tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41804248656691683632024-03-18T01:15:07.106-04:00 Field Lilies
See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? - Matthew 6:28-30 Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.comBlogger689125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-3129814408266929612024-03-15T22:05:00.004-04:002024-03-15T23:09:02.940-04:00Spring...<span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The weather has been telling us it's spring for the last month, but the calendar assures me it doesn't actually arrive until next Tuesday, the 19th. I seem to remember not that long ago spring would appear on the calendar weeks before the weather would concede to its arrival. The last few years it seems just the opposite. We feel the tease of coming spring weeks (this year, more than a month) before the calendar confirms it.</span><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">All sorts of plants have been growing for the last few weeks, but today I finally snapped some pictures. When I started taking these pictures two years ago, I didn't realize what a nice record it would prove to be. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">For example, in <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/2022/04/more-spring-pictures.html" target="_blank">this post on April 22nd, two years ago</a>, I can see that today's asparagus patch is producing a whole month earlier. Even with last year's early spring, we didn't eat asparagus until the middle of April.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">On Monday of this week, there were just a few small spears:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhRt5NHRxEhCrTfCrHHHb41srKHCn6Oc34FRet_NYAidp-J5XFD2wvkDe5UF20kdcj7YVIhYIs8w4m_NyDfxEyyNj6iCAglJ-LiaLW6JSbXFBkQH-eKIbfhUkZTGoiQYAZ2-1Lp3QXosH_ohM4-Qhg3Au8H-d4J1qTX0rrarLI4u5faXab02ef5TuO0MD/s3456/20240311_161341%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhRt5NHRxEhCrTfCrHHHb41srKHCn6Oc34FRet_NYAidp-J5XFD2wvkDe5UF20kdcj7YVIhYIs8w4m_NyDfxEyyNj6iCAglJ-LiaLW6JSbXFBkQH-eKIbfhUkZTGoiQYAZ2-1Lp3QXosH_ohM4-Qhg3Au8H-d4J1qTX0rrarLI4u5faXab02ef5TuO0MD/w431-h431/20240311_161341%20resized.jpg" width="431" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />By Friday, this had happened:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYkq31qJezfyjgOjjQiMHmEQ3SJfBQZvBBAYMBnUvd3eAxy46JYBs30LuY1EX1N7tJOOEq7VScJGXOHCYsxcxpqlse0QJKpUfbaOJT3oghzgi15xlM-Gwb4M0OGBBn_nx0p_p6363KdwIn5RLOZR5cTEjn8QDm9HGuq6rjhAbG9K3puie8YyxGpMjSWl2/s2611/20240315_193548%20x%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2334" data-original-width="2611" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYkq31qJezfyjgOjjQiMHmEQ3SJfBQZvBBAYMBnUvd3eAxy46JYBs30LuY1EX1N7tJOOEq7VScJGXOHCYsxcxpqlse0QJKpUfbaOJT3oghzgi15xlM-Gwb4M0OGBBn_nx0p_p6363KdwIn5RLOZR5cTEjn8QDm9HGuq6rjhAbG9K3puie8YyxGpMjSWl2/w429-h383/20240315_193548%20x%20x%20resized.jpg" width="429" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I didn't get a picture of the whole patch, just the spot where there were a number of spears growing. Our nights are supposed to dip below 30 a couple of nights this weekend. If that doesn't ruin these spears, I think we'll be eating asparagus come Monday!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In the same vein, my various plant pictures are probably more for my record than for your enjoyment, but humor me as I post what's growing here.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTGN36Q9Il-LO7GZ_YiLnrcN0Vit4TwsSMb6qrdcpNieJ-7FJvdUCy3-sNijPBTA1WMRwL_f5tFd5QFV45-SdPXTgF7bY-tgSGlY5uBfL1WiDD5LPFwG1TdrnsuGSkg5bzGuUi1jLX-iRlNbNg47YxhEN4qKtiw7Ov9faOv55wfImsb4Z7va-W4uL1w8A/s3431/20240315_193436%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2642" data-original-width="3431" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKTGN36Q9Il-LO7GZ_YiLnrcN0Vit4TwsSMb6qrdcpNieJ-7FJvdUCy3-sNijPBTA1WMRwL_f5tFd5QFV45-SdPXTgF7bY-tgSGlY5uBfL1WiDD5LPFwG1TdrnsuGSkg5bzGuUi1jLX-iRlNbNg47YxhEN4qKtiw7Ov9faOv55wfImsb4Z7va-W4uL1w8A/w454-h349/20240315_193436%20x%20resized.jpg" width="454" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Irises</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEq_WwKsRoyAOr_OJLpyrg94nbVB2vB3Oq1EabH1Bv_2IFdey4PJ_kktbXOYWL6XYWgDQINWCBH2juwUSXAO60JeWjHs2MCad3xIy6ln-XHGeLjeqGuTsoGdzHQ2il6c6wDiBFMmLa7QyWfOn18-TmMKZ8OGHH0F6FbUu1XvL8AOKhU866v-JPehroF6YZ/s3456/20240315_193907.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEq_WwKsRoyAOr_OJLpyrg94nbVB2vB3Oq1EabH1Bv_2IFdey4PJ_kktbXOYWL6XYWgDQINWCBH2juwUSXAO60JeWjHs2MCad3xIy6ln-XHGeLjeqGuTsoGdzHQ2il6c6wDiBFMmLa7QyWfOn18-TmMKZ8OGHH0F6FbUu1XvL8AOKhU866v-JPehroF6YZ/w460-h460/20240315_193907.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Daylilies</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLb4gagru8esN4F78XnDxOK0eRQUtcRkcYQE9ooih4Ha2xoKVpAB_TYzsTAhPI7Xquyxzdm2EQNl4bU8R30GDHpvQRLNYGldy-9DzGkErQqDy-YiJhiY34txXZWD0Amkv7HKvP3EIhx0Fiqx2stZphUhNGHGvHfm_LBeYHGqvjEuA8fnQXUaxtsdQlUZh/s3456/20240315_193934%20resizeed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLb4gagru8esN4F78XnDxOK0eRQUtcRkcYQE9ooih4Ha2xoKVpAB_TYzsTAhPI7Xquyxzdm2EQNl4bU8R30GDHpvQRLNYGldy-9DzGkErQqDy-YiJhiY34txXZWD0Amkv7HKvP3EIhx0Fiqx2stZphUhNGHGvHfm_LBeYHGqvjEuA8fnQXUaxtsdQlUZh/w458-h458/20240315_193934%20resizeed.jpg" width="458" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Clematis</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcxnUk7z0fD5bt2okNxSztpoT-488VMY14cKcyA4FrJx5X7N1v9f6EVLrKekg6EeKXH_9epB886tFs9MOw3Wh4rmGijK4RvHXTLqRkTPlTaf1qoMGkayOHNS77rudnI33VmlKXtjf-TkBuui-eudLE-hTjwXwJl4GpNCH20RcNlOvBhhSL14RX0USgIhm/s3456/20240315_193700.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcxnUk7z0fD5bt2okNxSztpoT-488VMY14cKcyA4FrJx5X7N1v9f6EVLrKekg6EeKXH_9epB886tFs9MOw3Wh4rmGijK4RvHXTLqRkTPlTaf1qoMGkayOHNS77rudnI33VmlKXtjf-TkBuui-eudLE-hTjwXwJl4GpNCH20RcNlOvBhhSL14RX0USgIhm/w458-h458/20240315_193700.jpg" width="458" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Egyptian Walking Onions</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I remember, the first spring we were here, I was going to dig up these walking onions and do away with them. I am so glad I didn't. They provide entertainment all summer long as they produce new bulbils on the top of their green stalks and then fall over and those bulbils eventually produce new plants. We've given away a bunch of these plants the last two summers. I think I'm going to be a little stingy and let these replenish this year.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUNo3DlGFTufbwcDs7wD-EOmRmtIdk7hvSWtggP37qT8JYLk3lFqAzt27r4zyWdiq0EYbCAwXmsQqwUXwznhyvBJD0iCALeH8AJV7UlVIWci3oWI6RPCKKujxTctz1RGSuv_I2OkSCaf3Y2MqeeeZTjrm8F4B2uNLeFRJtABczN-YzuSZZPIcRxBxiXFs/s3456/20240315_194000%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUNo3DlGFTufbwcDs7wD-EOmRmtIdk7hvSWtggP37qT8JYLk3lFqAzt27r4zyWdiq0EYbCAwXmsQqwUXwznhyvBJD0iCALeH8AJV7UlVIWci3oWI6RPCKKujxTctz1RGSuv_I2OkSCaf3Y2MqeeeZTjrm8F4B2uNLeFRJtABczN-YzuSZZPIcRxBxiXFs/w464-h464/20240315_194000%20resized.jpg" width="464" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Somehow, I missed until this spring that this is a forsythia bush. </i></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Forsythia blooms make my heart happy.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShAx3sETLUOt4ypiMcOs30HaqWapvqFyEVPs8wH7dfH23MbDg59mkpPROuHekfCapfzUq2rzZlsJTUXSdGdzF_45yWrrklkVwwwiKkJKFi_s1xU1UTQEdGgyw8mqrXp767wWa-sxfX_W2LoD0ggGtm-jbFwJBso5dihn7PlRuT2Paf8kp4z9Fduuik9xR/s2949/20240315_193420%20xresized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="2949" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShAx3sETLUOt4ypiMcOs30HaqWapvqFyEVPs8wH7dfH23MbDg59mkpPROuHekfCapfzUq2rzZlsJTUXSdGdzF_45yWrrklkVwwwiKkJKFi_s1xU1UTQEdGgyw8mqrXp767wWa-sxfX_W2LoD0ggGtm-jbFwJBso5dihn7PlRuT2Paf8kp4z9Fduuik9xR/w469-h465/20240315_193420%20xresized.jpg" width="469" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>And these Daffodils bloomed on Wednesday. </i></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Yes, I was watching that closely. </i></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />They're not pictured, but I noticed that the sedum was growing in February. And this week, the Bradford Pears and I think a Maple tree are budding out. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">For weeks, we've been serenaded by birds from early morning to evening time. It's nice to be treated to green growing things now too. While our winter has been nothing to complain about, and even when I don't quite feel ready for it to warm up, spring always feels like a gift. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">The blossoms have </span><i>already</i><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">appeared in the land;</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Homemade Apple; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">The time has arrived for pruning </span><i>the vines</i><span style="background-color: white;">,</span></div><span class="text Song-2-12" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><div style="text-align: center;">And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;">~ Song of Solomon 2:12</span></div></span></span></div><div><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-16613372406331045802024-03-08T22:10:00.012-05:002024-03-09T13:07:34.671-05:00Papercrafting supplies...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">The office finally got whipped into shape earlier this week. Part of me wanted to wait to publish this post when I got the room more prettied up, but the bigger part of me needs to move on. So I'm posting what's finished, and calling it day. For now.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">As I looked at the two places in this room I keep paper crafting supplies, it was quickly obvious to me that orga</span></span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">nization, per se, isn't my problem. I guess I kind of knew that, but taking a picture helped me see more clearly what the problem <i>was</i>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnroKroz0ztIneCFvFUjuQkGQvR_KAF7Do7QuJoff21vHZPU2Qg02JHXy3mreJGmBAtuIDFoDjvThXO77gMLW_LQmM_oJCUJYPmiM1H6-NNjT09bd8XaInSzePKEovc1KMto2YJjJmtzqfaMleoeVlWqZ17GxwAe66pzE8uY5ZtwrZfbb0_GFWGoB4orMm/s3456/20240225_232522%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnroKroz0ztIneCFvFUjuQkGQvR_KAF7Do7QuJoff21vHZPU2Qg02JHXy3mreJGmBAtuIDFoDjvThXO77gMLW_LQmM_oJCUJYPmiM1H6-NNjT09bd8XaInSzePKEovc1KMto2YJjJmtzqfaMleoeVlWqZ17GxwAe66pzE8uY5ZtwrZfbb0_GFWGoB4orMm/w501-h501/20240225_232522%20resized.jpg" width="501" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>The worst problem was stuff piled up in a corner, in boxes next to the credenza above, just being an annoying eyesore. While I spent the last two years trying to ignore it, it stared me down every time I sat at the desk right across from it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xYi-_bMaBp6s8Ea7BdbMMX9Bqk3fZtg2m9MbcgA3x3SNdVVXgK0CQCMRuv37tdmZmOgFHn0ym3wqv3ZPnhlQ9J7Xd9Wb3qG7ILRkMX-99X568ncq-pvVaEckEDY-_MffnXDpgXZTiGNalhWkEw-QcUMIsZsXEGN5jFkceLxEis9m6BGcys-_0gReb1fE/s1315/20240225_232522x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1142" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xYi-_bMaBp6s8Ea7BdbMMX9Bqk3fZtg2m9MbcgA3x3SNdVVXgK0CQCMRuv37tdmZmOgFHn0ym3wqv3ZPnhlQ9J7Xd9Wb3qG7ILRkMX-99X568ncq-pvVaEckEDY-_MffnXDpgXZTiGNalhWkEw-QcUMIsZsXEGN5jFkceLxEis9m6BGcys-_0gReb1fE/w504-h580/20240225_232522x%20resized.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><span>There was no pride in that corner. That bulletin board you see there came off the kitchen wall of the house we moved out of almost 2 1/2 years ago. And it has sat in this corner ever since it got here, with all the same old stuff thumbtacked to it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH1e6beadUUkiyfI0wKBlempo2GyDkpiqM_ROOCe-hpZErVI0k3kfefJON1mI6FNKG5dLVirkEueAHkObRAOb-ZhgWuzxxZU6-vGCIga3ogLhvjZeeaU6UutAA_1jc4Mj6wjZEyhluRLbZVami2dF5KTSkD9p4jWOr9w4iCXrQDG-luhinJv8MH3n-laq/s2319/20240226_112929x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2319" data-original-width="2173" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH1e6beadUUkiyfI0wKBlempo2GyDkpiqM_ROOCe-hpZErVI0k3kfefJON1mI6FNKG5dLVirkEueAHkObRAOb-ZhgWuzxxZU6-vGCIga3ogLhvjZeeaU6UutAA_1jc4Mj6wjZEyhluRLbZVami2dF5KTSkD9p4jWOr9w4iCXrQDG-luhinJv8MH3n-laq/w519-h554/20240226_112929x%20resized.jpg" width="519" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>The bookshelf above houses mainly art supplies, some scrapbooks and the three boxes on the bottom hold things like paper punches, stickers, and some embellishment odds and ends. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Since I haven't used much of the craft supplies in this room in two years, I decided an inventory needed to happen. I knew with doing an inventory, consolidation of like items would follow suit.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Before I started an inventory of stuff that would stay in this room, though, I decided </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I would remove everything from the office I <i>didn't</i> want to stay in here. Things that had either migrated into this room or were put here because it seemed as good a place as any at the time. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Things like...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">...files collected and created for settling my brother's estate after he passed three years ago. <i>I can't believe it's been that long...</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">... the old kitchen bulletin board with tired old stuff tacked to it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">...a couple of boxes of young children's science items (magnifying glasses, a bug collection container, a variety of magnets). There was even a box of stuffed animals. 🤔</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In other words, all the random stuff tucked into that embarrassing, neglected corner came out of the room. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As I started removing these items from the office, I decided to make a rule that nothing in this room would be stored in an ugly cardboard box. And ideally, I will also eventually whittle down the number of plastic storage containers in this space.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">With everything removed that I didn't want to stay in the room, it was much easier to inventory what would be staying. As the inventory happened, two somewhat opposite things occurred:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">1) As expected, I was able to consolidate like items and that helped me decide on some obvious things to let go of.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">and</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">2) I realized I wasn't ready to part with as much as I first imagined.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">But that isn't all bad. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Putting my hands on everything and deciding on what to get rid of and what to keep, I found I had a renewed interest in these items. Of course, that is natural, and I might find the feeling is fleeting, but that's okay. Sifting through one's stuff sometimes has to happen in layers. Time has a way of making me clearer headed - usually.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And it doesn't mean I didn't part with <i>any</i>thing. These things are going:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIYcfeTP4APIU8mBsA4siv5Ww-qSZyxQ6VHgbi54ykLfsu1TpGRAIV-Q08VhqsoQ0eaAZLyhbkGUyln2HO15dBwzg-zZ3R5ReEDJJ6rZ6idPuyCGCDxEXQrKpyMJxrOwDkiP5jCUD9Wv7YjkOeP9eG3KYCVxy43YKHuFmOvyGkJLtE4l1orI_QqA3rFPE/s3456/20240301_131642%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="497" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIYcfeTP4APIU8mBsA4siv5Ww-qSZyxQ6VHgbi54ykLfsu1TpGRAIV-Q08VhqsoQ0eaAZLyhbkGUyln2HO15dBwzg-zZ3R5ReEDJJ6rZ6idPuyCGCDxEXQrKpyMJxrOwDkiP5jCUD9Wv7YjkOeP9eG3KYCVxy43YKHuFmOvyGkJLtE4l1orI_QqA3rFPE/w497-h497/20240301_131642%20resized.jpg" width="497" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWRnLIni0B2fkPAdd-rg7iEb3kLUrF_wLGU81ShK3quziGOjZqR06pNM749-WAJMKlqGJtHPhzZXiknIlKij6fcAH98-f6etqYIbWMYFSb_mGRbDSk-_qNX5Sl4hqyBDCato6oOZGg1HmbAitv4BBl9chAcftYNsOAujc3pyWQ3Ca8l9w245S_p_L5_Lu/s3456/20240301_132305%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWRnLIni0B2fkPAdd-rg7iEb3kLUrF_wLGU81ShK3quziGOjZqR06pNM749-WAJMKlqGJtHPhzZXiknIlKij6fcAH98-f6etqYIbWMYFSb_mGRbDSk-_qNX5Sl4hqyBDCato6oOZGg1HmbAitv4BBl9chAcftYNsOAujc3pyWQ3Ca8l9w245S_p_L5_Lu/w495-h495/20240301_132305%20resized.jpg" width="495" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In addition to a bunch of glossy photo paper we brought home from my mother-in-law's house, the above things are boxed up and waiting to be given to a young therapist in my life who sometimes incorporates art therapy in her work. She also has an art studio and I'm pretty sure she'll make better use of these things than I am. And if she doesn't, that's okay. It's a relief that I've made the decision that these thing won't be my problem anymore. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Another thing I did in this office was to tidy up all the cords that go with the computer, modem, router, and printers. Greg and I are still pretty old school here, both of us preferring to type on a keyboard, and liking the larger size of a monitor to that of a laptop. While I'd love to be more cordless here, it doesn't appear that's happening any time soon.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />Until recently, the mess of cords looked like this:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiuWjA1imWpLHj-7c4CcU0Fc6q0mzORcld1agPS4ZbnYsjzeUUI_rBLr_UVUhr-NDQzK2t7EgsgkRImO6Ljw6I1u4eptewXzFow95KPPLMkEkquwo3lOPcvHPmGeecElWHtueW2AeBINvioLBOjEg3OIgOQFzmGNt70GkrWw1ZiZhyZhSMmOU2NiVw_a1/s2740/20220301_171620%20x%20resixed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2361" data-original-width="2740" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBiuWjA1imWpLHj-7c4CcU0Fc6q0mzORcld1agPS4ZbnYsjzeUUI_rBLr_UVUhr-NDQzK2t7EgsgkRImO6Ljw6I1u4eptewXzFow95KPPLMkEkquwo3lOPcvHPmGeecElWHtueW2AeBINvioLBOjEg3OIgOQFzmGNt70GkrWw1ZiZhyZhSMmOU2NiVw_a1/w483-h416/20220301_171620%20x%20resixed.jpg" width="483" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>After studying some smart looking cord corralling products online, I decided none of them would work well for this situation, so I just bought some velcro zip ties, and with some command strip velcro pieces we already had, I got to work coiling cords, and tacked most of them up under the over-hanging area of the desk...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3QS-Mo8BZGife_dukRSeVs2ikkY4_hdepU2MliTN-SqnbFE5ZANgqYOhyde5aCOgApoTk9ciqwwBI6FUKtVZSvnH-jSBWcOEUL6eZp21bjlm4T2O_GHP6EZr_VD6jhp4A_UjzUTjdZEcXgNuZdzk74NGcRUlADwELhhJTQdxmwqDQ1tvgxQEjN1B0Elj/s3456/20240308_172634%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3QS-Mo8BZGife_dukRSeVs2ikkY4_hdepU2MliTN-SqnbFE5ZANgqYOhyde5aCOgApoTk9ciqwwBI6FUKtVZSvnH-jSBWcOEUL6eZp21bjlm4T2O_GHP6EZr_VD6jhp4A_UjzUTjdZEcXgNuZdzk74NGcRUlADwELhhJTQdxmwqDQ1tvgxQEjN1B0Elj/w502-h502/20240308_172634%20resized.jpg" width="502" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTkgLUBkyyxCdZsHgmI8QJgT4v3GBvCqJ5p5rDY7M2tqe7iWlDkz4wDhabkCvp52fKIixi8Da8NtfagUYYTuS5OELPnGNcIOjpRf5FS-oJAdDFP2Apd4_A4Q0ZHjtTCeCDKlhxoZ9a7XHPcD2_yX9gfDIJ6IdF6Yhpy-U3fsJ7onc9AqEbfoYw3cfzFpR/s3456/20240308_173030%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTkgLUBkyyxCdZsHgmI8QJgT4v3GBvCqJ5p5rDY7M2tqe7iWlDkz4wDhabkCvp52fKIixi8Da8NtfagUYYTuS5OELPnGNcIOjpRf5FS-oJAdDFP2Apd4_A4Q0ZHjtTCeCDKlhxoZ9a7XHPcD2_yX9gfDIJ6IdF6Yhpy-U3fsJ7onc9AqEbfoYw3cfzFpR/w499-h499/20240308_173030%20resized.jpg" width="499" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I don't exactly love it, but it's a considerable improvement.</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As for the crafting supplies. Things got consolidated, some drawers were relabeled, and I think I can now easily put my hand on anything it might occur to me to want to use.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While this room may not ever be what someone would call pretty, it's definitely more functional. I do think my paper craft supplies may get more use now, and perhaps more importantly, my mind is clearer when I'm in here. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">There are still a few boxes (that are not coming back into the office) that need sorting through - mostly they are files and pictures of my late brother's. That sorting may not happen immediately, but it is my goal to take care of that task this year. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I hope I've inspired you to also tackle some spot in your home that's been nagging at you for attention. I find my mind is freer when it knows where things are, and when there is some "white space" in a room. Empty corners and walls count as "white space" in my book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Thanks for following along on this endeavor!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K04HOJPSQhEnfM7UQZ4wFVRlVpB3ZUwWFcUs7ZCmI8cQgTwakBe1PWGViVJ8ubgsgaBXEWRxV4ttD-gU592Mk0Ce2u9gievokb3pj6ixvmBzt-iTPNMLRsxI3moTVpKWF_jPnFQspJS4cRrfpdLa8mxPDCrP99TnH2wJuM0UoDnmEkCD04b9zuEIl3Sf/s3456/20240304_171207%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5K04HOJPSQhEnfM7UQZ4wFVRlVpB3ZUwWFcUs7ZCmI8cQgTwakBe1PWGViVJ8ubgsgaBXEWRxV4ttD-gU592Mk0Ce2u9gievokb3pj6ixvmBzt-iTPNMLRsxI3moTVpKWF_jPnFQspJS4cRrfpdLa8mxPDCrP99TnH2wJuM0UoDnmEkCD04b9zuEIl3Sf/w496-h496/20240304_171207%20resized.jpg" width="496" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIWH4CTSfY3uSeK3t0AnQlGFkVbKlc-0xMO_7hW2uQMsLH-5JzgAEUNA4mtdqKoY5eigstFPZ6goxidf6mSyBcsgp1ZTdKZWXoH-LzB68UJMcb_XxGPz1YqoL7_Ppwe2MfVTmw7fLrnBhY5tDC5rkXz9KYt7n4ohZ5D-i0qRYSMy9EQEioxKD1c5IYeGT/s3456/20240304_171918%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIWH4CTSfY3uSeK3t0AnQlGFkVbKlc-0xMO_7hW2uQMsLH-5JzgAEUNA4mtdqKoY5eigstFPZ6goxidf6mSyBcsgp1ZTdKZWXoH-LzB68UJMcb_XxGPz1YqoL7_Ppwe2MfVTmw7fLrnBhY5tDC5rkXz9KYt7n4ohZ5D-i0qRYSMy9EQEioxKD1c5IYeGT/w495-h495/20240304_171918%20resized.jpg" width="495" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqEcqlehMBbneqItSykKVEm7vxBTTjJmCWjKY1IG84eUIZ_J3QhCw3kXGXIl18n7v09VETy62D3oJcS7p72-ly3LNOzgr9adedHsP7YDfq6_7xbizC0Z2ST7ArdkTSE8plamYgTS-bMJrRw7YwyJrVY2kdj0wv9Zs1fVnTRif9GcJbUJRzzM6s9XKIGvi/s3456/20240301_125230%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqEcqlehMBbneqItSykKVEm7vxBTTjJmCWjKY1IG84eUIZ_J3QhCw3kXGXIl18n7v09VETy62D3oJcS7p72-ly3LNOzgr9adedHsP7YDfq6_7xbizC0Z2ST7ArdkTSE8plamYgTS-bMJrRw7YwyJrVY2kdj0wv9Zs1fVnTRif9GcJbUJRzzM6s9XKIGvi/w494-h494/20240301_125230%20resized.jpg" width="494" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CKWU1Z4XTjBJPBsiIm4Zqp1pLClduP8JNsMdLJfL9Yj0QrTE2sWrx3b3SO-Z_1y9NYIQCy8Fic5baouRaZoWzOTFC8YFEz_SCFGpeoslqsQJ0JZMbnqlOgk2FnwZwolxQcYNEslymeh-MVM7RQD68M_6f-vQ8Ly-zSh-J19bwgjzKKfeluZgMl69sZM6/s3381/20240301_123912x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY7MT7bSBnit96HLC1T49IzX2VCVGaB5jd5o49OsmmdK2Cov7JSwAUtGz-UrjgNevG8tGJimyA_Plbj226Feud-bkQhSNFTyWZGIMm-tCZxeF5Y2TBcVeDPGUl7ewsFt9JXitAQ0oxjhwME6bvJH-KLi7b4-ed3euRHHV9R3hLVTkOlWs0d36Rr_etHD3/s2783/20240304_172041x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2701" data-original-width="2783" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlY7MT7bSBnit96HLC1T49IzX2VCVGaB5jd5o49OsmmdK2Cov7JSwAUtGz-UrjgNevG8tGJimyA_Plbj226Feud-bkQhSNFTyWZGIMm-tCZxeF5Y2TBcVeDPGUl7ewsFt9JXitAQ0oxjhwME6bvJH-KLi7b4-ed3euRHHV9R3hLVTkOlWs0d36Rr_etHD3/w495-h483/20240304_172041x%20resized.jpg" width="495" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Dried tea bags waiting for an art project</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-4908361738325271202024-03-05T13:41:00.008-05:002024-03-05T15:47:19.702-05:00Just nuts...