There will be a Thanksgiving rant, but not just yet. A few minutes ago I finished upgrading my system to Windows 10, and I'm still sighing with impatience. I need to get that out of my system by counting some blessings.
My boudoir, to all intents and purposes, is done. I have several small stacks of Things Which Must Be Dealt With, and a few bags that need to be emptied. Eventually we will need to add the new baseboards. But the flooring is down, the furniture is rearranged, the new (old) drapes are up, and Fourthborn's thumb is not-broken after she smashed it with the rubber mallet while tamping planks into place. We finished the job; she decided she wanted to get it X-rayed; and so her first personal trip to the ER is now a memory. Thankfully, she has her own insurance (such as it is), so the only cost to me is a bit of gasoline, an hour or so of hanging out with her in the triage room while waiting for her thumb to get nuked, and a bushel of mommy-guilt.
Pain meds are utterly wasted on her. They gave her 800mg of Motrin in the ER, and it made no difference in her pain level at all. They splinted her thumb to help her remember to baby it, and they told her it will probably be bruised for a couple of weeks and swollen for half that long. We drowned our sorrows in bean burritos at Bueno.
I am reveling in the spaciousness of my bedroom, even with the little stacks and bags which march around the perimeter of my room. I think I will wait for a few days before hanging pictures. I wrangled one stack after taking Fourthborn home this afternoon. Found a handful of credit reports for Beloved, since shredded, and an envelope marked "honeymoon plans - confidential!" that mostly contained information on the place we stayed, antique shops in the general vicinity, and the like. Mostly. The non-mostly made me grin, then blush, then hightail it for the shredder.
I love that man.
I got another patchwork border attached to the medallion quilt in between other tasks this weekend. While waiting for Windows 10 to stop rebooting (and rebooting and rebooting) my computer tonight, I pieced eight strips together to make four plain strips for the next border. I am not in the mood to cut them to length and attach them. That will happen before or after work tomorrow, depending upon when I wake up, how many errands I need to do after work, and how badly I need to sleep once that is done.
We have gotten rain in Biblical quantities this weekend. A young father died in the flooding locally when his car was swept away. Tola emailed me to check for a pulse, and I reassured her that we were just fine.
Fourthborn got the routing filled in on the doors for the linen closet, and we bought the new paint. I'm not picking her up next weekend, because next weekend will be filled with church activities. But I hope to complete the painting and decoupage of the linen closet when we get together in two weeks.
I'm sorry that this post is all over the place, but about the only bits that don't ache are my tonsils (gone when I was three) and my gall bladder (gone in 2001). I may have said the same thing after last weekend, but this weekend we worked hard two days in a row, and we're both feeling it.
OK. Thanksgiving. I was able to gracefully excuse myself from picking up the children's father and his "wife" for the family dinner, because I'm not driving Lorelai these days (and will attempt to sell her for a fair but not negligible price before it's time to renew her tags), and it would have been cruel to try and fit them into the jump seats in the extended cab. 2BDH picked them up. We all had plenty of delicious and varied food. As we were about ready to fill our plates, the children's father asked where I would be sitting. My immediate, unvoiced thought was as far away from you and her as decently possible. He followed quickly with, "Because I'd like to visit with you and hear what's going on in your life." To which my inner, unvoiced snark retorted You had the chance to listen to me for 20 years, why start now? But my better self stifled a sigh and sat at the same table with him. It was fun (kind of) to tell him all the ways in which Heaven is blessing me. I think I managed to avoid smugness. I hope so, anyway.
He asked about LittleBit, who apparently comes to see him about once a month, now that she's cleared for driving again. I told him I didn't know, that we're not close. He asked why. I told him, quietly, about her choices and actions which have shattered my trust, and that we are working to rebuild a relationship, but it's very slow going.
As one of the sisters expresses it so ably, LittleBit shares her father's gift for thinking things are perfectly fine, when they're not, or if they're not, it must be somebody else's fault. As much as I have wept over Middlest's choice to join the transgender world, that choice does not feel like a personal betrayal. The relationship that I had with LittleBit, which I had thought was rock-solid, turns out to have been built on quicksand. Time and the Atonement will heal it. I have time. And I trust my temple covenants and the work of the Dear and Glorious Physician.
At another point in that somewhat bizarre conversation, the children's father said something mildly funny and moderately outrageous. I looked at his "wife" and raised one eyebrow. "Do you want to smack him, or shall I?" She raised her own eyebrow and said, "That's my job now." I grinned and said, "Well then, you're falling down on the job."
Thankfully, Fourthborn and I each got peopled-out at about the same time, said our goodbyes, and came home for much needed naps. We both find dealing with him to be heartbreaking and exhausting.
So it's Sunday night, and I think it's raining again, and I hope that when I put out the recycling tomorrow night it does not turn into a big mass of papier-mache. There's a whole bag of shredding, which is in no danger of that, but there are three boxes that contained vinyl plank flooring or the junk tile we put down between the concrete and the planks, and we've had winds strong enough to blow the empty plastic bottles (of which there are a plethora) from here to Louisiana in a heartbeat.
I think I'm going to nuke the deer corn bag for my feet, take my meds a little early, and call it a night.
About Me
- Lynn
- Eleven years into widowhood, after one year of incredible happiness and nearly 14 years of single blessedness. Retired, and mostly enjoying it. Still knitting. [Zen]tangling.again after a brief hiatus.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Be careful what you ask for!
(Sometimes it's even better than you thought you wanted.)
The activity at what I lovingly call Chilton Academy was delightful as always. Hard to believe that all three of the Bitties are now in school. From there I picked up Fourthborn, and we came back here and started work on the house.
We had to make another trip to Arlington when I discovered that the transfer I had made on Thursday went into the wrong account. The bank where they'll let you transfer money in, but not out. So we dashed to the grocery store which houses that bank, pulled cash, and drove back to deposit it in my main bank, because it was cheaper to make the round trip than to pay an NSF fee, and there's an automatic debit which should hit this weekend. (Not to mention I wanted/needed to pick up a few things for the house.) So thankful for the ability to laugh at myself.
When we got home, we tried to remove the bifold doors from the closet in my bedroom and quickly discovered that while we could do part of it, some of it would require that vaunted superior upper-body strength that men have. Posted that on Facebook and decided that I would emulate Miz Scarlett and worry about that "tomorrow". Went to bed.
Worked a little on the medallion quilt while Fourthborn snoozed on Saturday morning. Looked at my phone to see that I'd gotten a call and voicemail from an unknown number with the same area code as the third cousin I discovered earlier this year. The one whose family reunion my sister and I attended this summer. The call was from a son of my cousin, in town with his son, and needing the name of a skilled family lawyer. Could I help?
I called him back and told him I'd get in touch with people and get him a list. He asked if there was something he and his son could do for me. Yes, as a matter of fact. Want to come extract a pair of bifold doors? They agreed to come over in about an hour. I rousted Fourthborn from her hobo nest on the living room floor. We put on bras. I started making calls, texts, and emails.
Our cousins made short work of the bifold doors. They helped us (mostly Fourthborn; I'm still convalescing) take the bed apart, get rid of another small section of carpet, and get the flooring down where the new bed would go. They did the heavy lifting to move the bed, which is wider and longer than I had thought. There's a gap of about six inches between the end of the mattress and the footboard. Maybe Beloved could have slept in this bed after all? We all worked together to set up the bed. Then we went to Bueno and grabbed a late lunch and talked for four hours. (Yay for mini family reunions!)
I’ve got the list of possible helpers ready for my cousin. Just waiting for him to get back to me with his email address.
When we were at Bueno, Fourthborn was chatting easily with both of the cousins. This is a miracle on the order of the loaves and the fishes. She freely admits to being the poster child for social anxiety, and there she was, alternating war stories with the rest of us. It was so much fun to compare notes, find out all the ways in which we are similarly broken, similar tastes in music and art, how we cope with stuff. Love those guys.
One extended family, made stronger through mutual service. This, folks, is how we build Zion. It has put the most marvelous glow on my weekend.
