Don't Have to Tell Me to Stay at Home NYE

 I usually prefer to stay at home, or small parties with friends on NYE.  A few times in my life I have gotten dressed up and went out to the fancy party with the crowds, but I almost always wished I had stayed home.  I just don't really like crowds that much anytime, and even when I was younger, preferred to be cosy at home staying warm.  

I have had some fun parties at people's homes on NYE and enjoyed the fun.  But eventually I just gave in to the preference to stay home, and have not been out for NYE for probably 10 years.  So, this year will be no different, except since it is supposed to rain over night and into the early morning, my hiking group post poned our 9am hike thinking it might be drier at noon.  So, I even get to sleep in!

Last year I was up at 5:30am to get to my hiking destination an hour away be sunrise - actually we started a bit before sunrise so that we could get in our intended 13 mile loop before it got too dark.  We even had a knee high water crossing.  It was fairly rugged and steep hike in places, but we kept a really good pace and finished well before dark.  I came home, I recall and took an epson salt bath.  Then I lazed about the day after, because I was in between jobs.  This year I at least get to sleep in, but Sat the 2nd I have to get up early and be back to work.

The government job I have is still making us do mandatory 60 hour weeks.  I understand that funding for my project renewed for another year, so I should have a job for a few years.  That's ok with me, i just really look forward to the weeks that we an work 40 hours.

Anyway, so many people are hurting and short on money this year, many people have lost loved ones, it has been a very serious and devastating year.  I hope that where ever you are and whatever your circumstance, that you know that you are not alone, that others out there care and that no matter what, tomorrow is another day.  

I wish a healthy and prosperous 2021 for you and your family.

Almost Christmas!

 I am off 2 days in a row, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I am very excited.  I haven't had more than Sunday off since mid October!  Then I work Sat and am off Sunday.  

I am so lucky that DH went to Aldi's today for our Christmas Day dinner.  We are going to have roast pork loin and potatoes and carrots.  I am going to roast some broccoli in the over too.  We are just going to stop by and give his folks a little something for Christmas - I got them a basket of goodies to eat.  Just favorite treats and snacks, I am also going to make cookies tomorrow.  Other than that, just DH and I.  

A close family member that got covid and died in 3 weeks made me convinced more than ever that we need to be very careful around DH folks - they are 84 and 85.  Our family member on my side that passed away was a very healthy and active 81 year old, with no underlying health problems.  So, no chances for us.

Tonight after work, i am going to make a healthy batch of brownies (got the Paleo Sweets cookbook earlier this year).  For me to watch my sugar (trying to lose this 15 I have gained since "retiring" and keep DH sugar low - as he is diabetic).  And I have a casserole I threw together today that we will have tonight.  Tomorrow, we will eat pretty clean, so we can enjoy a couple of cookies.  DH also got us a bit of fruit, so we can feel like that is a treat too.  I have been juicing about 2 bunches of celery a week, and it is not too bad at all!

I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas.  It might not resemble Christmases we are used to, or envisioned for ourselves and our families, but sometimes that happens.  Blessings I wish on you all out there!

Just Working

 Feel pretty isolated and working a lot.  60 hours a week mandatory seems not so bad considering I work telecommute, but it really is turning out to be a lot.  At least on my breaks, I can fix something healthy to eat or put a load of laundry in the machine.  But, I am hanging in there.  Just have production goals and have no time to blog.  

I am hoping I can blog more after things calm down and I get more used to this schedule.  I have lots of news about my family, etc.  We have a cousin who is 81 and fighting for his life, got covid.  Was otherwise healthy, was put on a ventilator yesterday, we are very worried.

We got about 6 inches of snow Sunday and it has been so cold here it has stayed on the ground, which is pretty unusual for this part of the south.  

I hope you are staying healthy and warm out there. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 Saw a nice prayer in our paper:

Oh Heavenly Father

We thank Thee for the gift of food, as we pray for the hungry.

We thank Thee for the gift of health, as we pray for the sick.

We thank Thee for the gift of good friends, as we pray for the friendless.

We thank Thee for the gift of freedom, as we pray for the imprisoned and enslaved.

May these prayers of Thanksgiving stir us to service, so that Thy gifts given so freely to us may be used to bless other.  Amen

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and stay safe!

Fun Easy Post with Pictures!

