Thankful Thursday

As I'm sitting here midway through my quarantine for Covid, it is a good time to look for the things I am thankful for....and like I always say, there is always something to be thankful for no matter our circumstances.

This week I am thankful...

** My Covid is not severe. I'd rank it with a really bad cold or moderate flu. Knowing what others have gone through I am very grateful.

** My doctor finally came through around 5pm last night with a prescription for Paxlovid, the Covid medicine. It is supposed to lessen the severity of symptoms and shorten the duration. I took it when I had Covid in 2022 and it was a relatively new drug. I took it at the same time as Joe Biden (I didn't relapse). I put a call in to my doctor to get it as soon as I knew what I had. The only downside to it is the yucky metallic taste it leaves in my mouth for as long as I'm taking it.

** My work is being very nice about things even though we are very short-handed already.

** None of my family or the friends who were here on New Year's Eve have gotten sick.

** We have several streaming services. I don't feel well enough to do much and reading is pretty much off the table as my ability to focus goes out the window when I'm sick, so having lots of choices in movies and television is a sanity saver. I watched three movies today that I'd recommend: Ticket to Paradise with George Clooney and Julia Roberts; 80 for Brady with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Fields, and Rita Moreno; and Champions with Woody Harrelson.

** Online shopping allows me to do the grocery shopping even though I can't go anywhere.

** Our daughter lives so close and can pick up my shopping order.

** Oliver (the kitty I adopted back before Christmas) still doesn't come out of hiding during the day, but he roams pretty freely at night. I guess he feels secure that Daisy won't get out of the bed (even though she has a few times). Whenever I get up to go to the bathroom he comes out of hiding and is ridiculously lovey-dovey. He's such a sweet boy. I hope someday he feels comfortable enough that we can be more than bathroom buddies.

** It's looking more and more like the "big storm" heading our way on Saturday will be a bit of a non-event. It's going to move through fast and at the most we may see about 5-inches of the white stuff. The roads are supposed to remain clear, though, as it's not been cold enough. But then...how often do the forecasters get it wrong?

** All of you, your blogs, your visits here, and Facebook are great distractions!

That's it for this time. I hope you're having a wonderful week!

A Day Book

Well, here we are already 2 days into a new year. 2024...wow. Growing up the year 2000 seemed so impossibly far away and the age I'd be (36) sounded so ancient. Now we are 24 years past that. So many things that were science fiction then have, not only come to pass, but they are part of our daily lives. The three biggies my teachers promised that are missing are colonies on the moon, cities under the ocean, and flying cars like the Jetsons had. Though, I have to admit, when I see how my fellow humans behave on the highways...it's probably not a bad thing that they aren't flying around in the sky.

As always, I have high hopes for this new year. I always go into a new year being sure it will be MY year. So far, this year is not starting well, but I'm not going to hold present circumstances against it. 

If you're wondering what I'm talking about, I woke up sick on New Year's Day. In the afternoon my daughter brought me a covid test and, sure enough, positive. So I am home and already using my newly restocked PTO days. The good news is that I don't feel too bad, all things considered. I rank it at about the same level as a bad cold or a mild case of the flu. I don't have a fever, just body aches and congestion. Good thing because I can't see a doctor because I have covid and the new doctor I'm trying to get established with won't phone in a prescription without seeing me. I ended up calling my old doctor's office to see if they will phone something in. They'll get back to me. Sigh.

Anyway...

Outside My Window... It's gray and cold (34 degrees) with a few remnants of yesterday's snow on the ground. I think it was only our second dusting of snow this winter. Winters sure aren't what they used to be. Oh, we still get a nasty storm now and then, but we don't seem to have a solid winter season. When I was growing up it seemed to last from late November until April.

My One Word... I'm having trouble narrowing it down to one. I'm down to two, but both are big words for me. Can a person have two One Words? The words are "Action" and "Healthy." Healthy is kind of obvious. I've had some health challenges this past year and I've regained the weight I had lost. I'm tired of being in pain and being limited by that pain. Action also feels obvious because I need to take action to be healthy, but also because I am a terrible procrastinator in all things.

Books Waiting to Be Read... The 12 Books of Christmas, The Last Chance Library, Friends Lovers & the Big Terrible Thing, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek...and so many more! I surpassed my Goodreads reading goal for 2023 so I set my 2024 goal at the number of books I read in 2023. I'll aim to pass that number.

Worth Watching... We watched some new (to us) shows and movies through the holidays. Some were better than others, but all were worth watching. Among them were Reacher, Jack Ryan, Shrinking, and The Family Plan. 

