Adventure Time

Hello All! I’ve had a post sitting in my drafts for 2 weeks because I realized my heart was hurting and so I didn’t want to publish it until I wasn’t feeling so raw. Instead, today I am writing from an Amtrak train headed to Kalamazoo!

I got on the train this morning at 9:45, changed trains at Chicago’s Union Station, and is headed north – to go south! My Mom and I are headed for a girls getaway tomorrow. We will spend the next 5 days in Florida, soaking up the sun, pool time, and maybe, just maybe an adult beverage or two with an aunt.

Family time and blessed rest! Maybe I’ll be ready to post the draft when I return!

Smooches sunshine and palm tree dreams to you all!

Over Forty Syndrome

So, I went to the eye doctor for the first time in too long, due to my own procrastination and Covid. I went to a different eye doctor than I have used in the past 10 years. This very nice, elderly gentleman gently told me that I have something he refers to as “Over Forty Syndrome.” I am going to be joining the ranks of those with bifocals. *eye roll* I got a few extra years, as the best eye doctor in the world told me…I miss her. She moved away after our first 2 visits 10-12 years ago. Praise the Lord for my vision insurance. I paid less than 45% of the total. Dr. Morgan also educated me on the learning curve of the bifocal. You gotta point your nose where you want to look. Who knew?

I also decided this week that grocery shopping will now be done via online order and pickup. It worked wonderfully. Instead of spending 4-5 hours or more, in two to three stores, I spend an hour on the order, and selecting possible alternatives, and then 15 minutes in total waiting at 2 stores to have my groceries loaded into my car. I do need to manage my time better to have pick up scheduled on days when others are home to unload groceries.

I’m trying a new hobby. I am going to make my own perfume, and home fragrances. I’ve ordered essential oils from Amazon, and now we wait for our delivery. I’ll let your know how it goes. I need to get started on Christmas projects. I also have a small table to refinish. It’s the end table that is in my little bedroom sitting area. The finish on the top was sanded off years ago, but nothing else ever happened with that project. (It wasn’t my project. I’m just saying.) I’m also thinking of refinishing or painting the rocker that I rocked my babies in.

I need a lap desk! I’m still using a cardboard box to hold my bluetooth keyboard on while I type this. Not the best situation. Of course, I would still like to have a vanity table, that I could use as a desk too, that would solve a problem or two. Maybe. I’ve looked at the small desks at IKEA, they would certainly work. Who knows.

I’m using the time I’m waiting for the towels to finish in the washer before I can put in my first load of laundry, to type this blog. I’m just waiting for the timer on my phone to go off. I have put off washing laundry for too long. I have no clean sheets, and I’m out of work slacks. I’m also going through some things in my room, organizing and getting rid of stuff. My room tends to be the catch all for stuff that doesn’t have a home so that the door can be shut and it can be hidden away. I’m sick of it. So, cut out the excess. It is a BIG job.

My job today is laundry, throw away, give away, put away, organize. I’m gonna wrap this up for today. In an upcoming post, I’m going to talk about job stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue. Join me, won’t you?

Run, Run, Run….Run Away

What do you do when you don’t want to live in your home anymore, because it no longer feels like home? You spend all day in your pjs, drinking coffee from your favorite mug looking at houses and apartments “back home” and day dreaming about buying a little camper to park in your own driveway to live in, that’s what. I love my youngest daughter, and care deeply about her fiancé, and his brother who also live with me, but there are many days where it is too much. Many days where I just want to be alone. I spent a year and a half basically alone in my house during the week, having the trucker ex-husband home only on the weekends. It often feels like to much. I feel bad for coming home way too many nights and just going to my room. I’ve used up all my social interactions for the day at my job. I’m the receptionist for a very busy rural doctors office. I spend all day on the phone, so am terrible and don’t call friends and family whom I miss terribly, and want to spend time with, but it is different having my grown daughter and two adult children that aren’t mine living in my house.

My new favorite mug. And yes, I’m using a box as a lap desk. Don’t judge me, needs must and all that.

Dare I say I’m lonely though, too? I miss the companionship of a partner already so much, and physical contact. I’m a cuddler, a hugger, a hand holder, and there is only so much of that the daughter, dogs, and cats will put up with. Do I enjoy having a king size bed all to myself? Sure. Do I miss being able to roll over and cuddle up to someone if I’m cold, or snuggly? Absolutely. Is that why I don’t get ticked off when Fisher (the biggest, snuggliest of the 2 cats) thinks he needs to spoon me, or yell if I’m not petting him enough as we settle down for bed at night? Yep. He has been so much snugglier than he ever was before. He’s becoming a snuggle monster like his momma. Curie (the other cat) just lays against my legs so I can’t move, it’s like being tucked in too tight. But I don’t mind.