I took these photos back in early and mid summer as I laid out stepping tiles and planted grass in between and then got our fountain set up.  

I thought this would be a fun post to reflect back on how much I love spring and summer and how I still like fall, but as the leaves all get brown and fall off and it is all brown and gray outside, and then the darkness comes...yuck not so much.  LOL.  

This area of my yard is between the back porch and our deck where grass is sort of hard to grow because of the shade and because it is high traffic area.  Plus, I knew I wanted to put a fountain here, and I considered doing completely flagstones, but that was going to be too expensive and too harsh looking anyway.  I don't really want to do much landscaping here, because the leaves really get thick in here and it is so hard to rake out of all these corners.  So, I thought these pavers spread out would help with the traffic and minimize the effect of the non consistent grass growing.  Plus, it gives us a platform for the fountain and i just mow over it as if it were all grass.  I think I like it.  I put a groundcover over lining the deck, so it will fill in and i won't have to trim up by the deck, just let it grow.  I can't wait to see how it does next spring after it gets going.  This is the light green moneywort and it is very low maintenance.  Around the edge over next to the patio I am going to get large river rocks and just make a nice border, where i can rake or blow the leaves off easily and it will look nice since we don't have gutters on this side and the rain just drips.  

Oh, how far away spring feels...

 

Work, Work, Work

 So, I am doing ok at my new job.  Finally getting into a routine and developing some systems around how to do my job and be most efficient and effective.  The learning curve was the first couple weeks and now I am settling into a way of working that seems to be working pretty well.  I think I will even come to enjoy it, once I feel more confident. 

Although the money is nice (got my first paycheck), I hope that the mandatory 60 hours a week does not go on too long.  I mean, I have done 60 hour workweeks before - and NOT at home, but it is a lot and gets old after a few months.  We figure with the pandemic ramping up all over the country, we will probably have to continue this schedule through winter, and maybe through spring.

I had a treadmill that I found used.  I used it probably not even 20 miles and it went kaput.  So I ordered and received one from Sams.  It was very heavy in a huge box.  DH and I opened the box in the driveway and took out the pieces we could.  Then we dragged the bottom half of the huge box into the house and down the hallway to the spare guestroom.  DH spent about 3 hours yesterday putting it together.  Today was nice, so i did couple miles at lunch.  I am going to do 2 more miles on my new treadmill after work today.  I have been conditioning so well, hiking and such, i don't want to loose my strength I have built up.  Plus, I still need to lose about 15 pounds to be more comfortable in my clothes.  Good luck during a pandemic!

Anyway.  Just pretty much working and getting my routine down.  On my only day off that I did not have to go anywhere, Sunday.  I raked my front yard and tore down my raised veggie garden.  Then i had a nice long walk inthe sunshine and listened to my newest library book on tape.  Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.  The subtitle is "A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis".  He is a young man who grew up pretty poor in Appalachia with a mother who abused pain medication and a father he did not know who managed to get through law school and graduate from Yale Law.  It is really good.

Well, I hope all you out there stay safe and aren't running out of TP.  Our Sams was out on Sunday.  Here we go again!

Quick Post

 

Yesterday we buried my Dearest Granny.  Due to Covid concerns, we were limited in what we could do and as it turns out, my Granny just wanted a very limited service, did not want a sad affair.  So, we met just small extended family, and then we held brief but very beautiful graveside.  It is about a 4 hour drive for us, I left at 5:50am with my niece riding with me.  DH went up the day before we our friend, J, from Florida.  He got on a plane from Florida and came just to be with us and help in anyway he could.  His wife had to stay in Florida - she is a busy nurse.  J and DH drove up Sunday to check on J's lake house.  The weather was sunny and beautiful - low 70's.  Today, back home I woke up to high 60's and it go up to 73 before a front moved in and it got cold and dark, windy...pretty soon the rain.  So glad we did not have rain yesterday.  I got some very nice calls, texts, posts and cards from my family and friends.  My husband's family brought by a couple of beautiful strawberry hydrangeas.  I planted them Sunday.  

