Just be Oneself Saturday

[Twins' Mom]

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.” – Virginia Woolf

Just how I feel as I edge closer to a "significant" birthday this month! I'd prefer to just be, although some days I'm not sure what that is.

Hoping for quietness today.

[Twins' Mom]

Lucylee, I thought of you when I read that James Clear quote when it came this week. We don't need all the answers; the view is always changing and things change along the way.

I hate to say I don't have much enthusiasm for many weddings at my age. I love the joyfulness but the celebration sometimes is overlong for me. We got lost on the way. We were lost getting there because I put the wrong address into the phone. And dh didn't have his phone so he was edgy. And I hadn't expected I would drive (it was a good idea because there were some curvy roads getting there) so the light for refill gas went on and the whole trip triggered dh's anxieties: we would be late and that we would run out of gas. I finally had to pull over, go to the wedding website and get correct address. We were about 10 min late but were not the last to arrive, and the wedding probably didn't start until twenty after the hour. The wedding venue was interesting. It had a huge room on the first floor where the wedding was, and later dessert and dancing. And a smaller room on the second floor, and another huge room upstairs. And a tiny elevator that the staff had to operate. There was a very wide pretty staircase to second floor, but staircase to third was a narrow, steep stairway that coming down triggered my PTSD about falling on stairs. Wedding was joyful, I'm glad we went, but we took off with A and V after dinner and went to our favorite restaurant for dessert and drinks. Probably close to 100 miles round trip getting there and back home.

On the plus side, I was cold but didn't freeze to death. And what I wore was appropriate - many not even wearing cocktail dresses, a few gowns. The wedding venue was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the view from there would have been gorgeous (mountains, rural pastures and ridges) had it been clear.

To be honest, I don't have a lot of enthusiasm for a lot of social occasions anymore.

[Twins' Mom]

More...was considering telling dh that I wanted to go to the music thing tonight with A and V but then I remembered that we're supposed to go out to lunch with a friend of dh's from Nashville. I don't know why I agreed to do that - thinking a nice brunch out on Saturday would be fun, but dh tells me that they may want Thai or sushi, neither of which we eat much. Both are heavy on the carbs. So whatever, I'm not going anywhere tonight if I already have a social occasion today and had one tonight. There's nothing for tomorrow.

I gotta get ready for trip to NYC too. I always give myself a list of what I "should" do before we go and then make myself crazy. What if I just didn't do those things?

[Harriet]

Twins', if you get pulled into too much of the social thing and want to stay away from empty carbs at lunch, a Thai basil dish might be Pad Gra Pow (HRH always told the children to just remember to say simply, "kapow". and the pronunciation would make them sound like they knew what they were doing, lol. All of them loved that but wanted to know how to say they wanted chicken, not beef, so that was, "kapow, gai"). And Satay is a nice non-carby choice (usually chicken anyway, and the children all loved that it was on sticks with peanut sauce on the side). I always like the large house salads with wedges of tofu (also the side peanut sauce), but that's me. Pineapple Fried Rice is not very empty-carby, but sadly, most places don't do the attractive half-pineapple for a serving dish at lunch menu. HRH would suggest Kuay Tiew ("quit teal"), which is more authentic, an aromatic soup of beef. He has it whenever he can.

[Nancy]

Winds woke me at 4ish got up busy with qt & yarns.
Last night I got out my yarn winder I make yarn cakes out of gradient yarns.
My sewing machine tote was full of yarns!
Did that when I was done it got lite out.

I went out to peek at the roof leaves and smallish branch are off of it yea!
Glad for the winds sweeping for me.
Have power that 's a plus too. Ho ray!

Enjoying some music time it's good for my soul.
Winds blew away the rain clouds and it's warmer yea!
So good to see the sun.
I need to take a bag or something for trims and ribbons in the basement to bring upstairs when I do my walk about.

Have a good one gals!

[Harriet]

Our weather is odd. Overcast and damp, but no precip.
We should go to pharmacy 1 drive-through today.

We just got groceries in.

My laundry load is through to drip-dry, and HRH's load tumbled and folded.

Another thing on the agenda is ordering of grands' gifts. I'd like to get to that wrapping next week.

Nancy's music makes me think - I should choose what music or movie, even, I want on when we have our party. Of course, it's well in advance for that, plenty of time. Music probably makes more sense, but a movie isn't out of the question. It just needs to be good for kids and grown folks, too, and old enough to be well past the immediate interest stage.

Phrases "I should choose" and "Just be Oneself" go together. I do need to have the attitude, "It's my party, and I'll be me if I want to."

[CathyS]

Hi!

Yesterday was a long day for me and dh. Dh wasn't well, but he never says he's feeling off. I have to ask if he's feeling okay. Yesterday's answer was a no for sure.

This morning dh was up earlier than usual. I told him I had to get to W mart as early as possible and we needed cat litter. I could only get 1 bag earlier this week. So I went early and got us 4 bags. I also had to replace 2 pillows so I got those and a new waterproof mattress protector. I also managed to get dh 3 pairs of pants, but those will get wrapped to go under the tree.

When I got home dh was in bed sleeping.

[lucylee]

Thanks, Twins.
The view here is still pretty gray, but my tree lights are pretty and yesterday I bought a small carousel to add to my little collection of houses. Can’t really call it a “village” because they don’t all match, but they sit on “snow” on my hearth and dgrands enjoy them.

I am FINALLY getting my hair colored. There was a little too much gray in THAT scenery, too.
My other top priorities today are to
— change sheets
— wash dishes, empty dishwasher
— do allergy shots
— work on Christmas cards

BBL

[blessedw2]

sorry I am so late- lazy bones through and through. dh is kind of a grumpy gus this morning. me: feeling happy but discombobulated.
he broke an older glass ornament that was on the dining room table - he doesn't see things when he is trying to focus on something he want's to do such as cutting the cardboard into small sizes - the recycling guy does not care - but dh has this need to do that.

we have a fall/winter sky today.
helper left - they only stay to 1 but I told her since mom went to sleep that she might as well go home - she gets paid no matter what.
I ordered some stocking stuffers
mom is a little harder
dh and I dont' do stockings.

we are having enchiladas tonight instead as I had to cook the chicken. family will have the chicken - I need to stick with veggies.
I will make a corn/black bean etc. Mex salad as well or try a new appetizer recipe. That's my goal this week: work through some new appetizers.
tomorrow will be the cabbage etc.
I need to make a soup this week. broth based for me and dd older and other for dh and dd younger.

dd younger took mom all day yesterday.- and continued her care All the way until 9 pm when mom went to bed.
right now dd's are shopping together. dd older is looking for a dress for the company christmas party. they bought mom a nice top for Christmas Eve.

time to become a worker instead of a sitter.

[blessedw2]

hello d Lucy
your hearth sounds lovely!!!!
yay on coloring your hair.
cheering you on as you work

hi d cathy I hope he feels better soon!!! ((()))
great job on your errands!

hi d harriet! yay on getting groceries, yay on laundry,
your gathering with your family on the 24th sounds like it will be so much fun!
I like your sentiment: "it's my party, and I'll be me if I want to" Wonderful!!!

hi d Nancy yarn work sounds fun and organized
yay on music
so good that you got sun!
have a good one too!

hi d twins! I hope you have a good time when you are out. enjoy some quiet tonight!
so sorry you got lost going to the wedding. 10 minutes late isn't much.
sounds like an interesting and beautiful venue (I don't like steep stairs as well). how nice that you could go out with friends!
I understand not wanting to go to all the social events. the holidays are busy anyway and it's nice to have quiet evenings.
sending you a good quiet evening.