . Many people have them here to enjoy a traditional dinner in cooler weather.

I had a call from dd#2. Waiting time is nigh. tonight ... or tomorrow induction.. dgd 2 is having here first sleep over at other grandparents.

Walked with a friend today. Dog was not as cooperative with not pulling.

I'm going to try again with screens off by 10pm.
goodnight.

(((Kathryn))) hoping the rest of your day will more than make up for a bad motel experience. I do try to write down the 'good' motel experiences so we can return on another trip. However, usually the timing is off. Hoping you can find at least a middle ground for tonight. Feel better!

I've only been up 1/2 hour. Just finished breakfast and need to get s2s. Slowly she moves........

My kitchen is a disaster this morning. That will be first on my to-do l&&t. DD came over to make blackberry cobbler (from fresh picked berries) yesterday.

We (dh, dd, dgs8 and I) went down the road to the alpaca farm yesterday. DGS wanted to check to see if a particular alpaca had had her baby. Got there to discover the baby was there -probably less than 5 minutes before we arrived. She was just getting up and wobbling. No one else was around but the owner came a little later. DD got to help with the umbilical cord, weighing, etc. Great experience for all of them. DGS wanted to go back today. DD told DS-R & DDIL and then added (with tongue in cheek ) "They're breeding tomorrow". Their reaction was one too funny for words and in unison. Not that farm kids don't get this experience often.

Ok, off to start my day. Dh just told me he wants to go to Batavia today to get some electrical things. So guess my day does have a traveling 'start'. Sigh.........

We just found out the OZ tradition on Thursday talking with our friend in Perth! Funny how we do it for hot weather (and safe driving) and you do it for cool weather.

Anyway, change of plans.

Dh's aunt & uncle's home was flooded this week and they need help pulling the stuff out of the basement so everyone is headed there to help out and we are cancelling the bbq or at least postponing it to later in the day.

Oh my, Kathryn. This is not one of your 'better' trips.

Sun is shining brightly here. Know it's to get unbearably hot as the days go by over the next week. Hoping dh moves accordingly.

(((Harriet))) thinking of you today.

Meaningful poem, Lynlee. Thank you for sharing your creativity. I love the clarity and the feeling of release/relaxing into peace. Happy birthing day yesterday.

Oh, now reading that Lynlee may be close to hearing about a new grandchild - exciting.

Kathryn, that is pretty cool that at the time you and sisters-in-law were preparing to celebrate you also will answer a call for some practical help.

Wonderful farm-birth story, Dee. A blessing for them to add a female. Our 2-houses-away neighbors' (one and only cow) Jersey had a bull calf, so cute, and though dd14 thinks it is all the same, I know they are disappointed to have a time limit now. They were hoping for a life-long addition.

Did you accomplish something you've been putting off?

This is a theme of thought here. The change seems to touch everything. Much to consider.

Today is our last day at this RV Campground. Tomorrow we will start our trek to northern MT to a man-made lake, Fort Peck. We will spend two days getting there, boondocking along the way at a couple rest areas/truck weigh stations.

My todo list today is to do some laundry and a final vacuum of the rig. The dishes need to be done and things packed away for the trip.

DH's project is to repair the cover on the back of our pick-up. During the wind storm the other night it was blown up and some damage was done to the hinge. He is hoping that the camp handyman will have a C clamp to bring it into alignment so he can replace the screws.

We only have about 150 miles to go the first day so we don't need to hurry. I do have to find a place to get gas along the route.

A blessing for them to add a female.

You are right, Harriet. Over 67% are males. They keep them all for shearing. Alpaca wool is so soft! And this little girl is also black which is also unusual and very welcomed. The mom is white furred.

Dh told me to let him know when I was 'nearly' ready (was doing dishes) so he could change clothes. Driving him for some electrical parts. Hah! told him and he snored on. He's still got an awful cough. Dr. changed meds Thursday hoping that will quell it -not so far. He's been coughing ever since he went back in the hospital on June 18th. Still has some of those cough pills given him then and he took one a while ago. Have no idea what they are -only know he has to have something ready to drink it down with immediately or they'll burn the tongue. Does seem to work after a while, but he's getting down to the tail end and it's a prescription with no refills.

Want to try spiffing up the living area when we get back today. Not bad but there are a few things here 'n there that are out of place. Really needs a deep cleaning.

No further word, so far, on gd14's latest escapade. So praying for a wake up/break through for her.

DSonil sent ddil#1's birthday card -1 of a kind made from wood, yesterday. Also sent 1 of his carvings for dgs8. He'd requested one for Christmas. He had overnighted a dragon fly -about 12"x12"- to a friend from here. She wanted something unusual for her dsis's b'day. She was awed when it arrived. He carves free hand & paints as he's led. It was way more than she every thought it would be. Sure her dsis will be delighted. He's so talented -hoping he finds a good outlet for his wares, especially since he's still out of work and only has a couple months of unemployment left. Their biggest thing is health care -of course. Right now he's on COBRA. DD will be able to put him on hers as of Jan first. Before that they won't take a 'pre-existing condition'. It will cost them more but not as much as the COBRA!

Going to peek & see if dh is awake yet.