We were so lucky that our minister from my small town I grew up in was able to travel from his city to perform the service.  He was able to tell nice stories of when he was a new minister and came to our small town, that the 3 ladies on the hill (My Granny and her 2 sisters in law) were his biggest cheering section.  My Granny he was especially close to, because she kept the books for the church.  He has gone on to have a large church in another big city in my 'hometown' state of Missouri and moved on to have an even bigger church in another big city.  He is well thought of in the Methodist church structure.  He and his wife have grown their little family of 4 kids to numerous grandkids, all spreading their wings now.  We were so happy we could do this for my Granny.  We had someone give her service that had known here since 1987.  I know my Granny would have been proud of her family coming together and so that is what I will hold close to my heart, that she is smiling down on us.  

A Very Sad Post

 My very Dearest and Cherished Grandmother died yesterday.

RIP BEL 3/6/1919 - 11/3/2020

Have been so busy dealing with the end of my Granny's last days on earth.  She was moved into her new apartment right next to her daughter end of September.  She fell a couple more times, broke her wrist about 2 weeks ago.  I did not have a chance to get up and see her in the city to tell her about the wild horses and all the springs, like I had hoped.  But once she declined, she declined quickly.  So, after my very first week on my new job, on my day off (Sunday) my sister and my niece drove up to see if she would know us.  She was resting peacefully, but gave signs she might have heard us.  We held her hands and stroked her hair and told her her job here on earth was done and to fly and be free.  We know she is excited to go to heaven and see her parents, sister, sister in law, brothers, cousins, husbands, dauther in law (my mom) and especially her son.  

So, as the entire free world is watching the election results, I am getting her obit finished, her funeral arrangements, her pictures and preparing the picture she painted of me and the afgan I crocheted her to be buried with her.  

Whatever the outcome, be nice to each other out there.  

Springs and more springs!

 UPDATE:  I heard late last week that the place where my grandmother lived is not going to pursue an extra month rent due to the reasons I pointed out.  I am SOOOOO grateful, I saved her $2000!

I am in orientation and virtual training this week, switching over to my new job.  I took a break today after training, before my zoom yoga class to post some pictures from my hiking trip last week.

We saw 7 different springs.  It is amazing the area in less than 100 mile radius has the type of geographical features that allow the viewing of so many beautiful springs.  This is not all of them, just the ones I saw.

Alley Springs

Cave Spring

Welch Spring

Round Spring

Blue Spring

Big Spring

Mammouth Spring

I noticed on the map there were a few of the springs with the same name, Blue Spring, for instance.  I guess they were running out of ideas.  Maybe Wet Spring or Roaring Spring wasn't considered, LOL.  Many of these springs are close to parking so you can drive and not have to walk too far.  The Alley Spring was the most photogenic - the bright red mill next to it and the walk around it made it easy to photograph.  Big, Blue and Round springs came out from under a rock cliff, making it harder to get a representation in a photograph of the size/color.  The Blue Spring was an amazing blue color, and so deep (over 300 feet?) that it was dark and hard to see.  The Welch Spring was cool, because next to it sits an abandoned hospital.  Eery.  It was about a mile walk.  Cave Spring was connected to the Current River, I was able to kayak into it directly from the river last month - which was much easier than the 2.5+ miles up and down into the woods required to walk to it.  There were a couple want to see next time I am in that area, such as Pulltight Spring.  Just not enough time.

Well, the days are still pretty warm after a brief cool/rainy couple of days - my plants are liking that and so am I because we unhooked our hoses in case it freezes and i left them unhooked so i don't forget and have freeze damage.  Tomorrow is supposed to warm to nearly 80 then drop to 40.  While i was gone last week, DH arranged for a delivery of a rick of wood for us to burn this winter.  It probably isn't quite enough for the entire winter, but we can always get a little more.

My brain is tired after training, esp virtual/online training.  It is so boring and hard to pay attention.  At least they gave us plenty of breaks so we could get up and move around.  I swear that in the last few years, the worst types of soreness/injury I have had are from sitting too much at work and sleeping wrong, lol.  

I am LOVING our new bed though.  I am excited to have our new bed intime for winter and our rik of wood.  What have you out there been doing to prepare for winter?  I have been thinking of getting one of those salt lamps too - I just replenished my vitamin D supply and use LED lights as much as possible due to SAD.  The dark/damp just bums me out.  So, all winter it is important for me on nice days as much as possible to get out there and get a little sun on my face/arms.  "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can".  I have some relatives who are having a hard time with some health issues that i am thinking of, so i am blessed with my lack of problems there.  I hope this is not a long winter and i hope you are safe and well where ever you are reading this from!