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCyi6CQgp6I4SF30QCFF6ROsQ6dHselQoUXoBb1h8u6FdtLfhia-8rrKfbGjDvBojcqlJQC2wwVH2lkFS7AasbNhrEJwtVve3b9yQW42e2XNBgbu9kqnI8DAqBIs3wekZ7ebcC_s3UqMXZT2TwjssNOlrIgh3Cf1b2xXmicT2ZuT-WlOIpA-5FDCTxTXi/s3456/20240304_172554%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCyi6CQgp6I4SF30QCFF6ROsQ6dHselQoUXoBb1h8u6FdtLfhia-8rrKfbGjDvBojcqlJQC2wwVH2lkFS7AasbNhrEJwtVve3b9yQW42e2XNBgbu9kqnI8DAqBIs3wekZ7ebcC_s3UqMXZT2TwjssNOlrIgh3Cf1b2xXmicT2ZuT-WlOIpA-5FDCTxTXi/w422-h422/20240304_172554%20resized.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Remnants of Christmas</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Delicious, nutritious treat</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Broken craggy shells </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='429' height='357' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwTp9G_AWj177qiZ2B-yiL8PU7xTg5SCrXIjvPGAMRPO2mEUUb3AbhnZxEx3MxI4ldPbWraAxZVmuNhPrj0Cw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i>Nod of approval </i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-82802620308039325062024-02-29T20:51:00.010-05:002024-03-01T19:16:09.818-05:00The card monster...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The process of sorting through paper craft stuff has begun, but it has not been nearly as straightforward as I imagined it might be. More on that in another post, perhaps, but for now I will talk about some success I've had.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I decided to start with cards, and card-making supplies. And here enters the character of my fantasy self. I trust by now everyone has heard of this concept of a fantasy self - a version of ourselves that we,</span><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> perhaps, aspire to, or just wish we were. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">One facet of </span><i style="font-family: Sarala;">my</i><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> fantasy self is that I am a card maker, and sender of cards for any and all occasions - birthdays, holidays, get well, thinking of you... This fantasy self pats herself on the back for being thoughtful and timely with good wishes. And everyone who is fortunate to receive a card from her is in awe.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The truth is, I am a <i>terrible</i> sender of cards. Except for my immediate family, and my sisters, I don't even TRY to remember peoples' birthdays, and long ago, we stopped sending out holiday cards. I also got honest with myself, and admitted that while I love the <i>idea</i> of beautifully hand-decorated cards, I don't actually have the desire to make them. I do sometimes like to make simple or funny or quirky cards for certain people. Not everyone. Just the lucky few who I trust will get my sense of humor or who have no choice but to indulge my other fantasy self who likes to imagine herself as a <i>sort of</i> artist (note the emphasis on <i>sort of</i>). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Long before I ever collected the first card-making item, I had a small stash of store bought cards. My original card collection started innocently enough with Current cards and a little spiral bound book that had a pocketed page for each month. Inside the pocket I could put birthday or anniversary cards, and there was space on the front of each pocket to write special dates and names of anyone I wanted to send a card to that month. For the longest time, this was a very handy and sufficient system. Until it wasn't.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">At some point, I collected enough cards (admittedly many were blank cards purchased for thank you notes) that I needed something larger to put them in. This pretty box was purchased for the purpose, and for another decade or so, this was a perfect container of cards.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WgpHoNoCB5_zv-aZJQzMFw3uy-dPT-kCjfzXEl6QbD0Tnq0VSFDmhH8ZLFOieFDgA3Md_ChQGcSHTVbUOsP1oDeTGHfgYJ47V3CMxB4KU6_g8w_rJHfPNASKOc7PRIyVYbKf-oiO-TuzVj14YW4xzI3QS_4xhGWz47OsFsAxzDJ4y_5QxTZjM1cdow9E/s3019/20240229_160249%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2752" data-original-width="3019" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WgpHoNoCB5_zv-aZJQzMFw3uy-dPT-kCjfzXEl6QbD0Tnq0VSFDmhH8ZLFOieFDgA3Md_ChQGcSHTVbUOsP1oDeTGHfgYJ47V3CMxB4KU6_g8w_rJHfPNASKOc7PRIyVYbKf-oiO-TuzVj14YW4xzI3QS_4xhGWz47OsFsAxzDJ4y_5QxTZjM1cdow9E/w427-h390/20240229_160249%20x%20resized.jpg" width="427" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></div>I would sort through it it occasionally and it never got out of hand. I have dividers to keep the cards organized by categories. Have I already mentioned how perfect it is?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">When my MIL passed in 2020, and we were clearing her house, we uncovered a massive collection of cards she had been storing. Unlike me, she was probably a true sender of cards, even if she had too many. Corralling them from their various hiding places, I sorted them into categories into a dozen or more boxes. Before donating them, everyone took what they wanted. I thought I was being selective, and not taking all that many, but when I got them home and tried to figure out where to put them, I began to realize I had more cards than I could use in what's left of my lifetime.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm happy to say, this week, using the container concept, I decided to get back to only having as many cards as will fit in my perfect-sized card box. And I (mostly) succeeded. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRqFHca4R3oWor0Cv25_ssFZgxp-7_89xoaC_MBorakUdNpU8F4cvK8ra8N0njaS4Db5dXsxyGf8xjJHzWObobiLXv9t_KW7hhcTK4uOTejL5qr9hyphenhyphenoT9R9DH1oeJELj-bdzhxVwxPTuP3Kvty43kQ7O1QhBuJnUsy7IZR15wCz-mCQWuQHl9RB5t4Jvi/s3456/20240229_160450%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRqFHca4R3oWor0Cv25_ssFZgxp-7_89xoaC_MBorakUdNpU8F4cvK8ra8N0njaS4Db5dXsxyGf8xjJHzWObobiLXv9t_KW7hhcTK4uOTejL5qr9hyphenhyphenoT9R9DH1oeJELj-bdzhxVwxPTuP3Kvty43kQ7O1QhBuJnUsy7IZR15wCz-mCQWuQHl9RB5t4Jvi/w416-h416/20240229_160450%20resized.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br />Sorting through them all, I packaged up a bunch of cards to donate to a thrift store in town, and a large box of Christmas cards are going to wait to be sorted through and most of them donated next winter. The only other cards I've kept are a photograph box full of blank cards for whatever crafty card making I might be inspired to do. It's all still too many cards, but at least they're whittled down, and more space is made in the office. Most importantly, the cards I've kept fit us, and the scenarios we might actually send a card for. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Most of the cards below have a new home in a local happy-to-have-them thrift store. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3Z2CORLqxsgxyI5YaazQeN65KOqOy7IKMrb2Uih91_6yF5JWBlYXHNiqt5PdtYqQPyJVBFIW3zmhsbHmgVn8ljJAAhqqkTPjT1Ga9-fqFz6oKnHQrwWSOZupSu6rBf2ILRCO-1Oq6yq-erWSwJF_1913wipu-fBtEj1xAFW2HcoG6t-CL8DAp6uStP8P/s3114/20240227_201908%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2730" data-original-width="3114" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3Z2CORLqxsgxyI5YaazQeN65KOqOy7IKMrb2Uih91_6yF5JWBlYXHNiqt5PdtYqQPyJVBFIW3zmhsbHmgVn8ljJAAhqqkTPjT1Ga9-fqFz6oKnHQrwWSOZupSu6rBf2ILRCO-1Oq6yq-erWSwJF_1913wipu-fBtEj1xAFW2HcoG6t-CL8DAp6uStP8P/w446-h391/20240227_201908%20x%20resized.jpg" width="446" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The card monster has been tamed. The other paper-crafting supplies will be addressed another day</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-29107862876972567762024-02-26T12:42:00.030-05:002024-02-29T20:54:24.338-05:00So many thoughts at once...<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ey5rOOXfT8ZMIqfjyVCmMy7226bJtNQSpkQXlg4Gf8zZpJTU8H7Tn-bvDt1quvteek66VFnl8oLLXtyP3ltWoKF_PQd93V4jLN5c2OaURVh3BBCBTGh3j6UO7Dro1WJEc3pXgVs90WEU3LzIkpQw8x86DTdQMKw9NnzJqAv-jxx3b-nxJ_7fpnW1XJOR/s3264/20240225_213813%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ey5rOOXfT8ZMIqfjyVCmMy7226bJtNQSpkQXlg4Gf8zZpJTU8H7Tn-bvDt1quvteek66VFnl8oLLXtyP3ltWoKF_PQd93V4jLN5c2OaURVh3BBCBTGh3j6UO7Dro1WJEc3pXgVs90WEU3LzIkpQw8x86DTdQMKw9NnzJqAv-jxx3b-nxJ_7fpnW1XJOR/w476-h356/20240225_213813%20x%20resized.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Why do ideas come to me so many at a time? Is it like this for you? It seems I either drag along for days on end, not
overly motivated, or the ideas for things to do are so many and varied and come
so fast that I feel overwhelmed by the choices.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><o:p> <br /></o:p>I'm going to let you inside my brain for a bit and let you see how the train of thought winds its way around in there. Tell me if you relate. </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Things on my mind at the moment:<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Finishing organizing this office I’m sitting in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>Organizing and streamlining my craft stuff<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>Making some (maybe hard) decisions about what crafts I even want to
<i>do</i> at this point<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>It’s occurring to me that my papercraft stuff is mostly what's left to organize in the office, and that thought gives me comfort as I realize this job shouldn't be as overwhelming as I've been allowing myself to feel about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>My craft stuff, in general, is a big chunk of what is
weighing me down, causing my motivation to lag. I've known this for years. It's time to come to terms with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>Figuring out the entirety of my craft stuff is going to be a process. I enjoy different hobbies, but having a sufficient (sometimes an abundance of) supplies to pursue those hobbies can be detrimental to the creative process. This is going to take time. I will do well to accept that up front.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>It doesn’t help that even as I type, I want to craft, draw, paint, sew, crochet - just make stuff. But I can't cull through and organize, and create the mess involved in making stuff at the same time. <br /><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><o:p>Things other than crafts I'm thinking about:</o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><o:p><br /></o:p>I also want to go through my closet and see what I will feel good about wearing for spring. My body has changed, and much of what I wore last spring just isn't going to work well now.<br /> <o:p> <br /></o:p>I’m continuing to deep clean the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, this doesn’t require a lot of
thought, and my strength and energy seem up to the task for the most part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping up the momentum is the
main thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the sunshine we’ve
been having recently, dusty windows are starting to bother me, so maybe I’ll tackle
some strategic ones this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so maybe I can just put that thought off for later.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>I also want to plan a garden, maybe order seeds, and
maybe even try to get some seedlings going.<br /> <o:p> <br /></o:p>And, with this crazy warm weather we’ve been having, I can't believe I'm already starting to wonder if I should uncover the strawberries and get that
bed ready for spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strawberries
usually don’t get uncovered until late March or April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what about the asparagus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could I possibly have any coming through the
soil already?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely not, but I should check
sometime this week.<br /> <o:p> <br /></o:p>And none of this touches the personal disciplines I
feel the need to be about, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Exercise, planning and cooking healthy meals, Bible study, even pleasure
reading…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That list seems to go on, too.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>And somewhere in between deciding on things I <i>want</i> to do, is the necessary and often mundane stuff like laundry, grocery
shopping, dishes, sleeping…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t find
these things particularly onerous to do, but they do slow me down.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Earlier this month I printed out a free habit tracker from
<a href="https://www.saturdaygift.com/habit-tracker-printable/" target="_blank">here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've mostly failed at habit tracking in February,
but a new month (which feels like a new beginning) is right around the
corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love new beginnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seem to live for them – wanting to cast old
failures aside as soon as I can turn a calendar page.<br /><o:p> <br /></o:p>Last week I began reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> When I put it on "hold" a couple of weeks ago, I was something like 36th in line. Even with four or five copies in our library system, I figured it would be months before I would rise to the top of the pack of people wanting to read this book. I was shocked to get it last week, and assuming there are others behind me, I must be disciplined if I'm going to finish this book before I have to return it. </span>I’m in the second chapter, and I can say right from
the beginning James Clear has some real gems to share.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDgLuWeS-EZFiytpv_FG647SKyU_zxQuTWCgiisgBUBzud2LSjZwtQGpND6L3Tn7KTQAGTltUOuEoyldk9k3sC9bfBSXt0X9BmrhECTrFSulb1qH8ms2WM4bschcsUxC_Uge0h-1WH-TQvmGolnGHdNms3-PJIF18FqK85qgjoXzgckRPPHpmP88sFdHn/s3456/20240226_112237%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDgLuWeS-EZFiytpv_FG647SKyU_zxQuTWCgiisgBUBzud2LSjZwtQGpND6L3Tn7KTQAGTltUOuEoyldk9k3sC9bfBSXt0X9BmrhECTrFSulb1qH8ms2WM4bschcsUxC_Uge0h-1WH-TQvmGolnGHdNms3-PJIF18FqK85qgjoXzgckRPPHpmP88sFdHn/w417-h417/20240226_112237%20resized.jpg" width="417" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>As I consider whether or not to publish this post, I will be the first to say I'm not sure it's worthy of publishing. But I do know it was worth writing. Getting my jumbled and competing thoughts in
print is often the route to clearer thinking – eventually.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"> <o:p> <br /></o:p>Since I've decided to go ahead and hit "Publish", and since I’m putting myself out on a limb with this post,
I’ll invite you to watch this space for more posts I’m thinking
may be a series as I tackle some of my organizational projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /> </span><o:p> <br /></o:p>The first project being papercraft supplies.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWR2mSClkXcgZqWLSBwTyLEticD1DJk53BZzXwZyzOc75-TN0XuHWhb-xqeyI0wYNjQsT7mKosP8GqD4iU4z4-P-CIhKamjHaHwsfVQ25iv-y9kWl9HF8IeXi0N9wSsjIJBOckmQWQGCAZOAvnxs6fA8eMVJYRTvjKFYG-TFdollgVWHqOaAAMOu1H39C/s3456/20240226_113938%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWR2mSClkXcgZqWLSBwTyLEticD1DJk53BZzXwZyzOc75-TN0XuHWhb-xqeyI0wYNjQsT7mKosP8GqD4iU4z4-P-CIhKamjHaHwsfVQ25iv-y9kWl9HF8IeXi0N9wSsjIJBOckmQWQGCAZOAvnxs6fA8eMVJYRTvjKFYG-TFdollgVWHqOaAAMOu1H39C/w376-h376/20240226_113938%20resized.jpg" width="376" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQouJdd57POM2pK9i7WFlvmB8Qx531swPpGmhV4JyO-dhmtHsTF5e0_HKioI4doIMRH444dz4YhIaTH_bYI3CceckQwgWQ6U1SE4pHSwtOogt7VjR7056VGBR53_M5MrW6ZFJiqYndPxIqKFnGNG0otE2Ja66nprKP3lN8WmyBsC7H3pep5Fn4qDFYJdkD/s3456/20240226_114007%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQouJdd57POM2pK9i7WFlvmB8Qx531swPpGmhV4JyO-dhmtHsTF5e0_HKioI4doIMRH444dz4YhIaTH_bYI3CceckQwgWQ6U1SE4pHSwtOogt7VjR7056VGBR53_M5MrW6ZFJiqYndPxIqKFnGNG0otE2Ja66nprKP3lN8WmyBsC7H3pep5Fn4qDFYJdkD/w380-h380/20240226_114007%20resized.jpg" width="380" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3Oerchyphenhyphend3exWi9vyUOiMbONyvtMHHQjt-EZ3CqQm9ToQRH0mSnrQexq2pMO2s5KG8CffVdYklYG3f_utc6fvz49QmWhaR4CQNYcTFo7oNbqLAMDf5poboKLJE7X7sBOnSrE69byy4Dq-AnVUA3jpLdn-GDkqpJfFebm7ivBcGT-GwEgJ6BjrUqQJ93el/s3456/20240226_113928%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3Oerchyphenhyphend3exWi9vyUOiMbONyvtMHHQjt-EZ3CqQm9ToQRH0mSnrQexq2pMO2s5KG8CffVdYklYG3f_utc6fvz49QmWhaR4CQNYcTFo7oNbqLAMDf5poboKLJE7X7sBOnSrE69byy4Dq-AnVUA3jpLdn-GDkqpJfFebm7ivBcGT-GwEgJ6BjrUqQJ93el/w382-h382/20240226_113928%20resized.jpg" width="382" /></span></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5ZIfURIXy_yEpg0de0D2fWiSTpBR3kl6ER9y4sekJoUAm59eFUMULvJOQj5GFKHrvOnPT7FAllEJ1997sHCEO7y_eXOV3CLuOc5Be3SIxhMXURpE_2SF1cO8oPlNxLV7N8-xrgSWuOTBVi0wFIO4yEEB8VJx3B_upBKoHdiMllIMidHf0C41dRq5gT35/s3456/20240226_112407%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5ZIfURIXy_yEpg0de0D2fWiSTpBR3kl6ER9y4sekJoUAm59eFUMULvJOQj5GFKHrvOnPT7FAllEJ1997sHCEO7y_eXOV3CLuOc5Be3SIxhMXURpE_2SF1cO8oPlNxLV7N8-xrgSWuOTBVi0wFIO4yEEB8VJx3B_upBKoHdiMllIMidHf0C41dRq5gT35/w385-h385/20240226_112407%20resized.jpg" width="385" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhUa_LpHEODBa8OB8QPwlqtc4w2k1CbmpBZXaAK4K1hhVlt2yqCxSFbMrdf25vVXhlsJmSHpfUf1Sx-iLulk4FsgbF4B8DouYO84MbcnfsQZJ2lMt5UQEZtRXaxy9FA3pQHgrYr71ar5vZoAn8q_5QxpQOAkfMTPX7DzA_NnaOqZwYdaNj1yTt4NMKaOb/s3456/20240226_112348%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhUa_LpHEODBa8OB8QPwlqtc4w2k1CbmpBZXaAK4K1hhVlt2yqCxSFbMrdf25vVXhlsJmSHpfUf1Sx-iLulk4FsgbF4B8DouYO84MbcnfsQZJ2lMt5UQEZtRXaxy9FA3pQHgrYr71ar5vZoAn8q_5QxpQOAkfMTPX7DzA_NnaOqZwYdaNj1yTt4NMKaOb/w379-h379/20240226_112348%20resized.jpg" width="379" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>Don't think for one minute that this is the total of my paper crafting stash. This is just a teaser to pique your interest. In a future post, I'll invite you into my actual process. Dawn (<a href="https://www.theminimalmom.com/" target="_blank">The Minimal Mom</a>) would say I'm about to embark on an inventory process, Dana White (AKA <a href="https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/podcasts/" target="_blank">A Slob Comes Clean</a>) would encourage me to use the container concept. <a href="https://jamesclear.com/" target="_blank">James Clear</a>, author of Atomic Habits, would say I'm deciding on the type of person I want to be. They would all be right. And since this isn't my first rodeo, </span><span>I'll be adding their wisdom to my lifetime of experience of, <i>yet again</i>, tackling</span><span> my stuff.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-87085681889769350572024-02-16T17:33:00.001-05:002024-03-05T15:47:55.820-05:00Beans, beans, the magical fruit...<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfetaVkYAhrQ30QbC-5pCNf2nj9o35J5swa-yo_3yDSffRD1cgWxkkH7WqursLIgLmYMexzqtLRnKr3x_VV0RhZcAPv1kBMPqlIvc3Zfjym9a3uBfiecRcRm4ALzqSHZ_aXXf56FXzcrLbg000TBYUyqi0bT_QuTMp8nNYstJ30ig0mJTDWffTOB8zU8Et/s3180/20240213_153705%20x%20resizd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2948" data-original-width="3180" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfetaVkYAhrQ30QbC-5pCNf2nj9o35J5swa-yo_3yDSffRD1cgWxkkH7WqursLIgLmYMexzqtLRnKr3x_VV0RhZcAPv1kBMPqlIvc3Zfjym9a3uBfiecRcRm4ALzqSHZ_aXXf56FXzcrLbg000TBYUyqi0bT_QuTMp8nNYstJ30ig0mJTDWffTOB8zU8Et/w520-h483/20240213_153705%20x%20resizd.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">15-bean soup mix</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bgm6p_r7NxmCGLbTmzMIO9Ncxft4bFMp0PrnRaYVFLKVCXurd2Fg_9Vb2khcvRO52ysgGVk6KSGFwSXGfHAGtCSWeWhPhx1aRTXl7sFceqjuuFRCv6dkcx3nkGVCOY6Dm08i7-cIsTRWmpHp2Jn25Fz4HB39wH2GvvhGXc_2TOh2aszvNgm5RiNCHO9M/s3456/20240213_153622%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bgm6p_r7NxmCGLbTmzMIO9Ncxft4bFMp0PrnRaYVFLKVCXurd2Fg_9Vb2khcvRO52ysgGVk6KSGFwSXGfHAGtCSWeWhPhx1aRTXl7sFceqjuuFRCv6dkcx3nkGVCOY6Dm08i7-cIsTRWmpHp2Jn25Fz4HB39wH2GvvhGXc_2TOh2aszvNgm5RiNCHO9M/w533-h533/20240213_153622%20resized.jpg" width="533" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Overnight-soaked, wrinkly-skinned </div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippQ3Z2aD61nUgZ-wF8BCdf_64c3XXXFmindahhq9OgxKETqNUoZPbbA2DurGiBYZDXKsnAF1LvPHObOcGRjqvwbRz98UvPF4CU4SkzV_SXxAdXr24aZJx_LROX6fAig4oTmP7rErdbmuz00SzWO3mClkfGrnTclbPHhV0cYFgmvAhmn3fNroV6_gcQwkX/s3456/20240213_153742%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippQ3Z2aD61nUgZ-wF8BCdf_64c3XXXFmindahhq9OgxKETqNUoZPbbA2DurGiBYZDXKsnAF1LvPHObOcGRjqvwbRz98UvPF4CU4SkzV_SXxAdXr24aZJx_LROX6fAig4oTmP7rErdbmuz00SzWO3mClkfGrnTclbPHhV0cYFgmvAhmn3fNroV6_gcQwkX/w536-h536/20240213_153742%20resized.jpg" width="536" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Prelude to dinner</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The finished tan-gray soup can never do justice to these beautiful, colorful beans, so appreciating them before cooking seems a worthy thing to do.