The activity at what I lovingly call Chilton Academy was delightful as always. Hard to believe that all three of the Bitties are now in school. From there I picked up Fourthborn, and we came back here and started work on the house.
We had to make another trip to Arlington when I discovered that the transfer I had made on Thursday went into the wrong account. The bank where they'll let you transfer money in, but not out. So we dashed to the grocery store which houses that bank, pulled cash, and drove back to deposit it in my main bank, because it was cheaper to make the round trip than to pay an NSF fee, and there's an automatic debit which should hit this weekend. (Not to mention I wanted/needed to pick up a few things for the house.) So thankful for the ability to laugh at myself.
When we got home, we tried to remove the bifold doors from the closet in my bedroom and quickly discovered that while we could do part of it, some of it would require that vaunted superior upper-body strength that men have. Posted that on Facebook and decided that I would emulate Miz Scarlett and worry about that "tomorrow". Went to bed.
Worked a little on the medallion quilt while Fourthborn snoozed on Saturday morning. Looked at my phone to see that I'd gotten a call and voicemail from an unknown number with the same area code as the third cousin I discovered earlier this year. The one whose family reunion my sister and I attended this summer. The call was from a son of my cousin, in town with his son, and needing the name of a skilled family lawyer. Could I help?
I called him back and told him I'd get in touch with people and get him a list. He asked if there was something he and his son could do for me. Yes, as a matter of fact. Want to come extract a pair of bifold doors? They agreed to come over in about an hour. I rousted Fourthborn from her hobo nest on the living room floor. We put on bras. I started making calls, texts, and emails.
Our cousins made short work of the bifold doors. They helped us (mostly Fourthborn; I'm still convalescing) take the bed apart, get rid of another small section of carpet, and get the flooring down where the new bed would go. They did the heavy lifting to move the bed, which is wider and longer than I had thought. There's a gap of about six inches between the end of the mattress and the footboard. Maybe Beloved could have slept in this bed after all? We all worked together to set up the bed. Then we went to Bueno and grabbed a late lunch and talked for four hours. (Yay for mini family reunions!)
I’ve got the list of possible helpers ready for my cousin. Just waiting for him to get back to me with his email address.
When we were at Bueno, Fourthborn was chatting easily with both of the cousins. This is a miracle on the order of the loaves and the fishes. She freely admits to being the poster child for social anxiety, and there she was, alternating war stories with the rest of us. It was so much fun to compare notes, find out all the ways in which we are similarly broken, similar tastes in music and art, how we cope with stuff. Love those guys.
One extended family, made stronger through mutual service. This, folks, is how we build Zion. It has put the most marvelous glow on my weekend.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Grandparents Day
First up: I had a great day at work yesterday. I prayed like crazy on the way in, because I needed to do Wednesday's work (from when I was home, sick), yesterday's work, and as much as possible of today's. Which meant dealing with the emails that had invaded my inbox, going through two days' worth of mail, calendaring anything that the mail or the emails had generated, mailing copies to our clients of items I had printed off after the mail went out on Tuesday, printing copies of other items to go out in yesterday's mail or when I get back to the office on Monday, staying focused, remembering to take my meds on schedule, and fielding phone calls. By the grace of Heaven, I got everything done that absolutely had to be done, and I know where to start on Monday. So, whew!
Alison had posted all sorts of Trader Joe goodies on her Facebook page, and I already needed to make a TJ run, so that's how I went home from work. Came home with two boxes or packages of everything on my list or in her post and the comments appended thereto. Kind of like the ark, only edible.
When I got home, the final dividend check for 2015 was in my mailbox. This is the packet of shares I inherited from Beloved and got switched over into my name at the end of 2013. Since then, the quarterly dividends have risen from $3.00 per quarter to a whopping $3.80. I noticed that the company was really clever this year. Instead of the usual formatting of the page attached to the check, it's my 2015 1099-DIV. I don't remember it being like that last year, but it may well have been. At any rate, two birds with one stone, and no doubt a massive savings in postage.
I suspect there will be another tax refund for 2015. No idea at this point how much. But if so, I may use some of it to buy another ten shares of the stock. Something to think about, anyway.
I've preshrunk the fabric in the October kit for my medallion quilt. While I was home on Wednesday, I finished attaching one of the borders, but not all at once. I awoke ahead of the alarm yesterday and got the pieces cut out. I may get the plain borders pieced (they are now a smidgen longer than the width of fabric, and from here on out will have to be pieced) and attached before it's time to leave for the Bitties' school.
Secondborn emailed me the class schedules. This year will be a little more complicated, because now all three of them are in school. BittyBit is a fifth grader. BittyBubba is in third grade. And Bittiest is in kindergarten. When I'm done in Fort Worth, I'll pick up Fourthborn, and we will go to town on my bedroom floor. Today we will finish the north end of the room, into the closet. I'm hoping that tomorrow we can finish the rest of the room and set up the bed frame. We will need to be well rested for that, because it is massive, and if we're too tired it would be easy to hurt ourselves.
I've eaten a token breakfast but am still vaguely hungry. Will sluice off and grab a little something on the way. I want to leave in half an hour to beat the morning rush. The fun in Fort Worth starts in two and a half hours. If I'm clever, I can eat breakfast at Ol' South Pancake House just like the good old days. I'll just have to opt for a Dutch Baby instead of the full-on German Pancake.
Alison had posted all sorts of Trader Joe goodies on her Facebook page, and I already needed to make a TJ run, so that's how I went home from work. Came home with two boxes or packages of everything on my list or in her post and the comments appended thereto. Kind of like the ark, only edible.
When I got home, the final dividend check for 2015 was in my mailbox. This is the packet of shares I inherited from Beloved and got switched over into my name at the end of 2013. Since then, the quarterly dividends have risen from $3.00 per quarter to a whopping $3.80. I noticed that the company was really clever this year. Instead of the usual formatting of the page attached to the check, it's my 2015 1099-DIV. I don't remember it being like that last year, but it may well have been. At any rate, two birds with one stone, and no doubt a massive savings in postage.
I suspect there will be another tax refund for 2015. No idea at this point how much. But if so, I may use some of it to buy another ten shares of the stock. Something to think about, anyway.
I've preshrunk the fabric in the October kit for my medallion quilt. While I was home on Wednesday, I finished attaching one of the borders, but not all at once. I awoke ahead of the alarm yesterday and got the pieces cut out. I may get the plain borders pieced (they are now a smidgen longer than the width of fabric, and from here on out will have to be pieced) and attached before it's time to leave for the Bitties' school.
Secondborn emailed me the class schedules. This year will be a little more complicated, because now all three of them are in school. BittyBit is a fifth grader. BittyBubba is in third grade. And Bittiest is in kindergarten. When I'm done in Fort Worth, I'll pick up Fourthborn, and we will go to town on my bedroom floor. Today we will finish the north end of the room, into the closet. I'm hoping that tomorrow we can finish the rest of the room and set up the bed frame. We will need to be well rested for that, because it is massive, and if we're too tired it would be easy to hurt ourselves.
I've eaten a token breakfast but am still vaguely hungry. Will sluice off and grab a little something on the way. I want to leave in half an hour to beat the morning rush. The fun in Fort Worth starts in two and a half hours. If I'm clever, I can eat breakfast at Ol' South Pancake House just like the good old days. I'll just have to opt for a Dutch Baby instead of the full-on German Pancake.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Camille. As in the last act of.
The drainage did not just go away. But more on that in a bit.
We got an incredible amount of stuff done on the house done, last Saturday. Carpet ripped up from the doorway along the just-painted wall to the bathroom door, and down the middle of the room to the opposite wall. Junk vinyl tile laid down on the newly freed concrete. And vinyl plank flooring extended through the doorway to where the closet begins, and into the room far enough that we could have set up the new bed frame on it if we hadn't been so tired that we were afraid of injuring ourselves. That new bed frame is heavy.
Dragged myself to church on Sunday. About the only bits that didn't ache were my tonsils, which have been gone since I was three, and my gall bladder, which went bye-bye in 2001. Skipped choir practice in favor of a nap. Home teacher and another good brother gave me a blessing. We had raised a lot of dust, pulling up the carpet. That didn't make me feel any better, so I took the first steps in getting well by calling in the priesthood.
