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Monthly Archives: December 2023
Thought for a Wednesday
My glassware etching project is finally finished. I’m beginning to get a feel for the Dremel and the new diamond bits now, and my brain is busy thinking of things I can try to make for my Etsy site.
The redo of my Etsy site is ongoing, but the main thrust is done for now. I’m reading articles on suggestions for more and will do the ones I can figure out ASAP.
Our weather is still good, with the high due to be 60 this afternoon, but ice and snow are a possibility this Saturday and Sunday! I’m not ready for this!
I’m eagerly awaiting delivery of the latest paperback, “Payback in Death” in the J.D. Robb series. It is released Dec 26th, so I’m hoping for delivery soon after that. I finished rereading my whole collection yesterday and started a Grisham book last night.
We’re leaving in about half an hour to do errands. I have a boring list of to-do’s that I really should get to today (:0)).
I hope that you are having a pleasant day wherever you are today, and can schedule some fun in.
magichat-pinterest
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
A HINT of the Feeling
It’s coming very slowly this year, but I have a HINT of the Christmas spirit fluttering at the edges of my consciousness. Just a hint.
Making progress with the presents I’m making for my friends this year is definitely helping. I’ll start packing up a couple of them today.
I’m finding artwork and pictures online that are tugging at my heartstrings.
@gregcatarino1 on X
@gregcatarino1 on X
@Itsnotaboutwork on X
@itsnotaboutwork on X
It’s really hard to keep saying, “Bah. Humbug” when surrounded by such wonderful things.
Filed under holidays
Erzsebet Szilajka Pebble Art
Erzsebet Sziljka
There are several artists who do beautiful work with pebbles or stones. Some even convey emotions with their work. Erzsebet Sziljka brings even more, combining painting and story telling with the emotion. This is truly an art form when she is at the helm.
Filed under Stone/Pebble Art
Tuesday 12-5-2023
Grab Your Coffee/FB – m.lovethispic.com
It’s sunny and 39 here right now. Not really THAT cold, but it sure SEEMS like it. The fact that the weather folks are saying we might get ice or snow this coming weekend adds to the feeling.
Chef John’s Buttermilk Biscuits – AllRecipes.com
At my husband’s request, I’m going to make some more biscuits today. I’ve only done it once before, but they were edible, and my husband really enjoyed eating some with butter and jelly, so he asked last night.
MakeMyLake – Etsy.com
I’m coming to the end of my glass etching project. I’ve learned a ton and finally found the etching tool I can use the most comfortably. Last night I found a diamond bit that worked well for me. I’m starting to get a feel for it now and look forward to using the etcher/engraver on other things in the future. I think the sample above done by MakeMyLake on Etsy is really pretty.
There is 17 pounds less of me this morning. A good start. Here’s to making it to 20 off.
I hope that you’re enjoying a really nice Tuesday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
It’s Monday 12-4-2023
I Can Has Cheezburger?
I just texted, called, and sent carrier pigeons to all those involved, and it LOOKS like the Lunch Bunch group will do our regular Christmas gift exchange on the 22nd! Trying to reach people has become a real challenge, so I was surprised and delighted to be able to contact everyone this morning.
Sadly, it looks like Lunch Bunch – a really special event for every Friday for over 25 years now – seems to be coming to an end. My husband and I go every Friday, but have been stood up so many times lately it’s starting to get on our nerves – mostly because if LB isn’t going to meet, we would really prefer to eat a late breakfast at The Dari, but the timing is wrong for that. Time will tell, but our Christmas celebration may be the end of it.
_____________
Otherwise, we just finished driving our trash down to the bottom of the driveway for pickup tomorrow. Since we were driving down, we got our mail and changed our mailbox decoration. This is “Pepe Le Pew and Penelope.”
This afternoon I’ll start packing the elephant ear planter full of leaves. I’ll do this every day until I can get a good, thick blanket over the plants. I also plan to work on the glassware etching.
I hope you’re having a really nice day.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Happiness is a Stack of Books
“Reading In The Library” – Peter Walters via @GregCatarino1 on X
I’ve been enjoying re-reading my collection of J.D. Robb’s (Nora Roberts) In Death series in preparation for reading the latest ones in paperback.
Right now I’m re-reading Desperation in Death, #55 in the series. I have the paperback of Encore in Death waiting and will get Payback in Death at the end of this month or the beginning of next month. The newest hardback, Random in Death, will be released in at the end of January 2024. I’ll have to wait until that one is released in paperback to get it.
I’ve been doing five main things lately – working in the yard, trying to etch glassware, revamping my Etsy site, listening to music, and reading. This makes for some super nice days and evenings and I’m feeling quite spoiled. I’m THINKING about adding more housework and exercise to the mix, but am only doing the minimum on housework (I’m a slob) and only my yoga stretching on the exercises so far. Maybe I’ll do better when I’ve finished reading my new wealth of books…
Filed under Hobbies, Reading is FUNdamental
Beautiful Photography
Brontee Country Landscapes – @AFowlerPhoto on X
Jeane – @JeaneFahrlander on X
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Yard Project Progress
This is what used to be the iris planter. It’s now weeded and ready for tomatoes in the spring.