Pal (my youngest daughter) told me on Tuesday or Wednesday, I still wasn’t allowed to date, because I still have too many emotions to work through. Um, excuse me, ma’am? Who made you boss? I did decide that I need to make some new friends, since the ex “kept” my best friend in the divorce. (That’s a trauma for another day, another post, WAY down the line.) So, I got a Bumble account, just the friends side, though. I think, just maybe, I should go to some therapy before I decide to have another relationship, to deal with the possible trauma, guilt, residual anger, anxiety, etc. Again, I’m not really sad, actually kind of relieved, but I’m sure I have issues I haven’t even discovered about how things went down. I also still get a little salty when I get a text from the ex. I just want to be left completely alone for a little while. I know that isn’t possible, since we do have children, thankfully all grow up, and a few bits of “business” we still have to deal with together. I still get a jump of adrenaline/anxiety when he texts because so much of our communication from the separation was via text or FB messenger. Hell, that’s how he told me we were separating. So my brain expects another blow. I don’t know if that is normal, in my situation. What is normal, anyway? If anyone really, truly knows, enlighten me, please.

So, any how, about the camper thing…I keep seeing cute little 1980’s-1990’s campers, and I get these great ideas of how to renovate them to meet my needs. I would be able to come home to MY OWN SPACE at the end of the work day, not have to share a bathroom or kitchen…..OH, man. I wouldn’t get so irritated by the fact that one of the “kids” climbs over the baby gate in my doorway (to keep the dogs out, but let the a/c circulate in the upstairs) to put my mail on my bed. I’ve not decided if I want to make an issue of it, or if I’m being ridiculous. To me, the baby gate should act just like the door. If either is up/closed, you stay out. Let me know if you think I’m being nuts.

I also did something for me this last week, something I haven’t done in ages. I got acrylics put back on. I haven’t had acrylics since I picked them off out of anxiety during the separation. I’ve missed them. I think they might be a little long for someone who types for a living, but I make do. Of course, they are blood red. Almost always.

*sigh* Six months of not wearing my wedding and engagement ring and I still have the marks. *eye roll*

I have a genetic thing that makes my first 2 fingernails curve once they get to a certain length, and all but my ring & pinky nails are rather brittle and tend to peel. So, having the instant length and strength is nice. My natural nails will not curve if I keep them painted with gel or shellac, but they have to be cut short for the first manicure to cut off the curvy bits. So, to maintain length, or to even up my thumb and first two fingers to match the length of the last two, acrylics it is. I have the stuff to do acrylics at home, I’m just not great at it yet. When I do them at home, I use the sticker forms, not tips like they use at the salon. Which I prefer, but, it was nice doing something just for me. Other than coloring my hair, which I just started doing again after 12-15 years. That however, I do at home, because I’m a tightwad. And Pal helps me with it. She seems to enjoy it. And we laugh and talk while she’s putting the color on. More like friends, than mother and daughter. It’s special.

I also want to go get my eyebrows done soon, and I’m thinking of going to my doc for laser treatment on the chin whiskers. I’m at that age now, you know. Tweezers in the car, tweezers in my desk, tweezers in my purse. Yeah, ladies, that’s what you have to look forward to in your forties! Doc also does laser resurfacing and rosacea treatments, so I’m thinking about throwing myself on his schedule. I’m permanently red in the face due to being a CPAP wearer, plus having to wear a mask all day at work (Covid regulations, of course) and having stupidly sensitive skin. I’m trying to make myself put makeup on every day, but it’s going about as well as getting up early everyday and working out. Sleep is way too important right now. I’ve never been a morning person, and could sleep 9 hours a night easily. I know it is just a matter of making it happen, but the last week or so, I have been having trouble falling asleep at night so I don’t want to get up in the morning. Just lazy, I guess. But we’ll call it self care for now.

I am still working on building my new habits. There are just days when my cabbage brain says no way is that going to happen. I think the last two weeks it was hormonal, and sleep was just a priority. It was what my body and brain needed. I have also realized I’m loathe to leave work at night, and tend to go in on my day off, just to keep my mind off rediscovering myself. Changing my life. Learning who I am now and what I want. It is scary and a lot to face. I just try to remind myself I don’t have to face it all at once. One step at a time.