Monday was a good day at work. Coughed a little but sailed through my work. Came home and emptied out the black bookcase, moved it to the newly painted wall so we may yank the carpet there and in the closet this weekend, and refilled the bookcase. Yesterday I was coughing more. I could tell that the yuck was trying to dig through to China by way of my lungs, so I called my doctor to see if they could fit me in. She was booked all day but scheduled to work the night clinic, so I took off early, picked up my remade glasses (which seem to be, finally, correct), then Fourthborn, who accompanied me to the night clinic with the plan that we'd go to Knit Night from there.
I was seen pretty quickly at the clinic, but not by my doctor, and I was able to pick up two prescriptions at a nearby pharmacy instead of at the one around the corner from my home. By that time it was a quarter to eight, so we blew off Knit Night (I did post a message that we wouldn't be there, after all), and I took Fourthborn home.
Have just taken my second dose of both medicines. The cough medicine is a little gel cap with an advisory not to drive or operate machinery. I've called in sick (my voice is convincing testimony of that) and am planning to sleep as the impulse strikes and will hope to be back at work tomorrow, as I'm off on Friday for Grandparents Day at the bitties' school.
I've eaten an English muffin with some Wholly Guacamole. Time to take my vitamins, maybe grab an apple, and settle in with one of my library books. I'm currently reading The Medici Effect and pondering how my life has been lived largely at what he calls the Intersection. Twyla Tharp's book on creativity is next on the list, and the library has notified me that the autobiography of James Michener is waiting for me. I've added the latest dozen Prismacolors to my inventory list on Evernote. If I get really ambitious, I may attempt to shake hands with my EQ7 program and begin entering the last series' finished quilt blocks preparatory to redesigning the sashing strips.
Not holding my breath on that one. (Because that would make me cough.) I crack myself up.
In the time required to more or less proofread this, the sleepiness has kicked in from my cough medicine. So it's likely to be vitamins and a very light snack, then back to bed.
We got an incredible amount of stuff done on the house done, last Saturday. Carpet ripped up from the doorway along the just-painted wall to the bathroom door, and down the middle of the room to the opposite wall. Junk vinyl tile laid down on the newly freed concrete. And vinyl plank flooring extended through the doorway to where the closet begins, and into the room far enough that we could have set up the new bed frame on it if we hadn't been so tired that we were afraid of injuring ourselves. That new bed frame is heavy.
Dragged myself to church on Sunday. About the only bits that didn't ache were my tonsils, which have been gone since I was three, and my gall bladder, which went bye-bye in 2001. Skipped choir practice in favor of a nap. Home teacher and another good brother gave me a blessing. We had raised a lot of dust, pulling up the carpet. That didn't make me feel any better, so I took the first steps in getting well by calling in the priesthood.
Monday was a good day at work. Coughed a little but sailed through my work. Came home and emptied out the black bookcase, moved it to the newly painted wall so we may yank the carpet there and in the closet this weekend, and refilled the bookcase. Yesterday I was coughing more. I could tell that the yuck was trying to dig through to China by way of my lungs, so I called my doctor to see if they could fit me in. She was booked all day but scheduled to work the night clinic, so I took off early, picked up my remade glasses (which seem to be, finally, correct), then Fourthborn, who accompanied me to the night clinic with the plan that we'd go to Knit Night from there.
I was seen pretty quickly at the clinic, but not by my doctor, and I was able to pick up two prescriptions at a nearby pharmacy instead of at the one around the corner from my home. By that time it was a quarter to eight, so we blew off Knit Night (I did post a message that we wouldn't be there, after all), and I took Fourthborn home.
Have just taken my second dose of both medicines. The cough medicine is a little gel cap with an advisory not to drive or operate machinery. I've called in sick (my voice is convincing testimony of that) and am planning to sleep as the impulse strikes and will hope to be back at work tomorrow, as I'm off on Friday for Grandparents Day at the bitties' school.
I've eaten an English muffin with some Wholly Guacamole. Time to take my vitamins, maybe grab an apple, and settle in with one of my library books. I'm currently reading The Medici Effect and pondering how my life has been lived largely at what he calls the Intersection. Twyla Tharp's book on creativity is next on the list, and the library has notified me that the autobiography of James Michener is waiting for me. I've added the latest dozen Prismacolors to my inventory list on Evernote. If I get really ambitious, I may attempt to shake hands with my EQ7 program and begin entering the last series' finished quilt blocks preparatory to redesigning the sashing strips.
Not holding my breath on that one. (Because that would make me cough.) I crack myself up.
In the time required to more or less proofread this, the sleepiness has kicked in from my cough medicine. So it's likely to be vitamins and a very light snack, then back to bed.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Down the rabbit hole.
Brought home a book from work a day or two ago. Read it in two nights. No sewing. No knitting. Just quality time with the written page. About 500 of them.
I think if I had not been taking my antihistamine every night for months, I might be feeling pretty miserable now. As it is, I have a bit of drainage but no sign of infection. Which is good, because I have a lot planned for Saturday. Fourthborn will go with me to the doll meet tomorrow night. And I'm hoping to get enough of the carpet ripped up and the flooring down that we can set up the bed. I think I'm also feeling brave enough to try replacing an outlet or maybe all three in my bedroom.
But for now I need to call it a night.
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Door is done.
One of the guys at Home Depot was able to do what two friends at work, and I, had been unable to accomplish: he got the brass thingie separated from the pretty part so that I could connect the two halves of the lever handles with long screws. When I went to bed last night, it was in a room with a door that could be locked if I so chose, which I did not.
Today I assembled the first block in what will become Fourthborn's quilt and picked up the kit for the second block. I also assembled and attached two of the four checkerboard strips on the medallion quilt. The third strip is laid out on my ironing board for when I'm ready to sew again.
I've mailed my visiting teaching letters, dropped off the exceedingly boring library book in the night slot. (It was about some weird new theory of architecture and probably better as a textbook than for casual reading. My attention span is recovering from widow brain. I can read longer articles without chasing rabbits in my mind. But my patience for jargon and/or gobbledygook is probably gone for good.)
I am taking my meds and going to bed now, because it is after 10:30 and my left eyelid has begun twitching. I'm taking that as a hint that it would like to lower the shades completely and call it a night.
Very much looking forward to church tomorrow. We have a bonus, broadcast session of stake conference. Something on a regional or area level, because multiple stakes are involved. Our stake will be meeting in three of our buildings. I declined the opportunity to sing in the choir. I want to go, and sit, and knit, and ponder. Sitting in the choir seats would put a definite crimp in the knitting department. (The only downside to my current calling as sacrament meeting chorister is that I don't think it appropriate to sit up on the stand and knit.) What functions as a "quiet book" for me should not be a distraction for the others in the congregation.
Today I assembled the first block in what will become Fourthborn's quilt and picked up the kit for the second block. I also assembled and attached two of the four checkerboard strips on the medallion quilt. The third strip is laid out on my ironing board for when I'm ready to sew again.
I've mailed my visiting teaching letters, dropped off the exceedingly boring library book in the night slot. (It was about some weird new theory of architecture and probably better as a textbook than for casual reading. My attention span is recovering from widow brain. I can read longer articles without chasing rabbits in my mind. But my patience for jargon and/or gobbledygook is probably gone for good.)
I am taking my meds and going to bed now, because it is after 10:30 and my left eyelid has begun twitching. I'm taking that as a hint that it would like to lower the shades completely and call it a night.
Very much looking forward to church tomorrow. We have a bonus, broadcast session of stake conference. Something on a regional or area level, because multiple stakes are involved. Our stake will be meeting in three of our buildings. I declined the opportunity to sing in the choir. I want to go, and sit, and knit, and ponder. Sitting in the choir seats would put a definite crimp in the knitting department. (The only downside to my current calling as sacrament meeting chorister is that I don't think it appropriate to sit up on the stand and knit.) What functions as a "quiet book" for me should not be a distraction for the others in the congregation.
Friday, November 06, 2015
Momentarily stymied.
