Can you see me patting myself on the back? I also gave myself a gold star on my desk calendar. “Why?, ” you ask. I have gotten our tax stuff ready to take to our CPA in record time this year. All we are waiting for is our investment stuff. I can print it and then we’ll take our records and dump them on our very kind CPA who will magically churn out tax forms and send them to the government for us for another year. HOOOORRAAAAAAAY!
Tomorrow I’ll start new spreadsheets for 2022 on the computer and catch up on January. Since doing tax prep is one of my LEAST favorite things in the world, I am delighted that I have finally found a way to make it as painless as possible. My husband’s contribution to all this is to say, “Are we ready to take the stuff to Mike yet?”
It’s a truly stellar day today otherwise, too. Our temperatures are supposed to get to the 60’s today. It’s bright and sunny. The remaining snow MAY be gone from our driveway today. If not, SURELY tomorrow. (We’re due for a cold front Saturday and another possibly wintry event next Wednesday, so I’m hoping we’ll start with a clean slate driveway-wise.
I’m going to get our mail as soon as I finish this. I’m hoping to get a couple of things we ordered.
I’ll do my yoga this afternoon with a clear conscience that I’m almost up-to-date on the office stuff and have earned my salt for the day.
“’Owl,’ said Rabbit shortly, ‘you and I have brains. The others have fluff. If there is any thinking to be done in this Forest–and when I say thinking I mean thinking–you and I must do it.’”
– A.A. Milne, ‘The House at Pooh Corner’
whitehousegallery.co.uk
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” -Martin Buber
“J.D. Robb’s popular futuristic In Death series features police lieutenant Eve Dallas and her tycoon husband, Roarke. The series is set in mid-21st century New York City and, occasionally, off-Earth. The books are primarily police procedures with a focus on the romantic relationship between Eve and her husband. The first book in the series, Naked in Death, was published in 1995 and the series now includes over 50 titles. Like most mystery series, the In Death books do not have to be read in order, but character relationships do develop over the course of the entire series.”
(I now have the 53 paperback books in the series. The 54th comes out in hard back this month. I was just able to preorder the paperback that will come out the end of July of 2022.)
Most times I get a new one, I re-read all the others, just to immerse myself in her life and that of her co-workers and friends. (I’m on # 41 now – “Devoted in Death.”)
I find her a fascinating combination of strengths and weaknesses. I like the way her mind works, trying to get inside the minds of really bad people who kill others. The victims become ‘hers,’ and she will do whatever is necessary to bring their killers to as much justice as the law will allow. As all of us, she has her quirks and weird fears (such as she is creeped out by dolls). Each of the books brings out something touching and/or personal about Eve, Roarke, their relationship, etc., where she lets us inside a bit more.
I have read that Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is quite wealthy. I can’t think of anyone who deserves the good things life has to offer more. Long may she reign – and WRITE! :0)
still celebrating a good result from a scary health examination
having a husband who craves foods not on the list a LOT
having very little personal willpower and being a sloth by nature
my weight is up and my disgust with myself is up, as well.
Thankfully, although our driveway is probably the last snow-covered place in Greenwood, the snow IS melting and our snow tires are equal to the task of getting down the driveway (changing from ‘drive’ to ‘first’ before starting down) and hurrying a bit to get past the steepest part of the driveway to the melted places on the way back up. We are no longer snowed in and our weather is really nice now. Maybe Mother Nature has decided to give us a bit of a break after slamming us with a thick layer of ice before the snow.
I AM trying to do a session of yoga each day, although I’m having to shame myself into it, rather than doing it as habit as I was doing awhile back. There is something about winter that encourages me to do things that are sedentary – reading, working or playing on the computer, listening to music, taking naps – all nice things, as long as they are spread out between more mobile activities. Even starting to get our tax stuff together is sedentary!
My new meme will be, ‘SHUT MY MOUTH AND MOVE MY REAR!’
One of the reasons we built our home on top of a ridge line over 30 years ago is that we treasure our privacy. We get really hostile when people come to try to sell us stuff, convert us to their religion, etc. We really love our friends, but really appreciate it when they call first to make sure we’re not in the middle of something before they come. Being on top of a steep incline discourages most people from coming up.
I feel the same way about phone calls. I don’t really like talking on the phone. Since my husband had a couple of strokes, it upsets him when I’m on the phone for some reason. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but he is upset for quite awhile, and makes me angry yelling at me about it.