So other than the new habits that I’m working on, I’m also working on changing my style. Actually giving a hoot and HAVING a personal style. Hell, I wore a dress or skirt twice to work last week. I want to find a new hairstyle. I want to learn to curl my hair so it looks cute…I bought the spiral curlformers, and I just looked like Carrot Top. Not a cute look. I may order the barrel version next. I have to admit, I have SO much hair, that I’d need two sets of hot rollers, for sure. The kids are grown, and amazingly, it turns out I actually give a crap about looking like I have it together. I keep thinking I want to cut my hair short, but I know I won’t keep it that way and I hate the grow out phase. But there is this shaggy pixie that I keep looking at, but that also might be the white blonde color it is, which I find beautiful. Of course, I love the color Meryl Streep’s hair in Into the Woods, however, my current employer doesn’t subscribe to the “unnaturally colored hair doesn’t make me unprofessional” sentiment. I actually got dinged on my yearly review because of my two shark blue strips this spring. Who knew. Maybe my next employer. Also, I’m planning my first tattoo. Shhhh, don’t tell my Mom & Dad. Lol!

This! (Pic from Entertainment Weekly)

Tattoo dreams……….

So…I just made a discovery. If you eat a handful of Albanese gummy bears, DO NOT take a sip of your coffee right after. Gross! But those gummy bears? Addictive! Lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit! Just my style. I cannot tell you how happy a pink grapefruit gummy bear makes this fat girl. Citruses (Citri? Is there an official plural?) are always my favorite flavors, after cherry. But I digress,

There is a festival in out tiny town this weekend, and I was planning on going to the parade this morning, but it was rainy so I passed. I kind of regret it, since it was cancelled last year due to Covid. Mostly, I was going to do lunch out of all the food trucks….and maybe, just maybe find an elephant ear, to support our little community. Next year.

I guess I’m going to go back to binge watching the American version of Shameless for the rest of the evening. If nothing else, it makes me feel better about our family situation……

Who Am I Now?

****I want to start with: I AM NOT SAD. I keep getting messages from friends to cheer me up. I appreciate the love, but I am not sad, I’m doing OK, I am not wallowing in sadness, depression, or self pity.

I’m back to blogging, as a form of therapy, maybe to help someone else going through the same thing I am, anyone trying to find out who they are right now because their life changed drastically.

Who am I now? My kids are grown, and I’m newly divorced. Who the heck am I now that I’m not “So-and-So’s Wife” and I don’t have to be “Mom” all the time. All the dreams and plans “we” had are gone. There is now only MY plans, MY dreams. I also now have to be my own “person,” no longer one half of a couple. The person I bounced all the thoughts & dreams I had against is gone. I can’t just randomly text him throughout the day when my work day is going catty wampus, one of my little old people patients pass away, I don’t know what to do about something, or I had a random wild idea.

Turns out a lot of our dreams were just really his dreams, and I was just going along with things. I didn’t realize how much I just conceded to things, until I started thinking about my own plans and dreams. Did I just give in and go along because it was easier? Did I just want to make & keep him happy? Maybe. I honestly don’t know.

What do I want to do with my life? I don’t know that either in. Do I want to go back to college? Do I want to change my career? I know that I plan on leaving Central Illinois by June of 2023, at the latest. I’ll be picking up sticks and moving back to Michigan, to be near my family. I’m excited to find a tiny house or quaint apartment, to decorate exactly how I want, with no one else’s opinions and input. I want to reinvent myself. I know a lot of women do that once they are empty nesters, but now I’m an empty nester and a divorcee. I get to start all over again. Which is exciting, exhilarating and terrifying all in the same nanosecond. I have NEVER lived alone. Not really. Although, it was kind of like living alone, being married to an over-the-road trucker. I went from my parents home, to college, where I had a roommate, then back to my parent’s home, then to married life, and seven years in he became an OTR trucker. But back to the point….

I have found I have a hard time keeping the “other side” of the bed from being covered by stuff. It is weird. I did switch sides of the bed. I made a sitting area in my bedroom, with a little table, reading lamp and the rocker I rocked my babies in. I’ve moved more furniture alone in the last few months than I have ever done in my entire life. I’m am slowing building new habits, mindfullly, for mental health, physical health, and spiritual health. I’m trying really hard to get up early in the morning, at the same time every day, and going to bed at the same time every night. I’m trying to embrace the quote “Life is waking up an hour early to LIVE an hour more.” I allowed myself to wallow in sadness, self-pity, anger, and fear for a time. Now, I’m living. Living for me. And my girls. I have moments where I still struggle, mostly with our living situation (my youngest daughter, her fiance, and his brother are all living with me), and my youngest daughter’s health struggles, but we are getting through.