I need stronger hands than mine to disassemble one half of the lever. The bolt is screwed into the door, facing the right direction. The fourth coat of paint last night was all I needed to call it done. I've popped the recalcitrant lever half into a Ziploc bag to take to work, in hopes that somebody there will be able to wangle the bits apart. The Tyvek pulltab just isn't getting it for me. (And this will have to be repeated six more times, just for the interior doors.) I'll hold off on replacing the strike plate until I've repainted and replaced the door moulding.
Tonight I will sew up the October quilt block so I may hand it over to Fourthborn tomorrow. Which means that I had better stir my stumps and preshrink that fabric.
I made a great, simple dinner last night. Salmon burger, big salad, and one potato, mashed and divided into two portions. A little later I mixed some Greek yogurt and Nutella for dessert.
Big announcement from the Church yesterday, equating same sex marriage with apostasy, and outlining how it will impact the children of same-sex parents. I may very well lose some friends over this, but I stand with the prophets. Children are best served by parents who are in a covenant relationship with one another, with God, and with their children. Same sex unions frustrate the eternal plan of happiness, because they cannot in and of themselves bring children into the world. And children have a right as the spirit children of Deity to be born into the covenant of eternal marriage.
As Cecil B. DeMille said, we cannot break the commandments. We can only break ourselves against them. #mormonwomenstand
Tonight I will sew up the October quilt block so I may hand it over to Fourthborn tomorrow. Which means that I had better stir my stumps and preshrink that fabric.
I made a great, simple dinner last night. Salmon burger, big salad, and one potato, mashed and divided into two portions. A little later I mixed some Greek yogurt and Nutella for dessert.
Big announcement from the Church yesterday, equating same sex marriage with apostasy, and outlining how it will impact the children of same-sex parents. I may very well lose some friends over this, but I stand with the prophets. Children are best served by parents who are in a covenant relationship with one another, with God, and with their children. Same sex unions frustrate the eternal plan of happiness, because they cannot in and of themselves bring children into the world. And children have a right as the spirit children of Deity to be born into the covenant of eternal marriage.
As Cecil B. DeMille said, we cannot break the commandments. We can only break ourselves against them. #mormonwomenstand
Thursday, November 05, 2015
Almost there.
I think one more coat will do it. The vinyl plank flooring is going on sale today, and I plan to pick it up tonight or tomorrow, as well as the new handle for this door. Still need to repaint and replace the moulding.
I colored last night, between the first and second coats and while doing a load of laundry. I figure that by the time I've finished this coloring book, I'll be quite comfortable with colored pencils and can think about moving on to original work.
Sometime between tonight and Saturday morning, I need to preshrink the fabric for this month's series quilt so I may hand it off to Fourthborn when we pick up our next blocks. She has plans for Sunday, so she won't be coming home with me to help on the house. I need her phenomenal carpet ripping-up skills.
Time to pack my lunch and decide what I'm wearing today.
Wednesday, November 04, 2015
Blogging from my phone.
Because last weekend's winds and rain have messed with my cable. Again. I was a little too busy at work yesterday to call the cable company and set up an appointment for a service call. Maybe today?
In Elvis is leaving the building news, I have found new homes for the faucet which has been hanging out on top of the bookcase in the middle bedroom since I moved in almost four years ago. The son of a coworker may or may not have broken theirs. And a friend at Knit Night mentioned that she needed to find another memory foam pillow for one of her dogs. I said, "the kind that goes bump swoop bump (gesturing)?" Exactly. I have two. I'll keep one for when Fourthborn spends the night, but the spare will go to work with me as well, because that friend works in my building.
When I pulled the painter's tape around the wall in my room, I also pulled up a bit of the new paint behind the door. That's fixed. And I've decided to use the coral from the short walls in the living room to paint the back of the bedroom door. I think it will be a nice pop against the dark cherry wall. I hope to start that tonight. If there's time, I'll wipe down the door before heading to work.
Played a little with my spreadsheets this morning, particularly the one for 2016-2017. I've eliminated some of the pages from prior years. I don't really need to track the activity in each savings bucket each month when I now have the capacity to check into my work related accounts from home and download the electronic statements to my computer. Just plug in the totals onto my balance sheet page at the end of each month and let those speak for themselves.
Line upon line, precept upon precept.
The knitting, you will be pleased to note, is not arguing with me. I spent a few minutes at Knit Night weaving in ends, so it looks a bit more tidy on my needles.
Lunch is packed. Outfit is picked out. Time to log off, sluice off, and hit the road.
Sunday, November 01, 2015
Play day.
That would be my yesterday. I love Halloween. I woke up at ridiculous o'clock, ate some breakfast, and went back to bed, waking again a little before 9:00. Got dressed and hopped in the Tardis for a Costco run, so there would be sufficient candy for the little monsters at a price I was willing to pay. (I think last year I spent $40, but maybe that was the year before.) Ginormous bag for $15+. That, I could live with.
Came home and sewed. And sewed. And sewed. I made substantial progress on one of the borders of the medallion quilt. When I go back to my sewing machine, I will assemble the checkerboard border, which actually comes before this one. But this one is composed of 60 blocks that needed to have corners attached, turning a 2.5" block on point so that it became a 3.5" block. We are talking 120 2.5" squares that needed to be cut on the diagonal. I broke that up into increments and had cut maybe a third of the triangles that I needed a couple of weeks ago. So before I sat down yesterday I had a bit of a running start. (Would we call that a jogging start?) I did not have all of the blocks sewn and trimmed to a square before crashing last night, but I did quit just after it stopped being fun and started being work. So I'm getting better at that.
I finished sewing those blocks after my post-church nap today. Sixteen of them are not squared, yet, but they are essentially done, and I have emptied the Ziploc bag that was dedicated to them while I was gathering 1.5" squares over several months to begin them. I have the totally finished pieces lined up in four columns on the seat of a chair by the head of the dining room table, so that when the checkerboard border is assembled and attached, I may lay out the next border one side at a time.
My Facebook friend (and distant cousin), Middleaged Mormon Man, has a thing every Sunday night where he asks us to post the best single thing that happened this Sabbath. This was my post tonight:
Three years ago, as my husband was completing his mortal journey, I was dragged kicking and screaming into Primary. For a while, I taught the nine-year-olds, who this year have entered the youth program. Today, the lone boy from my class was sitting in the “gopher” seat behind our bishop. A dear sister, who has been a friend since she lived in one of my old wards, has had a number of health challenges this year. As she slowly made her way to the front of the chapel, “my” deacon quickly walked down the steps and escorted her up them. When she finished bearing her testimony, he escorted her back down them and returned to his seat.
He is going to be an effective missionary if he keeps this up. And he will make some young woman very happy when he's old enough to marry.
I am trying to figure out how much to eat today before I call it a night. Tomorrow is my quarterly diabetes check, and I have to go fasting (ick!) for the blood work, and my appointment's not until 8:50. So yes, there will be cheese sticks in my purse when I leave, and I will head straight for breakfast when they're done stabbing me. I printed out my list of questions to ask, before bedtime last night.
Please keep Middlest in your prayers and positive thoughts. I got a text yesterday: my child was in the ER after blacking out at the cash register from a massive migraine. Diagnosis is atypical migraine on top of the bipolar disorder, with a referral to a neurologist.
At some point in the future we will look back and see how this was part of a series of events intended to bless my child. At present it is an occasion for prayer and pleading on my part, and endurance on Middlest's.
Came home and sewed. And sewed. And sewed. I made substantial progress on one of the borders of the medallion quilt. When I go back to my sewing machine, I will assemble the checkerboard border, which actually comes before this one. But this one is composed of 60 blocks that needed to have corners attached, turning a 2.5" block on point so that it became a 3.5" block. We are talking 120 2.5" squares that needed to be cut on the diagonal. I broke that up into increments and had cut maybe a third of the triangles that I needed a couple of weeks ago. So before I sat down yesterday I had a bit of a running start. (Would we call that a jogging start?) I did not have all of the blocks sewn and trimmed to a square before crashing last night, but I did quit just after it stopped being fun and started being work. So I'm getting better at that.