We have an answering message on our home phone that helps us out quite a bit. It answers the phone automatically – asks people who know us – and aren’t selling anything – to hit # (I think). This eliminates all robo-calls because they can’t respond to that request. It also is a bit intimidating to have to jump through the hoop, unless you know us and don’t mind the aggravation. When the symbol is pressed, the phone then rings for us in the house and we answer. Otherwise, we aren’t bothered at all and don’t know someone tried to call.
I’ve actually had some people who are calling legitimately be laughing when I answer, and ask where THEY can get the answering recording.
Today, a person called. I answered to find she was selling something. I asked her if she listened to the answering recording. The bottom line was that she ignored the fact that we stated we didn’t want calls like hers and hit the symbol anyway. When I told her I wasn’t interested, she continued to talk.
I very carefully got her name and her company, plus her phone number.
I then called the company and asked for the manager. When the person got on the line, I calmly told her that if anyone else from her company ever called us again, I would call the Attorney General for Arkansas to report them. I gave her the name of the employee, the name of their company, their phone number, and the time and date of the call. I explained that the employee ignored our recorded message, bypassed our system, insisted on giving me her spiel when I told her right away I wasn’t interested, and didn’t want to give me her information. I explained that we went to some trouble to enter our phone numbers on the “Do Not Call List” and then to purchase the recording so that we wouldn’t be bothered. I gave her our information and had her read it back to me, adding it to a “Do Not Call List” for their company.
The manager apologized, but it seemed to me that she was just giving me lip service to get rid of me and that they would continue doing whatever they needed to do to reach as many people as possible. I will keep the information just in case someone else from the company calls again.
I’ve been enjoying listening to music while we’ve been up on our ridge line riding out the winter storm. One of the many great songs chosen by good singers to try to win the talent shows is “Never Enough” by Loren Allred. It’s a good description of my appetite when Mother Nature makes us stay inside for days on end, and my current excuse for stuffing my face.
Tonight my husband has requested, “Frito Chili Pie,” a no-no on SO many levels. Assuming that we can get back up our driveway from our trip to town, he’ll get it.
I used to do the chili part using a keto recipe. The chili was GOOD. Unfortunately, my husband’s favorite part of this is one of two variations: lots of fritos in the chili, OR what we call, “Chili Mac,” (chili with macaroni sprinkled with cheese. Making keto chili doesn’t make up for the variations, and trying to eat the chili while my husband adds the variations is spirit-breaking. And so once every couple of years or so we splurge.
NOW I’m telling myself that since our weather is warming and things are melting, PLUS the weather forecast for the next week is a calm one, I can get back to eating like a normal person once again once the ice is gone and we are free to be normally active. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it. :0)
I am feeling like this sweet dog right now, trying to ‘gird my loins’ for the adventure my husband insists we’re having today, going to the grocery and doing other errands. Our driveway is 650 feet long, STEEP, with gravel, on the north side of our property. Much of the ice, sleet, and snow is gone, except for on our front porch and walk (north side of the house) and our driveway. The top of the driveway looks fine, but not so much half way down.
I’m not worried about getting down. We have snow tires and we’ll get down, one way or another. The street in front of the house is probably fine (except for heavily treed patches where the sun can’t reach.) My worry is getting back UP the driveway when the truck has a bunch of groceries.
To his credit, my husband wanted to go to town two days ago. He didn’t because I went ballistic, reminding him that the reason we planned ahead, stocking up on supplies, was so that we wouldn’t HAVE to negotiate our driveway until it was safe. He thinks I’m a ‘wuss,’ and that we’ll be perfectly safe.
If he’s wrong, we’ll have to abandon our truck in our driveway and then haul the groceries up the steep driveway, making several trips up and back down on foot to get things inside.
The experts know little more about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) than they did 41 years ago.
This is our Jade. She was born Dec. 5, 1980. She died of SIDS Feb. 10, 1981.
Our son was almost 2. The experts said he wouldn’t understand. Wouldn’t remember. He picked up Jade’s blanket, put it in the trash and said, “Broken.”
“Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year old. Most SIDS deaths are associated with sleep, which is why it’s sometimes still called “crib death.”
“SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.”