I want to buy a tent and go relax. No schedule, no plans, no ideas of how “exactly” things should go, go to bed when I want, wake up when I want, waste the whole damn day, if I want. I want to see things and go places. I’m planning on taking the oldest to Salem, MA for her college graduation. I want to go on ghost tours, go to museums, I want to spend two weeks in the Smithsonian. (ha!) I want to travel Route 66. I want to get back into photography. I want to paint. I want to write a dozen novels. I want to finally see England, Ireland, and Scotland. I want to go to Virginia and do some family research. Or do it in Europe! Even better. I want to go to flea markets, and antique malls. I want to nap in the sun. I want to float down rivers in inner tubes. I’m going to buy a set up to be able to load my kayak on my car by myself. I’m going to finally kayak moving water. I want to make my first quilt. I want to make some of my own clothes and actually wear them! I want to do reenactments. I want to go to Renaissance fairs. I want to hike, bike, swim in new places. I want to spend one weekend away every month, even if it is JUST camping. I want to discover who I am now…..I know that I’m already a more relaxed person.

I’ve discovered I am free. I am independent. I am capable. All new to me, but all who I am.

What A Week

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes…..” Oh! You get the picture. My sentiment this week is all work and no play makes Jawsie a dull girl. Work, work, work….a 40 minute commute each way….I feel like I’m never home during the work week. Just home to eat, feed the critters, and sleep! But this weekend we made time for ourselves. Even with these cold May temperatures we put boats in the water! Frigid water temps be darned! It is finally supposed to warm up into the 70s and 80s. Sadly, we are expecting thunderstorms this weekend. *sob*

We put in at Lake Chataqua, not too far from our house. I didn’t have to paddle because at launch my darn slick, quick drying pants caused me to slip backwards from the canoe seat into the floor of the canoe where I was virtually WEDGED in for the first half of our little voyage! There was much hysterical laughter. As Bug put it when the Hubs was describing it to her, “sounds like theThree Stooges!” She wasn’t wrong. When we got back to the boat launch, we were all overtaken with uncontrollable laughter so that I didn’t have the strength to get out of the darn canoe! Anyone else suffer a loss of strength while they laugh hysterically? No? Just me? Lol!

Wedged in, but quite comfy overall. But, um…when did my hair get that WHITE?

The lake is flooded.

Today, I took some time for “self care.” Currently, I still have Tuesday’s off due to the low census at work, so I took advantage of it. I had a gift certificate from Valentine’s Day for a 1 hour full body massage. Since our gym facility at work is slowly opening back up for PT & massage services I made an appointment. Oh man! Did I need that massage. I hold a LOT of my tension in my upper back, neck, and shoulders the massage therapist was having a hard time actually “getting in” to work the muscles, she asked if I’d be willing to try cupping therapy. “From a Western physiology perspective, cupping loosens connective tissue or fascia and stimulated blood flow to the surface. Cupping stimulates tissue relaxation and better cell-to-cell communication.”* With my employee (🤗) discount I’m thinking this should be a once a month thing. It would cost about the same as a good gel manicure.

I just about spoiled the relaxation after the massage by running to the grocery store. People! Ugh! And the steamy heat of wearing a mask while speed walking around the grocery store. But I needed more healthy foods for the rest of the week. I bought eggs, yogurt, chicken, veggies, and fruit. I’m going to go prep all the fruit & veg in a bit, so that meals are easy to throw together for me so I don’t grab fast food or junk food. I am continuing to try to eat healthier, and solidify some more health habits, like a consistent sleep schedule. I’m usually in bed around the same time every night, but getting out of bed is the problem. I almost always eat breakfast in the car on the way to work in the morning, and it is usually not super healthy. So, I’m working on getting up early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee or two while I get ready for work & eat breakfast sitting at the table. I also bought some sugar free creamer to try. I should just go back to drinking my coffee black, but it feels so decadent and like a treat with creamer in it. Hazelnut. Always. Okay, I like French vanilla, caramel macchiato, and Reese’s peanut butter cup, but almost only ever buy hazelnut.

Darn! Now I want peanut butter and chocolate! Maybe a couple crackers with peanut butter will squash that craving.