Last Trip for a While!

 It is Friday!  I am back working and putting in 10 hours today.  Will only get 20 hours in this week, as we were off Monday and I took off Tues - Thurs for my hiking trip.  But I am glad I worked Sunday so i will at least get partial check!

It was nice having Monday off, but I spent much of my afternoon making a couple of dishes to take to the hiking trip for our pot luck the first night.  I made a bean dip and nachos fixings and made a cinnamon roll/caramel apple "lasagna" bake dish that I found on Pinterest.  It was yummy.  I also put out a few fall decorations like some pretty leaf garlands and a couple of metal pumpkins I put out on my front porch and a couple of wreaths - and that is about the extent of my fall effort!  Felt weird, because it was still mid 80's earlier this week!

Went to bed pretty early, so I could get early start to meet my friend to ride to the hiking trip.  I belong to a hiking club and they do overnight spring trip and a fall trip each year.  Last spring we did the spring trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  This was literally right before Covid shutdown.  

The hiking club fall trip was to Eminence, Missouri.  If you read my blog before today, you will recall that I went here a month ago to kayak on 3 of the area rivers and LOVED it.  

This is an area in Southern Missouri about 1.5 hours Southeast of Springfiend.  It is a beautiful area consisting of beautiful pristine forest protected in the Mark Twain National Forest and limestone and dolomite rock caves and springs resulting in rock formations, caves and spring fed rivers.  Very pretty area, sparsely populated, but popular for travelers wanting to hike and enjoy the rivers and look for the wild horses that live here.  

I will probably write and post pictures in multiple different entries on my blog because I took so many pictures and enjoyed it so much, I want to capture a record of it for myself as much as for the blog!  It was a great trip and I am so lucky to have happened across this hiking group that I joined a year and a half ago and have met so many wonderful people and made friends that I enjoy and admire so much.  

The officers of the club pick the hikes and scout the areas, researching and access maps and then doing the hikes before they invite the entire group.  We have suspended carpooling and mask up when we are doing our group photos to be respectful and careful due to the virus.  The officers work so hard to give us interesting and pretty hikes.  They even find lodging and reserve blocks of rooms for our overnight trips.  This trip to Eminence, we stayed at Echo Bluff State Park.  There is a lodge and cabins and RV camping.  It was very nice.  Beautiful setting and wonderful accomodations.

I will post more about our hikes and what pretty things we saw here.  I am just about ready to go for a short walk around the neighborhood with my DH.  The weather is just gorgeous now that I am back home.  I got home last evening around 7 and since there was a frost advisory, we rushed around for an hour trying to fit all our plants back in the house and garage.  We did not get all my cactus from the front porch in yet, but they seem OK today.  So maybe it didn't get below 32 last night.

My DH was glad to be home and I sure missed him too.  I told him how much I want my next trip there for him to be with me, we will just have to fork over some money for dog care, so we can have a little get-away together.  I sure was glad to be in my nice, new, comfy bed last night!  I was the last one in the cabin to pick my room (3 bedrooms) and I got the horrible mattress in the bunk bed room at Echo Bluff cabin.  The dogs sure were glad to see me too.

OK and TX trip

 I had a whirlwind trip to see my cousin in Southern OK.  Left at 3pm Friday and got there 7:30pm.  Just starting to get dark and a little cool.  I drove our convertible and had such a nice drive to and from.  Cousin and her husband have been very careful getting out too much and being in crowds since the Covid 19 virus, as have DH and myself.  But we decided to go ahead with this little visit, because she and I both needed it.  This time of year she usually comes to NW Arkansas and my aunts come south and we all do the War Eagle craft fair.  This is the first year we have missed this women's weekend since 1995 when we started.  So, cousin and I decided just she and I would visit...I just saw one aunt last weekend and saw my sister when we moved my Granny.

Friday night we caught up and had wonderful late salad meal and went to bed pretty early after I got the tour of her home she shares with her delightful husband B.  They have a view of the south over the Red River, into North Texas that is about 15 miles.  I should have photographed it.  They also have 3 barn kitties, a big dog a little dog and 10 new chickens and a rooster.  She and I both enjoy gardening and so i took her a kalanchoe and a mother of thousands plant (both succulents).  Earlier this summer I mailed her a banana plant start off my plant my friend from Florida mailed me last year.  In this year of Covid, i have mailed and received seeds/plants from a few friends - it makes me smile.  I have also mailed a few care packages and that makes me smile too.  Food, cards, candles, blankets, etc.