This is the second tomato planter.
And I’ll plant spinach and lettuce in this planter. All three are filled with Mel’s Mix.
This is where some of the iris plants ended up.
This is a tall planter beside the front porch.
And this one is in the front yard, to the other side of the front porch.
I also cut the elephant ear plants down as far as I could. I’m starting to cram as many leaves as I can get in that planter between now and the first real freeze, with all appendages crossed that it will be enough to protect them until they hopefully start shooting leaves up again in the spring.
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Graham Kemp Watercolor
The Early Bird
Meadow
In Search of Rudolf
The Cottage at the Edge of the Wood
Above
Graham Kemp Art – @KempWatercolour on X
Filed under Graham Kemp Art, Watercolors I Love
Changing Non-Gracefully
Imagine my shock that I’m NOT aging gracefully. I’m doing it with some resentment, dragging my feet, gritching, and gnashing my teeth. Changes bother me more and more. I’m tired of ‘rolling with it,’ ‘adapting,’ etc. My latest gripe is companies that are changing the way they are paid.
One example is our water bill. It used to be that I wrote and mailed a check. I did this with everything else, so that was fine. Then I was paying everything online through my bank EXCEPT the water bill, for which I wrote almost the ONLY check I wrote each month. They are finally allowing online payments, but they must be done through their payment thingie, which charges you an extra $2.25 to use the service and you have to enter all your information each time, like you never used it before. UGH.
I was cleaning out my gmail this morning and ‘newly’ discovered some emails saying my insurance bills are due. (They sent these in November and the bills aren’t due until the middle of December.) We always get a slew of bills from our company in December, putting me off my Christmas spirit a bit, but I’ve gotten used to it. When I saw them, though, and we haven’t received the paper bills yet, it got my attention.
Maybe they won’t send the paper bills this time. They’re due the 12th, and I haven’t gotten anything in the mail. I went online to check, but then had trouble (imagine that) getting logged on. I went through my notes and was reminded that I had to sign up for a ‘new’ account with new agent in our regular company, and so had a different user name and password now. I logged in and discovered that they were now doing everything online.
To make a long rant a bit shorter, I went ahead and paid the premiums, and then had to go looking for the paperwork that should accompany the bills for our records. I found and printed them. I’ve never met the new agent and now the company seems to have gone all digital, so I may NEVER meet him.
Now that I’ve overcome yet another change, I’ll probably get the paper bills in the coming week…
Bah! Humbug!
Filed under aging, Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises
Productive Day
Tenor
I’m feeling a bit smug because I FINALLY had a thoroughly productive day yesterday after several sloth days.
Gardener’s Path
I dug out all of the iris from a planter in the back and redistributed them to planters in the front. I need to finish weeding the back planter today in preparation for using it in the spring for tomatoes. I’m moving my raised bed, square foot garden activities to the side yard planters this spring, limiting the garden to lettuce, spinach, and tomatoes. Besides weeding, I’ll do clean up from yesterday, plus work on the planter in the front that has our elephant ear plants.
I tried my new Dremel last night. It’s a rechargeable cordless model, so I had to charge it for over two hours before using it. It came with only one bit, but I was able to use one of my other diamond bits, putting it in myself with no problem! The design of the Dremel allows me to use it pretty comfortably. It’s also much quieter, so I don’t grate my teeth while using it. I think this one will work beautifully, allowing me to finish the glassware. I’m already thinking of other projects for the Dremel. :0)
My husband has been grousing because the turkey is gone. I cooked another turkey breast yesterday, and told my husband dinner tonight will be turkey sandwiches. He’s been smiling ever since.
I also finished the first round of totally revamping my Etsy site. This includes creating a banner, new logo, lowering prices, then renaming the items so they will supposedly show up better when people are putting in search terms as they shop. This is a work in progress, and I’m just getting a good start on things I see others are doing.
Since we’re having stellar weather and our high is supposed to be in the 60s this afternoon, I’m hoping to have another productive day. I hope that YOU do, too; OR that you do something FUN. After all, it’s Sunday!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Tiny Bit of Progress Today
HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy
A short while ago I finished most of the major revamp of my Etsy site. Of course, there is ALWAYS more, or another good idea I can try. I’m still trying to figure out how to offer deals on multiple purchases, for example, but the main reorganizing is finished.
I just came in from the first session outside. I have all the iris plants out of one planter in the back, and am now relocating them in the front. This may take more than a day, because my back is already reminding me that I’m not a spring chicken anymore, but I’m making progress. I’m trying to get outside each afternoon that the weather is cooperative and get SOMETHING done.
When I finish my outside stuff for the day, I plan to try out the new Dremel and see if I can do any good with it. Fingers crossed on THAT.
Happy day to you.
Filed under Challenges
Gray Saturday 12-2-2023
Good morning!
It’s gray and raw and 46 outside right now, so I’m using the morning to work on my Etsy shop and write blog posts. I’m HOPING that it will, in fact, get to the forecast 58 degrees this afternoon.