I finished sewing those blocks after my post-church nap today. Sixteen of them are not squared, yet, but they are essentially done, and I have emptied the Ziploc bag that was dedicated to them while I was gathering 1.5" squares over several months to begin them. I have the totally finished pieces lined up in four columns on the seat of a chair by the head of the dining room table, so that when the checkerboard border is assembled and attached, I may lay out the next border one side at a time.
My Facebook friend (and distant cousin), Middleaged Mormon Man, has a thing every Sunday night where he asks us to post the best single thing that happened this Sabbath. This was my post tonight:
Three years ago, as my husband was completing his mortal journey, I was dragged kicking and screaming into Primary. For a while, I taught the nine-year-olds, who this year have entered the youth program. Today, the lone boy from my class was sitting in the “gopher” seat behind our bishop. A dear sister, who has been a friend since she lived in one of my old wards, has had a number of health challenges this year. As she slowly made her way to the front of the chapel, “my” deacon quickly walked down the steps and escorted her up them. When she finished bearing her testimony, he escorted her back down them and returned to his seat.
He is going to be an effective missionary if he keeps this up. And he will make some young woman very happy when he's old enough to marry.
I am trying to figure out how much to eat today before I call it a night. Tomorrow is my quarterly diabetes check, and I have to go fasting (ick!) for the blood work, and my appointment's not until 8:50. So yes, there will be cheese sticks in my purse when I leave, and I will head straight for breakfast when they're done stabbing me. I printed out my list of questions to ask, before bedtime last night.
Please keep Middlest in your prayers and positive thoughts. I got a text yesterday: my child was in the ER after blacking out at the cash register from a massive migraine. Diagnosis is atypical migraine on top of the bipolar disorder, with a referral to a neurologist.
At some point in the future we will look back and see how this was part of a series of events intended to bless my child. At present it is an occasion for prayer and pleading on my part, and endurance on Middlest's.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Play, and flow.
It happened last night. I picked up part of my costume on the way home from work, grabbed party tacos from Bueno, took everything home and inhaled my dinner, then went to Hobby Lobby to get scrapbooking paper on which to print the critters which Batman drew for me. The cake turned out well. I used a pound cake mix, substituted coconut oil for the butter (because I forgot to take the butter out to soften) and half-and-half for the water or milk.
The bag is packed, my costume is on my bed, I've paid my tithing online (!!!) and internet bill as well. I need to mail off a bill, but that can wait until tomorrow. This is the part where I throw various items onto the "to shred" pile, move various bags to the door (remembering to grab the cake from on top of the stove), sluice off, and get the heck out of Dodge.
There will be pictures of the decorated cake later. That part is going to be a team effort.
Halloween is my second favorite secular holiday. Today is going to be so much fun!
And in other news, my knitting is not arguing with me, and I think I put the last coat of paint on the skinny strips of wall by the doors. Looking forward to a long weekend in which to paint and craft.
The bag is packed, my costume is on my bed, I've paid my tithing online (!!!) and internet bill as well. I need to mail off a bill, but that can wait until tomorrow. This is the part where I throw various items onto the "to shred" pile, move various bags to the door (remembering to grab the cake from on top of the stove), sluice off, and get the heck out of Dodge.
There will be pictures of the decorated cake later. That part is going to be a team effort.
Halloween is my second favorite secular holiday. Today is going to be so much fun!
And in other news, my knitting is not arguing with me, and I think I put the last coat of paint on the skinny strips of wall by the doors. Looking forward to a long weekend in which to paint and craft.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
The wall is (mostly) done.
I need to touch up the long, skinny strips to either side of the door mouldings where they meet the adjacent walls. That is fiddly work, because the space is a little too narrow for my trim roller to be effective. Which means that I have to use the foam brush.
Yesterday was a good day off. But I should probably begin with Tuesday night. Lark's dog does not like me. He is part black lab, part pit bull, and very protective of her. Apparently he got the 1970's memo "don't trust anybody over 30," except he likes Firstborn and 1BDH. So Lark took him to Willow's to spend the night.
Backing up a little farther, Knit Night was good, and I got Fourthborn home safely. But during that drive, and to Firstborn's house, I realized that the new glasses are still not quite right. The distance adjustment is fine. However, I am still seeing what I call stars, because of the [I am blanking on the word, because it is 5:30 and I haven't eaten breakfast. All sorts of A words are bubbling to the top. Aardvark. Asparagus. Amblyopia. Aha! Got it!] astigmatism. It's not noticeable during the day, but it is quite evident when the sun goes down and the traffic lights and tail lights turn into red and green stars. Most annoying.
So I slept well on Lark's daybed, and I got Batman (he who was formerly known as Fiance and is still her best friend; I'm trying new nicknames for him, but this one might stick, as he draws a wicked Batman) to his appointment for the driving test. Which he did not get to take, because the VIN number on the Tardis did not match the VIN number on my proof of insurance. Two typos. So we drove straight to my insurance agent's office and got that fixed. I should have the new, permanent copies well before Batman's rescheduled driving test. I also called into work and confirmed that I could take that day off. It's in December. Batman is philosophical. I am frustrated for him, but he was gracious about it. We agreed that this was probably a blessing in disguise. He will be even better prepared for the driving test in December than he was yesterday.
I finished reading the book on "play" yesterday and added six more books to my "to read" list on Evernote. [Plus another one this morning.] Also spent the afternoon with Firstborn, who had taken the day off, and we got some chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Note: the pumpkin truffle is smooth but rather bland, and I could detect nothing pumpkin-ish about it. The dark chocolate caramel sea salt is excellent. So we celebrated National Chocolate Day in style. We also blitzed through the art supply store. I came home with another dozen Prismacolor pencils for my stash. These were all blue, and bought only in the interest of having a full spectrum, though no doubt they will prove useful at some point in the future. She came home with two dozen beauties. It was interesting for me to see her color preferences and compare them with my own.
I have an appointment for a recheck of my prescription on Monday afternoon, after my quarterly diabetes checkup. I'm hoping that third time will be the charm.
The knitting project is perking along. I've mislaid the label, so I don't know the yarn, if it's commercial or hand-dyed by one of my friends, but it is lovely and is playing nicely with the seed stitch. I'm just going to knit around and around until I run out, and if I like it, it will be a cowl. And if not, I will frog it and start over.
Time for me to start getting ready for work. Tonight I'm baking a cake for the cake decorating contest at work tomorrow. Batman drew some cake embellishments for me, and they are perfect. I need to scan them and print them onto paper that looks like granite or sandstone, if I can find some. And I need to cobble together a costume. I have that spyglass from Beloved, and I found my eye patch when I was mucking out a drawer or a box. Pier One has Lolita-style hats attached to headbands for not a whole lot of money. Maybe vaguely goth Lolita pirate? If I run out of ideas, there's always the generic Halloween T-shirt hanging in the back of my closet.
I love my job. But today I just want to stay home and play. Repaint and replace the door moulding. Paint the inside of the bedroom door, and the front of the door to the master bath. Start ripping up the carpet. (Not quite ready to do that, in reality, but seriously aching to begin. Finish-itis has definitely struck, chez Ravelled.)
Yesterday was a good day off. But I should probably begin with Tuesday night. Lark's dog does not like me. He is part black lab, part pit bull, and very protective of her. Apparently he got the 1970's memo "don't trust anybody over 30," except he likes Firstborn and 1BDH. So Lark took him to Willow's to spend the night.
Backing up a little farther, Knit Night was good, and I got Fourthborn home safely. But during that drive, and to Firstborn's house, I realized that the new glasses are still not quite right. The distance adjustment is fine. However, I am still seeing what I call stars, because of the [I am blanking on the word, because it is 5:30 and I haven't eaten breakfast. All sorts of A words are bubbling to the top. Aardvark. Asparagus. Amblyopia. Aha! Got it!] astigmatism. It's not noticeable during the day, but it is quite evident when the sun goes down and the traffic lights and tail lights turn into red and green stars. Most annoying.