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Adding ham, onions, garlic, and chopped carrots (pretty much according to my post <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/2020/05/ham-bean-soup.html">here</a>), Ham & Beans Soup was enjoyed this week, and extra was shared with friends.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I don't know why I only seem to make this yummy soup once, at most twice a year, but this week was a perfect time for it. The last of it was enjoyed o</span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">n this snowy, wet February day. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv-zAQAmsEPhlpMal7hJ9943Qa_tBeymJRIwr-AQr1qzr6hwtHBS6ZqPuoEE9TGmKCMPHMVcJNs7sD7rjVAEY8Hn_dxDYjgVeJBG1T4k4ZBH4sGFf59R9BTs1ON0kl39xrQbuxYrn4UvOz9dCu-031-ezCk_DvuQYxw55UVEpTBO4QZbpIv0FhljBjJO6/s3456/20240216_152308%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv-zAQAmsEPhlpMal7hJ9943Qa_tBeymJRIwr-AQr1qzr6hwtHBS6ZqPuoEE9TGmKCMPHMVcJNs7sD7rjVAEY8Hn_dxDYjgVeJBG1T4k4ZBH4sGFf59R9BTs1ON0kl39xrQbuxYrn4UvOz9dCu-031-ezCk_DvuQYxw55UVEpTBO4QZbpIv0FhljBjJO6/w513-h513/20240216_152308%20resized.jpg" width="513" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='512' height='426' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwcOeVHvO48ucbWsZ6HI4u6M7H0x_1kZJswMlu4u_qBmwAKl7YmgryzQ7xtPnnyd9vClVUo_M0uvMylhxeZcA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-70944940115210260592024-02-13T21:35:00.017-05:002024-02-16T02:00:32.887-05:00On the crochet front...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">What better time than Valentine's week to post about finishing a blanket I've dubbed "Sweetheart Blanket".</span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxur0aDhA_3G03SAyIc7OKG4cIL9z8Hycie3s6Ru2FsDKQCXbCjePPqdy0mso_zSpEuUSyiYsXnDP5Ysr3N-HtGi_C_r2R5npJAA8rNng_yPzQJKVXbAHD4K7OaSwhaOmPjcdTc3dV2zgY_0TNy_URgYnvhZI1wsLX9I3otRGFUueEmEa8Lq26aPt1H2a/s3367/20240131_141514%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3367" data-original-width="2925" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxur0aDhA_3G03SAyIc7OKG4cIL9z8Hycie3s6Ru2FsDKQCXbCjePPqdy0mso_zSpEuUSyiYsXnDP5Ysr3N-HtGi_C_r2R5npJAA8rNng_yPzQJKVXbAHD4K7OaSwhaOmPjcdTc3dV2zgY_0TNy_URgYnvhZI1wsLX9I3otRGFUueEmEa8Lq26aPt1H2a/w452-h520/20240131_141514%20x%20resized.jpg" width="452" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Can you see little hearts in the shell pattern of this blanket?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCmTvpBavxeSl3SKQdVj-_ymmpupCd6oDB2e6YgaAewnSYTedK4cIJg554R5Urq5GqqsAOySjZqdopheNrdJTe4y3tHOTaeTFuwLsGOCjAFRUHlSo6cCnzhKubiw6DXotLzZH5BvXl8RBtWfFqmpykRNWjFFu1mbkbSYW2oVSMta1O6ljlyXg4f1i1Hbz/s2195/20240131_141537%20chopped%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2195" data-original-width="1890" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCmTvpBavxeSl3SKQdVj-_ymmpupCd6oDB2e6YgaAewnSYTedK4cIJg554R5Urq5GqqsAOySjZqdopheNrdJTe4y3tHOTaeTFuwLsGOCjAFRUHlSo6cCnzhKubiw6DXotLzZH5BvXl8RBtWfFqmpykRNWjFFu1mbkbSYW2oVSMta1O6ljlyXg4f1i1Hbz/w457-h530/20240131_141537%20chopped%20resized.jpg" width="457" /></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">If you can't, don't stress. The blanket is actually called Corn on the Cob, and it's from the book Weekend Afghans (<span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">ISBN-10: 0806964871). It was originally crocheted in all yellow yarn - which is where its likeness to corn on the cob ended, so if you don't see corn on the cob, don't stress that either. For some reason, the first time I came across the pattern, I saw heart shapes in all those pretty shells. I don't see them so much this time, but the name has stuck, and I have now made my second Sweetheart Blanket in a pink gradient. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">So that's two blankets now on the books in my quest to burn through some yarn stash this year.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplblssDMWkX0mYqywtoXtFJkzYXnlS8Xj8n_mcWVS0wm1egjPxzLd-jtGLX6jg1OsxSgqFwbx5tAY3alX5J_7QY3xHp9dy5k7Ro3o_7JinYcGkUpH6kmn7qh_GTlNYiPQ8ZHzuv85OQQWj0KWJ314qk1cWI7WXYAmvDUv6zY7slHPfA15E3NGWG8N6pUB/s3240/20240131_151811%20x%20resized%20c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="3184" height="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplblssDMWkX0mYqywtoXtFJkzYXnlS8Xj8n_mcWVS0wm1egjPxzLd-jtGLX6jg1OsxSgqFwbx5tAY3alX5J_7QY3xHp9dy5k7Ro3o_7JinYcGkUpH6kmn7qh_GTlNYiPQ8ZHzuv85OQQWj0KWJ314qk1cWI7WXYAmvDUv6zY7slHPfA15E3NGWG8N6pUB/w447-h455/20240131_151811%20x%20resized%20c.jpg" width="447" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">Also crochet related... In January I decided to join again with a Block-A-Month Crochet-A-Long (BAMCAL, for short) group on <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/groups/2024-crochet-block-a-month-cal" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. The idea behind this group is that you crochet along with others two different blocks each month (that are picked out by the moderators of the group), and by the end of the year you've made enough blocks to make a large blanket. I think it was 2017 that I joined this group and crocheted my first block for my "blanket of many blocks". It is now 2024 and I have taken stock and see that I've made a total of seven blocks in all this time. In case I've lost you, let me do the math... </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">That's an average of one-block-a-year! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">Now, a lap blanket is made up 12 squares, a throw is 20 squares, and a full size blanket would be made up of around 30 squares. Clearly, I need to rethink this project, as I will not live long enough to complete a blanket at the rate I am going on this.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">Fortunately for me, I</span></span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; font-family: Sarala;">'ve learned some things in my 7 years of slow-poking my way to a blanket made of various and diverse squares.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">While I love the idea of crochet-a-longs, I have questionable follow-through. What I love is the camaraderie and encouragement one gets when doing something as part of a group. What I <i>don't </i>love is making something (anything, really) that someone else has picked out. So, just a month after declaring I was rejoining the 2024 BAMCAL, I'm parting from the pack and going my own way on this. Fortunately, the group has a thread where participants can share their "non-cal" squares, so that will allow me to be in on some of the fun. And no one seems to mind if anyone completes a blanket made up entirely of the monthly squares, so it appears I can still hang out with these peeps and do my own thing to some degree.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">I've already created a file on Ravelry of square patterns that look like ones I'd enjoy making, and ought to work well with the colors I've chosen to work with.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">Currently, I'm working on a square called Sage Advice (which, actually, <i>was</i> one of the January BAMCAL squares):</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVoXdIB99XfKrjRewOgZA1YwRNfrC5HXR5JnlcMMBKcXQO88mkotUSEDr4zy8VkQgdP8letNFkgBTSzWdbpEvSL1dW_RGvwell8CJezUJpgFoHN0vkjL73il-xzsN-RlPomqFl1yVQedUOnm3el5mKLw4H-xhDdHfRdPHuhX1dDACy7rJ0OgJPl-ah-D1/s3456/20240213_151914%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVoXdIB99XfKrjRewOgZA1YwRNfrC5HXR5JnlcMMBKcXQO88mkotUSEDr4zy8VkQgdP8letNFkgBTSzWdbpEvSL1dW_RGvwell8CJezUJpgFoHN0vkjL73il-xzsN-RlPomqFl1yVQedUOnm3el5mKLw4H-xhDdHfRdPHuhX1dDACy7rJ0OgJPl-ah-D1/w492-h492/20240213_151914%20resized.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>I'm almost done crocheting it, and will soon move on to sewing in the ends.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-rCtto0qRa_8iYtFq3UnFH5vYiMRv5dRZpZ4_O95eZLgtK5dcfJgb6HmMW5SGsqq0oCdaL8_O0OTLqTpXCcCH5nObWn-Yuzc70sQfpdxrAy6k-7JGC6-x0zV6E53oM7lkp9qnE0Ni_OjA-0h4JF6CHIMDGBztJQWBZnOFBQWQpiXTyQFw-6j8NbwrGah/s3456/20240213_152001%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="491" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-rCtto0qRa_8iYtFq3UnFH5vYiMRv5dRZpZ4_O95eZLgtK5dcfJgb6HmMW5SGsqq0oCdaL8_O0OTLqTpXCcCH5nObWn-Yuzc70sQfpdxrAy6k-7JGC6-x0zV6E53oM7lkp9qnE0Ni_OjA-0h4JF6CHIMDGBztJQWBZnOFBQWQpiXTyQFw-6j8NbwrGah/w491-h491/20240213_152001%20resized.jpg" width="491" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">It looks like a mess, and like something that would be tedious to do. While I don't love this part of a project, if I put on the right mindset, I can find sewing in ends almost as meditative as crocheting. It's all a part of the process.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;">Now, that I've gotten some clarity about how to finish this blanket-of-many-squares project, wish me well on the follow-through and execution!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-54333995899783844742024-02-06T22:11:00.012-05:002024-02-07T21:55:53.224-05:00New gutters... in February?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">With close to spring-like temperatures these last two weeks, we've been getting some outside work done on the house. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">We recently suffered some leaks onto our living room ceiling and after having it inspected by two different companies (one that does not do gutters, so they had no vested interest), it was concluded that our gutters were to blame. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Greg climbs a ladder a few times a year to remove debris from the gutters, but that, evidently, wasn't good enough for this winter. While we've known the slope on the old gutters wasn't great, we didn't realize just how bad of a problem it was. What appears to have happened during the deep freeze most of the country experienced a few weeks ago, is that after a lot of rain and a bit of snow, an ice dam built up in the guttering on the front of our house. At some point it must have encroached into the soffit and worked its way into the attic - how much it's hard to know. A warm day finally allowed it to start melting, resulting in a series of wet spots across the front outside edge of our living room ceiling. For the moment, the stains left don't look very bad, and likely no one visiting would even notice them, but we know they are there. At some point, a ceiling paint job will likely be hired out, but we first addressed the gutters.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOTX0nTMvL7LHYIvjCxdeoplG_mowyqlZSgP83IU9_ul-DanUZqZziglsY5Hwc3HkMLqMGIN4k3UgdYYB8NuDbfoqDk3GvmX5fydstb1QX06a7INZI4wWINVnsLYUjoy35h8fO0dw3L5wHmbEUgl9j8OeA_GjpQCHfrwfAoemThsXtGdHPm4Gn2cvLYCJ/s3456/20240202_115822%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOTX0nTMvL7LHYIvjCxdeoplG_mowyqlZSgP83IU9_ul-DanUZqZziglsY5Hwc3HkMLqMGIN4k3UgdYYB8NuDbfoqDk3GvmX5fydstb1QX06a7INZI4wWINVnsLYUjoy35h8fO0dw3L5wHmbEUgl9j8OeA_GjpQCHfrwfAoemThsXtGdHPm4Gn2cvLYCJ/w419-h419/20240202_115822%20x%20resized.jpg" width="419" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHraTSZj7TdWdJahaBGglc1yBxVPsYOszle6lGkHyyA3amTB7iWU-F0742DPk2ztuLd2DQyGE0KtbzenOuq3sy-S_bpAFqi1UEMsaNUji9dwLKQG467WpaZupR5r9kDMkR3RLJ0wbXD2QO8wB1urzk0OvkM7kx2j0Mb3S3ORRrV6lrk58QbKbDT4qANFr/s4080/20240202_104213%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHraTSZj7TdWdJahaBGglc1yBxVPsYOszle6lGkHyyA3amTB7iWU-F0742DPk2ztuLd2DQyGE0KtbzenOuq3sy-S_bpAFqi1UEMsaNUji9dwLKQG467WpaZupR5r9kDMkR3RLJ0wbXD2QO8wB1urzk0OvkM7kx2j0Mb3S3ORRrV6lrk58QbKbDT4qANFr/w423-h564/20240202_104213%20resized.jpg" width="423" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><div><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></div>On </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Friday of last week, we got new gutters with a leaf filtering guard system. It's a beautiful installation. </span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='427' height='355' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTBm3IxvnlH_XlcJUiey_zYhNSkhFL_yfx-VRNfNoObgANkTGKbkLtv84XolaZyXYCIIUkFQxOaLOwc54pSw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuo40r-2HPM8l7Evzej4HY4JUHAyBEQsEMVo77AbyFdG2cf_zph5SxoG14AGW7Np0hYp9x0RfqLpMj9YqzBDbA9l8d0OBZsueYHEIHDCdaJHquWCfbYtxV45OS2ZGYJmk2-gVOU2A6-cQbKhHHBRSFBVQel2q3WzRILSlB7pCV49JfThSAgW2eXmfF4DQ7/s4080/20240202_110145%20x%20resozed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANjHjVt-T2PosBsqRl1ieK2DaB5l0ge_BN1EOGEu3Q1kMQPTQMAsgPuiApz2KnlkR0XnebyKMg85mQg13hz_jiAH7Yq6NF-SbSkk3n8OYNHmOQY9UUsMaUmJ7w2eYDsLLpxP7eRgYo7a7sQ6r4NFC1KGGRbz_a-BRhc4stCBX1phF6D_EaGa3aklncV9W/w421-h562/20240202_104215%20resized.jpg" width="421" /></span></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eSAwg9_GSh3lYUK1V7_AOZ7gFyvfR-hK3yeZqkCfiv_H9t_5qS0IIjPB-CF5ghMf1EGS0lNngbwmyAuUPUeR1FWSIBhDR3i6R5skbIRbMsBuUU3prGH58ftZaIIeQ4pImdvrr7MhWScFqPSidqrkG3e4xmoDZPXCKE1CcTOQJ_MqgbCG7VzWdYoTOPbb/s3456/20240202_120010%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtuyjmFLnNrZQ0UCBDqADeFdq6JPxlOm5AdbF7c7OwKS6hC0zVuvbCLXBhjAVe8U7N8MHWpPwRQXCcJlml22YueL-1i-QAuxo_07A8m-C-Ubc5DAR4EvxzZ9Vr4unxEvh_6OzCiI6BQs2MrU2abFY11V7FPcDPMCOQH3_UggO-HHbwUcV0miP3BjdN-Fh/s3060/20240202_114021%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2987" data-original-width="3060" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMmrA4M5yWEIRfTIUtyBUioenJA1HCshohA2zgbDz6wyzgvNztUEAFegeSTTvJPlMOlTp6RxRXmd1qS25g_8d9jIL2g5v9A-8W_KTARl8wQpXJrzaaOjefaB-d-sqir3oI1OvkG2hQtUCLi-a2p4H-_k75_1LE99upjVREgdWBRXiV3zD2ei8-E9B2ujB/w428-h417/20240202_111611%20x%20resized.jpg" width="428" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='434' height='361' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxTch_bAg_Z6rJX2GBE9ld6lh420B1RizEk_TtnSXmo1hK7fvZ7AvknjxeFPCRqXVOiwNv-uiFoQM1fG8Ybrg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-AjgEWJVPEnRJz0KKk3zmjSDMFEMfOPv6EFGhGQmJckU8CplRujDaroRf8WQzUq2vC9C755rK3ZRMM6Yv_zpCou9LqSAiynvL2Klkc6PLpkyuIMCA2Am32W1klPX-27A4eiOAkm5y5rZvVtauDVAlvofp0KcQPG3Tlza8NM3VH6yHLtQRlqAv0f7zIB5/s3456/20240202_120010%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-AjgEWJVPEnRJz0KKk3zmjSDMFEMfOPv6EFGhGQmJckU8CplRujDaroRf8WQzUq2vC9C755rK3ZRMM6Yv_zpCou9LqSAiynvL2Klkc6PLpkyuIMCA2Am32W1klPX-27A4eiOAkm5y5rZvVtauDVAlvofp0KcQPG3Tlza8NM3VH6yHLtQRlqAv0f7zIB5/w438-h438/20240202_120010%20resized.jpg" width="438" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYpjMyKvUX3BaLi6uMpj24utIU8YoMTy1QEiuTcRod6TwQ5oEquSDvCOfC8oE0aDt10mbJax4tdmu6E1_QsK-ZFw5a7D20rIMqqtZwT0i-DVInz2TWsotwP5dlVWKD7j0ymtoN0YN-qslM1ayx2SuffW2xiHiHe9Anj5ELANcQbW-l7DMqr6XM6gNgcuk/s2584/20240202_112119%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="2584" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYpjMyKvUX3BaLi6uMpj24utIU8YoMTy1QEiuTcRod6TwQ5oEquSDvCOfC8oE0aDt10mbJax4tdmu6E1_QsK-ZFw5a7D20rIMqqtZwT0i-DVInz2TWsotwP5dlVWKD7j0ymtoN0YN-qslM1ayx2SuffW2xiHiHe9Anj5ELANcQbW-l7DMqr6XM6gNgcuk/w442-h365/20240202_112119%20x%20resized.jpg" width="442" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The company offered us multiple discounts (because it was February, and we're seniors, and the salesman treated us to a friends and family discount, AND we were extremely flexible with the timing of the installation) and the price finally came down to merely expensive, instead of the <i>insane</i> amount the salesperson started with. I suppose they have to do stuff like that to make you feel a little better about parting with your cash. At the end of the day, with today's inflation, while I don't expect that we got a "deal", we think the price is reflective of the current economy, but more importantly, Greg got freedom from having to climb a ladder again to clean the gutters every spring and fall. And, hopefully, a new gutter with a good leaf filtering system will be a nice feature when we decide to sell.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">The thought of selling and moving ever again makes me numb, but realistically, we won't likely be here more than 10 years, considering our ages. That's the way Greg talks, anyway. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I can't think about it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It's supposed to reach 60 degrees here on Friday, and I'm nearly giddy about it! I know this unseasonably warm weather won't last long, but it's that many fewer cold days 'till spring! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-51155776443910288702024-02-03T15:53:00.014-05:002024-02-05T16:08:35.005-05:00Spare time...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">There are seasons in life when spare time is easy to distinguish from, well... committed time. No matter where we are on the spectrum of having commitments, it's likely many of us would say we don't have enough spare time. The funny thing I've come to realize is we can have both too much spare time, and <i>feel</i> like we have too little at the same time. Transitions in life can cause one to think more deeply about time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Regret for wasting time...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Maybe next time...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">There's plenty of time for...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Time is going too fast...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Realizing it's too late to do some things...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As I've gotten older, it has become less true that time is money, but rather... time is opportunity.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While I didn't retire from a full-time job as I grew into senior citizen status, I did retire from my previous full-time and part-time responsibilities. The first was retirement from being a homeschooling mom - and the myriad jobs that title was spread thinly across. That retirement came in 2014 when our youngest son graduated from high school. What I felt at that time was both glorious freedom to do what I wanted with my time, mixed with a fair amount of angst over not having any clear purpose to my days. Fortunately, I have always been a maker, a DIYer of sorts, a person who's rarely bored. Not <i>never</i> bored, but I can easily find things of interest to fill my time. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I had been coasting in that space for a couple of years when I was asked if I'd be interested in working as a part-time caregiver for an elderly lady with dementia. I substituted for a couple of weeks when the full-time caregiver went on vacation and I discovered I enjoyed this type of work. At least, I enjoyed this type of work with this particularly lady. That two weeks turned into me becoming a permanent sub, which turned out to provide a pretty perfect amount of work for me each week. It was deeply satisfying work.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That job ended abruptly when COVID struck, and the work of the elderly lady's husband came to an end. And then in a fairly short amount time, this dear lady's dementia and frailness required that she have more full time care than could be offered at home.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Suddenly, in early 2020 I was swimming in a sea of time again. In the early weeks of COVID, I crocheted and cross stitched to my heart's content, but that was short-lived. Without recounting my personal 2020, '21, '22 and '23, let's just say that the many and varied twists and turns of life dictated what needing doing, and I found myself over and over again very thankful to be "retired" and have plenty of "spare" time. Of course, in reality, my spare time simply shrank to accommodate commitments I had no choice over. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">That is the way life goes sometimes. And </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">for the moment, life appears to have opened up more time for me again. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">And yet, as 2024 has now moved into February, I'm already lamenting that the year is going too fast. Even though I have plenty of time, there isn't enough. I am finding this to be one of the painful paradoxes that accompanies growing older. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">With this new year, I'm in </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">transition again. I'm feeling stronger from all that last year held. I feel mostly positive, and I'm ready to do things - like planning a garden. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh7fqg8BSMUjMCO19qFDQkKXeUW9HoODzwTTkROCxwHo8YivmV3B-GAaCVUDZjk3nPZhL2xeuMce-sp5JK8Jn_CTrLm6CE54KMrVDzKaPacdHJeg6v5as7gQ8vB2UttykUX4_jQJJ0RykTCP4ORU4Az1naTjGycta75aE2It0aPqXSB4Kes4KMnXVXxcu/s3456/20240203_151213%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimh7fqg8BSMUjMCO19qFDQkKXeUW9HoODzwTTkROCxwHo8YivmV3B-GAaCVUDZjk3nPZhL2xeuMce-sp5JK8Jn_CTrLm6CE54KMrVDzKaPacdHJeg6v5as7gQ8vB2UttykUX4_jQJJ0RykTCP4ORU4Az1naTjGycta75aE2It0aPqXSB4Kes4KMnXVXxcu/w485-h485/20240203_151213%20x%20resized.jpg" width="485" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>On this sunny day, the garden (way back there) looks almost as eager to be planted as I feel to start turning the soil again.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">But it is still winter, and, fortunately, I have inside projects to choose from. Some are house projects (like painting a wall here or there, or maybe even a linen closet, or sewing some curtains, or finally putting something on the walls after living here for over two years now. And, of course, there are always craft projects calling. And there's downsizing our "stuff" that needs to continue. Speaking of which, I need to bring some better order to this office I'm sitting in...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Life just broke into my writing here. A few minutes ago, a friend called to see if I have just a cup or so of milk she can use for making mashed potatoes. Guests are coming and I'm significantly closer than the grocery store. Such a quaint thing that doesn't happen much anymore. I happily invited her to stop by, enjoyed a short chat, and then she was off - toting a 3/4's empty gallon of milk from the fridge. Good feels all around.