Gardener’s Path
I’d like to pull the iris out of one of our brick planters in the back and distribute them in two other planters in the front. This will free up the back planter for a downsized square foot planter garden in the spring. My plan at the moment is to use an 8 foot brick planter for lettuce and spinach and two other square brick planters for tomatoes. All already have Mel’s Mix in them and will be ready for planting.
My husband insisted that I buy a Dremel glass etcher at Walmart yesterday. If it doesn’t clearly show how to change the bits, I’ll try to call the company. The new one will allow me to continue my work on the glassware today. The one I got from our shop is too large for the work I’m doing. My hands are strained just trying to hold it, much less trying to do anything with it. Fingers are crossed that this one will work for me.
I Should Be Mopping the Floor…
My To-Do List is beyond daunting at this point. I TRIED to feel good about doing one thing from the list each day, but the list is growing exponentially and I just feel guilty about all the things I SHOULD be doing. I may just throw it out and start a new one, listing the things I NEED to do THIS WEEK…
I hope that you’re having a nice Saturday, doing something that brings you joy.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
A Bit Less of Me
Secondhand Slim Down-sites.google.com
I’m now down almost 17 lbs from my heaviest. My newest goal is to make 20 off.
- I’m trying to eat NO added sugar and as little as possible with prepared foods. I’m trying to read labels carefully and mainly only eat the sugar in fruit.
- I am still putting a bit of salt on a hard-boiled egg at lunch, but I’m adding no salt to the food on my plate otherwise. I’m trying to add as little as possible when I cook, and trying to buy low salt varieties when I can, reading labels again carefully.
- I’m eating lunch and dinner and trying not to eat in-between meals or before bedtime. I’m trying to watch my portions carefully.
- I’m trying to do my yoga stretching every afternoon for half an hour or so.
- My eyeballs are floating because I’m trying to drink more water. :0)
SO – one day at a time. One meal at a time. Slow, steady weight loss and improving my lifestyle so the changes become habits.
Ruin My Week
Filed under DIET!
Gifts
I enjoy making gifts for local friends for the holidays. I think about what I’d like to try to make, how I should do it, etc. I buy the supplies and tools. I think about my friends as I work on the gifts, remembering fun times, getting a bit teary at other times. I hope that each will enjoy and use what I make, but the biggest thing is showing them they are special.
One of the people I follow on X (the former Twitter) posted recently about handmade gifts –
cutigers-@cutigs1 on X
I’m lucky to have a special circle of friends for whom I can try to make things. Whether gifts are handmade or chosen with love, we can try to make the holiday spirit last all year long.
Filed under Uncategorized
Ummm..
As I get “more mature” (read ‘older than dirt’), memory becomes more of an issue.
I used to think it was ‘aggravating’ to go into a room, then realize I couldn’t remember why I had gone there. I had to go back to what I was doing, get into it, and THEN I remembered why – getting up again to go DO it this time. NOW I write a sticky note before I get up, KNOWING I won’t remember. I’m not sure I can call this an ‘improvement.’
Paul Harizan-Getty Images
My husband has kept a spreadsheet on his computer for years that lists what he considers important things for us to remember. This has helped us many times. We’ll list the date of installation of our new tankless water heater on there, for example.
I’ve devoted a whole big notebook to keeping stickies with artist information on them so that I don’t have to start from scratch when I feature an artist’s work on the blog. Right now I have 6 pages of these.
I have stickies everywhere – on my desk, on my computer, in my hand, on the fridge, on the ‘go-out’ table, etc. You get the idea.
I notice I have a word retrieval challenge more and more often these days. I’ll start to say something or write something and the word I’m trying for just won’t come. I’ve given up on being embarrassed with names, even with people I’ve known for a hundred years or so. The words simply ‘disappear’ until they’re ready to come – usually in the middle of the night. I’ll sit up in bed and say, “THAT’S what I was trying to think of!” (Unless I write it down on the notepad on the table beside my bed, I’ll forget it again by the time I get up in the morning.)
I write notes to myself, leaving them on the dresser I pass on my way out of our bedroom, reminding me of something I need to put on the grocery list, or something I need to do during the day.
Even though I’m coming up with ways to get around the problem, I’m aware that the problem seems to be growing faster than the solutions I can come up with. I comfort myself with the following –
Spreadshirt
Medical News Today
Filed under aging, Challenges, Changes
Hot Water!
It’s a thing of beauty and a joy forever! It will probably last longer than WE do. :0) It was installed yesterday and the grin hasn’t left my face.
Travis, our wonderful plumber, is coming back sometime today to clean up the installation debris, old unit, etc., and has agreed to cart off the old backup regular water heater that failed and has been sitting down there, as well. I’ll write him a check today.
My husband and I both think that the water is getting hot more quickly than with the old unit. I don’t know if that’s because the former one was failing or if the new one is more powerful, more efficient, or what, but it’s NICE.
Any condensation goes into a drain in the floor. It’s wonderful not to have to ‘wonder’ if the hot water will come on when I’m washing my hair in the kitchen sink in the mornings, or whether the hot water will STAY on when I’m taking my shower in the evening, constantly having to turn the knob to adjust the temperature.
I’ll be happy to pay THIS bill.
Filed under Cause for Celebration, Challenges, Changes
creativeartworksblog 