So I slept well on Lark's daybed, and I got Batman (he who was formerly known as Fiance and is still her best friend; I'm trying new nicknames for him, but this one might stick, as he draws a wicked Batman) to his appointment for the driving test. Which he did not get to take, because the VIN number on the Tardis did not match the VIN number on my proof of insurance. Two typos. So we drove straight to my insurance agent's office and got that fixed. I should have the new, permanent copies well before Batman's rescheduled driving test. I also called into work and confirmed that I could take that day off. It's in December. Batman is philosophical. I am frustrated for him, but he was gracious about it. We agreed that this was probably a blessing in disguise. He will be even better prepared for the driving test in December than he was yesterday.
I finished reading the book on "play" yesterday and added six more books to my "to read" list on Evernote. [Plus another one this morning.] Also spent the afternoon with Firstborn, who had taken the day off, and we got some chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Note: the pumpkin truffle is smooth but rather bland, and I could detect nothing pumpkin-ish about it. The dark chocolate caramel sea salt is excellent. So we celebrated National Chocolate Day in style. We also blitzed through the art supply store. I came home with another dozen Prismacolor pencils for my stash. These were all blue, and bought only in the interest of having a full spectrum, though no doubt they will prove useful at some point in the future. She came home with two dozen beauties. It was interesting for me to see her color preferences and compare them with my own.
I have an appointment for a recheck of my prescription on Monday afternoon, after my quarterly diabetes checkup. I'm hoping that third time will be the charm.
The knitting project is perking along. I've mislaid the label, so I don't know the yarn, if it's commercial or hand-dyed by one of my friends, but it is lovely and is playing nicely with the seed stitch. I'm just going to knit around and around until I run out, and if I like it, it will be a cowl. And if not, I will frog it and start over.
Time for me to start getting ready for work. Tonight I'm baking a cake for the cake decorating contest at work tomorrow. Batman drew some cake embellishments for me, and they are perfect. I need to scan them and print them onto paper that looks like granite or sandstone, if I can find some. And I need to cobble together a costume. I have that spyglass from Beloved, and I found my eye patch when I was mucking out a drawer or a box. Pier One has Lolita-style hats attached to headbands for not a whole lot of money. Maybe vaguely goth Lolita pirate? If I run out of ideas, there's always the generic Halloween T-shirt hanging in the back of my closet.
I love my job. But today I just want to stay home and play. Repaint and replace the door moulding. Paint the inside of the bedroom door, and the front of the door to the master bath. Start ripping up the carpet. (Not quite ready to do that, in reality, but seriously aching to begin. Finish-itis has definitely struck, chez Ravelled.)
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
This is only a test! (Naynie no pit!)
The first thing I did when I woke up, was to put on my painting clothes and add a third coat to my bedroom wall. The second thing was to do the electronic linking for my AncestryDNA test, which was waiting for me when I got to work yesterday. The third thing was to spit into a tube. Which reminds me of when Firstborn was little, and I was attempting to civilize her. I taught her, "Ladies don't spit." To which she replied, "Naynie no pit!"
So that's done, and my bank account is reconciled, and it's only a little after 6:00a.m. Time to cobble together my lunch, figure out what I want to wear, and gather everything I will need for today, tonight, and tomorrow. I'm spending the night at Firstborn's after Knit Night, because tomorrow I take Fourthborn's roommate for his driver's test, and crashing in Arlington means I get to avoid morning rush hour and eliminate an 80 mile round trip.
Work went well yesterday. Wrangled all the mail, did my To-Do's, remembered to send my "I'll be out" email to the people affected. Note to self: change the voicemail message, too. I closed one file and finished opening another. I need to come up with a nickname for my new attorney. He's a lot of fun, and he does a spot-on impression of Goofy, but somehow I don't think that's the best code name for him.
On the way home from work, I dropped off two pictures and a bag at Urban Thrift before heading to Costco. I'm slowly filling another bag with stuff to give Squishy. On Sunday I offloaded a box of merit badges to the young men's president, as the Scout-specific people were not at church.
Today there's work, and Knit Night, and Firstborn's. Tomorrow there's schlepping of the roommate, hanging out in Fort Worth until evening, dropping off socks at the home of some dear friends for the sock drive she organized that will benefit the homeless in Fort Worth, with a bonus of getting to see their new house.
Time to pack, and sluice, and scoot. Later, gators.
So that's done, and my bank account is reconciled, and it's only a little after 6:00a.m. Time to cobble together my lunch, figure out what I want to wear, and gather everything I will need for today, tonight, and tomorrow. I'm spending the night at Firstborn's after Knit Night, because tomorrow I take Fourthborn's roommate for his driver's test, and crashing in Arlington means I get to avoid morning rush hour and eliminate an 80 mile round trip.
Work went well yesterday. Wrangled all the mail, did my To-Do's, remembered to send my "I'll be out" email to the people affected. Note to self: change the voicemail message, too. I closed one file and finished opening another. I need to come up with a nickname for my new attorney. He's a lot of fun, and he does a spot-on impression of Goofy, but somehow I don't think that's the best code name for him.
On the way home from work, I dropped off two pictures and a bag at Urban Thrift before heading to Costco. I'm slowly filling another bag with stuff to give Squishy. On Sunday I offloaded a box of merit badges to the young men's president, as the Scout-specific people were not at church.
Today there's work, and Knit Night, and Firstborn's. Tomorrow there's schlepping of the roommate, hanging out in Fort Worth until evening, dropping off socks at the home of some dear friends for the sock drive she organized that will benefit the homeless in Fort Worth, with a bonus of getting to see their new house.
Time to pack, and sluice, and scoot. Later, gators.
Monday, October 26, 2015
I go blogging, after midnight, I go blogging, just the way we used to do.
No, I haven't stayed up until all hours. I took a five hour nap after church yesterday, and while my eyes are tired and I think the prudent thing to do would be to go back to bed, I just tried that. For fifteen whole minutes, during which my eyes recovered and my brain kept whirring.
So I got up, turned on the lights, bound off the toe of the eighth pink baby sock and wove in the ends. Here's how the stats played out:
Sock 1: 16.7g
Sock 2: 16.4g
Sock 3: 16.8g
Sock 4: 16.8g
Sock 5: 16.7g
Sock 6: 16.6g
Sock 7: 17.6g
Sock 8: 17.3g
The last two socks were completed or knitted entirely on Magic Loop, because of the 4" DP that went rogue on the floor of the Tardis. I have no idea why they came out nearly a gram heavier than the other six, but they did. I have 13.4g left, not enough to make another sock, which is just fine by me. That remnant will probably go to Middlest for some doll knitting.
Church knitting yesterday was the start of a cowl I'd begun who knows when, in an Aran or DK weight yarn, lovingly mottled in a deep cerise that will tone wonderfully with a dressy T-shirt hanging in my closet. I frogged the earlier cast-on, frogged a second cast-on, decided on 165 stitches for a final number, and am working seed stitch until I run out of yarn. I don't remember who the dyer was, or when and where I bought this, but it is scrumptious, and it's not ballet pink Jitterbug; for the moment that's the only thing that matters.
I am trying to resist the temptation to put on my painting clothes and slap another layer of paint onto my bedroom wall. I got three rounds of cut-in done before the Sabbath began, and one coat of paint on the wall proper, plus random dabs from when I was loading my foam brush to fill in the gaps between the edging roller and the painters tape at the top of the wall. Right now the wall looks like modern art. I am not adamant about having a perfectly uniform finish on this wall. I think it might look cool with a little variation in the color: something like unto gently worn leather. For a first coat, this looks far less scabby than when we did the salmon on the short walls in the living room, and as I sit on my bed and look across the room, I am pleased with the promise this wall shows. I can picture the headboard up against that wall, and lighting, and various bits of art in place. Right now I am thinking of moving the two teal benches (my bargains from Pier One) into my room to serve as end tables on either side of the bed, to bring in touches of teal from the rest of the house. We shall see.
I spent a little while before my nap, working on Schedule A expenses for my 2015 return. Next month I need to calculate how much to have taken out for my medical reimbursement account. I budgeted 25% more for 2014 than for 2013, because I knew I wanted to replace my glasses, but I won't need to do that next year, so I think I can take it back down to the 2013 amount and come out pretty even. I don't mind if I can't get reimbursed for all of my medical expenses. I would mind if I left more than $10 to $25 in the account at the end of the year.