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I need to finish this up. We are soon heading out to dinner and a concert with friends tonight. While it will be cold and dark when we get back home, it will be pleasant to make the half hour drive in what remains of the warm sunshine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I hope you have a beautiful week ahead. And I hope you find you have plenty of time to do some things you truly want to do! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhN0B85c7BlxfSOyrWTmZG7XD1ltRCaw-CZJhrBWolZ94ua28RR-tz8qVEqAIhaQp9VyMBiBODraCbJ5d4CXUuep5z4xI4mHuxf9sEUw76vE_B4ip32AyytPXef-vjdM8er6EPjKciWHmkqLjIIbj_XdEE7DzDoMCV_4s0yo-NRLfpzNLqAkXAb6DRQ6s/s3057/20240203_204227%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1798" data-original-width="3057" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhN0B85c7BlxfSOyrWTmZG7XD1ltRCaw-CZJhrBWolZ94ua28RR-tz8qVEqAIhaQp9VyMBiBODraCbJ5d4CXUuep5z4xI4mHuxf9sEUw76vE_B4ip32AyytPXef-vjdM8er6EPjKciWHmkqLjIIbj_XdEE7DzDoMCV_4s0yo-NRLfpzNLqAkXAb6DRQ6s/w540-h317/20240203_204227%20x%20resized.jpg" width="540" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful music enjoyed by all. </i></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-55684568376336415192024-01-27T17:25:00.009-05:002024-01-29T01:43:53.454-05:00What do you enjoy listening to?<span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">A lot of people crochet and knit while they watch TV. I try to, but since I take my glasses off when I do handwork, and I need my glasses for TV viewing, I either end up doing a lot of frogging, or rewinding. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I do a fair amount of both those things and it's often less than satisfying.</span><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">My happiest arrangement is to watch/listen to YouTube videos on my phone while my hands are busy with something else - especially if my brain doesn't need to be deeply concentrating on what my hands are engaged in. The types of YouTube videos I watch rarely need me to pay close attention to a screen. I also listen to Spotify sometimes, and more rarely, I listen to a recorded book while doing my handcrafts - rarely only because I have trouble concentrating on someone reading aloud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Recently, I have rediscovered two of my favorite podcasts from the not-too-long-ago past now on Spotify (and other platforms).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I was pretty hooked on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DarkHorsePod/streams" target="_blank">Darkhorse Podcast </a>from its inception, but once COVID hit, and it soon became evident the news media were doing their best to keep us frightened and ignorant, I found Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying a breath of fresh air. The insights, that come from their professional backgrounds as biology professors, who also have real world experience, were (and I'm sure still are) an exercise in thinking logically. Never downplaying the seriousness of COVID, they pointed out many of the things that didn't make sense in how it was being handled. For those of us who were nearly driven crazy by the blatant censorship of information during the most worrisome years of COVID, I found their podcasts to be a dose of sanity. Instead of fear mongering, they applied their intellects to the situation, and while they certainly didn't always have answers, they had logical responses. All that said, they are two very long-winded and heady individuals. While I love that up to a point, even I can only take so much. In time I watched them less and less, probably as COVID became less and less scary (thanks to their insight, if I'm honest), hence now I'm re-discovering them. I see they've moved on from COVID, and appear to be applying their intellects to various topics that I imagine are interesting to a wide audience. Not everyone will like everything, but there's probably something in their catalog of videos that will interest nearly everyone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">A few years ago a fellow blogger made mention of <a href="https://smarthernews.com/" target="_blank">SmartHerNews</a>, and when I checked her out I was truly impressed at the non-biased news reporting Jenna Lee does. I don't know Jenna Lee's story well, but she says she left traditional news media (at the time, she was with Fox), so that she could cover the news from as unbiased a position as possible. She was among the first people (even before mainstream media) who had contact with a journalist on the ground in Afghanistan right in the middle of the evacuation in 2021. I have not been disappointed in her or her interviewees. I only wish she produced more content. I was just wondering where she was, and why I hadn't heard from her in a while, when an email today pointed me to her podcasts on Scoop and Spotify. Jenna Lee is actually the inspiration for this post.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I look forward to getting my fill again of these podcasters while I crochet, knit and stitch.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And now, to finally share my latest finished crochet project.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">You may remember seeing this some posts back:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtiIfdXS0la7IuZgMQnEN6P1dxAPoUKKB45Ytupc9h5XLhEVKftTn31HaS8nQGzk29ZkYExvdgXNcEPfSyjDT7vQuUQtCqqE9JFyNAwuHsZ3brZ-Hq4t4gNd2lxHSK0Y3CyE9y268xrwAtV0aUqt-hJg4QL3ASgI-WcV3Ed_014MuQCd6alt7_H9TPAXW/s3456/20231211_172859%20resized%20xx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtiIfdXS0la7IuZgMQnEN6P1dxAPoUKKB45Ytupc9h5XLhEVKftTn31HaS8nQGzk29ZkYExvdgXNcEPfSyjDT7vQuUQtCqqE9JFyNAwuHsZ3brZ-Hq4t4gNd2lxHSK0Y3CyE9y268xrwAtV0aUqt-hJg4QL3ASgI-WcV3Ed_014MuQCd6alt7_H9TPAXW/w488-h488/20231211_172859%20resized%20xx.jpg" width="488" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It has turned into this:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKS2eB4EZi8bGB3aautYhe2usWSr0VkyXU5uA0yfqV-hsrBvEBdewGPVx4T2yoyXqiU-qn_Snv0yp4EX0ajl9zksjlafzvBjALuiz_T6l5IqfuDd65UXPwTtFBm6ldPzoyAfdHfvFanlxBhOqsWcBsbptkbShCBs6Pnwtrcfa9W3gZ8NkBg9TyB4ZleEK/s3405/20240106_154237%20resizedxx.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3405" data-original-width="2902" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKS2eB4EZi8bGB3aautYhe2usWSr0VkyXU5uA0yfqV-hsrBvEBdewGPVx4T2yoyXqiU-qn_Snv0yp4EX0ajl9zksjlafzvBjALuiz_T6l5IqfuDd65UXPwTtFBm6ldPzoyAfdHfvFanlxBhOqsWcBsbptkbShCBs6Pnwtrcfa9W3gZ8NkBg9TyB4ZleEK/w478-h560/20240106_154237%20resizedxx.jpg" width="478" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-GmjlXwNHkhoK6ZTmXzl4fMfIiuHQvAsZDYe2i-_8ANVz74Le2gK7RHIU88Pji1VwxuVT9Xx-onJsZtDVYCDOcLkq7COMCYhbu11-vZOk86GVV-c-O4CwXqZ9k5hbRl3HhzERJZFTqFaP61vCRj-7t82amTs564wM1nLsYZcgNKOOO3Fz4Fg0JMrOEW5/s3456/20240106_153942%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-GmjlXwNHkhoK6ZTmXzl4fMfIiuHQvAsZDYe2i-_8ANVz74Le2gK7RHIU88Pji1VwxuVT9Xx-onJsZtDVYCDOcLkq7COMCYhbu11-vZOk86GVV-c-O4CwXqZ9k5hbRl3HhzERJZFTqFaP61vCRj-7t82amTs564wM1nLsYZcgNKOOO3Fz4Fg0JMrOEW5/w481-h481/20240106_153942%20x%20resized.jpg" width="481" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This pattern is, no doubt, available free somewhere by another name, but I used <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bertie-baby-blanket" target="_blank">The Bertie Blanket</a> pattern, and I have to say it is a fun stitch to do. I've made it differently <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-finish-and-some-frustrations.html" target="_blank">in the past</a>, and I can imagine a number of possibilities using this pattern with scrap yarn. I don't remember if the border I made is the same as the pattern's, but in case you're curious, the final round of the border is the crab stitch - it's single crochet stitched backwards. It always sounds impossible to do when I haven't done it in a while, but it's actually super easy, and makes for a nice, understated edge.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Soon, I'll have another blanket to show. I just need a sunshiny day to get some good natural light inside to photograph with.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Enjoy your weekend!</span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-34128953711603371892024-01-25T16:18:00.012-05:002024-01-27T14:22:31.551-05:00A writing and learning opportunity...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with my friend, <a href="https://doryoda.com/home" target="_blank">Dory</a>, and learning about an 8-week long online writing class she is hosting, starting this coming Monday (January 29, 2024)! The first meeting is an orientation, so there are actually 9 meetings in total.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span><span><span>The workshop is </span><a href="https://doryoda.com/events%2Fregister-1" target="_blank">"Writing as a Release"</a><span>. </span></span><span>From the website: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div><em class="x-el x-el-span c1-2e c1-2f c1-b c1-b9 c1-6i c1-2q c1-ba c1-bb" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #5e5e5e; line-height: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>"You don’t have to live in fear. You don’t have to walk in guilt. Educator, author, and coach Dory Oda shows you how she learned to let go of pain, guilt, and shame through writing. This interactive course will be presented live online via Google Meet."</b></span></em></div><div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">If you're interested in checking it out, scroll to the bottom of the link above and you'll see a description of each of the eight class offerings. The classes meet online every Monday night from January 29th to March 25th from 6:30 - 7:45 pm. Clicking on the <i>Register</i> button will give you an e-mail address to connect directly to Dory for further inquiries if you'd like to contact her.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Worthy of mentioning, I think: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Dory is a gifted writer in all respects, but I </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">have especially admired Dory's fictional writing and her ability to put thoughts and feelings common to us all into beautifully satisfying phrases and poetry. I am not a fictional writer, nor a writer (nor especially a lover) of poetry - all of which Dory is. When I expressed interest in the classes, but reminded Dory I do not aspire to fictional writing, she assured me that the writing done in this course does not have to be in the form of fiction, though it certainly can be.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Also, while Dory is a Christian, and her writing is often influenced by her faith, this course is open to all. While I imagine it's <i>possible</i> that different faith beliefs could be expressed by the participants, Dory did tell me the course material is not a "Christian" or faith-based course. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Anyway, none of this is meant to prod or even necessarily encourage my readers to participate in the first-ever offering of this class. My purpose here is to simply share an opportunity. Since most of my readers are bloggers, and bloggers are generally writers, and I know how gifted is the teacher, how could I <i>not</i> share? In fact, I asked Dory if I could share about it here, 'twas not the other way around.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I hope you're having a good week wherever you are. It is foggy, wet and gray here, but it's also over 50 degrees! In January, in central Indiana, that is a rare treat. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">A good rest of the week to you all!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-23820514512634605172024-01-23T10:00:00.016-05:002024-03-05T16:10:05.302-05:00What's on the menu?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Do you (or someone in your home) meal plan? I go through periods when I don't meal plan at all, and just wing supper every night. Then sometimes I get inspired to go through my recipes and decide to make some old favorites - making a list so I don't forget what I want to make. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Sometimes I inventory our food supply just hoping to be inspired to make something. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Sometimes I look through what's in the pantry and freezer to find anything close to expiring, and make that my motive to plan out a menu. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Sometimes I challenge myself to a no-grocery shopping month (except for needed perishables). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This week, I just looked in my refrigerator freezer and decided I was tired of seeing the same things in there for months now. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I decided to take everything out and clean the freezer. That's when it occurred to me to take some pictures and make a post out of this activity. And because I know you are immensely curious, I have itemized what is in each picture.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHOupRRoybM9tD6GVcgWt0cBmTR0f0NqOz5dXA3_TR39tLiBu5aJc0MMi0q-Vwu-9JyceELe_G6hJ61pJdhulZVqBXOCrYrzHEnkXEj_CYrESEr-a-OesbHHovoVUXiaCCLNzudIdutgGWtBb2mlm1Lh1qr6xdLd4d3H50h6nrHeTXN3qWz8ntKCFSvQ7/s3456/20240120_135343%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3456" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHOupRRoybM9tD6GVcgWt0cBmTR0f0NqOz5dXA3_TR39tLiBu5aJc0MMi0q-Vwu-9JyceELe_G6hJ61pJdhulZVqBXOCrYrzHEnkXEj_CYrESEr-a-OesbHHovoVUXiaCCLNzudIdutgGWtBb2mlm1Lh1qr6xdLd4d3H50h6nrHeTXN3qWz8ntKCFSvQ7/w527-h462/20240120_135343%20x%20resized.jpg" width="527" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The top drawer contained almonds, walnuts, shredded pork, dressing from Thanksgiving, some cheese logs from Christmas, ham slices, some crescent rolls, dinner rolls leftover from Christmas, and some homemade all-fruit popsicles.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEaEu3Dew14o5EO-BZtuHfPZF9B9cfnbjCLTbybgl4W8apoGT_YaNzlOO954kfNqQLT_nIb4KWuA7Yw3z5UHihhUH5WRaf909JNcm9OZbngj3BGqi6YzS_dBdHEbicsjVvJXnVwBtzbc7nXEryWsfe55gK8mWMSNSz5KjVP-vXfmUNw8KHsIwxflOFq2u/s3452/20240120_134855%20x.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2669" data-original-width="3452" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEaEu3Dew14o5EO-BZtuHfPZF9B9cfnbjCLTbybgl4W8apoGT_YaNzlOO954kfNqQLT_nIb4KWuA7Yw3z5UHihhUH5WRaf909JNcm9OZbngj3BGqi6YzS_dBdHEbicsjVvJXnVwBtzbc7nXEryWsfe55gK8mWMSNSz5KjVP-vXfmUNw8KHsIwxflOFq2u/w513-h395/20240120_134855%20x.jpg" width="513" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The bottom drawer contained some sugar free popsicles a friend gave me during chemo treatment. <i>They were so appreciated when my throat and mouth hurt. </i> Also pictured are raisin bagels, strawberries, a couple of cubed steaks <i>(more leftovers from a meal brought during chemo)</i>, a few peach slices, some pepperoni slices, turkey bone broth cubes, cooked fajita-seasoned chicken strips, and several packages of frozen raw chicken, some cooked rice, and a bag of browned ground beef.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;">Next, I sat down with my laminated erasable menu planning page, and without bothering to look through my recipes, I quickly jotted down a week's worth of ideas for using a good portion of what's currently in this small freezer.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cW0-AGD1DO80geCZg0JvMvwTvERhnLPQSU1tYgH8NXlm7X06WrhHJSP19LehEggHXaAVuUpeItavvB-sKxXdKnhKJ4mXHhGGgoYXSpTS2GibN30Z_r156huHq9NePH66jaqugLLRTmxNVgvGQG3i57s_RkZ6yhLhmEXFJszNJ4dPi2K6-PY4qQ0wbAOe/s3130/20240122_114107x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3130" data-original-width="2883" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cW0-AGD1DO80geCZg0JvMvwTvERhnLPQSU1tYgH8NXlm7X06WrhHJSP19LehEggHXaAVuUpeItavvB-sKxXdKnhKJ4mXHhGGgoYXSpTS2GibN30Z_r156huHq9NePH66jaqugLLRTmxNVgvGQG3i57s_RkZ6yhLhmEXFJszNJ4dPi2K6-PY4qQ0wbAOe/w504-h547/20240122_114107x%20resized.jpg" width="504" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">A mixture of healthy dinners and some lesser so, but it feels good to have a plan and resolve to move the food out of the freezer inventory. Also, I've added salmon from the garage freezer because I'm trying to get fish into our diet every week. As always, I reserve the right to completely ignore the suggestions I've jotted down, or change the days we eat things, but as long as I make a dent in the contents of this freezer, I'll be happy. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">If I'm feeling brave, at the end of this week of dinner plans, I'll post a picture of my revised menu. Now that I think about it, I won't be home for dinner on Friday night because I'm going to a ladies' pitch-in. I said I'd bring cheese & crackers and summer sausage, so there goes the rest of my cheese logs to that effort.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I printed out my menu page years ago, and laminated it so I can write on it with a dry erase marker. If you're interested in a printable menu page, there are lots to be found online, but here's </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">a link to a colorful one:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2018/01/free-printable-menu-plan.html">https://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2018/01/free-printable-menu-plan.html</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This might have been where I found mine, I don't really remember. This blogger has a whole bunch of free printables for all sorts of purposes. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Happy note: Before we even got started eating through our menu this week, I gave some chili to a friend, along with a package of dinner rolls, a cheese log and a package of crackers. It's terrific to have good food ready and easy to share.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>~~~~~</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Back to share my amended menu:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u9t5ujrD1pIxEps-CJXxfmKs2ldW8fol_bqAxXWQxTr3CInplmA4QC-7Uhm6Hdvoqr1hz6y4vgRgv5XAQGlslDU4jZv7Dcp5r173Csb5Es0N0IdFtNytbbU3zReYqrjFXfVLIqxDFedGrmiw5uIvcoOovu2xWooJhIOKEjNH0G-dL-O3O04GvIEc2CrG/s3456/20240129_145814%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="3456" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4u9t5ujrD1pIxEps-CJXxfmKs2ldW8fol_bqAxXWQxTr3CInplmA4QC-7Uhm6Hdvoqr1hz6y4vgRgv5XAQGlslDU4jZv7Dcp5r173Csb5Es0N0IdFtNytbbU3zReYqrjFXfVLIqxDFedGrmiw5uIvcoOovu2xWooJhIOKEjNH0G-dL-O3O04GvIEc2CrG/w555-h532/20240129_145814%20x%20resized.jpg" width="555" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The value in planning a menu is about making life a little simpler, hopefully saving some money by making meals with food one already has, and lessening the waste of forgotten food stuff eventually being thrown away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As the week went on, I realized I had cabbage in the fridge, and a pie crust and half a quart of cream that needed to be used. Having bacon and swiss cheese on hand, it was easy to change out a meal that could be held for another time for Quiche and slices of Roasted Cabbage.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Finally, something worth noting that I've recently done: In November, after roasting a turkey, I made bone broth with the carcass. Making bone broth is a slow nearly all-day process, but I'm so glad I did it, and froze the bone broth in ice cube trays. I have begun using this bone broth, adding it to all kinds of things. It was added to the Chicken Skillet Dinner on Wednesday above. The next week, I added bone broth cubes to some leftover stuffing I heated up for a meal of turkey and stuffing (all frozen last November). I added some to chili that was heated up out of the freezer. Really... in anything that can take a few tablespoons of liquid, a few bone broth cubes can be used.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Bon appétit!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-79976791190536581832024-01-17T00:20:00.041-05:002024-03-05T16:18:18.091-05:00What's in the old noggin today...<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I've started this post several times in the last few days. I have so much swimming in my head, every time I sit down to write, way too much starts spilling out. This is just an introduction to what I've been mulling over recently. Over the last month or so I'</span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">ve been immersing myself in researching how to manage and possibly improve osteoporosis. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In November, I mentioned receiving a diagnosis of osteoporosis [OP] in a section of my spine after my first ever DEXA scan. Having any amount of OP is hard news, and I didn't see it coming at all. Then it felt like a <i>double</i> sucker punch to learn on the heels of an OP diagnosis that the aromatase inhibitor (endocrine therapy) I've been placed on for 5-7 years is known to diminish bone density. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">An aromatase inhibitor [AI] is prescribed to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence - which is <i>great</i>, but sacrificing ones bones to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence seems an awfully steep price to pay. "Not to worry", the doctor says, "there are medicines for osteoporosis too!" Aside from the fact that OP drugs have some worrisome side effects, managing medicines that manage the effects of <i>other</i> medicines is not how I want to spend my "golden years" - if I can help it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>I will meet with an endocrinologist in the spring, to see what she has to say. On one hand I'm glad to have this appointment on the calendar, but on the other hand, I'm </span><i>not</i><span> thrilled with the drugs that will undoubtedly be recommended to me. For now, I'm doing what I </span><span>can</span><span> do - in terms of making some lifestyle changes, and increasing my understanding of how exercise, nutrition, and yes... possibly even drugs, may be used to get me to a better place with my bones. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Since doctors don't have time to explain everything a patient needs to know in order to make a truly informed decision about treatment, I suspect the internet becomes a main source of information for a lot of us. While the internet is a marvelous thing, it is not without its problems. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I am, first of all, very wary of anyone and everyone who has a YouTube channel and claims to be an expert. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">It's an interesting time to live in. So much information at our fingertips that we can avail ourselves of to improve our lives, but at the same time, the danger is great of falling prey to cyber snake oil salesmen and women. Or following poor advice from well meaning and good people. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I'm grateful for the people who share their experiences, and even medical expertise, online, but I </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">try to be smart about consuming what is out there for the taking. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> I research (or at least attempt to research) further anything that catches my attention and sounds like it might be helpful. The internet was <i>very</i> helpful to me last year during the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. It allowed me to dive deeper, to understand and trust the procedures done and treatments I received. I'm hoping it will benefit me in this present situation, too </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I have found it helpful and rather amazing that the internet puts at our fingertips digital libraries of trials and research studies. Even individual case studies can be enlightening. We joke about consulting Dr. Google, but seriously... Google is a powerful tool that, while it can drive a person insane with too much information, it can often help a person discover a solution to a difficult problem. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Mostly, the internet has served me well. Recently I stumbled on information that compelled me to approach my oncologist (just this past Monday) and ask him if a different endocrine therapy - that may actually <i>help</i> bone density - could be an option for me. While he prefers an aromatase inhibitor for me, and frankly, I would too if it weren't for the bone density issue, he was agreeable to me trying the other (older) therapy. In fact, in the notes of the encounter, was written that this switch was reasonable in light of the recent discovery of OP. The older <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/serm" target="_blank">SERM</a> therapy (in this case, Tamoxifen) is still widely used, and is considered great therapy for reducing breast cancer recurrence in pre-menopausal women, but <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/risk-and-prevention/aromatase-inhibitors-for-lowering-breast-cancer-risk.html" target="_blank">aromatase inhibitors</a> have become the preferred therapy for post-menopausal women because AI's are a bit more effective, and they hold fewer potentially dangerous side effects for older women.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Having weighed the <i>possibility</i> of a terrible side effect of using SERM therapy with the pretty much guaranteed loss of bone density with AI's, switching to an endocrine therapy that won't harm my bones feels like a reasonable trade off. And I can relax in the worry department while I wait for my endo appointment, and use my time and energy more productively, namely focusing on nutrition and exercise. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It's possible (<i>maybe</i>) that the endocrinologist will ease my fears of osteoporosis medicine - even though I, personally, have big reason to be more concerned than maybe the average person does about one potential side effect in particular: Osteonecrosis of the Jaw [ONJ]. It's not helpful to read that ONJ may be considered a rare occurrence if you fall into a category that makes you more likely to experience it. I see my dentist later this week. I will be interested to see what he has to say about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">For now, I'm relaxing into the relief I'm feeling because my oncologist heard and responded to my concern. And I feel empowered and motivated to continue to try to improve my situation, rather than helpless and rather hopeless like I was feeling about it over the last few weeks.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This week, I'm watching some of the presentations in a temporarily free online summit called Natural Approaches to Osteoporosis and Bone Health. It has been interesting. <i>[I've removed most of the paragraph I wrote about accessing the free Summit because that is not pertinent at this point.]</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm finding some of the presentations interesting, and oddly... one of the main presenters, who recognizes the potential pitfalls of osteoporosis drugs, gave me insight and hope that this kind of drug may be safe enough for me to feel comfortable using for a short term. It gives me something to discuss with the endo, at least.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Thanks for entering into my brain again. Sometimes I just need to do a dump of all that's swimming around in there. Though, to be sure... this was more like a dribbly overflow of all that's sloshing around in my head at the moment.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-42920153551334312192024-01-06T19:17:00.012-05:002024-01-06T20:59:20.350-05:00A goal for the new year...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">A new year seems to inspire many of us to at least contemplate starting to clean up, clear out, and think about things we hope to accomplish over the next twelve months. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I am no different. Sometime last fall, I dug through my yarn stash so I could start crocheting my gold colored <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/2023/11/thanksgiving-feast-reimagined.html" target="_blank">Sweet As Can Bee blanket</a>. When I was getting the yarn out for that project, I was sobered by the realization that I had barely touched my yarn since getting it put away here in our present house - maybe a year and a half ago. There were good reasons since moving why I wasn't up to crocheting and I have no interest in going over things that kept me from crafting the last two years, but going into the closet where my yarn and other craft materials are stored was pretty pivotal to me. It got me to thinking again about culling through my current craft supplies and <i>maybe</i> start reconsidering some of the crafts I've collected stuff for, and maybe sharing the craft-love by donating some things.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While I have a couple of shelves and small drawers in the room outside this closet, the majority of my actual craft supplies is housed in this closet:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDj-B-SvI58nnmVGhjditianaSbqODH_I7ftrIzgGi8CPD1dOyPcdUgokx_BMdz9NHpg7qP5S5BwRWh97gkCsgy2kdgHPAtr6i1wBlphMvnhWrcKRYgOcYzPOJsc8z6VwcQSGj7ozjrYD1RRVyfuNlteyeclC7kjikZwD_B8nE3ppbBED6d6rGqmydjGz/s2992/20231229_223043x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2215" height="559" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDj-B-SvI58nnmVGhjditianaSbqODH_I7ftrIzgGi8CPD1dOyPcdUgokx_BMdz9NHpg7qP5S5BwRWh97gkCsgy2kdgHPAtr6i1wBlphMvnhWrcKRYgOcYzPOJsc8z6VwcQSGj7ozjrYD1RRVyfuNlteyeclC7kjikZwD_B8nE3ppbBED6d6rGqmydjGz/w414-h559/20231229_223043x%20resized.jpg" width="414" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">On the right side of the closet is all of my yarn. Well, most of it, anyway. I know... it's a crazy amount. But it was accumulated over a number of years when I was crocheting a <i>LOT. </i>At the time is seemed completely reasonable to think I could use the yarn - every time I found yarn on sale and had the thought I should get more for another project. <i> It always starts innocently...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm not so sure anymore that I'm <i>ever</i> going to be able to use all this yarn, and having a talk with myself I came up with an idea. I have a mind, that by the end of 2024, to only own as much yarn as will fit in about two thirds of these large plastic tubs that presently contain <strike>all</strike> most my yarn. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">If that doesn't seem ambitious enough, well... that's all I have the oomph for - for now. A year at a time seems like a good idea to me right now. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG50IB8gRksJieAk15K1Z7m9s7pSSpewXHK1fAcpw_nypKHoKIYvOh8bPuxYC7io3wb_5UBkEwkiDg4Ay3DpNK8k0qVFQND6eok6jd7pZavf0_JKI6TdS8WlkhETo7Dyzwe_P_aaFFxYsSnm4lYovw6_xQtJVXtVYcQ2ymqrrHG0kR1V9JuYwCFVZ2LHC8/s2992/20231229_223211%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2992" data-original-width="2992" height="407" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG50IB8gRksJieAk15K1Z7m9s7pSSpewXHK1fAcpw_nypKHoKIYvOh8bPuxYC7io3wb_5UBkEwkiDg4Ay3DpNK8k0qVFQND6eok6jd7pZavf0_JKI6TdS8WlkhETo7Dyzwe_P_aaFFxYsSnm4lYovw6_xQtJVXtVYcQ2ymqrrHG0kR1V9JuYwCFVZ2LHC8/w407-h407/20231229_223211%20resized.jpg" width="407" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />And coming around front and center, we see more crafty stuff along the back wall and on shelves above. This is most of my embroidery and cross stitch supplies, but also a multitude of miscellaneous stuff that is used for various crafts. Some interfacing, some batting. Buttons. Ribbons. Laces. Other stuff - probably half of it inherited one way or another. And on the floor are some tote bags with more yarn, and more miscellaneous. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">My goal is to eventually not own anymore miscellaneous stuff. For me, "miscellaneous" is the death of organization, and using things productively.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Now, if you've been around here during my decluttering challenges in years past, you may remember me referring to Dana White and her "container concept" before. I have found this concept to be <i>the</i> most compelling idea for finding the will and clarity for letting go of things. To save you time looking her up, below is a video from a couple of years ago where she discusses the container principle:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="391" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_24PoIZSmVs" width="469" youtube-src-id="_24PoIZSmVs"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />Oooh... And below is an updated video on this concept she just posted a couple of days ago:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="382" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8UOrcTVl7xg" width="460" youtube-src-id="8UOrcTVl7xg"></iframe></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">You're welcome!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This year-long whittling down project isn't going to be documented here on any kind of regular basis. I hope it goes on quietly and consistently in the background, and while I'll show my makes here, maybe by summertime I'll have something to show as progress in the closet. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, in an effort to use up some yarn relatively quickly, I've pulled together some collections of yarns to make some baby/child-size blankets. A friend asked me if I'd like to join her in making some baby blankets for donating to a crisis pregnancy center. She offered me yarn. LOL! I told her I'd love to join in, but only if I can use my own yarn. This is the first collection of colors I pulled together:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAHOLpY_EZXXYecyg61zAu6vu2imFf5ZIH1fXYtxC42AGzinO1D2K8Nm3ajB86IxkJLlth-1MDnRgOpwNTx0L4qIkvV6v5T8rB6RXw835VlxQpC4BY2KNFo5KsUchVKQgtDNHgv_kYeAw6GVdUYcYNjn25-1RdYG8TFvQP6ApI3vXhU5YRa9m9G1JtzWA/s3456/20231211_172902%20resozed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAHOLpY_EZXXYecyg61zAu6vu2imFf5ZIH1fXYtxC42AGzinO1D2K8Nm3ajB86IxkJLlth-1MDnRgOpwNTx0L4qIkvV6v5T8rB6RXw835VlxQpC4BY2KNFo5KsUchVKQgtDNHgv_kYeAw6GVdUYcYNjn25-1RdYG8TFvQP6ApI3vXhU5YRa9m9G1JtzWA/w380-h380/20231211_172902%20resozed.jpg" width="380" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">To be honest, I wasn't sure about this combination of pastels and brights, but I'm finding myself pleasantly surprised by how well they all play together. Check back soon for the finished project!<br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-2932407618606997902023-12-25T08:00:00.050-05:002024-01-24T00:29:09.269-05:00Joy to the World!<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTP_n2j9X6gZTRecazZQ9-USsswoVRajTow0t3mbOIy3PQaS5AZ1qQ9aRLwrOWJY7oV-QgFmAfzKIewLjl1yJkynwVnQ7y6a9X9HAnsYZe6IqDuk-zBVaex1fcEYamx1VUKDK-jzc-eCaL5Bp4fwDTNwMHQ7A30Acdaz3M9Jrq2RRaX6djXtRW2aJAHcn/s3324/20231211_224141%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2950" data-original-width="3324" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTP_n2j9X6gZTRecazZQ9-USsswoVRajTow0t3mbOIy3PQaS5AZ1qQ9aRLwrOWJY7oV-QgFmAfzKIewLjl1yJkynwVnQ7y6a9X9HAnsYZe6IqDuk-zBVaex1fcEYamx1VUKDK-jzc-eCaL5Bp4fwDTNwMHQ7A30Acdaz3M9Jrq2RRaX6djXtRW2aJAHcn/w418-h371/20231211_224141%20x%20resized.jpg" width="418" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large; text-align: left;">In </span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large; text-align: left;">the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and that life was the Light of mankind. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large; text-align: left;">- J</span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large; text-align: left;">ohn 1:1-4 </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;">Joy to the world, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;">the Lord is come</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;">Let Earth receive her King</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;">Let every heart</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;"> prepare Him room</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;">And Heaven and nature sing </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">- Isaac Watts</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"> Joy to the World</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="text Luke-2-8" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Gloria Hallelujah;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="text Luke-2-8" face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryYSGSdYmi7dXKCj3vT-B7dfJsklno25ReYl-dVoJXYnE3mgHnR3cg5vwD8WqRF41jDg6MYviGqukGVJiVMTzqdLhupwvrcNh2PNZGw_rxsGd_jVjLy-bfZ2UZ4_JNBruqonhh4ArNwW_pzBl6xhzZDAVXKD-FVRkNpjV3LMEqccb4KUa-646WqIwuq9U/s3456/20231211_224457%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryYSGSdYmi7dXKCj3vT-B7dfJsklno25ReYl-dVoJXYnE3mgHnR3cg5vwD8WqRF41jDg6MYviGqukGVJiVMTzqdLhupwvrcNh2PNZGw_rxsGd_jVjLy-bfZ2UZ4_JNBruqonhh4ArNwW_pzBl6xhzZDAVXKD-FVRkNpjV3LMEqccb4KUa-646WqIwuq9U/w420-h420/20231211_224457%20resized.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;">~~~~~</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ADz1aABAmMM" width="450" youtube-src-id="ADz1aABAmMM"></iframe></div><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-37367964201996809752023-12-18T20:33:00.022-05:002023-12-19T14:16:02.883-05:00Winter is nigh...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Thursday, the 21st, is winter solstice and I have mixed feelings about it. Normally, I enjoy taking note of each of the solstices and equinoxes - and the anticipation of the changing days and seasons ahead - but this year I've pretty much completely missed the days that marked these changes up 'till now. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I greatly enjoy anticipating spring and fall and the glorious colors, and not just of growing things. Do you take notice of how crystal blue a cloudless early autumn sky can be? Do you delight in how the autumn sun can still feel hot on your skin, while the breeze cools? Have you ever noticed how BIG grasshoppers are in September? Do you notice how the decaying smell of late winter mud gives way to the scent of grass as it comes to life in the spring? And how <i>fresh</i> spring air is? Do we stop and give thanks for these marvelous things? Sometimes I do, but I don't think I do enough.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And the solstices... I love the long days of summer, and that there is time on both ends of the day to be outside and enjoy sunlight when temperatures are often more comfortable. I also love how evening time come earlier than expected as autumn approaches, and how it becomes downright dark at suppertime as the days cool down. In the autumn, I enjoy the cozy vibe of porch lights shining when I'm coming home from a long afternoon out. I remember when I was home with young kids, I enjoyed turning the porch light on, hoping it would be a welcome sight as my husband returned from a long day at work. I'm not sure if he noticed, really, but I tried to remember to do that. It made <i>me</i> happy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This year the seasons and daylight changes came and went without much notice by me - it's no wonder, as I was otherwise preoccupied for much of the year. I had just begun to notice spring when my mind became filled with what was ahead, and then - just like that - the pretty fall colors were over before I had a chance to really enjoy them. The days got longer, then shorter with little notice, certainly no anticipation, on my part. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And now the days are about to get longer again. Feeling much more myself, I am happy to know I will likely take more notice of the lengthening days than I did of the shortening days in early fall. Anticipating keeping the curtains open a little longer each evening fills me with the same amount of pleasure as turning the porch light on earlier and earlier through the autumn does. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_hvx1cQpba-J-q9aGvfa7Y7B8rfSkmt8miFo1Aioi7yLEUf7a2saTfx3OwgQhWDMmtvVyB3UgTcS3F9e0u45SDB1p6NVzb9JJKPAIBFJXu3zU7lVo0HbKMRCUHtc_MzaxZkQGVN3zF7PqnyQThEKPcLpwpOwYhSov5C0_h6l49zG0fkmLK5NaNvfLuKz/s3456/20231218_145224%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_hvx1cQpba-J-q9aGvfa7Y7B8rfSkmt8miFo1Aioi7yLEUf7a2saTfx3OwgQhWDMmtvVyB3UgTcS3F9e0u45SDB1p6NVzb9JJKPAIBFJXu3zU7lVo0HbKMRCUHtc_MzaxZkQGVN3zF7PqnyQThEKPcLpwpOwYhSov5C0_h6l49zG0fkmLK5NaNvfLuKz/w391-h391/20231218_145224%20x%20resized.jpg" width="391" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />Today felt like winter with a cold wind and several snow squalls - that, fortunately, didn't amount to anything. I don't mind admitting, I'm happy to see it's forecasted to be in the mid-50's on Christmas Eve!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It is a busy week ahead for a lot of us as we approach Christmas. Like you, I have grocery shopping and gift wrapping to do, special foods to prepare, and a few dust bunnies to sweep away still. But in the midst of the busyness of the days leading up to Christmas, I want to also take notice of the daylight shortening for a few more days before it starts to lengthen again. Just noticing such a simple thing grounds me somehow.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I feel a little like a child when the seasons change. Filled with anticipation and delight that our Creator has given us a world full of wonder to notice and enjoy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzRQ6rhgDKowmGHGc7zinUnx7nBYCDihIz2iyFMak8-OkoywHmH8bSuBhmT2CwzTztlUcdGpWcKXJFUXgEY8g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">~~~~~</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Architects Daughter"; font-size: large;">Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,</span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,</span></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><div style="text-align: center;">Join with all nature in manifold witness</div></span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><div style="text-align: center;">To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~ Thomas Chisholm</div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;"> Great is Thy Faithfulness</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Homemade Apple"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-37438084927014361542023-12-13T22:29:00.001-05:002023-12-13T22:30:39.222-05:00Hibachi, anyone?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">With weather in central Indiana more rainy than snowy, and temps bouncing from the 30's back up to the 50's several times since Thanksgiving, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas is less than two weeks away. I'm not complaining about the weather, mind you, but I do have to remind myself to get with the program. While we'll likely only have a small gathering of 6 or 7 here on Christmas Eve, there's deciding on the menu and grocery shopping yet to do. Some house cleaning sounds like a good idea. And there are gifts yet to buy and wrap. But who's stressing? I'm refusing to so far, and somehow that's working for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Last night Greg and I were invited to enjoy an hibachi dinner in the dining room of the senior community where our friends, Jack and Ruth, live. Some of you may remember me writing about my experience providing companion care to <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/search/label/Moments%20with%20Ruth" target="_blank">the sweetest lady on earth</a>. Well, Ruth has declined deep into dementia, but still remains the same sweet soul I came to know about five years ago. She is living in the skilled nursing part of the community where Jack lives in the house they had built nearly twenty years ago when they moved to the same town we live in. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">We sometimes join Jack for a meal, but haven't in all the time I was healing from surgery and then going through chemo and its recovery, but now that I'm getting back to normal activities, we've put a couple of dinner dates with Jack on the calendar. This week's hibachi dinner was a first-time experience for Greg and I.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Jason, a traveling hibachi chef, first served us potstickers drizzled with teriyaki sauce for appetizers, then a first course of Mexican tomato soup, followed by perfectly cooked filet mignon (some had chicken fajitas) - with sides of Spanish rice and corn on the cob.