Until next time!

*https://www.medicinenet.com/cupping/article.htm

The lake photos are courtesy of the Hubs.

Rule Breakers Unite

Hey y’all! I know I’m a little late this week, but we had lots going on this weekend. Our first rule break: Our youngest Pal came home for the weekend! It has been almost a year since she left home. She has only been home 3 times? Can that be right? Yeah, I think that is right. Wow. She brought her boyfriend home to meet us. I’m still working on what to call him here….The Marine, maybe? Too formal? That Boy? Too mean. For those who don’t actually know our family, I try to keep some semblance of privacy/anonymity for the hubs & kids. I share. A lot. I never want my writing to cause problem for the girls or the hubs. You know?

So, anyway, Pal arrived here around 7 on Friday night. We sat around and talked and laughed until late, catching up on life & getting to know the boyfriend a little. Saturday, we got up and had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I like to feed my family, maybe too well. Our second rule break: after breakfast the “kids” went to visit a couple of Pal’s high school besties. They then met us at our friends’ house, were there was supposed to be a Nerf duel, but we postponed that. Instead we were invited to our friend’s sister’s property down at the river. We spent the afternoon hanging out in the sunshiny woods at the river’s edge, enjoying watching the river flow by, actually interacting with other awesome humans. Human interaction has been sparse, due to the current pandemic “rules,” and it has been HARD on me. I felt so refreshed, not just being with my Pal & the Hubs for the weekend, but being social! So if it was wrong, I don’t want to be right.

I’ve been so emotional lately that any distraction is welcome. It has been so cool and rainy, and I’m about to lose my mind. It warms up for a day or two, I turn off the furnace, then it goes cool, gloomy, and rainy again so that I have to turn the furnace back on for a day or two. I’m ready for it to be warm during the day, consistently. I need to get outside in the sun, put my kayak or our canoe in the water. I’ve been taking vitamin D, but boy, would I rather get my vitamin D from the sun. I know a lot of it has to do with what all is going on with COVID-19. I’ve been trying to keep busy, on my days off I’m working on fabric masks for work, which may be making it worse. Lol! I’m about sick of COVID-19. I’m about sick of wearing a mask & making my patients wear a mask! I miss seeing their wonderful faces. I work in a doctors office. I’m tired of people being freaked out by the fear mongers. I will however keep the bulk of my opinions about the handling of this pandemic to myself…..I will say I am struggling keeping my thoughts to myself when I see someone out in public with gloves on OR wearing their mask wrong – under their noses! Please, please, please STOP wearing gloves in public! Wear your mask, but WEAR IT CORRECTLY! Fitted to your face covering your nose & mouth.

So, yeah, I’m a rule breaker. Don’t tell the governor. Lol! Just hold on folks, this can’t last forever…..right?!?

Until next time…stay safe, stay sane, and keep your paddle in the water.

ALIVE AND KICKING

I’ve missed this! I know some of you have missed this too. I appreciate you telling me how much you missed the blog. You’ve given me a kick in the pants. Y’all, I’ve been going through a very special season in life. We are officially empty nesters. And I totally lost my damn mind! This Memorial Day weekend marks the 1 year anniversary of the baby Pally moving out on her own. At the tender age of 17. Oh, it was SO hard to let her go. (She had already graduated and would turn 18 in July.) It felt like my baby was running away from home. Turns out it was good for her & me too. Letting go is NEVER easy. But you do it. You raise them to grow up, be independent, move out, and maybe move away, in our case, 330 miles away. *sobs* She is currently working in a nursing home, as an “activities assistant” type role from what I understand. She says she basically gets paid to socialize with the residents all day. If you know my Pally, that is a perfect job for her – she’s an extrovert, through and through. Bug is finishing her third year of college with a “major” major change. She left the nursing program for paralegal studies, and works in the college library 20 hours a week when there isn’t a pandemic on. She has her own place as well, 240 miles away from home. Thanks to my folks as She is staying in the apartment over their garage. It still doesn’t feel real. I was a MOM for so long, all the responsibilities that come with it, and some I should have given up when the kids were much younger. For instance, I was their alarm clock as long as they lived at home and I was home when they needed to get up. I miss it. I love when they are home, I miss them when they leave, but I’m kinda glad when they do…..because they are doing so well as adults! Bug will be 21 this summer, and Pally will be 19. *gasp* How can that be? I’m only 29! Lol!