A Gift I'm Giving Myself... A dear friend from high school took up painting as a way to get through her battle with cancer. She is in remission now, but she continues to paint. Some of her art is rather unique (she paints on autumn leaves, tin cans and many other things) but some is traditional and her talent continues to grow. She posted her latest painting on Facebook this morning and while I know it isn't the most skillful painting ever, it reminds me very vividly of my grandmother with whom I was very close. So I contacted my friend and she agreed to sell it to me! I think it's beautiful.

In the Kitchen... There isn't much happening in the kitchen at the moment, because...covid. At least there are lots of leftovers from the New Year's Eve party we had. When I am back to cooking there are going to be some changes. Aiming at that goal of getting healthier I'm going to be giving Weight Watchers a try and rethinking how and what I cook.

The Closest I'm Coming to a Resolution... This all goes back to the health issues and the procrastination. I had begun to make inroads into the clutter around here, but that has all stopped and I hate it. Oh, the main rooms aren't too bad, but our bedroom and my office make me cringe...and the rest could definitely benefit from some "tweaking." I want to bring order to it all. The clutter in those rooms just gets under my skin and keeps me from enjoying them.

Things that Give Me Joy... At the top of the list is my relationship with the Lord. After that, other things are: a snowy day; a cozy room with lots of books; spending time with my family and friends; my grandchildren's laughter; getting a job done; words...I love wordplay and a well turned phrase; quiet, alone times in nature; surprises; a delicious meal; a great song that makes me want to dance; memories of those who have passed; my pets. I'm sure the list could go on and on.

A Thought...

I've found this to be so true. Whatever tough things come our way they never seem to end until we learn from them.

A Giggle...

Thankful Thursday

Here we are, it's the last Thursday of 2023 and my last chance to share a little bit of gratitude for some of life's blessings. There is so much to be thankful for this week so buckle up Buttercup, 'cause here we go!

This week I am thankful...

** Our daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren are in Erie enjoying a belated birthday trip for Colton. With his birthday right before Christmas the trip needed to wait until afterward. They are staying at a hotel connected to an indoor water park and they are having a blast!

** We had a great Christmas and enjoyed being able to give our family the things they really wanted and seeing their happiness and excitement.

** I have a job I mostly love and am able to do despite the pain in my leg. I am going to have to start working one day a week in the shredding department again for the foreseeable future...guaranteed since another new hire quit today after just a couple of weeks. I will continue to hope and pray that my new doctor will be able to give me relief from the pain.

** Tim's nightmare project is pretty much over so no more ridiculously long hours for the time being. We've been able to spend some much needed time together relaxing and reconnecting.

** Oliver is prowling around the house during the night so I am hopeful that one of these days he will be brave enough to join us during the day.

** Pretty new winter nails (always a pick me up!).

** Some pretty serious resolve to lose weight and get healthier in the new year.

** Other than aches and pains we, and those we love, continue to remain healthy.

** Some of the world's best co-workers.

** All the beautiful Christmas lights.

** My own lovely tree glowing softly in the corner.

** My husband, my daughter, my precious grandchildren, and all the rest of my family.

** Great friends.

** I live in a country that in spite of all its problems, is still one of the greatest places to live.

** God loves me (and you!) so much that He sent His only Son to save us and that's why we celebrate this season.

** And of course, I'm very thankful for you!

Another Christmas Behind Us

The clock is ticking down on the final moments of our Christmas. Tomorrow it is back to work for both Tim and me. Neither of us is very excited about it. There isn't anything going on the rest of the week as our daughter's family is leaving tomorrow for the trip to Erie and the indoor water park that they promised our grandson for his birthday. They won't be back until late in the day on Saturday. It would just be nice to have a few days to relax. We didn't get much of that since Friday.

Tim got home late on Friday (though earlier than he's been getting home for the last 2 months) as his work always has a bit of a Christmas party at the home office the last day of work before Christmas. The men can't skip it as that's when the yearly bonuses are handed out. Tim didn't stay as long as he used to because most of the men he's been friends with over the years have retired or moved to other companies since the company was sold a couple years ago to a large parent company. The top management has slowly been being replaced by their people and while Tim gets along with them, he isn't friends with them. After 2 months of working ridiculous hours to finish up his project he crashed when he got home. I was okay with that since I worked in manufacturing on Friday for the first time in 2 months and I was in pain.