Sat morning cousin and I got up and went to the Dallas Arboretum to see all the pretty fall pumpkins and gourds and we had such a nice time.  It was beautiful there!

 

Sat evening we went to Sam Moon and Bucees, because...well it is Texas!  Sam Moon and Bucees were busy, but we felt comfortable wearing our masks like everyone else and keeping our distance.  We got to go food from the Cheesecake Factory in Lakeview (?) which was crowded!  That was the only time we sort of felt uncomfortable, but again, we just kept masks on and washed our hands frequently.  We ate in her car!

Sunday morning we visited more (non stop gabbing for us, lol) and talked about books and podcasts we recommended to each other.  I recommended the Bible Recap podcast to her and told her i recently had listened to Sally Field, Demi Moore and Jessica Simpson memoirs and she told me some of her book picks, including this Crazy Sexy Diet book and I ordered it on the spot from Ebay, along with one of her favorite books, Steering by Starlight, by Martha Beck.  I was lucky to find these 2 books used for $3 and $4 dollars, buy 3 get shippin free on Ebay!  I also got a couple more of my husband's fave authors (Nelson DeMille and Harlen Coben).  I have many of our favorite authors in hardback displayed in our library/dining room and I have all the ones we have in a digital file so when i find used book deals shopping, i can look to see if we have the particular title.  I use Inkpad app and i can share my notes among diff formats (laptop, cell phone) and i can share the notes with DH if he does the grocery shopping.

I am working this afternoon and enjoying my candle I got at Bucees.  We both smelled about 40 and decided this one was our favorite.  DH even likes it.

Do you have a favorite candle that you enjoy?  This one smells sort of masculine, with hint of cinnamon maybe.  I also liked My Dear Watson from Scentsy, but i am not sure if they still make it.  

I like this mug my cousin had, trying to stay positive in this uncertain time of Covid and leading into an election...yuck I don't like discord and confrontation.  I avoid political talk then feel guilty like i should get better at discussing and hearing diff views.  Uggggh.  Well, i did have a great discussion with cousin and her husband about politics, beliefs, even religion and spirituality.  We can all discuss with respect - that is what is missing from social media today - the respect.  Like the disrespect i felt from a former friend the last year and a half which made me ask for distance from her - she tells you her beliefs and how they differ from yours and makes you feel like you are wrong and i don't need it!  Plenty of people in my life who make me feel inspired and energized, not defective and broken!  Stay away from people like that!

Well, back on the healthy eating bandwagon.  I splurged way too much the last 2 weeks, so i made some squash and zucchini soup and will have that tonight.  Had a nice salad today for lunch.  I walked yesterday (my zoom yoga cancelled yesterday, my yoga instructor is on a meditation training).  I will walk another 4 today and tomorrow going on a challenging hike -5 miles, so that will be good for me.  But, it is supposed to be 84 tomorrow!  Whew.

What are you doing to enjoy the fall?  

See you soon

wooooo weeeee i am tired

So I worked my 40 hours early last week, so i could take off at noon and drive up to the city.  I met my work friend B, we had sushi at one of our favorite places, downtown.  It was delicious.  Especially since it has been 11 months since our last sushi!  We had sushi here at this same place Oct 2019 when I had finished my 6 months of work last year.  

Then I spent the night at my Aunt's house and bright and early Friday I went to my dear grandmother's old independent living apartment to start moving her stuff to her new place.  She is moving from a facility to a traditional apartment, but she is right  next door to my aunt (her daughter).  

I completely filled my large SUV 3 times and took to the new place where I had to open 2 fire doors each trip (one with a key) all by myself and go down one flight and up one flight at new place.  It is a nice place where she is going - i just worry it will be so much for my aunt to be her sole caretaker, meal prep, laundry, etc.  But since it is her mother, she did not want to move her to skilled nursing.  So, we bought a baby monitor, an automatic doorbell that rings and flashes a strobe light (my Granny is almost deaf and blind) and we bought a riser for her toilet and bunch of LED light bulbs and night lights.  I moved all her clothes, knick nacks and utility closet.  