Today, the Hubby and I have been up since 7-ish, brewed coffee, had biscuits & gravy for breakfast, put away the dishes that were done yesterday, washed the breakfast dishes from today, cleaned the electric kettle, and got dressed (which is completely OPTIONAL on Sunday – lol). The first load of laundry is in the washer, I still need to sort out a couple more loads. I am cleaning the coffee pot right now, so not an “active” chore, so I sit here typing. I’m going to get my sewing machine back out – my sewing “station,” when set up, currently takes up 1/2 the living room, and I have to finish replacing the zipper in a pair of my work slacks, plus being as I’m an essential worker, I’ve been sewing masks for us at work. We took my sewing station down yesterday for a movie night last night.

I’ve been doing a lot of garden planning for this year. I bought seeds at Menards Friday, and am going to call the local landscape company tomorrow and price a load of topsoil – I’m going to “no-till” garden this year. I bought some flower seeds too for the whisky barrel planters by the back steps, and the two flower beds on either side of the front porch steps. I wish it hadn’t rain 4 inches in the last two days, because the flower bed by the drive way needs some SERIOUS attention….but I’m not parking my behind on the currently soaked sponge lawn situation. Oh, the plans I have….

The Hubby & I soaked up some vitamin D on the porch swing, without getting sun burned this time. It was nice. After so many days of gray & rain last week it is so nice for the sun to be out. So thankful!

Any how, my goal is to give y’all a life update, share a thing or two like recipes, projects, crafts, and maybe a rant or two once a week, probably on Saturday or Sunday, so come on back next week, and we’ll drink some coffee, or wine, or margaritas, or whatever and talk about life!

*Tap Tap* Anyone Still Out There?

Cough, cough…*clears throat and cracks knuckles* Did dust just fly up from the keyboard? I know I’ve been away forever. I’ve wanted to come back here and share a bit of our crazy life on the prairie with you folks, and I know a few of you who I know and love in real life have shared that you have been missing the blog. Here I am to give it another shot. I am not making any promises on frequency, length, or general direction the blog is going to take. Mostly, I just need an outlet. Ha!

Let me just give you a brief run down of what’s happening in our world. I went back to work in September 2015, part time in a multi-practice doctor’s office (the doctor’s are all brothers, and the main office is based out of a tiny rural hospital their father founded in the 1950’s.) In the spring of last year, I was asked to come on full time, which I accepted. I was the “floating” receptionist – meaning I traveled to any one of the 5 offices (soon to have a sixth!) for my shift that day. In December of this year, I was asked to if I would be interested in becoming the sole receptionist at our second busiest office. After some discussion with the Hubs, I made the move. I now have a 62 mile round trip commute every day, but at least I don’t always feel like I’m in someone else’s personal space.

Bug & Pally have been involved in 8 billion different things with and through school, including two musicals – Once Upon a Mattress, and Nice Work if You Can Get It – their regular extracurricular activities, such as band for Pally, Scholastic Bowl for both, and various other clubs and groups. Bug even joined track this year. Both girls have had the privilege of attending RYLA (Rotary Youth Leaders Award retreat), Bug was awarded a spot at Teens Experiencing Nursing Camp last year, and both kiddos are on the yearbook committee. And both girls are permitted drivers. Brace yourselves for a shock: Bug graduates in a few short weeks!!!!!!! How is that even possible? She was accepted to her school of choice, a community college near the Grands that will allow her to live with them while going to school, they have a spectacular nursing program (my girl wants to be a trauma nurse), and for her to graduate college with no debt! That was one of her main goals. So mature, for someone so young. Pally still has two years of school left. Crap, are we getting old, or what?

The Hubs is still OTR, which we all hate, but it pays the bills….most of the time. This year has been rough, fiscally. The semi has been in the shop more than it has been on the road this first quarter. Hubs told me the other day that he had only driven about 25,000 miles since the first of the year. That’s a pretty low number for what he does. However, we were able to pay off another truck lease, so officially the Big Gray is ours. So, that is a plus in the long term.

In other family news:

Grampy has officially retired. He is planning on on spending most of the girls spring break with us next week. It will be nice to have him here. We are blessed that my parents only live a few short hours and a couple hundred miles away. They come down as often as they can. Mumsie (my MIL) on the other hand lives a bit further away, and it isn’t quite as easy for her….I know she misses out on a lot with the kids with our crazy, hectic schedules.