We were told to put Jade to sleep on her stomach, to keep her from having any problems should she spit up during the night. “While the cause of SIDS is unknown, many clinicians and researchers believe that SIDS is associated with problems in the ability of the baby to arouse from sleep, to detect low levels of oxygen, or a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood. When babies sleep face down, they may re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide.” This is the ONLY thing they seem to have learned in the 41 years since we lost her – now telling new parents to put babies to sleep on their backs.
We had taken her for her two-month shots on Feb. 5th. There is some discussion on the shots being a factor, though the autopsy showed she was “perfect.”
Other facts –
my husband and I both felt guilt. I was across town, taking a night class, being ‘stir-crazy’ from the responsibility for caring for a new baby plus an almost two-year-old, wanting a break desperately. My husband felt guilt because she cried and he let her cry for a bit before she slept.
we each seriously thought about suicide, each ultimately deciding our spouse and son needed us
our pediatrician came to our home and cried with us
I can’t stop the fear when I see a pregnant lady or person with a young baby. I can’t hold a baby without crying. I can’t go to funerals without falling apart, bringing attention to me, rather than the person we have lost.
the hole in our hearts will never fill
Final facts –
They may never know what causes this or how to prevent it. Through this, my husband and I have learned how precious and fragile life is. We have learned that, even when each of us is being hard to live with, we ‘punch’ and hug at the same time, knowing we have each other through the best and worst life has to offer. Love is stronger than hurt. Love is all.
We’re having a heat wave – sunny and 32 degrees F. right now! It’s supposed to get to the low 40s this afternoon. We’ll check again this afternoon, but I think our driveway will still look like something used in the Olympics. I’m really hoping my husband doesn’t insist we risk life and limb by trying to go to town anyway, when we have all we need.
Our cat, Abby, should be boasting to all her cat friends how ‘well-trained’ her people are. The driveway detector just went off. Since my husband is trying to take a nap, I leaped up to see what had caused the alarm. I opened the garage door and the cat calmly strolled inside. She didn’t seem impressed that I had acted so quickly, obviously assuming that this is her due… I was chatting with our son online when the alarm went off. He was amazed first that she set off the alarm, and second, that we jumped up to let her in. :0)
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I am TRYING not to make what we’re eating the focus of our days. Since we’re stuck up here on our ridge line, there is still snow and ice on the ground and it’s COLD (even with the heat wave), I’m doing a lot of listening to music, reading, and watching TV – all sedentary things. Food then becomes ‘entertainment’ more than sustenance – a very bad thing.
I’m making promises to myself to MOVE more once Mother Nature gives us a break.
I’m grinding my teeth and trying NOT to punch my husband. You would think that I could HANDLE him by now, wouldn’t you. But I’ll tell you, 52 years is not enough…
We made a POINT of getting what we needed to handle being stuck on the top of our ridge line until further notice when we knew a winter storm was forecast. We have food, water, power, pets, and love to weather it.
We got the storm last Wednesday. We are doing fine.
So what’s the problem and why do I want to punch my husband?
He wants to go OUT in it to buy ice cream and cookies.
He HAS some oatmeal cookies – a whole package of them – on the counter in the kitchen. But those aren’t his FAVORITE brand of oatmeal cookies. He tried one and doesn’t want the rest. Okay, but we DON’T need to go out and buy more. He points out that I finished my container of no-sugar-added vanilla ice cream last night. I told him there is also orange sherbet in the freezer and that’s fine…
He said, “the ice is gone on the driveway. ” I begged to disagree. We went out to LOOK. The driveway looks like a ski slope.
If we could get down in one piece, it doesn’t look like we could get back UP. We don’t NEED cookies and ice cream.
The actual point is that he wants to prove that he can drive whether it’s dangerous or not. He loves to go out and PLAY on the slippery streets. He isn’t worried about falling on his head, as “I” am. In his head and heart, he’s still 20. Sometimes that is a very endearing trait, but NOT when there is ice and snow on the driveway.
He said we can go tomorrow. I said we will LOOK again tomorrow.
The discussion continues as my patience is wearing thin…
“There’s always a hidden owl in ‘knowledge’.” -E.I. Jane.
myownbarn.com
“Owl is the grand and rather clever old man of the forest. He can also spell Tuesday.” -A. A. Milne.
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“A wise old owl sat in an oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can’t we be like that wise old bird?” -Edward Hersey Richards.
voiceofnature.tumblr.com
“An owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees the the less it talks.” – Christie Watson.
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