At 5:30 I drove back north to where i used to live and I got to see my good friend and went out to dinner with her and her daughter/daughter's family.  It was nice to see them.  They had steaks, even the kids - a 7 year old and a 11 year old - eating steaks.  It was something.  I had shrimp and a baked potato and took most of mine to my aunt.  

Saturday there could only be 2 people at my grandmothers place + movers, so I went up to my friend's farm and picked apples.  2 cousins were there at new place to help organize.  The planning was that my sister and I would finish what the movers did not get on Sunday before i went home.

These are the apples I picked Saturday.  I had a nice time catching up with my friend and his 4 dogs.  He has 200 acres and enjoyed the visit too.  He got us a pizza for lunch.  From Caseys - so good!

Sunday, my sister met me at my Granny's old apartment and helped me with all the kitchen and bathroom stuff, all the pictures on the wall, the window sheers.  On, and her African violets.

Then my cousin and I went and bought the toilet riser, door bell, baby monitor, lights, etc  And I bought her a huge about 3 foot tall clock that we hung right over her TV!  We did some organizing and unpacking and my aunt served her some yummy home made vegetable soup.  Then, i finally got on the road to go home about 5:00.  I got home about 8:30pm.  Man, did my bed feel good!

Here is a picture of my new fountain, it is in the courtyard right outside of our living room/bedroom and it sounds nice.  

It has turned pretty cool here.  I am just getting ready to go for a walk before i start processing (cut up and core) some of the pears and put them in the freezer.  

To help my aunt I have informed the old apartment I am handling my grandmother's account, i wrote them an e/mail yesterday hoping they would waive the 60 days notice and not charge her a month's rent ($1900+) because my aunt did not have 60 days notice when she received word that they could move her mom in to the apartment next to her.  The office manager called me today to ask about the issues i eluded to.  My grandmother fell several times and they never informed us, my grandmother would tell her daughter.  The call button worked off and on and one time after she pressed the button for help, the woman came to assist, then said "I will be right back" and left, never to return!  There were at least 2 times my grandmother was not served any food while being quarantined in her room.  I realize these things happen, now it just depends on how they handle know that we have informed them.  I explained that my aunt called several times and was not getting call backs from people (so she said).  I am not sure how many times/how long she waited for calls back, but i know that does happen.  So, the woman I talked to said she would let us know.  I know much of this is due to covid (my grandmother declined markedly due to her state of mind not having visitors and having hard time feeding herself - all they were feeding were sandwiches, so she could not really open cans of soup or fix herself something if she wanted somethng else).  But, I just don't understand not letting my aunt know about the falls, the office manager said it is not the facility's job to notify family about falls (?).  But it IS their emergency button that each resident depends on (?)  It felt like she was being very defensive and I did not even get the their policy not to let family in to help residents, but they would let hired care people to get in.  When we hired an independant 3rd party in to stay with my grandmother, she FELL ASLEEP WHILE SITTING WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.  UGH, maybe it is just a lot of factors that all came together in a bad way, but i am praying that my grandmother does not have to pay another month ALONG with the cost of this latest move + the $2,500 "community fee" she had to pay to get into this place that she planned to stay longer than just one year.  

Hope you all are well out there and not too isolated.  We are all going to have a long winter.

First Day of Fall

 

I had the most yummy salad today for lunch.  It was chopped lettuce and greens with an egg, cold salmon, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of edemame and toasted pumpkin seeds.  Plus I crushed up a handful of tortilla chips and a tiny sprinkle of crunchy jalepeno crisps.  Now I need a nap.

We turned off our AC finally this week.  I have a new fountain (I will post pictures next week).  So, now we can enjoy the fountain sounds even from inside our house.  But I keep thinking that either it is raining or that I left some water running somewhere, LOL.  It is in the high 70's during the day, maybe just into the low 80's and in the 50's at night.  Nice weather!  I opened all the windows and ran around and cleaned all the window sills, they get so yucky.  Dirt and flies.  Ew, too much information.  Esp on the north side of the house, the moisture.  The north side of our house now looks really nice since I scrubbed off the mildew this summer.  We are also getting a nice steady rain today and the humidity is 93%.  I scrubbed the range hood really good this morning and worked up quite a good sweat.  Speaking of sweat, I sat in my office all afternoon yesterday and was comfortable without even opening a window, but when i did yoga last night in the sitting room and the door closed to keep out the dogs, I was really sweating and started shaking, thinking what is wrong with me - then i realized - we turned off the AC Sunday!