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9ppY7l8JFznxQPpzbH_y8VzGxtU0zI2gyzkLbt_crkTc1qgDsLp6WZxVcxkYDNBvwhP0pVaI1sxEiOktXfBjXNZuVb5WDlgW6991xs0astF4m9zCPrnQqY35SIMkIJuOzysG_0to_j7otreiKlnk_6XhZIdWUEyIP2FpkT3rJgDxB6wMibOoakH6IDoh/s3456/20231212_182051%20resize.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9ppY7l8JFznxQPpzbH_y8VzGxtU0zI2gyzkLbt_crkTc1qgDsLp6WZxVcxkYDNBvwhP0pVaI1sxEiOktXfBjXNZuVb5WDlgW6991xs0astF4m9zCPrnQqY35SIMkIJuOzysG_0to_j7otreiKlnk_6XhZIdWUEyIP2FpkT3rJgDxB6wMibOoakH6IDoh/w438-h438/20231212_182051%20resize.jpg" width="438" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>I do love me a good steak.</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCZZKQIIfAoTjHqCLCwSj7AIOTrvOj8gFegXtf8gTLnrQAltdaGR3PVAIco4obY7C8eDkd2erI_PuNJCzLmFfrcDy4zXBCYjwZ7DTs66tQWCLFEK48MMiLHcSOz943G-IyqE78nBLawER7LpmE-UUqJ63UIx6sE9vlnvqOwbq_RAK33jypzTcgZN6f6oN/s3456/20231212_182930%20-%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCZZKQIIfAoTjHqCLCwSj7AIOTrvOj8gFegXtf8gTLnrQAltdaGR3PVAIco4obY7C8eDkd2erI_PuNJCzLmFfrcDy4zXBCYjwZ7DTs66tQWCLFEK48MMiLHcSOz943G-IyqE78nBLawER7LpmE-UUqJ63UIx6sE9vlnvqOwbq_RAK33jypzTcgZN6f6oN/w440-h440/20231212_182930%20-%20resized.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_xBBzogGEGSf4pp2R5AaTm_uPatA6d39MUC_jdyiaPTsiHMXr29zcjF9BqeqLShca7k5IKDRoUQAm8vwitG53AMoDaWySKMezC1PUlncNxqHiUI8eLgk2It33yai6IhayRyLrbjv6AxU1Ejyfzh7eAgq1DiVgMWOCz2OCTY0tTjW7bjQeUGF43uaF9Az/s3456/20231212_182934%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_xBBzogGEGSf4pp2R5AaTm_uPatA6d39MUC_jdyiaPTsiHMXr29zcjF9BqeqLShca7k5IKDRoUQAm8vwitG53AMoDaWySKMezC1PUlncNxqHiUI8eLgk2It33yai6IhayRyLrbjv6AxU1Ejyfzh7eAgq1DiVgMWOCz2OCTY0tTjW7bjQeUGF43uaF9Az/w440-h440/20231212_182934%20resized.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QP8vYRs9UD0BTScmRd8zP4R3c-hzKfyepZKGJ2vEJEqmJJ_A2IedtSwqewOeAD3p5LoDXK8oZw3UqyqAvEJSaI7eUxKhiVwAHyx7LTSMuovfveCKv67M22fMdxiP-jjnw8j8iax7mv5AVwE07KzSVrFss1Wpe0SZFB5McujWnEHTRfuJPvP08WbV8D8f/s3456/20231212_182940%20-%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QP8vYRs9UD0BTScmRd8zP4R3c-hzKfyepZKGJ2vEJEqmJJ_A2IedtSwqewOeAD3p5LoDXK8oZw3UqyqAvEJSaI7eUxKhiVwAHyx7LTSMuovfveCKv67M22fMdxiP-jjnw8j8iax7mv5AVwE07KzSVrFss1Wpe0SZFB5McujWnEHTRfuJPvP08WbV8D8f/w437-h437/20231212_182940%20-%20resized.jpg" width="437" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Oooh yes, drizzle on that delicious buttery sauce </div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">and sprinkle the corn with parmesan cheese.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i>Must try this at home...</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Having never experienced an hibachi grill dinner, I had no idea what to expect. It was a fun combination of watching and listening to Jason tell us what he was preparing. He also shared a little about himself when we asked. We also enjoyed the company of old friends, and made some new friends of a couple that helped fill out the table of eight. An hour and a half after we sat down, we left happy with very satisfied tummies and spirits, and are very impressed with this new dining experience within a senior community here in town.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And now, I suppose I really should apply myself to some Christmas shopping... </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">~~~~~</span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-69132969865082658892023-12-02T21:18:00.011-05:002023-12-03T19:40:57.781-05:00The Christmas season is upon us...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Today was my official ringing in of the Christmas season with a Ladies' Christmas brunch at church. A group of women took on the roles of table hosts, and each woman (or pair of women) decorated their table in a unique way. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMms6hqSy0gNQSqix9WkrVL_nMDDiF_chPQftzULw3zPdIJQ_wLmAfTEh7I9F9CmuiwPwnWoEEnhGOtlZHz9kvF4RMEsEJM3JH__Bqso1LUvoR67OlKdMAgW-Wg-7AmY49oQrfc5bqhllLcmTvWKR_kTRTB7tO35xn5UlqFbhuDf4EkLaQ8zPIB9gM8hxi/s3456/20231202_103928%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMms6hqSy0gNQSqix9WkrVL_nMDDiF_chPQftzULw3zPdIJQ_wLmAfTEh7I9F9CmuiwPwnWoEEnhGOtlZHz9kvF4RMEsEJM3JH__Bqso1LUvoR67OlKdMAgW-Wg-7AmY49oQrfc5bqhllLcmTvWKR_kTRTB7tO35xn5UlqFbhuDf4EkLaQ8zPIB9gM8hxi/w505-h505/20231202_103928%20resized.jpg" width="505" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Only at this very moment, as I'm writing, do I wish it had occurred to me to take the time to photograph each table when I found out I had arrived 45 minutes early! <i>Sigh. </i> One of these days... One. Of. These. Days. I <i>hope</i>, <i>eventually</i>, it will start occurring to me that there are terrific things to photograph all the time. I simply need to recognize it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Anyway... the table themes ranged from traditional to whimsical, to "glamour pink", even. Believe me, the different tables were a feast for the eyes. And then there were favors to take home - which I forgot. Nevermind that, mine is probably waiting for me there still. I was just so impressed how much those ladies put into this lovely brunch. Oh, and the food was good too. Catered by a local coffee house, we had sandwiches, quiches, fresh fruit, salad. It was a feast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: Sarala;">But getting there so early, I ended up chatting with some of the hostesses, who were so kind to tell me how good it was to see me, and asked how I'm doing. I was so glad to be able to say I feel good and mean it. As I chatted with a group of them, one commented on how much she liked how my hair looked. I thanked her, but as I did, I thought the way she said it sounded like she perhaps thought she was complimenting my real hair. I paused a second, gave her a look and said, "You know this is a wig, right?" At which she genuinely appeared surprised! <i>I'm</i> surprised this isn't the <i>first</i> time this has happened. While wigs have come a long way, I can't help but feel it's obvious to the whole world that I'm wearing one. When walking into Walmart, or Kroger (or anywhere) I feel like I should be wearing a placard announcing, <i>"Yes, you are correct. I am wearing a wig. Now carry on, everyone."</i> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While that is both ridiculous<i> and</i> true, I also have times when I forget about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That is, until I scratch an itch on my head and realize my hair is moving as one whole unit. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Or, until the wind blows it around and completely messes with my "positioning" of my hair. While modern wigs have movement, and can look like real hair (I guess), just believe me when I say wig hair does not behave like natural hair in the wind. It just doesn't. <i>ETA: To be clear... when I say "positioning" my hair, I mean the actual hair, not the wig itself. The wig itself can be made fairly secure to the head. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And then there's static - which is happening now that it's cold outside. Static on synthetic hair can seem untamable, so I've taken to carrying a fabric dryer sheet in my purse, and I have one in my car. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And finally... While depending on how a wig is made, they aren't necessarily terribly hot to wear in the heat, but now that it's cold outside, I'm here to tell you they can be downright cold. Especially if the wind is strong. Who knew this and hasn't made a PSA about it?!? I guess I can wear a hat over my wig, but then I'll have to deal with repositioning my hat hair <i>and</i> static! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">So many things I've never had to think about before... </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">While I'm glad my wig is <i>evidently</i> fairly decent looking, I'm very much looking forward to my hair growing out to a length I feel comfortable wearing, </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">and surprising everyone all over again - </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">hopefully sometime next spring.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That, friend, is how you turn a post about a Ladies' brunch into a discussion about wigs!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">How is <i>your </i>December starting out?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-38856235248410626332023-12-01T22:25:00.009-05:002023-12-01T22:29:16.200-05:00Goodbye November...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Yesterday, the last day of November, Greg announced all the outside work was basically done and now he can enjoy winter. 😊</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Sc3aF9KS7c5AVf8-4c-8-v0VfTFhQdD_VdUsUjiTcVqwO8h1g5YzHpuLgfVmMLeTE1qGWEJtv3KhC3ZbuQNIqo8ibbu_VldeOIlJm2w7GIiiYRFyuDlkndjKJ-6ujnnWLx8TO3HIv5uYeRWSgzpop8n5hmc7Eevgt0eEDTt0pxH5ZOycUIhMVryWAfUv/s4080/20231102_175600%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Sc3aF9KS7c5AVf8-4c-8-v0VfTFhQdD_VdUsUjiTcVqwO8h1g5YzHpuLgfVmMLeTE1qGWEJtv3KhC3ZbuQNIqo8ibbu_VldeOIlJm2w7GIiiYRFyuDlkndjKJ-6ujnnWLx8TO3HIv5uYeRWSgzpop8n5hmc7Eevgt0eEDTt0pxH5ZOycUIhMVryWAfUv/w417-h555/20231102_175600%20resized.jpg" width="417" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8IV0pg27gPjaRbHSE7TdS2xYeevkfo8aXYdubjKrZCex53AcTRV0KwpUIfhgzO4sC55HLEyAXsGTiJfFpaqZMNU2byMU3YJSY50f2j8-Yk28Dv0BPGdJHJFZ85CmzAyVLz8s2oiVPTDadNa34MDD41kxrrQbCYH_ROiUk8ID-Omjj4hKC76teVceTFz6/s4080/20231106_131655%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8IV0pg27gPjaRbHSE7TdS2xYeevkfo8aXYdubjKrZCex53AcTRV0KwpUIfhgzO4sC55HLEyAXsGTiJfFpaqZMNU2byMU3YJSY50f2j8-Yk28Dv0BPGdJHJFZ85CmzAyVLz8s2oiVPTDadNa34MDD41kxrrQbCYH_ROiUk8ID-Omjj4hKC76teVceTFz6/w417-h557/20231106_131655%20resized.jpg" width="417" /></span></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK2Eh3ljuJ2aAB3O_NRRKZfTVFlZVZJnInUqGSwplWDco4Ar90JrVKLiWHsIwjxaUaC9Cp41C_w8uaIU6Ehpdq9dyW6yhmgr7aBdQ7FPi64QbTjc8CGfRJvXQEMKBW315QFuaICe9lVduwhdE_nuYiH4lsTGj3JZ9gcLlfxFgchxx1WIE1iyU6idwUpY7/s3060/20231106_132342%20x%20r3esized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="3060" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK2Eh3ljuJ2aAB3O_NRRKZfTVFlZVZJnInUqGSwplWDco4Ar90JrVKLiWHsIwjxaUaC9Cp41C_w8uaIU6Ehpdq9dyW6yhmgr7aBdQ7FPi64QbTjc8CGfRJvXQEMKBW315QFuaICe9lVduwhdE_nuYiH4lsTGj3JZ9gcLlfxFgchxx1WIE1iyU6idwUpY7/w415-h376/20231106_132342%20x%20r3esized.jpg" width="415" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In November, the rogue Mulberry tree came completely down and we hired a tree removal company to take the stump all the way to the ground and grind it up. The shrubs it was growing amongst will look so much better next summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbVZjFNV802mnccpEKcgYbVPI_s5EF9qpGcy2g47XEwiZdmxjpPASutq59YpmUCM9nQx8BSbKr0MrqK25nOwgl-KZ4C9CJo3uJQublUwn4BwnsBdgTvywak6NwdoJgO-oPsNCfY7Jau6uVjlKqivCO7x48_-Pcx7KMufn6dtJvEUi-6CkYbxY0_kx4gTY/s3456/20231122_154009%20resiezed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbVZjFNV802mnccpEKcgYbVPI_s5EF9qpGcy2g47XEwiZdmxjpPASutq59YpmUCM9nQx8BSbKr0MrqK25nOwgl-KZ4C9CJo3uJQublUwn4BwnsBdgTvywak6NwdoJgO-oPsNCfY7Jau6uVjlKqivCO7x48_-Pcx7KMufn6dtJvEUi-6CkYbxY0_kx4gTY/w425-h425/20231122_154009%20resiezed.jpg" width="425" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>Greg spent a number of autumn afternoons riding the lawn mower pulling a leaf sweep to clean up the brown leaves that took their time falling all month long. And yesterday cleaned the last of the leaves out of the gutters.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuRSzkQBewO62b2BVo8RrgbtJnbpFTXKIckcBLJmAZYb7m8MwDxnEfSDQaK4uIYQ9elMXouaHz_STCytsz_-6d1KvjzIbqazs_drwLNJzKK_3A2b1FdHQhqW8df48ntCDKLotVU556BApQpZQZKq6_cNkyfiXrLcdLGPLi2Zw_gRCCEHtYxJqv0yAZWK3/s4080/20231118_152421%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="565" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuRSzkQBewO62b2BVo8RrgbtJnbpFTXKIckcBLJmAZYb7m8MwDxnEfSDQaK4uIYQ9elMXouaHz_STCytsz_-6d1KvjzIbqazs_drwLNJzKK_3A2b1FdHQhqW8df48ntCDKLotVU556BApQpZQZKq6_cNkyfiXrLcdLGPLi2Zw_gRCCEHtYxJqv0yAZWK3/w424-h565/20231118_152421%20resized.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bnnfIspehh7sJp79VJSfvqxxYK4PQpGMb_Kp2PDpHdyQSaK0UqHGQC8xhp2EV0foO1rzwpW0J_vM45ss3mI1hEgY3NvLMdlIz0qFM8dg6KvLH2j8xL3mEIGhR4cmT1-Namm3z6dIRtSIZ3IZ7KURoLG8R1cTAkMZ-FdVBTMZziY91VU4EistsmRMp96n/s4080/20231119_074820%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bnnfIspehh7sJp79VJSfvqxxYK4PQpGMb_Kp2PDpHdyQSaK0UqHGQC8xhp2EV0foO1rzwpW0J_vM45ss3mI1hEgY3NvLMdlIz0qFM8dg6KvLH2j8xL3mEIGhR4cmT1-Namm3z6dIRtSIZ3IZ7KURoLG8R1cTAkMZ-FdVBTMZziY91VU4EistsmRMp96n/w420-h558/20231119_074820%20resized.jpg" width="420" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br />The leaves and sheared pampas grass had their final burn on the last day of November.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As for <i>my</i> contribution this autumn... </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwAjqzkJyhWsmh-fZIkrFmMa7-6kWu-nMxhyphenhyphengOrYX8nLdDGXsIVpibferPQNA6Y2Q-yHMAh-KhRVERw1A2BTrPvrquxNm3MNhJmovvqUedC8y1AEE9FKo4Suysj8nNzVHWsScUvpmAp8D6_gVGQqeiFoUt8AGHjPFPw_ubBX2FSHFruC3yOZuU8JL72TY/s4080/20231130_160731%20resuzed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwAjqzkJyhWsmh-fZIkrFmMa7-6kWu-nMxhyphenhyphengOrYX8nLdDGXsIVpibferPQNA6Y2Q-yHMAh-KhRVERw1A2BTrPvrquxNm3MNhJmovvqUedC8y1AEE9FKo4Suysj8nNzVHWsScUvpmAp8D6_gVGQqeiFoUt8AGHjPFPw_ubBX2FSHFruC3yOZuU8JL72TY/w422-h563/20231130_160731%20resuzed.jpg" width="422" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p7wQKpxAPS8AuKS81eDtdGCcFgiMe0aMIoRGQB7hvz5H_FNnkNHleqr_dl7UbyeBVTMNzlxgnwwqw0aDwFhGJlg_CjV1mdvPEIZBtT0DGx6k8XPyRRCMA6UWZN0YSYT5bCEDdgznmwsAJc2io41PPW0kT93lufbAjN5KHMOtOnPb6MjgseBIyfbf9YhW/s4080/20231130_160503%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-p7wQKpxAPS8AuKS81eDtdGCcFgiMe0aMIoRGQB7hvz5H_FNnkNHleqr_dl7UbyeBVTMNzlxgnwwqw0aDwFhGJlg_CjV1mdvPEIZBtT0DGx6k8XPyRRCMA6UWZN0YSYT5bCEDdgznmwsAJc2io41PPW0kT93lufbAjN5KHMOtOnPb6MjgseBIyfbf9YhW/w422-h563/20231130_160503%20resized.jpg" width="422" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I covere</span><span style="font-family: Sarala; text-align: center;">d the asparagus patch with the piddly little amount of leaf mold my compost bin produced, then I added new leaves to the compost bins. Hopefully with a second bin, we'll have a bit more leaf mold next year. Looking at the picture, I wish I'd collected more leaves, though...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eraXg3z25dRhIJuLaM8ZVq_cUgkOVMijdmJrdc-55ZouTSTHB9nR_WOMpE7fE3Db2Oi-lobBnS74pizJ7Lm7VdY8sUG57GSnh5XRDbtySDRlcDRqnUu-ri0iRioOVfjgE_wiAy0xtkf4T1K8s1n7p6xbYDCovslIf-3OzEvfHv89vd8xQjgGZANAWqKo/s4080/20231130_172053%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eraXg3z25dRhIJuLaM8ZVq_cUgkOVMijdmJrdc-55ZouTSTHB9nR_WOMpE7fE3Db2Oi-lobBnS74pizJ7Lm7VdY8sUG57GSnh5XRDbtySDRlcDRqnUu-ri0iRioOVfjgE_wiAy0xtkf4T1K8s1n7p6xbYDCovslIf-3OzEvfHv89vd8xQjgGZANAWqKo/w419-h315/20231130_172053%20resized.jpg" width="419" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium; text-align: center;">I didn't have it in me to do any serious cleaning up of the strawberry bed, so I just covered it with straw for the winter this past week, and plan to neaten things up before the strawberry plants start blooming next spring.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsBhE4xy71UJkQjhIvxm_Lysqvp7WKX6NvxFOHytWf6CIFSJjGJk6nKtsUyE9zLpHmGLqhjgPcMjOC_yYZTGJHENwJW6RKmEDJAyz_kHdEcZBiR-shfWC25dkzC4D0K-VBIWKDFU8CK2ASDKyw8ZHCxLmxRSKAUEyppXAAwNpEUL8QcK-YMxAFMiscpM6/s1920/20231122_150326%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsBhE4xy71UJkQjhIvxm_Lysqvp7WKX6NvxFOHytWf6CIFSJjGJk6nKtsUyE9zLpHmGLqhjgPcMjOC_yYZTGJHENwJW6RKmEDJAyz_kHdEcZBiR-shfWC25dkzC4D0K-VBIWKDFU8CK2ASDKyw8ZHCxLmxRSKAUEyppXAAwNpEUL8QcK-YMxAFMiscpM6/w440-h440/20231122_150326%20x%20resized.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">As I was preparing to spread leaf mold on the asparagus patch, I found a couple of tiny asparagus spears growing. I don't know if this is normal, but I was not expecting to find a tender young plant trying to get a start so late in the year.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That pretty much wraps up the garden and yard work for another year. Last spring, I planted some things in the garden - mostly flowers, but also a few vegetables. It turned out with surgery in June to heal from, I couldn't really tend it. I didn't expect it to take so long to heal. I don't regret the hard work in May, though. Time spent tilling and planting was a welcome distraction from what was ahead for me the next 5 months. Greg must have sensed this over the summer as we sat out back on cool evenings looking at a barren garden. He never complained or suggested that the effort in May was wasted. I was thankful for what was never said - it felt wonderfully generous. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm looking forward to next spring and, <i>hopefully</i>, feeling up to putting in a garden again. Another spring, another chance to grow things...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">~~~~~</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-40454922603083963732023-11-26T20:58:00.007-05:002023-11-26T22:36:19.380-05:00Thanksgiving feast reimagined...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I hope all you living in the States had a very nice Thanksgiving. We had a small, but happy gathering with our sons and middle son's girlfriend on Thursday. We've forgone the traditional turkey meal for I don't even know how long now, and this year settled on the idea of having a Taco Bar. It was so much fun with everyone in the kitchen at one point helping to pull the various components together for our meal of make your own tacos.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpsIoM7P8tFPFN3OHgkM1AfbwsiOFN5L3FBcCJZyWn9bcg46luBIH7jS74WYJeeGx7-72ksjO0JV9T13dJU_PMO1nLpbaaTuW9JgqTDWWVD7ZuPVjLnUUSdan99ZHKDBuAOG-Dh4kFyuAXhzzZNgwTcVw3WnP_9D1k5rHNZlPllUhKGCl-PzdM9mgwEsg/s3456/20231123_172318%20xresized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpsIoM7P8tFPFN3OHgkM1AfbwsiOFN5L3FBcCJZyWn9bcg46luBIH7jS74WYJeeGx7-72ksjO0JV9T13dJU_PMO1nLpbaaTuW9JgqTDWWVD7ZuPVjLnUUSdan99ZHKDBuAOG-Dh4kFyuAXhzzZNgwTcVw3WnP_9D1k5rHNZlPllUhKGCl-PzdM9mgwEsg/w459-h459/20231123_172318%20xresized.jpg" width="459" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div>As is usual when we have family get togethers, we played some games. My favorite games are ones that get people to talking - especially if people start talking about themselves, or about memories that come up during the game. And of course, laughter is a must - so nothing too serious, or too long or complicated for that matter. Before we ate, we played A Fake Artist Goes to New York. A long, goofy name for a very simple and funny game. And after our tacos, we played So Clover! <i>Why oh why do I not think in the moment, to snap some pictures?</i> Here are links to explanations of </span><a href="https://www.theboardgamefamily.com/2022/12/so-clover-game-review/" target="_blank">So Clover!</a><span> and <a href="https://oinkgames.com/en/games/analog/a-fake-artist-goes-to-new-york/" target="_blank">A Fake Artist Goes to New York</a> if you're curious about them. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It was a good Thanksgiving Day. Over too soon, but that always seems to be the way it is anymore. I feel it more keenly the older I get.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Below is a picture of my dad (in 1986). His tradition was to cook the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey every year. I suppose we all pitched in once we were older, but since I was a little girl until she couldn't do it anymore, I remember Mom made traditional hearty sides including oyster dressing at Thanksgiving. That dressing was my favorite part of our Thanksgiving feast.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TTxR5e_NoIvHXvKnha64DEqYxc0L0mTuN3i6TLFnB2IA52JhJhh0vFrsFi4G0LQhaw-4NPn8EfVNiouAo8wGELHxX0mhUzdSF1XV592aCjSJ1UDhoGfsB1Mwv9oPx56cm7dNzK8eL7GF-7wTYirRvSl36EvHcoReueASqh2OrngxBUFHdQXHrabIssHw/s1358/Paul%20Axsom%20-%201986%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1358" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TTxR5e_NoIvHXvKnha64DEqYxc0L0mTuN3i6TLFnB2IA52JhJhh0vFrsFi4G0LQhaw-4NPn8EfVNiouAo8wGELHxX0mhUzdSF1XV592aCjSJ1UDhoGfsB1Mwv9oPx56cm7dNzK8eL7GF-7wTYirRvSl36EvHcoReueASqh2OrngxBUFHdQXHrabIssHw/w485-h435/Paul%20Axsom%20-%201986%20x%20resized.jpg" width="485" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Though we did all look forward to the turkey </div><div style="text-align: center;">that Dad roasted and basted to perfection. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">There is something to be said for keeping to traditions.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">~~~~~</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">On the crafting front, I recently finished the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nanas-sweet-as-can-bee-baby-blanket" target="_blank">Sweet As Can Bee</a> blanket I started a few weeks ago. It's a nice midweight afghan, perfect for slightly chilly evenings, and it puts a fun pop of autumn color in the living room for this time of year. I'm so glad I finally made it:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqMo4Zm-dGo-V1NqllLyckrVL8eMSBBW0earCzODN-c_aZnolB6lzYIEcdy_P1MFBTSuI4bXUujukwS-ZziH0WKtNIk4-aQ5ykOgdiVpwHmUUXTjEh9PLYyudqPGPZrtnOf2YNO_jXU-E_YUmzY60FD6ceDWlQWCuwznq9UQi0KtmR2uk_y1bXU_ruxdN/s3068/20231113_165152%20xresized%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2709" data-original-width="3068" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqMo4Zm-dGo-V1NqllLyckrVL8eMSBBW0earCzODN-c_aZnolB6lzYIEcdy_P1MFBTSuI4bXUujukwS-ZziH0WKtNIk4-aQ5ykOgdiVpwHmUUXTjEh9PLYyudqPGPZrtnOf2YNO_jXU-E_YUmzY60FD6ceDWlQWCuwznq9UQi0KtmR2uk_y1bXU_ruxdN/w476-h421/20231113_165152%20xresized%20(2).jpg" width="476" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg664KD2V0YYTcwRrPySBoOK2-dZeFyWnEI9yIEVE71y_hXPVGJ-PbRe7sAMUXvPiLskFjTIk2MAhZV7bDowHK_6pgZjX6TH71x-WX-mtw1kTrMgRcJ48rkOIpzwkD6TX-8tcBHCNtdIsNtswcaZ5FHEbN2lyUFKW14RO1rBxKMEs6c_g4Nrnd51aJwwPOa/s3456/20231113_165220%20xresized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg664KD2V0YYTcwRrPySBoOK2-dZeFyWnEI9yIEVE71y_hXPVGJ-PbRe7sAMUXvPiLskFjTIk2MAhZV7bDowHK_6pgZjX6TH71x-WX-mtw1kTrMgRcJ48rkOIpzwkD6TX-8tcBHCNtdIsNtswcaZ5FHEbN2lyUFKW14RO1rBxKMEs6c_g4Nrnd51aJwwPOa/w481-h481/20231113_165220%20xresized.jpg" width="481" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And now I'm on to decorating the Christmas tree, </div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>and starting a new crochet project! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>~~~~~</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-53156202889950808782023-11-18T00:40:00.011-05:002024-02-17T23:19:48.941-05:00Things are returning to normal around here...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">So... in my last post I thought I was returning to normal. That was a false start. I went downhill for a few weeks after pronouncing I felt almost normal. Turns out, with a fast and unexpected downturn, it's taken about 5 weeks after my 4th chemo infusion to approach the level of energy and stamina I had reached by Day 10 of my first 3 chemo cycles. I can't believe how knocked down I felt this time around. Weak muscles everywhere. No stamina for a week or two. Breathing was too easily labored. I don't mind admitting I got a little worried and depressed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While I've developed a cough that keeps hanging around, x-rays last week show my lungs are clear, so I'm trusting it eventually goes away. While normal will, no doubt, be something different than before surgery and chemo, I am getting back to some semblance of it. I've become motivated to grocery shop and cook again, and it helps greatly that my tastebuds have started to work again. Not perfectly, yet, but food has ceased being one of the biggest disappointments of my days.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While I didn't feel good enough for most of the first half of autumn to truly enjoy it, I do know it's been a beauty this year. Our trees have, a few at a time, all turned gorgeous colors in recent weeks, and the hanger-on-ers will likely drop most of their leaves by Thanksgiving.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZw0ImtNdA99m1ukoUR4UsxZHBFrwEhyWZ-qLSS5Cy7_BB5l4bLrLrHhBNo0nmKPoDD1JsNcQYY1Yb-kM9MZZIfXzMm4z2t5AV3tYsqlpaHMm63K8QOr2aGBRKDPaMsL9YKexL_UJPDRV9scjmsqO7MausZMo7irIkkqzIMWjJSz34tGC4NGw44Vla5A-2/s4080/20231113_130454%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZw0ImtNdA99m1ukoUR4UsxZHBFrwEhyWZ-qLSS5Cy7_BB5l4bLrLrHhBNo0nmKPoDD1JsNcQYY1Yb-kM9MZZIfXzMm4z2t5AV3tYsqlpaHMm63K8QOr2aGBRKDPaMsL9YKexL_UJPDRV9scjmsqO7MausZMo7irIkkqzIMWjJSz34tGC4NGw44Vla5A-2/w442-h591/20231113_130454%20resized.jpg" width="442" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The most beautiful of our late shedders</i></div></i><span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>I'm still at a spot where there is so much more I could write about what's going on with my health, but after this post, I think I will have reached a point in this journey where I won't necessarily want to put it out there for public consumption. I know... considering what I </span><i>have</i><span> put out there, it may seem a little late for that. I don't like to present a picture online that may look rosier than it is, but if I'm at least this honest in this post with those of you who've followed along in recent months, I think I'll feel like I'm being "real enough" right now. Not that there are rules about this sort of thing. My blog, my rules. These posts have truly been mostly for my benefit, and as some kind of record after time passes and I will have forgotten much of it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I will have follow-ups with my oncology doctors for several years to come, and it appears my GP is following along via a patient portal with great interest. I heard from her earlier this week, in fact, when as of last week </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I had my first DEXA scan. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMRLZv_O1GadWiSM5oPf7GvYw9bK7eFErdblfDQ0wGcz4HYL3ndgWB0o7_uKBqInW0HO8VS4KMklP5rk3Pnmf0N3JLgbTYG3Mol8ioC0MxTw9TM5QnqXrkkjhKQGRpWEOWawYxN1nvI5YAm7SpPhNq1hgG0SzDgEEf3QMb5nF36q196PLBFh6ytZkKcwQ/s3456/20231110_122356%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMRLZv_O1GadWiSM5oPf7GvYw9bK7eFErdblfDQ0wGcz4HYL3ndgWB0o7_uKBqInW0HO8VS4KMklP5rk3Pnmf0N3JLgbTYG3Mol8ioC0MxTw9TM5QnqXrkkjhKQGRpWEOWawYxN1nvI5YAm7SpPhNq1hgG0SzDgEEf3QMb5nF36q196PLBFh6ytZkKcwQ/w444-h444/20231110_122356%20resized.jpg" width="444" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I'm not sure if these are routinely ordered for cancer patients (under age 65), but because my doctor wants me to go on endocrine therapy via an Aromatase Inhibitor, and AI's are known to affect bone mass, a bone density test was ordered to find out what my baseline is. I'm not at all comfortable with the news that I'm running at a deficit in that department, and I now need to add dealing with osteoporosis to my bag of tricks. After spending a few days worrying that every little discomfort in my back is my spine ready to crack in two (or a hundred) pieces, I've decided one cannot live like that. While I'm learning how to hopefully preserve what bone mass I have, and hope beyond hope I may actually be able to improve things, I've decided I kind of have to live and move like I'd never read the O-word on my report. That is a challenge. Of course, I can't live like it doesn't exist, but I can't live in fear of it, I've finally concluded. More easily said than done, but... well... at least I've said it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm holding off until after Thanksgiving to start popping that powerful little daily AI pill. I may or may not report side effects of that therapy. Honestly, the reason I may not share a lot more about all of this is I don't want to attract unsolicited advice from anyone who doesn't have the complete picture for a subject that is complicated and in some cases (I have learned) is controversial. Living in the age of the internet and YouTube influencers is both a blessing and a burden. Too many people think they are an expert on something that very few people truly are - even the experts, I fear.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I wrote about this weeks ago, but I am now entering the stage of treatment that many women who've dealt with breast cancer have to traverse mostly alone (under the care of their doctors). I will be living my life more normally, and engaging more publicly in my social circles than I have for the last five months, but there will be a quiet, private work happening outside of the purview of most people I engage with. It is the stage that I started dreading a month ago, and it is here. This is new territory for me. While the introvert in me has always appreciated keeping a "private life", I've not had any big <i>secrets</i> either - certainly, not where it comes to my health. I'm pretty much "what you see is what you get". Or so I thought. Frankly, I haven't felt like there's been much to see until recently, thank goodness.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>Ah well... we all march on with growing older, don't we. As matter-of-fact as that is, this is not a reality I seriously </span>ever imagined maneuvering. Which is silly when I think about it. I mean, we all hope to grow old, and while some of us do a better job preparing our bodies to face things that are common as we grow older, who of us actually prepares our <i>minds</i>, and is psychologically prepared for the myriad things we may have to maneuver as we go through our senior years? As someone who has often thought I operate with a decent amount of mental clarity, I don't feel particularly mentally prepared for this - except for my superpower of compartmentalizing when it suits me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I have a feeling now that skill is only going to get me so far.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9azLEGmEP3SkXC3HAnVe5L9hxXqOcLI2KZ8jNO5Hu6Cd-tLqIv1kVMUa-EtLYwdfVIFS9I0Ne3ohYrnRNQj90AGvAQecOau2AcynQqjNpxbfWYGXQCkBfTzMop9TpLT-rEXLphgMw3637mKRGA7kEXBN_XFRorlFiC6kI_7jyUCop8YWhjStvgDQy-wpj/s3456/20231103_185320%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9azLEGmEP3SkXC3HAnVe5L9hxXqOcLI2KZ8jNO5Hu6Cd-tLqIv1kVMUa-EtLYwdfVIFS9I0Ne3ohYrnRNQj90AGvAQecOau2AcynQqjNpxbfWYGXQCkBfTzMop9TpLT-rEXLphgMw3637mKRGA7kEXBN_XFRorlFiC6kI_7jyUCop8YWhjStvgDQy-wpj/w458-h458/20231103_185320%20resized.jpg" width="458" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I really hope this place I'm in in my mind is a phase. Hopefully, in a few months I'll have made changes that need to happen, a new normal will emerge, and maybe I won't be so consumed by these kinds of thoughts. I'll get on with life. Will continue healing from my surgery earlier this year, and will just get on with doing the things I need to do. I guess I've already started doing that.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And hopefully, there will be plenty of fun (maybe even interesting) stuff to share here.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Having felt a bit of a loss recently when it comes to blogging, I've been thinking about what to do to spark some mojo in that department. Maybe I'll try posting daily in December. Maybe I'll challenge myself in a way I'm willing to share here. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying catching up with my bloggy friends, and seeing what motivates and sparks creativity in you all. If you got this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. And thank you all for the encouragement you've sent my way. I am grateful.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Just for fun, here's a photo of me and my two older sisters (taken in our living room) that was recently circulated on a family Facebook page that Greg has been posting lots of photos to:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicncsAGrSnior3YxANv3dr1YN1V_RoWR0pghF0-2Dx1T9VnUtLppj5SqqvBXandf6ZaGQShQrsSfnEqNTN4H1_IuVdt_iExEHciS_6_O44RiAH5mnhAFyUT4U8lNl7EjaciTLz9dz0UCGKtVxW1k36IcZv0DYq1CB8i7QUv_75fTxhcDh8Z_yoeXpXqgxu/s719/FB_IMG_1698871186149%20resized%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="719" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicncsAGrSnior3YxANv3dr1YN1V_RoWR0pghF0-2Dx1T9VnUtLppj5SqqvBXandf6ZaGQShQrsSfnEqNTN4H1_IuVdt_iExEHciS_6_O44RiAH5mnhAFyUT4U8lNl7EjaciTLz9dz0UCGKtVxW1k36IcZv0DYq1CB8i7QUv_75fTxhcDh8Z_yoeXpXqgxu/w536-h358/FB_IMG_1698871186149%20resized%20(2).jpg" width="536" /></span></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>While it isn't a particularly <i>good</i> picture, it sure shows well the time frame (probably 1964) and evokes a lot of nostalgia for me. I'm sure at the time I <i>loved</i> wearing the same dress as my big sisters. That seemed to be a thing back then.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-1043294104055487152023-10-28T20:31:00.008-04:002023-11-26T22:37:52.742-05:00A fine autumn day...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Just popping in for a super quick moment to make it known that I am here, and am visiting blogs as I feel up to it, but the fatigue I barely mentioned in my last post has hit me profoundly for the last week and a half. I think it is improving at this point (little-by-little, day-by-day), but I have been knocked down much harder after the fourth chemo infusion than from any of the previous three before. I think it's made worse because I simply didn't expect this since I regained my energy about half-way through my previous rounds. Giving into the need to rest for an extra week and a half was not part of my plan. I had things to do! Adjusting my expectations was not something I had on the docket at this point.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That said, and discouraging as it has been, I don't really think it's anything to be worried about, but rather is likely a normal, cumulative effect of several chemo rounds. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">But today was a good day. Middle son has come for a visit, and it was great to spend some time outside on our last warmish day this month, me doing the little bit I felt up to. Son is taking down a rogue mulberry tree for us. I don't have a clue why it was ever allowed to keep growing right in the midst of these shrubs - from the size of the base of the trunk, I'd guess for at least 20 years.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqv4AzwamqJNB5ZV9uUP6kM9ZEwXwT03oTf_BwUjiyZHrwoxeOQZFvqjfvCkfRJ83KIXnIuUoqK9cl2Hab0hQTBidHMJM7ilMTJH6tc3VCzI3rIjK0qIbTKvKSsR6X6dEqpYLYoc3dv4IRX4pOlqfMDjbMfXlEgtzYYErj555lZdT3XpQWv7diyKL0sXE/s3456/20231028_170702%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqv4AzwamqJNB5ZV9uUP6kM9ZEwXwT03oTf_BwUjiyZHrwoxeOQZFvqjfvCkfRJ83KIXnIuUoqK9cl2Hab0hQTBidHMJM7ilMTJH6tc3VCzI3rIjK0qIbTKvKSsR6X6dEqpYLYoc3dv4IRX4pOlqfMDjbMfXlEgtzYYErj555lZdT3XpQWv7diyKL0sXE/w431-h431/20231028_170702%20resized.jpg" width="431" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Then we enjoyed a fire. One of many in the upcoming weeks, no doubt.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_l6wHwuFWwQqwVdeCCdkZK2dh8VjUj0uzBd_91ilP9f9QGOfu8WoHinyfUGMwTvIoG2wkmbbx-tW0-xUMwohvRK5_z1nro1cjNqfSFigHTjU4miEmeQ0kOWnGZBcZL3oFAWBwkrZ-wXHSov9Us_z_SQsEseyndSWV6hRDikhiowzVhmDxRK-boWbeoSI/s3456/20231028_182313%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_l6wHwuFWwQqwVdeCCdkZK2dh8VjUj0uzBd_91ilP9f9QGOfu8WoHinyfUGMwTvIoG2wkmbbx-tW0-xUMwohvRK5_z1nro1cjNqfSFigHTjU4miEmeQ0kOWnGZBcZL3oFAWBwkrZ-wXHSov9Us_z_SQsEseyndSWV6hRDikhiowzVhmDxRK-boWbeoSI/w434-h434/20231028_182313%20resized.jpg" width="434" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The strawberry patch needs to be prepped for winter, but I'm going to put that off until after a few freezing nights next week. The last two years, I've covered the strawberry plants before the first hard freeze, but I've recently seen online that it's good to harden them off first. Let them experience a few freezing nights. Since my energy level wasn't capable of tackling the strawberries this past week, and next week promises freezing temperatures for three nights, I've decided I'm okay with giving this "hardening off" idea a try. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">The asparagus is ready to be cut down now that it's turned yellow, and the seedpods are a cheery red color. We've got some leaves that have been hanging out, composting for over a year now, so hopefully they've pretty much turned to leaf mold and it's all ready to cover the asparagus patch with. I'm already looking forward to next April when the first shoots of asparagus should appear. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2p7Uk0itXfZ_OUI0uKdvv2-czQApQXjZd5byQrz1ZKieiHdwb-KSV02oTuRMStcUrad0vVF5B5QJCOHs5JtJC-Lb0jlSfGdUF-6Hq61ghcS-BcNRCbLHosv4XtDcC-cNKiwFyXelnliI5SpyUGUAvmW0-8p0hAaikPmYmyOo66qY__b-_KHbk4S-J9Tl/s3456/20231028_172021%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2p7Uk0itXfZ_OUI0uKdvv2-czQApQXjZd5byQrz1ZKieiHdwb-KSV02oTuRMStcUrad0vVF5B5QJCOHs5JtJC-Lb0jlSfGdUF-6Hq61ghcS-BcNRCbLHosv4XtDcC-cNKiwFyXelnliI5SpyUGUAvmW0-8p0hAaikPmYmyOo66qY__b-_KHbk4S-J9Tl/w431-h431/20231028_172021%20resized.jpg" width="431" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">With my waning mojo, my handcrafts have largely taken a back seat, again, but a few days ago when I had some extra energy, I decided to look through my yarn </span><strike style="font-family: Sarala;">hoard</strike><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> stash, and I was motivated to start a simple blanket. It does me good to keep my hands busy, and while I've had to rip back more times than I care to admit (to correct careless mistakes), the stitch pattern is easy enough that my tired brain can handle it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VtLrKbTcgNAeDMtbeOQthfLT5_4mS43v1nuNdCuo-zEp1SbDYiP1sGQS_oP8orjMw_QUWMtqfNUN2bC013OSR-_bZ_3nT-3vDueAv7Rm2dFHrBsm_5R6u1JidVjVRlPA4P_FyeQDUTvoV3nh6hiY3_P4lArgaCY2kqLbGk7KhLEPwvLAFSujoAgxuzvG/s3384/20231028_150146x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2919" data-original-width="3384" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VtLrKbTcgNAeDMtbeOQthfLT5_4mS43v1nuNdCuo-zEp1SbDYiP1sGQS_oP8orjMw_QUWMtqfNUN2bC013OSR-_bZ_3nT-3vDueAv7Rm2dFHrBsm_5R6u1JidVjVRlPA4P_FyeQDUTvoV3nh6hiY3_P4lArgaCY2kqLbGk7KhLEPwvLAFSujoAgxuzvG/w505-h436/20231028_150146x%20resized.jpg" width="505" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></div>Do you see the honeycomb pattern? The pattern is called </span><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nanas-sweet-as-can-bee-baby-blanket" target="_blank">Sweet As Can Bee</a><span>. <i>The link goes to Ravelry, and will only open to the pattern for Ravelry members. </i> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>And that's all I've got for the moment. Thank you for stopping by!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-60654229433730887092023-10-18T17:37:00.004-04:002023-10-18T17:41:55.743-04:00Day 10...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">For each of my chemo rounds, I kept a daily journal of my symptoms as I progressed through the days following the infusion. I did it the first time at the suggestion of my oncologist's nurse. It was helpful for them because knowing what my symptoms were, they had ideas on how to minimize them in the next rounds. I applied their ideas, and they helped. My oncology nurse also told me that many times people's bodies adapt to the chemo, and the first round is the worst. I will say that was true for me - whether it was my body adapting, or me applying their suggestions for my symptoms, or both. While none of the symptoms were pleasant or exactly easy, none were as bad as they were the first time around.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">When my second round of chemo came around, I distinctly remember looking back at my account of Round 1 and noticed I stopped writing anything after Day 9. Wondering why I would do that, I made a mental note to keep going with it for the full 21 days. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And then I got to Day 10 on the second round and I realized I felt practically normal, and there really wasn't anything to write. I was no longer taking any medicines to counteract symptoms because the worst of the symptoms had pretty completely passed at that point. What a relief that was. It made the next two sessions loom much less large in my mind. Not that it was <i>nothing</i>, but my chemo protocol and side effects weren't as terrible as I imagined it all would be.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Today is Day 10 of my last round. I'm happy to say I once again feel practically normal, except for some fatigue. Well... and the fact that I had a minor mishap a week ago which led to a finger getting infected this week, so now I'm on an antibiotic for that. It's not that the mishap was significant, but rather that my immunity is so compromised that my finger developed an infection. Under normal circumstances, an infection wouldn't have set in, I'm positive. Mostly that has been an annoyance, but within 24 hours, the antibiotic has started helping my finger feel less sore, so I'm hopeful that will soon be history too.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I mentioned in an earlier post that some motivation for creative activities has returned. I'm happy to say the feeling is staying with me. Here are just some random things I've been doing as the spirit strikes:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7HB2XOXQG9YxUaJ8BrFFrByI_33pi6NyDshE0zGEotUmkokVCDKHRGaPcyNeWIEv4al2IY1GgefqLrtuVFJRkpAsX2AUveWL2wX5eeDCRBUggx0DAHFGMhTOeog9pwwzof1MVm1sKlq8NB12YRq05Wm9GKIzk4-hQOLdJ-ZhvTd8ZXlguEFbezKgYhqw/s3456/20231016_170739%20x%20resized%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7HB2XOXQG9YxUaJ8BrFFrByI_33pi6NyDshE0zGEotUmkokVCDKHRGaPcyNeWIEv4al2IY1GgefqLrtuVFJRkpAsX2AUveWL2wX5eeDCRBUggx0DAHFGMhTOeog9pwwzof1MVm1sKlq8NB12YRq05Wm9GKIzk4-hQOLdJ-ZhvTd8ZXlguEFbezKgYhqw/w403-h403/20231016_170739%20x%20resized%202.jpg" width="403" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Knitting fresh dishcloths in fall colors makes me happy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2w-5d8vN05CQavBM35y6FMHTnU6hAgqF7icgHB0h7JAM20rtMEmkBamuoa4LLy2Xt1KnhOHsIHEnK081QoEY_3MzvnIoE4VwIwdZAREZKDFXR0NPgTx7KQtiT5Vu_qN210WgIes59xwqAD_ByKwHCZ-_pRHUqusTIeIaNSt7SBdYMy7qWhyphenhyphenoTP0VRtHF/s3456/20231018_145326%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja2w-5d8vN05CQavBM35y6FMHTnU6hAgqF7icgHB0h7JAM20rtMEmkBamuoa4LLy2Xt1KnhOHsIHEnK081QoEY_3MzvnIoE4VwIwdZAREZKDFXR0NPgTx7KQtiT5Vu_qN210WgIes59xwqAD_ByKwHCZ-_pRHUqusTIeIaNSt7SBdYMy7qWhyphenhyphenoTP0VRtHF/w399-h399/20231018_145326%20resized.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stitching on my Quaker sampler continued.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y_XiI7ynU5tTcLw1n_Jfr83knT200CiCzRMVJ7H3zHb_j0oy7E5GkHntCABFkZsXuOCTanbcdrs0k1GjWiyxiZ4RGPW47NCK5nTWmNpbqo2r7wtN3CTiP_Wd3OKgpi0mdH0OM74f4jWHgw6mJU_DDiKyQ5H651_DfmxvZ8A0RWwE6c3MdqBChrOluCwm/s3243/20231018_162946%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3192" data-original-width="3243" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y_XiI7ynU5tTcLw1n_Jfr83knT200CiCzRMVJ7H3zHb_j0oy7E5GkHntCABFkZsXuOCTanbcdrs0k1GjWiyxiZ4RGPW47NCK5nTWmNpbqo2r7wtN3CTiP_Wd3OKgpi0mdH0OM74f4jWHgw6mJU_DDiKyQ5H651_DfmxvZ8A0RWwE6c3MdqBChrOluCwm/w403-h397/20231018_162946%20x%20resized.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Zentangling the cover of a birthday card </div><div style="text-align: center;">for youngest son made him smile.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCW1UHJf67k0l7ZmSh2KAH87SDNR2ZOyE1jJayZkQBmbxv92JOWS17WE1WT-Y5pLFzXw6_8kWu1HKYzH3f5YgqB2gibw8bESo-h2Dok7tVJ6-6l0jHIawjEpqFbsoAgPy_nXZejaohMhni5t0Rd1-1WuSrtU4vrel9dNtUonSnhStWb0_KL3P-M80_TpN/s3456/20231018_163045%20xx%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCW1UHJf67k0l7ZmSh2KAH87SDNR2ZOyE1jJayZkQBmbxv92JOWS17WE1WT-Y5pLFzXw6_8kWu1HKYzH3f5YgqB2gibw8bESo-h2Dok7tVJ6-6l0jHIawjEpqFbsoAgPy_nXZejaohMhni5t0Rd1-1WuSrtU4vrel9dNtUonSnhStWb0_KL3P-M80_TpN/w404-h404/20231018_163045%20xx%20resized.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Collecting slow drawing "inchies"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They're actually 2 inch squares</i>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-LEBRZs6cip0vSM6RjA4rq_Ii80BEoXl6Mt5cFrnlXlOJ39YlVKpe2w1YZ5n_uXuJG9-ltPRH2R4TYbOycme-9PYdG9Pt8E9kGT6SkDik3Ty8ESnSx_4eCG-FqBipjlEYYA0EHvhGDEdoP5HypWTxOgl5vpx4KM8FkE7UsUl1qW1WMVtMkfrESmf0uW2/s3456/20231018_160130%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-LEBRZs6cip0vSM6RjA4rq_Ii80BEoXl6Mt5cFrnlXlOJ39YlVKpe2w1YZ5n_uXuJG9-ltPRH2R4TYbOycme-9PYdG9Pt8E9kGT6SkDik3Ty8ESnSx_4eCG-FqBipjlEYYA0EHvhGDEdoP5HypWTxOgl5vpx4KM8FkE7UsUl1qW1WMVtMkfrESmf0uW2/w408-h408/20231018_160130%20resized.