Change of Plans

 

Charlie and I are waiting for it to warm up a bit

before we take a walk

and as my run to Webster City has

been cancelled,

I have what amounts to a free day.

Yippee!

 

What to do!?

As with any free time - it will fill

much too quickly

and seem much too short.

 

It struck me, yesterday, that we

are half-way through November.  How that

happened is a mystery, but it

means that I need to get started

on Aidan's advent calendar which is

traditionally delivered

at Thanksgiving.

A tradition that started when we lived hours

 and hours away

as a way for me to share the

holiday anticipation with him.

 

One year he received fancy envelopes

containing a carol for each day.  His dad

sang them at bedtime.

 

Another year it was the pages

of a lovely story of a pine tree

 rewarded for its

kindness to other forest creatures.

 

His own tree and ornaments one year.

 

Last year his reading skills

allowed me to mark off

pages for him to read everyday

from a schmaltzy cute paperback

about a homeless dog looking

for a family during the holidays.

 

Other years have been a combination

of whatever

school supplies

trinkets

gum

coins

bills

games

puzzles

will fit in the chosen container.

 

Pinterest

 

It's time to choose a container and theme -

a task that gets harder as he grows older.

If I want to keep the containers manageable

the content is pretty limited.

He doesn't like chocolate

which eliminates an easy default.

He's a boy - cute stuff only goes so far.

 

So today will be dedicated to strategy.

Making plans and lists.

Sorting through materials on hand.

Necessary groundwork

for productivity

if this Christmas project

 is actually going to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



wandering

It's funny where the mind will take us.

Today I had a vivid recollection of

choosing my first bottle of moisturizer.

 

Early 30's.

Late-80's.

Living in PA.

 

I had playground duty several times

each day at the school

our children attended and

decided it was time

to protect my skin from the elements.

 

I chose Oil of Olay

and splurged on

the frosted glass bottle with a pump.

My products have changed over the years

but not my dedication.

 

google images

 

I am a moisturizer.

The outside world may see me without

makeup, mascara or lipstick,

but I never skip the moisturizer.

My face, neck and chest are

slathered twice daily.

 

I've recently added the back of my hands

to that list.  With all

the anti-aging properties

packed into these new formulas

it seems a shame to pass over

my hands, which often bear the brunt

of careless use or exposure.

I do use lotions on them

regularly

but this takes only a sec

and it makes me feel that I've

done a good thing.

 

 

 



Still, small voice...

This is always a fun time of year.

There is something new to enjoy everyday.

 

The wisteria made it through the winter and has buds!

The sun sets later each day.

Birds are singing.

People are opening their windows

(I can smell coffee on my morning walk).

 

We sleep with a window open year round which leads

 to an convoluted process of

 trying to find the right mix of sheets

and/or blankets.

For these few weeks

temperatures climb and drop so much from

sunrise to sunset and back again.

Thus, today's dilemma:

If I take the flannel sheets off I can leave all the blankets on.

If the flannels stay I need to eliminate

or exchange at least one blanket.

 

 

 

Here's hoping that the quiet whisper I hear, now, saying

"you should have stuck with the flannel sheets" 

doesn't become  a wailing

"YOU SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH THE FLANNEL SHEETS!"

when I crawl into bed tonight.

A new favorite

February is almost over.

The check-out period at our library is three weeks

so we have been saying March this or that for

several days already and

it makes the time go so fast!!

 

The last two weeks were fun as

I indulged in my traditional

valentine saturation for Tim.

  He was on the look-out for a particular

stunt that has become a standard, I was able

to mix in a few new ideas and

we both had a few laughs along the way

which is always good.

 

This is what I found last night when I returned from work:

 

 

Aren't they lovely? Thanks, Tim!

Happy Valentine's Day

turn, turn, turn...

Yes, it's that time of year again.

Leaves have been raked and bagged.

The deck has been stripped of its summertime finery.

Flower pots and garden hoses have been stowed away 'til spring.

Firewood was delivered yesterday.

An extra blanket graces the bed.

Flannel sheets will return on the next wash day.

Jackets and scarves are a pleasure to wear.

Oatmeal with blueberries is back on the breakfast menu.

google images

Another first

Last week saw another first for me:

google images

Monday was our anniversary so Tim put in a couple early morning hours at work

and we headed to the Iowa State Fair.

Familiar refrain:  

Tim's family did; mine didn't.

Fairs were problematic for us when the girls were little 

but we began making them a regular event when we lived in PA.

Tim and I hit the Nebraska State Fair several times.  

Once we won at bingo.  That small grill Tim works his magic with?  It was our bingo prize.

So we wandered.  Day-dreamed.  Chatted.  Laughed.
Had a fun day.

Yes, we saw the butter cow and the chocolate moose.

Musings

It's been a tough year for our families.  Thankfully, at least according to the calendar, it's drawing to a close.

We each have some unfinished business but, voices are steadier.  

Outlooks are changing.  Plans are taking shape.

It seems as though the worst is passed.

I hope so - for all of us.

Today the sun is shining.  I do love winter's sunshine.

In the interest of fresh starts, there are four new stockings

hung by the chimney with care.

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy the fireplace?

Next week I'll put a package in the mail for Jacob and Amy, in Portland.

I'll head to Minneapolis for a few days with Naphtali and Aidan.

The semester will end.

Plans will be finalized for family gatherings over Christmas.

In a few short weeks, projects around the house will be finished and

family that can, will gather - somewhere.

Snow will probably fall.

Each of us will deal with the times and our circumstances
as best we can.

We'll talk - compare notes - listen.

I imagine we'll hum snippets of Christmas carols, bake cookies, wrap packages and

enjoy the winter's sunshine.

You can thank me later

I have no trouble whatsoever taking credit for this lovely weather.
 Had I not changed to flannel sheets, the cold, damp, gloomy weather would have continued
and I would have shivered my nights away.

 But, well, you know what happened.
You can thank me later.

Follow-up

Aaah!  Met my expectations! 

 (check yesterday's post if this makes no sense to you)

Changing seasons

Talk to anyone and they will name a favorite fall ritual - tailgating at the game, visiting the local orchard, baking with seasonal produce, a walk through the woods, raking leaves; 

the possibilities are as varied as the changing leaves.

At our house the changing seasons means one thing: 




changing sheets 

google images

and involves what I have come to call musical blankets. 

You add a lighter blanket.
You exchange that for a heavier blanket.
 You put the flannel sheets on, which may require that you switch back to the lighter blanket.
 Eventually it will mean the flannel sheets and the heavier blanket.

We enjoyed having company this weekend and when I cleaned up I put the flannels on that bed in preparation for Naphtali and Aidan's visit at the end of this week.


Today I took advantage of Younker's Goodwill sale to buy a new set of flannel sheets for our bed. 
 They've been washed  
and are ready to go on our bed tomorrow.
  Monday is always my clean sheet day .  


Which means I can't wait to go to bed tomorrow night!