I have been having so much trouble with my right knee!  Then I lowered my desk chair - it is already better.  It has been so bad for a couple of weeks i was thinking of making a doctor's appointment.  Now that I am working and back to sitting up to 8 - 10 hours a day, it really makes a huge difference!

We finally got our new bed.  We are loving all the room we have now, going from queen to king.  It isn't as crowed as i had feared.  I really want to get rid of the side tables and attach lamps over the headboard on the wall, but DH thinks he needs his drawers for storage.  Maybe next spring i will work on convincing him.  For now, i am just enjoying having essentially my own bed - we went for the twin base, and we can move the head or the foot up.  I love watching tv in bed, so i LOVE our new bed.  

I caught a cute picture of my 2 chi's sitting on my lap yesterday.  It is rare to catch them close to each other.  They like the 2 big dogs more than they like each other.  Chihuahuas are sort of temperamental...shoking huh?  I had to just look up how to spell temperamental, I had no idea the first A was in there!

The other evening, we went for a ride in the convertible to enjoy the pretty weather.  We were a little late getting back, after dog feeding time.  DH says, well Penny (the big pup) will be chewing on something by now!  Sure enough, we get home and she got into my yard and there was a single strand of yard going from the living room, out the back doggie door, through the patio area, out the fence and strewn all around our back yard!

Sure am loving this bit of rain.  Save me from watering this week before i have to drive up to the city.  I worked Sunday so that i could take off Friday to go up and help my aunt move my grandmother.  She is moving into an apartment right next door to my aunt, so my aunt can take care of her.  At 101 she still insists on living alone, so i hope this works out.  It will still be a lot on my aunt making sure her mother eats.  But, it is what they have decided and i am being supportive.  I am helping pack/move Friday, then picking apples at my former colleague's farm, then Sunday my sister will join us to help organize/unpack after.  The movers are moving big stuff Saturday - not much just a few chairs and bed/dressers.  I will be happy to get it over with - not nearly as happy at grandmother and aunt!

This is a picture of our weeping blue atlas cedar that we planted where we took out the huge crepe myrtle.  

before

after

Well, enjoy your first day of Fall!  See you next week.

Another Before and After and My Weekend River Exploring

 Well, I had a great weekend!  It was filled with rivers and exploring and meeting new people.  It was so fun.  I have met some really nice women (and a few men) in the hiking club I joined Jan of 2019.  I have been really blessed to find this group.  My DH likes to relax and stay home more than i do, and now that we have 4 dogs, one of us pretty much needs to stay home.  Now, I have told DH several times, if he makes some friends and wants to kayak or golf more, then I would be happy to stay home with the dogs too.  But so far, it is mostly me who explores and i am grateful.

A few weeks ago, one of my hiking friends said she was going to Southern Missouri to kayak and wanted to know if I was interested.  Well, I decided I should go before it gets cold and enjoy some time on my kayak!  The Chief first game was Thursday night, and since I had to get up at 4am, I went to bed and did not get to watch the game.  

This was taken as i was about halfway to my friend's house.  Since she does not have a truck, we took DH truck and she is on the way anyway.  About 45 min from me.  I got to her house about 5:15am and we loaded her kayak and were about 3 more hours away.  The rest of the group camped Thursday night and did one river Thursday, but we missed that river.  So, on Friday we met them at another river and we had about 9 kayaks and 1 canoe.

This first river was plenty of flow, but had low spots that acted like rapids due to the rocks and logs being flowed over quickly.  There was enough water to float, but one did have to pick our route and be aware of all the submerged rocks.  The sound as the water rushes over obstacles is loud - it sounded much worse than it was.  There was one place on this river where we went down about 3 feet on a "ledge" water fall - I was lucky enough to be in the middle, so a few of the other paddlers pointed out the best route and I made it through just fine.  I was too excited to take a picture of that particular area though!  Oh, and I did get to see an otter exit the river and run across the gravel bar into the woods.  It was cool!