We were also able to go home for Christmas this year, which is a feat in and of itself, with the Hub’s job schedule. It was wonderful. We even got to see all the nieces & nephews at Christmas, and almost all of the in-laws. As you may know, I have no siblings, but the Hubs is the middle of 5, so I have brothers & sisters now, and 8 nieces and nephews! (My newest niece made her arrival yesterday morning around 10 am, about 11 weeks too early, at 2.5 pounds, so if you want to throw out prayers, good thoughts, or good vibes to your chosen deity, universe, what have you, they would be appreciated.) I actually spent a good deal of this morning looking for itty-bitty knit hat patterns I could whip up to send for our little spit fire. I can’t imagine what my BIL & SIL are going through, as I can’t stop thinking about itty-bitty baby E. Or her big brother O-man. ❤ ❤

Okay, I have to think about something else for a few minutes….Did we have Hans Monroe Whitman when I faded out from blogging? He’s our Belgian Malinois-German Shepherd mix, who we adopted from the BIL & SIL mentioned above. He’s a horse! They brought him to us at 9 weeks old. So we have two male dogs and two male cats (my special girl, Mommy Kitty disappeared last summer) and a intermittent outside foster kitty from the barn down the lane. We have a regular old fur-menagerie. Oh, and 3 fish! Spencer the carnival prize is still alive after almost 3 years. I think he’s immortal.

As far as my craft hobbies go…there are a TON of UFO’s laying around. I’ve taught myself to crochet, and started a temperature afghan on January 1st, I’ve knitted a couple of hats, and finished not much of anything else. I did help one of my “big kids,” that’s what I call Bug’s & Pally’s older friends from school, sew her prom dress last year. Well, she bought the top, created her own pattern for the skirt, cut & pinned and then I just sewed it for her. So nothing really exciting to show you. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I’ll have some fun fiber projects to share.

That’s a rundown of the last two years of life on the prairie. What’s up with y’all?

Well, it looks like Autumn is finally settling in here. I picked the very last of the grape tomatoes out of my garden yesterday, yes, October 29. I put them in a salad and gobbled them up. I think next year, if we space our garden rows farther apart, I won’t have “jungle” tomato plants! In the next week or two, I’ll put the garden to bed. My neighbor lady, Mrs. Farmer (they are farmers, hence Mr. and Mrs. Farmer – not their real names) pulled up the big plants then mowed the whole garden plot. I think that is what I’ll do. I’m hoping for some decent weather in the next few days so I can get the lawn mowed one last time for the season. I will need to get the carrots harvested in the next few days, or mound up some straw over the greens. It actually isn’t supposed to hurt them to stay in the ground, even after it starts to frost regularly. We’ll see.

My folks were here this last weekend. Bug’s musical was this last weekend, as well, hence the big reason Grammy & Grampy came to visit. Those high school kids did a wonderful job on Guys and Dolls. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to get our dvd copy. Yes, they had the thing professionally recorded. Such a nice touch. I barely took any photos, I was enjoying the show too much. We have a talented bunch of kiddos out here in the sticks.

I have less than a week before Women’s Writing starts. I’m very excited, and very nervous. I want there to be a great turn out, I want everyone to get what they need from the group, I don’t want to turn on my “professor” voice, and drive them all away. We are going to use a book called Fruitflesh as a resource. It is an amazing resource for finding a jumping off place for writing. Some of the suggestions are a little risqué, but overall, just about ever segment I’ve read has me thinking about what to write for it, already. Maybe I’m just on fire to write something. Other than this. Not that I’m not enjoying blogging, don’t get me wrong, but it is two different creatures. I don’t write fiction here. I might share something of mine as the group progresses….who knows.

On the home front, I’m in the middle of a much bigger project than I ever expected. I am altering my couch. I have a Broyhill couch, that we love, but it has those huge, attached cushions on the back, and they were coming off, misshapen, and becoming uncomfortable. So, I removed them completely, added a panel to the back of the cushion, so they will be “unattached,” refluffing the stuffing (and wishing I could just go buy 20 pounds of the stuff, because fluffing polyfill is for the BIRDS), and I am going to have to sew new baffles – the fabric that they use to contain the stuffing is horrible! It is like the sides of a mattress cover, and it shreds, pills, runs and tears. So, I took one of the inserts apart today, and will cut two new ones out of flannel tomorrow. Flannel, it is just what I had the most of lying around in my stash. I have been promising folks a tutorial if it even half way turns out, so stay tuned!