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Auditioning some fabrics for a scrappy autumn stitch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xiawd6_sO7sPrk6n2aUcPvenwemjvg9agoFDypazm_FehsRcRNa-IPPsekQYzj4_Rv1lQyfrXiUcD890WsyEBaGEMnKv5IeMeIAZUtoI4AgDU2Y9n1SGsDyHUrci_DjqK0OEjLgeNbQca6kUkj8kQbNmEeJ2D_z2inHMwI3yLp84ANSOfoleu75pB8XO/s3193/20231018_155932%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2794" data-original-width="3193" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xiawd6_sO7sPrk6n2aUcPvenwemjvg9agoFDypazm_FehsRcRNa-IPPsekQYzj4_Rv1lQyfrXiUcD890WsyEBaGEMnKv5IeMeIAZUtoI4AgDU2Y9n1SGsDyHUrci_DjqK0OEjLgeNbQca6kUkj8kQbNmEeJ2D_z2inHMwI3yLp84ANSOfoleu75pB8XO/w409-h359/20231018_155932%20x%20resized.jpg" width="409" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And starting a collection of fabric yo-yo's</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"> for future slow-stitching projects</span></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">None of it is exactly impressive, but it's satisfying to see I at least kept my hands busy during so much down time in recent weeks.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A beautiful autumn is settling in here in central Indiana. I hope you're enjoying whatever the season brings you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-54102175528096382682023-10-09T18:22:00.046-04:002023-11-27T02:55:43.332-05:00Ringing out of chemo...<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QNLW0qArRHFpZKgmAir0d0vVTvd8RNUufTHS-Zyu4JB3bxfePMGsvuhe1r7AjAcPk0bvaZZm9n43g4dsVw8vIKd_kl1EpiFZOyg3BOuQy9HHMVnGnEu6XhaH1qeVcCaxliqNdcGnzx5d5AAxDYfbmpeIMf_h9Op5J_eQ2GThyphenhyphenmWuyT1L6nJ18x0r71A7/s2404/20231009_134844%20%20Becki%20Ringing%20Out%20Of%20Chemo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2404" data-original-width="2387" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QNLW0qArRHFpZKgmAir0d0vVTvd8RNUufTHS-Zyu4JB3bxfePMGsvuhe1r7AjAcPk0bvaZZm9n43g4dsVw8vIKd_kl1EpiFZOyg3BOuQy9HHMVnGnEu6XhaH1qeVcCaxliqNdcGnzx5d5AAxDYfbmpeIMf_h9Op5J_eQ2GThyphenhyphenmWuyT1L6nJ18x0r71A7/s320/20231009_134844%20%20Becki%20Ringing%20Out%20Of%20Chemo.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">No matter how many chemo treatments you go through, when you finish you have the opportunity to "Ring the Bell" in celebration.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It's a weird place to be in one's mind - to be both thrilled that the last treatment is behind, and at the same time a little apprehensive knowing some uncomfortable days are ahead before <i>truly</i> being on the other side.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">From my experience, counting infusion day as Day 1, at the end of 6 days I'll have passed through the worst of the symptoms, and in 10 days I'll be feeling pretty much normal. Day 10 or 11, I have felt good enough and motivated enough to go grocery shopping and start cooking in earnest. Unfortunately, the taste buds still find food a serious disappointment, and was told today getting them back could take a few months, but at least the motivation to cook always returns for me sometime in the second week post treatment. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I asked my oncologist for a month's reprieve before starting endocrine therapy - which will last 5-7 years if it goes well. It is a typical treatment suggested to breast cancer patients who have hormone positive tumors. He was very agreeable to my desire to enjoy the rest of my autumn with (hopefully) no sick days. I have a DEXA scan scheduled, and a follow-up regarding that. I'm not looking forward to facing down the possible side effects of taking a daily pill, the purpose of which is to rid my 64-year-old body of any shred of estrogen that may be lurking still, or is hoping to yet be produced. But I feel incentivized by my onco-type test score to give it a good honest try. My oncologist told me today that going through this chemo regimen, I've possibly knocked down my chance of recurrence by 11-15%. That doesn't seem like much, but with an onco-type score that indicated I had a 22% chance of breast cancer recurrence without chemo, I'm pretty okay with those odds. I have to be. I don't get to pick the odds. I only get to pick what game(s) I'm willing to play in the cancer casino. In the end, I hope for the best, but as we all ultimately do, I have to bravely face whatever comes once I've played my hand. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">You'd think I was a gambler with the way I talk these days. Normal me is pretty averse to gambling in any form, but I suspect cancer - any big health scare, really - has a way of changing how a person sees life. I won't be buying lottery tickets anytime soon, but I do see the rest of my days as (hopefully) choosing to play my smartest and best hand, knowing I have zero control over how the game turns out. That is true for all of us, of course, but having your odds <a href="https://fieldlilies.blogspot.com/2023/07/back-in-saddle.html" target="_blank">printed on a piece of paper,</a> staring you down, profoundly changes your perspective. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">While wrapping one's mind around these things isn't exactly a pleasant thing to do, it's oddly freeing once one does. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">All that said, I'm in a good place. My cancer was caught early, even though every diagnostic test found more "cancer-y" stuff, I'm am thankful for where I am on the cancer continuum.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">For the last few weeks this point in time has weighed heavy on my mind. As of today, the visible part of my treatment is behind me. The part that people have cheered me on through. Once I'm feeling recovered from this final chemo treatment will begin the quiet, much more private work of continuing to heal from the mastectomy. Continuing daily stretching and myofascial massage - for <i>years. </i>My physical therapist tells me for the rest of my life. And beginning endocrine therapy that holds risks to other parts of the body requires I care about that as well, so there will be work to do to combat (hopefully head off) <i>those</i> potential side effects... And there is strength building that my physical therapist encourages me to wait until the new year to start - that I will eventually need to more fully overcome weakness left over from surgery. While I'm no longer in any serious pain, my body reminds me daily I am still healing from <i>that</i>. So it's really not over. It just goes on differently. Now more privately, except for me possibly sharing here from time to time.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span>There is a lot of talk about cancer patients being "warriors". It's a nice sentiment, but honestly, I've never seen myself as a warrior in this. Mostly I saw myself on a cancer conveyor belt - only occasionally having any real say in the matter - that is, if I wanted to go the modern medicine route. Only realizing much later the moments I should have put have my foot down about something. Like troubling myself with visiting a plastic surgeon before I knew what my real surgery options would end up being - I let myself be cowed on that one, by a </span><i>scheduler</i><span>, of all people. At the time, everything was all so new I had no way of knowing that I'd, personally, regret not holding my ground on that one. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Much of life is like that, though, isn't it. Sometimes, it's only with some experience that one can recognize more clearly the obvious moments one should have taken a stand. Even though I've never been a very passive patient, it's just impossible to know everything going into such a daunting experience. But boy, when you're thrown into the fire, you learn to learn quick. Thanks to the internet, it's easy to tap into necessary and helpful information. In short order you become something of an expert, and words and acronyms the average person is unfamiliar with, roll of the tongue in a seasoned way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And then, suddenly it seems, I'm at the end of all that. And at this point I've come to realize I'm really just an expert on me. Like I was before this all began. Next year (certainly within five, ten years), science will have introduced new things, and I'll be the commoner who doesn't know the lingo anymore. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">So yeah... my head's been in a kind of weird place in the last few weeks. A friend, who's had her own experience with cancer heard me out last night and said it sounds like I might be feeling at loose ends. Yes! Exactly. I'm coming to the end of the "visible" treatment, that was as easy and as hard as staying on the conveyor belt and being told what test was next, when to show up, then considering the treatment options (which are tailored to you and your cancer, so really, the options are pretty few), but still feeling compelled to weigh it all carefully, until finally finding myself landed in a place where now I feel a bit cut loose.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">In truth, my oncologist (and/or his nurse practitioner) are a phone call away, they told me today. I will see my oncologist again in 4 months, and then every 3-6 months after that (whatever the need may be). I've not found myself needing much handholding throughout this process, but it has felt good to see both of these people every 21 days for the last three months. Maybe I'm just anticipating missing them. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">That sounds crazy when I actually say it, because those words have never crossed my lips ever, over <i>any</i> doctor. But I think this is a normal feeling from things I read online.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Yep. A bit at loose ends. Needing to go through some uncomfortable days ahead, and then I can move into getting stronger, healthier, trying to be the best I can be in my continued healing (my friend gave me that thought too). But so much that is ahead is on me now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It feels both freeing and weighty.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm all in because I have no choice. That's what I said when I was going through all the other stuff, when someone would tell me I was "so brave", so I guess not much has changed, really, when I think about it that way. Maybe this next phase is actually where the warrior title is earned - in the battle fought largely away from the eyes of others. Which, when I think about it, is where most people deal with their most challenging life's issues (be they health or other struggles). So it's a common and reasonable place to be entering, I know. We're all warriors in this life, really. It's somehow a comforting thought to consider we all eventually face things bigger than ourselves. Some people are brave enough to pick out their own big challenges in life. Some of us dig deep and find what it takes to face the challenges thrust upon us. I am ever grateful for a faith in God that keeps me grounded, or gets me back to grounded when thoughts and feelings go scattering into the wind.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">This is me. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;">Whether or not you were hoping for an invitation, welcome to inside my brain today! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhnSfHaK1_WUfeT0npFeu9aazpvziP0N4RtKOyRYp4ZqFLEPswjjaa4VgbWg8xpy3GePbdkyiGVoJHgH3Y5iTnErM8FepwZDCmH-MH0rCD_hwEI_MDVn1yYORGmhVyYE2OjJ-cn-LUfhIjqklQqNCYsx958nE2achWUCqL6rgl9Oivphr-iKsltaKOiOn/s3456/20230730_134142%20resized%20from%20Amy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhnSfHaK1_WUfeT0npFeu9aazpvziP0N4RtKOyRYp4ZqFLEPswjjaa4VgbWg8xpy3GePbdkyiGVoJHgH3Y5iTnErM8FepwZDCmH-MH0rCD_hwEI_MDVn1yYORGmhVyYE2OjJ-cn-LUfhIjqklQqNCYsx958nE2achWUCqL6rgl9Oivphr-iKsltaKOiOn/s320/20230730_134142%20resized%20from%20Amy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Thank you, Amy H for the sweet flowers your daughter grew.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rS-yALH6HKKxWHWS1QmYBdR46XlKu2HRcT6QB-UeJXKTXZEfu7h5kmI46rjDzTuodo7M8tN7XdIRc9E_2NhCxEVJNESTgD8A25T7LMmnOCzVh29BAbfnLJsct4_ZC8-2ztvfEin1t4M__ZAdJSUnC5nppQKIsmrAksK7wuYOky0CAr2KRH14aG_lnJj6/s2916/20230730_174615%20x%20resized%20Peggy%20&%20Mark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2916" data-original-width="2823" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rS-yALH6HKKxWHWS1QmYBdR46XlKu2HRcT6QB-UeJXKTXZEfu7h5kmI46rjDzTuodo7M8tN7XdIRc9E_2NhCxEVJNESTgD8A25T7LMmnOCzVh29BAbfnLJsct4_ZC8-2ztvfEin1t4M__ZAdJSUnC5nppQKIsmrAksK7wuYOky0CAr2KRH14aG_lnJj6/w324-h334/20230730_174615%20x%20resized%20Peggy%20&%20Mark.jpg" width="324" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And thank you, Mark & Peggy </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">for these beautiful zinnias and sunflowers. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7u9xMUaFUghfdioncV-1xtifdOdi-dfmc0StbAg-2c_Dgbz1I_GDcyaCacz-I_2Zk_kkasb4Wb6S6qXqbR3Gk7CNEpyryy0R60niIkk4_J-jn65hSqk2bgzDnt6nGuSSW-HNW_LpvSP-wC3WkgyNYyS5RgUya5X4V59EiXc4tValpljtpVVfq8n19FMf/s3456/20230924_131831xresized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7u9xMUaFUghfdioncV-1xtifdOdi-dfmc0StbAg-2c_Dgbz1I_GDcyaCacz-I_2Zk_kkasb4Wb6S6qXqbR3Gk7CNEpyryy0R60niIkk4_J-jn65hSqk2bgzDnt6nGuSSW-HNW_LpvSP-wC3WkgyNYyS5RgUya5X4V59EiXc4tValpljtpVVfq8n19FMf/s320/20230924_131831xresized.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">And my back door neighbor, Mary Ann,</span><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> has surprised me </span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">with several hand-picked bouquets from her back yard.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Thank you, friend.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">Not a single seed I sowed last spring turned into a pickable flower, so I have delighted in the many flowers others have bestowed on me this summer and autumn. Amazingly, they were spaced out perfectly, allowing me to enjoy fresh blooms over many weeks. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It's been wonderful! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4180424865669168363.post-17974792762231938692023-09-25T18:19:00.014-04:002023-09-26T23:08:14.872-04:00Handwork...<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I am now three quarters of the way through my chemotherapy, am climbing out of some rough days after my last treatment, and I am starting to feel some new motivation. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I'm at a place I couldn't even imagine being just a couple of weeks ago. On my good days I do fairly normal things, am sometimes out around people (though I do have to be smart about that with a compromised immune system), looking perfectly fine... Halfway through a chemo cycle, if you didn't know I'd had chemo 10 days prior, you wouldn't know! That said, I have lacked any real motivation for getting back to a lot that is normal for me. In this post, I'm referring to hobbies I used to enjoy. I see them sitting there and I want to <i>want</i> to do them, but I have lacked the motivation to actually do them. Things like cra</span><span style="font-family: Sarala;">fting, embroidery, cross stitch, slow drawing (if you don't know what that is, think of it as purposeful doodling)... </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">But something seems to be changing inside me, and I am so thankful for it. I've even begun to consider taking up sewing again - like maybe clothing. I haven't sewn clothing since... Wow - how long has it been? I made some maternity clothes 29 years ago. And I made some flannel pajamas for our boys when they were little. Okay, I've sewn here and there over the years. Craft projects, even home projects have seen me sitting at the sewing machine. While it was over a decade ago, youngest son would benefit each semester from my sewing skills when he needed a costume (usually something adapted from the thrift store) for a high school drama he was in. My sewing machine has always been fairly handy, but I don't think I've sewn an article of clothing in 20 - 25 years. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">I know what has piqued my interest. Greg has recently posted some old pictures to a family Facebook group, and in two pictures I recognized I'm wearing things I made when I was young. In fact... just for fun, here is a scan of a newspaper clipping of young me sewing a 4-H project. Or maybe I was just posing for the 4-H Fair supplement for the local paper: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXC1AEkmALss5NFgImrQFMQtL7VmWOMth6WOSZXpwsKN8G-A5NZ464gllzWgagGErIyva0y01I2eho2u0U1_1e-r0Jt0nzCW-MPLChBirurQQVFqM97NB0uQ_JNo93XKiNoCKYYA6h_HKD35Ac7hzyIvTr3hkpslttQfaS41-P4ig2a2FkdLu8LWpqD2wz/s772/Becki%20sewing%20for%204-H%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="503" height="653" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXC1AEkmALss5NFgImrQFMQtL7VmWOMth6WOSZXpwsKN8G-A5NZ464gllzWgagGErIyva0y01I2eho2u0U1_1e-r0Jt0nzCW-MPLChBirurQQVFqM97NB0uQ_JNo93XKiNoCKYYA6h_HKD35Ac7hzyIvTr3hkpslttQfaS41-P4ig2a2FkdLu8LWpqD2wz/w424-h653/Becki%20sewing%20for%204-H%20x%20resized.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br />So... I provide this as proof that I used to be a sewer. Or maybe the better word is sewist. A maker of garments. Seeing pictures of things I had made (and me wearing them) made me think of other pieces of clothing I've made in years' past. These pictures and memories sparked something inside of me.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">Okay... I'm not sure about getting back to sewing clothing for sure. I'm just dreaming at the moment. But dreaming feels good. And a little <i>doing</i> recently has <i>done</i> me good.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD83XfARcmMsvY6rnsntg35TQtwwHkUp2EpnFY57Rh_CBEz3yx-olNDrwg8rElLtSyF8WLK-qW4L2CzBPxln8fLEKi8OrS1MIpE0LOOWwote6VN1Mp1PUrnMkGPx2E8o7u0GceM_aXPqvAK_L0JYzx0jLX0jutQ5FibFE9LLdMKC5XxPHBT6bVPYxz91qO/s3456/20230917_195641%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="3456" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD83XfARcmMsvY6rnsntg35TQtwwHkUp2EpnFY57Rh_CBEz3yx-olNDrwg8rElLtSyF8WLK-qW4L2CzBPxln8fLEKi8OrS1MIpE0LOOWwote6VN1Mp1PUrnMkGPx2E8o7u0GceM_aXPqvAK_L0JYzx0jLX0jutQ5FibFE9LLdMKC5XxPHBT6bVPYxz91qO/w463-h463/20230917_195641%20resized.jpg" width="463" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Sarala;">It's funny what can come along and push us out of our inertia when we are struggling with motivation. </span><span style="font-family: Sarala;"> With cooler weather right around the corner I've started looking at my clothes to see what still fits me at this point, what can take me through fall and winter, and what might benefit from some simple altering. I found a few tops that, by altering the neckline, should be very comfortable and decent looking for me to wear. And I'm so surprised at what has happened. Simply putting thread to needle, and doing the easiest of clothing alterations has inspired me to want to do <i>more</i> handwork. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">It led me to pick up another needle and thread and start working on my Quaker Sampler again. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1F_zuEgOU14z-O-JwUvRS3R9UBMumTyymUkM995qMfNZFnJerA0Fuu_k3o9vbj7E1BSwrsbUdAp6yhAmSLX-PZKHnuOfr9hBbEHnEao5JpeaWtqcM2LbQVA8x3-3HTdzNZTyzNOGmtudekSQCPxvpa97ETcBB_cJXt1HzTr9qJKS6v9d8Na_9rvI1Jx2/s3172/20230925_164439%20xx%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3081" data-original-width="3172" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1F_zuEgOU14z-O-JwUvRS3R9UBMumTyymUkM995qMfNZFnJerA0Fuu_k3o9vbj7E1BSwrsbUdAp6yhAmSLX-PZKHnuOfr9hBbEHnEao5JpeaWtqcM2LbQVA8x3-3HTdzNZTyzNOGmtudekSQCPxvpa97ETcBB_cJXt1HzTr9qJKS6v9d8Na_9rvI1Jx2/w455-h443/20230925_164439%20xx%20resized.jpg" width="455" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><span><span><i>I don't know how many times I can show a picture </i></span><i>of this sampler in progress before </i><i>losing all credibility that </i></span><i>I'll ever finish it. But I don't care. I'm back at it for now.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">And I've even gotten some ideas for hand-stitched Christmas ornaments - some "scrappy" slow-stitching kind of projects. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUKQ9nsXo27DiyTpyrCXgt9eX0spvPqPeC1U7pgVbQyA61JfTsTCVZ6BAqVvI7PiWBvuftjrgIUw_87eM0aE0kaYwYVITJClp5YADhVnU5CFw-uPVO1gJhtcnxBMU9ULhjdeNQAZX6bp9S7tKbTa8he0dDq95JREWG4cW6-WZfEFPPGYkYPl092l7mCqC/s3420/20230925_171527%20x%20resized.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="3420" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvUKQ9nsXo27DiyTpyrCXgt9eX0spvPqPeC1U7pgVbQyA61JfTsTCVZ6BAqVvI7PiWBvuftjrgIUw_87eM0aE0kaYwYVITJClp5YADhVnU5CFw-uPVO1gJhtcnxBMU9ULhjdeNQAZX6bp9S7tKbTa8he0dDq95JREWG4cW6-WZfEFPPGYkYPl092l7mCqC/w437-h382/20230925_171527%20x%20resized.jpg" width="437" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /><span>This is actually a fairly ambitious project (for me), and if I'm being completely honest, I'm a tiny bit scared I'll not follow through. Wish me well that I have enough gumption to get it started, let alone finished. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I am so relieved to be feeling motivated again to play with fabric and thread. To just be <i>dreaming</i> of things I want to make is quite the improvement.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">There is nothing wrong with setting aside activities, even abandoning them completely as life changes, but that's not what I wanted. I have wanted for so long to get back to making things - really, since our move nearly two years ago I haven't been overly motivated to do handcrafts. And this year, with all the cancer business, my zeal for "making" has just been completely zapped. I'm feeling relieved that something seems to have changed in me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;">I'm curious... What do you do when you find your motivation for favorite activities waning? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Sarala; font-size: medium;"> </span></div>Beckihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16940604077427078249noreply@blogger.com26