Puttering

 Yesterday my DH was out on the side of the house that I don't visit much in the winter (north side).  He says that green bushy plant thing has buds on it...I was like, what plant is he talking about...?  On my north side I have ferns, hydrangea and hostas up by my house.  Then I have a walkway in between that and my raised beds.  

This house had 2 raised beds, approx 3 by 5 feet.  They were full of nothing buy wild onions, which thrive here.  I cleaned them up and had my DH build me one more.  They now have iris, daffodil, lillies, salvia, and hopefully my hardy hibiscus will come back.  In the fall, I just rake bunch of leaves on it all and sort of insulate everything.  Oh, and my lenten rose is on the side of the ferns and hostas. 

I went and checked it.  Sure enough, it is getting ready.  I always thought of the crocus or daffodils as the early bloomers, but maybe my lenten rose will be first.  Wikipedia said end of February.  

I love decluttering and organizing this time of year.  Sort of making my space more comfortable and enjoyable since I am inside so much, I guess.  Makes sense.  I like making simple little changes all year, that I enjoy from one season to the next.  For example, we moved our big bird feeder into the small fenced part of our yard, so it is easier to get to and see the birds.  

It used to be out on the right side of our maple in the center of the picture - on the other side of the fence.  Around the bottom of that tree, the roots were bunched up and weird, I finally (after 6 years) moved some extra concrete blocks around it and added in dirt to even the ground out and surround the visible roots.  As I was adding dirt, I put in some Alum bulbs round the center and then Crocus bulbs around the perimeter.  I can't wait to se what blooms this spring.  I may have waited too late.  I was not planning to finish it this fall/winter - as I am pretty much stuck inside working.  Well, on the 30th, we got off work early plus my friend had given me some bulbs packages she got on sale, so I had the not-self-impossed deadlines to prompt me to get it done!  I am glad I did it last thursday, because by Sat evening, it had dropped from the 60's down into the 20's!

Here it is after I planted the bulbs, before it snowed.

Around this time, I was also killing a little bit of time and finally got out the step ladder and trimmed/trained my wisterida.  I was inspired by my DH and my projects to move the bird feeder and our big wind chime.  They are both hanging pretty high up in our 2 backyard oak trees.  Now the windchime is over closer to our bedroom, which I like because I can hear it faintly at night and I love it.  

Here is my wisteria.

This side of my house looks so wintery and sleeping right now.  I love when it comes alive in the spring and look forward to posting lots of pictures.  

Have a great evening!

A couple pretty shots of the golf course.  

Today it is still cold, but at least it is above 32 and sunny.  So, I talked DH in to a brisk walk at 5:30 when I log out.  He agreed.  I am trying to encourage and be supportive, but not push him into walking or trying to be healthy.  He has to decide to do it.  

During the last year I was not blogging, his health was OK, nothing earth shattering...but he has deteriorated in terms of his back pain.  Other areas he seems to be improving, or doing ok, but his back bothers him and makes him depressed.  

For me, when I get depressed, part of my therapy is exercise.  Including yoga.  But DH is older than I, so I cannot imagine how hard constant pain must be.  I do know one thing, though, whether it is constant physical pain or mental pain/sadness, one way to alleviate that is to get our mind on other things.  Even as minor as meditation.  But for me, walking, esp outside is helpful.  If I walk alone, I listen to music or book or podcast.  If I walk on my treadmill, I watch TV.  But my preference is out hiking a beautiful trail.

I am so grateful for my yoga instructor.  She continued to keep our yoga class going each week during the pandemic - on zoom.  So, I adjusted to doing yoga in my spare room twice a week, alone on zoom and I got really used to it and looked forward to it.  We did this for a year and a half!  We just started back in class in October.  So crazy.  I go Mondays and Thursdays after work.  I have just enough time with my current schedule, to log off and run out the door - but it works out.

Well, we are having left over vegetable beef soup for dinner after our walk.  Have a great Tuesday night!

 

Happy New Year 2022

Well, I have missed writing to put down thoughts on paper.  

I am still teleworking mandatory 60 hours per week.  Very few days off granted right now, but I did just come off of 2 3-day weekends in a row, so that was amazing.  Now, apparently back to the grind.

I just popped in to write a quick post and see if it is something I can keep up with this year.  We shall see...

I feel like all I am doing is working, but as I reflect back on 2021 I do feel some things have changed and maybe those things will give me content for posts to share later.  But for now, just wanted to reflect on my holidays and my time off.  I enjoyed several family meals and I enjoyed playing golf twice and did a hike on the 1st.  We got a good bit of rain here in NW Arkansas, so we postponed the annual New Year's Day hike from 9am to 1:00pm, so the rain would hopefully let up and it did!  When I left my house for the 40 min drive, it was 47.  I got to the place to hike and it was falling to the low 40's and during our walk it got down to 35ish.  Wind was starting to blow so it felt colder.  Then I drove to Cabela's to see if they still had the fleece lined pants I saw when I was shopping there at Christmas - they only had a pair of jeans fleece lined.  I was hoping for more of a hiking pant on the outside (more water resistant and harder to rip on brambles, etc).  I am also having a hard time finding a really warm hat, but I do have a few warm headbands, so I will just keep looking.  

I continue to sell my work clothes on Poshmark and in turn buy more comfortable/warm clothing in return and I have also picked up a few golf and hiking pieces.  I sold quite a few things this past week (you can now sell household items on PM) and I have sold quite a bit of extra kitchen stuff, dishes, linens and even a few afgans I crocheted.  I managed today to buy a pair of fleece lined hiking pants from PM for $10!  Score.  

Well, I am exchanging my day off (Sunday) for Saturdays to be my day off this year.  I miss all the hiking and getting out and it has made me pretty depressed at times being stuck in my house working all the time and not being able to get out on organized hikes.  And I probably will never be a sole hiker, I just do not think it is safe.  I know some people do that - that is their choice, but mine is to hike with others.  

I heard a good word to pick for 2022 - "remain".  I am going to remain steady in my commitments for 2022, including being a good partner for my husband, good dog mom to our motley crew and a good friend and to be still for times that I need to be.  I tend to jump to action as a default setting, but sometimes I need to be quiet and think/listen.  

Have a great week!

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!