On the health front…I had to tie drawstring in my exercise pants yesterday in yoga to keep them from falling off my fanny during a stretch! Woo hoo! I am also happy to report I have officially lost 27 lbs. I am hoping to be able to tell you some time next week that it is officially 30…or 35, but I’m trying to be realistic! Ha! I can tell you I haven’t been at this weight since we moved to Illinois. The very last weight I remember while working at the doctor’s office is only one pound away! Yes, I’m excited. And it certainly helps keep me moving in the right direction. I am also happy to report that my left knee, which is the one I injured falling down the basement stairs two years ago, and that has given me so much pain & trouble in the last 3 months, has been behaving rather well this week. There are still some things I can’t do in yoga – I’m not pushing the knee, I don’t want to get sidelined.

So, anyway, dinner (Boca burgers & spicy collard greens) is almost ready, and we have Stitch, Please tonight, so I’m gonna get this posted. Hope you all are having a great Thursday.

Every Which Way But Loose

Whew! I’ve got a minute to catch my breath! That title says it all, my brain is on overload, and I feel like I’m going in 1000 different directions. I think I mentioned everything that is going on lately, which in turn makes me a very, very busy Mom. Between running kids here, there, and everywhere, I pitched in with the costumes for the musical Bug is involved in. I had to cut, make, then sew on bias tape at the hem & neckline on 16 tear-away dresses. (Did I tell you the musical is Guys and Dolls? The dresses are for the “Take Back Your Mink” act.) I can’t believe I’m contributing to the “delinquency” of a bunch of minors…stripping high schoolers. Okay, so they don’t get naked. They have costumes under their costumes. Between trying to find everything Bug needed, and buying two sets of character shoes, because the USPS messed up my priority shipping and instead of the shoes coming in 2-3 business days, it took 5 business (and two weekend) days. We were able to find a pair of shoes, with much higher heels the night of the first dress rehearsal at Payless. What a life saver. She did switch to her professional dance shoes, because the heels are a lot lower, but the Payless shoes are SO cute, and I think both girls can wear them, so they’ll be put to good use.

Add to Bug’s rehearsal schedule, Pally has here Pep Band performances, I’ve started attending a yoga class in our tiny town (and am loving it), plus I all the things I’m doing at the art gallery. I’m co-leading/facilitating our fiber arts group, I’ll begin facilitating Women’s Writing next month (so there have been some meetings with the gallery owner), and I’ve accepted a titled position at the gallery – Art Enrichment Director. I’m exhausted just thinking about everything, but oh, so excited! I hope I’m not repeating myself, and boring you guys.

I know we’ve talked about my health previously, meaning my weight…I’m happy to report, that even with some minor setbacks, I am still having pretty surprising success. I am very happy to report an average of a 3.4 pound loss for the last 7 weeks. That’s 24 pounds, people! I know that may not sound like a lot,  if you know me, and know how much I actually have to lose, but holy moly, relatively consistent losses has been amazing. I can see some changes, the Hubs can see some changes, I’m going to see my parents this weekend, and am kind of hoping they will notice some changes, although my dear, sweet Mom reads my blog, so she’ll know what kind of numbers I’ve lost. Yes, I’m craving any kind of positive reinforcement I can get. The Hubs is doing a bang up job pointing out things he’s noticing, and not making fun of me for doing something I’ve never done before…not even as a teen. Ladies, where do you lose weight first? Yep, you guessed it…TMI warning – if any guys are reading my blog, you may want to go read something else now, and come back another day…my boobs are shrinking! I have had zero luck finding a bra that fits right, band/cup ratio is a strange thing when you are quite empty on top, and all your fullness is on the lower portion. I know that demi cup and balconette bras would fit best, but I just can’t find one with the right size combination. *sigh* I even ordered bras online, that I mistakenly thought were demi cup, and I ordered 2 sizes – a C and a B. Imagine my horror when neither fit! I cried. Yes, blubbered like a baby, So, I’ve been doing something I never thought I’d do, something I never did as a teen – I’ve been stuffing my bra! I discovered that a folded over-the-calf sock of the Hubby’s in the bottom of each cup allows me to wear my nice bras, and not have the gaps show. So, there’s your laugh for the day! I’m 38 1/2 and am having to stuff my bra. I think if I’d had the time to go spend the day in our nearest “big” town, I can stop the bra-drama, I just haven’t had the time. I keep joking that I need to go invest in some of those “chicken cutlets” from WalMart.

If you guys are interested in following my journey to better health, let me know, and I’ll consider posting about the program I’m using, and progress photos….