Some of the group camped in tents and a couple had campers.  Few of us like my friend and I rented a cabin (a dry cabin), but at least it had AC!  It is still in the 80's during the day, but cools at night...yet this time of the year it is still pretty humid.  Even though it was 80's or so during the day, the water we were on was mostly spring fed - so the rivers were COLD!  I did not get in.  But i was in tank and shorts the entire time - we had mostly overcast skies, and just had a brief sprinkling one day, so we put our rain jackets on for about 20 min and then the sun came out for a little while.

During one of my earlier kayak floats this summer, I saw a gal with a dry bag that had big handle, like a tote bag, so I looked for one on Amazon.  I ended up getting one like a backpack, so can put most of my gear in one bag and keep it all dry.  I also got a waist pack to put my phone and my money/keys in that will stay with me and won't get lost if i end up in the river.  I can keep a jacket and a long sleeved shirt in case I need more coverage or get chilly.

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After floating Friday, my friend and I were pretty tired since we were up so early, so we fixed a quick and easy meal in electric skillet, showered and went to bed.  Next morning, Sat, we did another river and it was a beautiful float.  

It was mostly sunny on Saturday and this river had more water, again cold and spring fed - so we did not get in (on purpose).  Luckily, none of us were dumped either.  This river was a little more crowded, as it was bigger and it was Satuday.  But it was still a very nice float and I managed to stay in the middle of the group and have some peace and quiet to study the flora and fauna.  Saturday, we saw some birds, lots of butterflies.  We really enjoyed this cave.  We could get about 10 kayaks a time in the cave and paddle around in the dark - it was a little eery.

Saturday evening, we put together all our food and had a smorgasboard.  It was nice.  I still went to bed pretty early, because Sunday we were up early to pack for immediate departure after a shorter trip.  Friday we floated slightly over 10 miles, Saturday 8 miles and Sunday we only did about 5.  Sunday we were ready to head home after our final river, at about noon.

This last river, was the one that I found had more "strainers".  That is an area where the river either changes direction or has a feature that traps logs and roots to gather and then creates an obstacle for river navigation.  This particular strainer was a tree caught over on the left side and facing upstream with much of the main trunk/limbs still exposed, so when I about ran into it, the tree about took my head off!  After this, I asked one of the other paddlers with experience what did wrong and she said that i mostly did everything correct, sometimes, you just get caught up.  I probably should have paddled away sooner than trying to turn away at the last might (you want to keep your nose pointed downstream, so you don't get tipped over) and then when I hit the tree I pushed off (which is evidently wrong) but by trying to push away, I was at least properly leaning toward the object, instead of away.  When you lean away, your opening goes low and water gets in, flipping the boat.  I got away just breathing heavy, but breathing!  My strategy of following the experienced kayakers and going where they were going had served me pretty well, all weekend.  I think in the spring (sans pandemic) I will take a class for some formal instruction and learn some technique.

Anyway, all in all, despite it being such a long trip and being up so early every day, I was so glad I went.  But, GLAD to get home to my DH, my dogs and my own bed.

These last few photos are of my guest room make over.  I have 2 guest rooms, one we have set up like a sitting room, with a sleeper sofa and my office and in between the sofa and chair - I have room to do my yoga.  The larger one, we have a queen bed and couple of chests and a couple of new pieces of furniture from IKEA where we can now fit twice as many sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece and flannel and blankets/throws.  It is a little busy, but we need it to be roomy enough for guests but functional.

This was the room as it was in the listing when we bought it.

And now, it is a little more crowded, but our guests have a large queen and satellite TV!  And I can do my treadmill in there on really hot or cold/rainy days.  I love it.

Our house is a mix of small and quaint and function.  I am still getting rid of stuff, replacing with stuff that suits our new life now and improving the look and function of our possessions.  I am OK with keeping stuff that we LOVE, has value or works for us in some way (function).  Anything not fitting these categories I am slowly getting rid of (selling or donating).  I have listed several more pieces of our motorcycle gear and another 2 coats we don't need anylonger, but haven't sold any clothes in quite a while.  

Last picture is a mural on an old grain silo in a little southern Missouri town, called Monett.  It was pretty cool and it getting quite a bit of attention!  We waited behind a man from Nebraska to get photos and behind us were a daughter from Oklahoma and her folks from Texas.  Enjoy!