It feels really great to be making forward progress on the house again. The maintenance aspects (cleaning out and removing Beloved's desk, cleaning out and shifting his dresser to the other side of the room so I could paint) were needful and a huge relief, but less aesthetically satisfying.
Time, I think, to knit a round or two, rub some lavender oil on my temples, and see if I can catch more Z's.
So I got up, turned on the lights, bound off the toe of the eighth pink baby sock and wove in the ends. Here's how the stats played out:
Sock 1: 16.7g
Sock 2: 16.4g
Sock 3: 16.8g
Sock 4: 16.8g
Sock 5: 16.7g
Sock 6: 16.6g
Sock 7: 17.6g
Sock 8: 17.3g
The last two socks were completed or knitted entirely on Magic Loop, because of the 4" DP that went rogue on the floor of the Tardis. I have no idea why they came out nearly a gram heavier than the other six, but they did. I have 13.4g left, not enough to make another sock, which is just fine by me. That remnant will probably go to Middlest for some doll knitting.
Church knitting yesterday was the start of a cowl I'd begun who knows when, in an Aran or DK weight yarn, lovingly mottled in a deep cerise that will tone wonderfully with a dressy T-shirt hanging in my closet. I frogged the earlier cast-on, frogged a second cast-on, decided on 165 stitches for a final number, and am working seed stitch until I run out of yarn. I don't remember who the dyer was, or when and where I bought this, but it is scrumptious, and it's not ballet pink Jitterbug; for the moment that's the only thing that matters.
I am trying to resist the temptation to put on my painting clothes and slap another layer of paint onto my bedroom wall. I got three rounds of cut-in done before the Sabbath began, and one coat of paint on the wall proper, plus random dabs from when I was loading my foam brush to fill in the gaps between the edging roller and the painters tape at the top of the wall. Right now the wall looks like modern art. I am not adamant about having a perfectly uniform finish on this wall. I think it might look cool with a little variation in the color: something like unto gently worn leather. For a first coat, this looks far less scabby than when we did the salmon on the short walls in the living room, and as I sit on my bed and look across the room, I am pleased with the promise this wall shows. I can picture the headboard up against that wall, and lighting, and various bits of art in place. Right now I am thinking of moving the two teal benches (my bargains from Pier One) into my room to serve as end tables on either side of the bed, to bring in touches of teal from the rest of the house. We shall see.
I spent a little while before my nap, working on Schedule A expenses for my 2015 return. Next month I need to calculate how much to have taken out for my medical reimbursement account. I budgeted 25% more for 2014 than for 2013, because I knew I wanted to replace my glasses, but I won't need to do that next year, so I think I can take it back down to the 2013 amount and come out pretty even. I don't mind if I can't get reimbursed for all of my medical expenses. I would mind if I left more than $10 to $25 in the account at the end of the year.
It feels really great to be making forward progress on the house again. The maintenance aspects (cleaning out and removing Beloved's desk, cleaning out and shifting his dresser to the other side of the room so I could paint) were needful and a huge relief, but less aesthetically satisfying.
Time, I think, to knit a round or two, rub some lavender oil on my temples, and see if I can catch more Z's.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Another good night's sleep!
You come here for the excitement, right? Last night was my second good night's sleep in a row. This is one of those "after the trial of your faith, come the blessings" things. I wish I knew what made last week so rough, and what is different this week, so that I could avoid the former and embrace the latter. Meanwhile, I am thankful all the way down to my bones.
After eight (!) hours of sleep, yesterday went smoothly at work. I kept up with the mail, my To-Do's, and various other tasks during the day. I had no difficulty staying alert and was able to shift easily from one task to the next. Which left me not-exhausted at the end of the workday, and that much more able to enjoy Knit Night.
After work I dropped off my sister's birthday package at the post office, then a bag of Beloved's clothing plus a rusty axe head and wrench (I have no idea what either of those were doing on a shelf in my bedroom) at my favorite thrift store in Arlington. This would be the one where I found the Jessica McClintock dress with the Neiman Marcus label for $7.57 for Fourthborn when she was baptized at age eight. White cotton batiste dress and slip, dripping in lace, which she loved and wore until she reluctantly outgrew it. Her princess dress.
I also hit the art supply store for another dozen Prismacolor pencils, and when I got home from Knit Night added those to my inventory list on Evernote. If I buy them a dozen at a time, they are 30% off, which makes them a little cheaper than buying the collections in tins and way cheaper than buying them individually. The discount will increase to 40% for the holidays. I am tackling this the way I did my DMC floss collection, a few items at a time each payday. I have enough clear stackable plastic bins from earlier projects to corral the pencils by rough color themes. There was a clear bin on the bookshelf in the hall that I appropriated last night. Reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks are now in the first box. Everything else is in the second. There is a third one in my room, currently containing two or three pieces of silver flatware that need to be polished and put with the rest of my silverware. And I bought silver polish last week, so there's light at the end of that particular tunnel.
I am nearly done with the eighth pink baby sock, and I am heartily sick of this ball of yarn. There is nothing wrong with it; it's just that there was so much of it, and I gota little bit stubborn and decided to polish it off for good. It's taken weeks and weeks and weeks. Right now the ball is about the size of an extra-large egg. I would not be surprised if there were a black hole wrapped inside it.
I priced plane tickets to Middlest's when I got home last night. The date that I want to fly out is beyond the reach of the airline's booking calendar, but I got a decent estimate and will transfer that much from my tax refund to my vacation savings account.
I will have a couple of funny stories from work to share with you in the near future. You might have to remind me.
After eight (!) hours of sleep, yesterday went smoothly at work. I kept up with the mail, my To-Do's, and various other tasks during the day. I had no difficulty staying alert and was able to shift easily from one task to the next. Which left me not-exhausted at the end of the workday, and that much more able to enjoy Knit Night.
After work I dropped off my sister's birthday package at the post office, then a bag of Beloved's clothing plus a rusty axe head and wrench (I have no idea what either of those were doing on a shelf in my bedroom) at my favorite thrift store in Arlington. This would be the one where I found the Jessica McClintock dress with the Neiman Marcus label for $7.57 for Fourthborn when she was baptized at age eight. White cotton batiste dress and slip, dripping in lace, which she loved and wore until she reluctantly outgrew it. Her princess dress.
I also hit the art supply store for another dozen Prismacolor pencils, and when I got home from Knit Night added those to my inventory list on Evernote. If I buy them a dozen at a time, they are 30% off, which makes them a little cheaper than buying the collections in tins and way cheaper than buying them individually. The discount will increase to 40% for the holidays. I am tackling this the way I did my DMC floss collection, a few items at a time each payday. I have enough clear stackable plastic bins from earlier projects to corral the pencils by rough color themes. There was a clear bin on the bookshelf in the hall that I appropriated last night. Reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks are now in the first box. Everything else is in the second. There is a third one in my room, currently containing two or three pieces of silver flatware that need to be polished and put with the rest of my silverware. And I bought silver polish last week, so there's light at the end of that particular tunnel.
I am nearly done with the eighth pink baby sock, and I am heartily sick of this ball of yarn. There is nothing wrong with it; it's just that there was so much of it, and I got
I priced plane tickets to Middlest's when I got home last night. The date that I want to fly out is beyond the reach of the airline's booking calendar, but I got a decent estimate and will transfer that much from my tax refund to my vacation savings account.
I will have a couple of funny stories from work to share with you in the near future. You might have to remind me.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Big Hairy Project is done.
The box with Beloved's garments is empty and on the curb with the rest of the recycling. I've contacted the bishop and the high priest group leader for what to do with the unopened packages and the jacket from his ordinance worker suit. (He was cremated in the suit pants.)
The weekend did not get any better, in terms of sleep, but it was still wonderful and blessed. I came home from work two hours early and slept on Friday night, then went to the fireside, the workshops the following day, the evening session of stake conference, and the general meeting on Sunday morning. I got to see friends old and new at one meeting or another. I learned (not from personal experience) that it is possible to have a charley horse somewhere other than one's calf. I have a friend who gets them in her side. Oye.