Saturday started slow...for Tim, anyway. He was still in crash mode and didn't get out to do his shopping until lunchtime. He was back in record time, though, and in a good mood because he'd found what he wanted quickly and got out. I did some cleaning while he was gone and started the wrapping process while he was out. I'd hoped he'd help wrap when he got home, but he decided to go get his driver's license renewed. The licensing bureau was closed so he wasn't able to get it. While he was out the second time I went to get a couple of gift cards for local grocery stores as gifts for my mom and stepdad and buy some gift bags (I was no longer feeling the urge to wrap all the gifts). Unfortunately, everywhere I went was very much picked over and there was little left. I found some bags, but not enough to do everything in bags. Our daughter was in and out all day and calling constantly, but the grandchildren were "banned" because of gifts all over the place.

Sunday was showtime whether Tim was ready for it or not and most of the day was spent in a flurry of wrapping and cooking. Our daughter's family was busy having their Christmas with our son-in-law's family so our only break was for supper with my mom and stepdad. It has become a Christmas Eve tradition for us to get together and enjoy a meal of take-out Chinese food since the kids are not around. It was a nice day and we watched some new shows on Prime and Apple while we wrapped. I finished the last gift around 10:00.

Christmas morning we slept in a bit and then had our Christmas here at home. Tim liked his gifts of a shelf that lets him store and charge 4 of his battery powered tools, a composter, a really good flashlight, binoculars that connect to his phone so he can take photos of what he's looking at, and new work shirts. He got me a new dishwasher, though that won't actually get here until Saturday, and an amazing massage thing for my feet and legs.

While I finished up the food, Tim loaded all the presents into the SUV and took them over to our daughter's house. After that we loaded up the food and went over for the day. My mom and stepdad arrived right after us with more food and gifts. We tortured the kids and ate dinner before we opened gifts, but they did pretty well and were amazingly patient.

I'd say everyone was happy with their gifts. I really stress over finding the perfect gifts for everyone and it gives me such joy when I succeed. Colton loved all his military toys and Leah's favorite thing was her new vanity. Mom made Colton a very special gift...an army shirt with his name and the actual patches from my stepdad's uniform. They also got him dog tags with his name on them.

Today we got going a little late, but then were out all afternoon. We went and took care of renewing Tim's license then he wanted to look for a new pair of workboots. He found a pair that was comfortable right away which was amazing as he is nearly as hard to find comfy shoes for as I am. He also bought me a new concealed carry purse. We looked at a few shops in downtown Greensburg that I've been wanting to look at. Most of them were closed and we didn't see anything to buy. We had a (very) late lunch at Red Lobster then went to Lowe's so Tim could show me the dishwasher I'm getting. We also priced kitchen cabinets and a new front door. The grandchildren came over as soon as we got home to give their mom a few hours of peace to get things packed for their trip. It was nice to have them here.

The only not so bright spot in our Christmas was the absence once again of our son's family. We have heard nothing from him in over three years at this point. It was all the tougher today because it is our oldest grandchild's birthday. She turned 15 today and we haven't seen her since she was 12...still a child then and nearly a woman now. We can only imagine what she and her brother might be like now.

And that brings me up to date and it's time to say goodnight and head to bed. (I am really missing working on that school schedule about now.)

Saturday 9: Happy Holidays!

SATURDAY 9: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

From the archives

Play along here.

1. As you can see, when Sam Winters was a little girl, she loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. (Actually, you can't because I switched photos, but use your imagination.) If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be?  I'd ask to be pain-free. My leg, with the focus on the knee, has gotten pretty bad. I was supposed to see the doctor after work today (Friday), but they called and cancelled. I'm rescheduled for January 2.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?  I would hope I'm on the nice list. I really do try to treat others well and with kindness. I try to look at the bright side of things. I also try to be generous with my giving and my time because God has blessed me.

3. Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train?  No traveling for us...unless you count walking next door to our daughter's house. Well, we may have to make one trip with the SUV to take all the gifts and food over.

4. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If yes, which one traveled the farthest?  The only gift I shipped was a fruit and nut assortment to my biological father in Texas.

5. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?  I've bought a few shirts and some socks while browsing Amazon.

6. Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread?  Do gingersnaps count as gingerbread? If they do I prefer them. When I was younger I'd have picked the candy canes.

7. Close your eyes and tell us the first carol that comes to mind.  It's not really a carol, but the first thing that came to mind was I'll Be Home for Christmas. I'm not sure why. I like it, but not any more than any other Christmas song. I've been listening to nothing but Christmas music since Thanksgiving.

8. What's your favorite winter beverage?  Hot chocolate, of course!

9. Share a memory from last Christmas.  We had a wonderful day with 4 generations making Christmas cookies. I hope my leg is feeling better next year so we can do those things together again.

 

Currently

It's 27 degrees with 6 days to go until Christmas. We have an inch or so of snow on the ground, but most of it should disappear with tomorrow's mid-40's temperatures. The rest will be nothing but a memory by Christmas Day with its predicted high near 60!!!

Today was Tim's 63rd birthday. Being a Tuesday he had to work of course and didn't even have time to answer calls to wish him a happy birthday. He did get home earlier than usual so we went out to Don Patron's for Mexican to celebrate. He's gone to bed now and I'm watching A Christmas Story Christmas because I've seen every Christmas Hallmark, Lifetime, and Great American Country movie that's on tonight.

I'm still reading The Weird Sisters. It's well written and interesting. I'm enjoying it.

I'm relieved all the parties and plays are behind us. This week is finally my time to "git 'er done!" It's slow going so far. The Amazon deliveries are dwindling. There is just one more, due tomorrow, and then comes the mind-numbing chore of wrapping. Ho, ho, ho. Nothing brings out my inner Grinch more quickly than wrapping Christmas presents.

I'm thinking about whether or not to take the gifts for my coworkers to work with me tomorrow. As the big day draws nearer, Amazon's shipping promises have become, perhaps, a wee bit overly optimistic. That means a small, but totally perfect gift I ordered for a coworker I spend a lot of time with, didn't arrive today as promised. No biggie. Except tomorrow is said coworker's last day until after Christmas. So now the question is....do I take all the gifts in tomorrow as planned and just tell him part of his gift will have to wait until after Christmas or.... do I just hold off until Thursday or Friday like everyone else and make him wait for all of his gift until after Christmas?

I'm celebrating Tim's birthday (d'uh) and Christmas (double d'uh).

I'm looking forward to meeting with my new doctor...well his PA, anyway...after work on Thursday. This leg of mine is getting worse and worse. It pretty much hurts all the time at this point. It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand, it hurts to walk, and it keeps me from sleeping well. I'm hoping they can at least do something about the pain until after Christmas.

I'm taking Oliver to his vet check up tomorrow. I think it will go fine. He seems healthy and he's eating just fine and all that. He's still living pretty much exclusively in the closet, though, coming out only when we're sleeping to eat and use the litter box. He's such a sweetie and very affectionate when I go in to see him, but if I remove him from the closet he is still all about getting back into the closet.

A Christmas giggle (or two)...

 

Saturday 9: The Christmas Blues

Saturday 9: The Christmas Blues (1953)

Play along here.

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 
1) In this song, Dean Martin sings that the streets are white with snow. Do you anticipate a White Christmas this year?  No, the forecast is predicting temperatures close to 50 on Christmas day.

2) He tells us he's done plenty of window shopping this season. Do you find you're influenced by a retailer's window dressing and store decor? Are you more motivated by price? Or do you do most of your shopping online, making holiday decorations irrelevant?  I do most of my shopping online, but when I do shop the mall and other stores the window displays and such do make a difference. I often see something that catches my eye and I'll at least go inside and check it out.

 

3) Dean was born in Steubenville, OH. Though he rarely returned to his hometown, it was in his thoughts during the holidays. Every Christmas he made like Santa and sent toys to hospitalized children in the Steubenville area. Are there toys on your shopping list this year?  Absolutely! Colton and Leah would be very disappointed if there weren't.

4) He had fast hands when it came to cards and before he was famous he worked as a dealer in Atlantic City. When you play cards, what's your favorite game?  For regular cards, gin, but we're more likely to play UNO.

5) Dean Martin was an avid reader ... of comic books. Especially in bed when he was on the road and couldn't sleep. Much as he enjoyed comic books, he was embarrassed by them. What do you do when you can't sleep?  Lay there and toss and turn.

Now let's have a few holiday-specific questions:

 

6) Every year, the United States Postal Service introduces special holiday stamps. Do you purchase them?  Usually, but not this year. I've been so pressed for time that I haven't even gotten my cards addressed yet. I have high hopes for this weekend, but the stamps will most likely be plain old normal ones.

 

7) Do you have a funny/ugly holiday sweater?  I do. It has llamas and cacti on it.

 

8) Do you wrap your presents or use gift bags?  I use both, though I'd much rather tuck everything into bags and be done with it. Wrapping is my least favorite part of Christmas.

9) We're doing Christmas karaoke! What holiday or winter-themed song will you perform?  By now you have to know I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but if you force me....how about "Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin layed an egg. The Batmobile lost its wheel and the Joker got away."

Thanks, Sam, for the music and questions!