One of my 4" DPs went rogue and is somewhere on the floorboard of the Tardis. I switched to magic loop and whipped out sock #7 in no time at all. I am on the home stretch of sock #8. And I think I am officially done with that ball of yarn. There might be enough left for another sock. Maybe two. But I am ready to knit something else, and I don't much care what.
I got two drawers emptied in Beloved's dresser. I got the top mostly cleared off. I hung a few items on the south wall of my bedroom. The dolls are dusted and relocated. I like how that part of the room looks. I've calculated how much flooring I will need for my bedroom. I'm hoping to have Beloved's dresser moved to the east wall by the time I go to bed on Saturday night. I've found the bottle of Chomp in the breakfast nook. A little more sleuthing will uncover the tool we used to score the wallpaper there and in the kitchen. I'd like to repaint the west wall in my bedroom over Halloween weekend. I'm off that Monday for my quarterly blood work.
I did not sleep well night before last. Down at 10:00, up at 1:00, down at 2:00 and right back up again, down at 3:00, up at 5:00. It made for a very long day, but was capped off by dinner with another widow at my new favorite Mediterranean restaurant. And I was in bed by 9:00 and slept until nearly 5:00 this morning!
I did put the time to good use yesterday morning. I wrangled two loads of laundry, wrapped my sister's birthday present and the shipping box, gathered up stuff to give Fourthborn when I pick her up for Knit Night, and tossed a few more items into the donation bag.
This morning I ordered my AncestryDNA kit. (Last day to get free shipping.) That was a prompting while at the family history conference on Saturday.
I'm going to wear my Knit Swirl to Knit Night. Huzzah!
Susan, in answer to your question, yes. I am friends on Facebook with several of my blog friends. If you know Tan or Tola or Alison or Ruth, you can find me through them. If not, send me another comment with your email address (which I will harvest but not publish), and I will tell you how to find me. Thank you for asking.
The weekend did not get any better, in terms of sleep, but it was still wonderful and blessed. I came home from work two hours early and slept on Friday night, then went to the fireside, the workshops the following day, the evening session of stake conference, and the general meeting on Sunday morning. I got to see friends old and new at one meeting or another. I learned (not from personal experience) that it is possible to have a charley horse somewhere other than one's calf. I have a friend who gets them in her side. Oye.
One of my 4" DPs went rogue and is somewhere on the floorboard of the Tardis. I switched to magic loop and whipped out sock #7 in no time at all. I am on the home stretch of sock #8. And I think I am officially done with that ball of yarn. There might be enough left for another sock. Maybe two. But I am ready to knit something else, and I don't much care what.
I got two drawers emptied in Beloved's dresser. I got the top mostly cleared off. I hung a few items on the south wall of my bedroom. The dolls are dusted and relocated. I like how that part of the room looks. I've calculated how much flooring I will need for my bedroom. I'm hoping to have Beloved's dresser moved to the east wall by the time I go to bed on Saturday night. I've found the bottle of Chomp in the breakfast nook. A little more sleuthing will uncover the tool we used to score the wallpaper there and in the kitchen. I'd like to repaint the west wall in my bedroom over Halloween weekend. I'm off that Monday for my quarterly blood work.
I did not sleep well night before last. Down at 10:00, up at 1:00, down at 2:00 and right back up again, down at 3:00, up at 5:00. It made for a very long day, but was capped off by dinner with another widow at my new favorite Mediterranean restaurant. And I was in bed by 9:00 and slept until nearly 5:00 this morning!
I did put the time to good use yesterday morning. I wrangled two loads of laundry, wrapped my sister's birthday present and the shipping box, gathered up stuff to give Fourthborn when I pick her up for Knit Night, and tossed a few more items into the donation bag.
This morning I ordered my AncestryDNA kit. (Last day to get free shipping.) That was a prompting while at the family history conference on Saturday.
I'm going to wear my Knit Swirl to Knit Night. Huzzah!
Susan, in answer to your question, yes. I am friends on Facebook with several of my blog friends. If you know Tan or Tola or Alison or Ruth, you can find me through them. If not, send me another comment with your email address (which I will harvest but not publish), and I will tell you how to find me. Thank you for asking.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Speed bump. And my hands ache.
So the plan was to come home, deal with the contents of one smallish box, and maybe get family photos hung on the newly freed-up wall in my room. However, the box contained some of Beloved's old clothing, including seven one-piece garments which needed to be properly decommissioned. I got two taken apart before bedtime. Two more this morning, since I awoke at 3:15 and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm beginning to think that the white noise machine is not right for me. I used the "thunder" setting night before last and slept until my new-normal time of 4:45. Last night I set it to "rain" and hoped that it would not cause my suggestible kidneys to keep me up and down all night.
I finally gave up around a quarter to four and played on Facebook for awhile, then got out the scissors. This is going to be one exceedingly long day. Tonight I have a family history fireside.
On the other hand, my paycheck and my tax refund have both hit my bank account. I paid my tithing online (huzzah!) and have the check made out for the utilities. My lunch is packed, and I know what I'm going to wear, so it's just a matter of sluicing off and scooting out the door to be there when the drive-thru opens at 7:00.
I'm hoping to have just enough oomph left when I finally get home tonight, to decommission #5 and #6, which would leave the last one for tomorrow. I'm not sure how everything is going to get done this weekend. I have a family history conference during the day tomorrow and the evening session of stake conference.
I need Hermione's time turner.
But I'm grateful for Beloved and the opportunity to serve him in a small way by taking care of something that he probably meant to do before he passed. Somebody will be getting a couple of nice pairs of walking shorts, and my hands will move on to the next task.
I finally gave up around a quarter to four and played on Facebook for awhile, then got out the scissors. This is going to be one exceedingly long day. Tonight I have a family history fireside.
On the other hand, my paycheck and my tax refund have both hit my bank account. I paid my tithing online (huzzah!) and have the check made out for the utilities. My lunch is packed, and I know what I'm going to wear, so it's just a matter of sluicing off and scooting out the door to be there when the drive-thru opens at 7:00.
I'm hoping to have just enough oomph left when I finally get home tonight, to decommission #5 and #6, which would leave the last one for tomorrow. I'm not sure how everything is going to get done this weekend. I have a family history conference during the day tomorrow and the evening session of stake conference.
I need Hermione's time turner.
But I'm grateful for Beloved and the opportunity to serve him in a small way by taking care of something that he probably meant to do before he passed. Somebody will be getting a couple of nice pairs of walking shorts, and my hands will move on to the next task.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Another small pocket of order.
Last night I shifted my pretty painted dresser from the west wall to the south wall. It's sitting under the shelf which had been covered in dust and clutter but is now cleared and dusted and sporting my four MSD dolls: Melody, Harmony, Steadfast, and Honor. I rediscovered an IKEA candle-in-a-glass, also swathed in dust, and got that cleaned out and lit for awhile. My bedroom now smells like warm sugar cookies, although my head is a little stuffy from all that raised dust.
The dresser is also dusted. The four "tinies" (Faith, Hope, Charity, and Temperance) have been dusted, as has the American Girl settee upon which they sit. Chutzpah, Grace, the zombie keychain doll that Squishy gave Chutzpah, and the tiny bear that Beloved gave Chutzpah, are dusted. All of them are hanging out on top of the dresser.
There's a (very) small pile of books by the front door, along with a couple of pictures. A couple more items got tossed into the current "give to Squishy" bag, which is not very full. It's pretty easy to get rid of my stuff. It's harder to know what to do with Beloved's stuff and his mother's. My next big project is tackling the big dresser that was his. It has about a six inch layer of my stuff on top (rather like the desk used to be), and I am dreading the process. I've cleaned out a drawer here and a drawer there, over the past two and a half years, but I need to gird myself and finish the job. It's standing between me and a repainted wall.
I'm home again tonight and hope to make noticeable progress on it. But for now I think I will set the timer for fifteen minutes and tackle something smaller. I love those days when I go to work already having crossed an item or two off the list. I picked up eighteen more Prismacolor pencils on the way home from work last night, and this morning have added them to my inventory on Evernote, in the process discovering that I bought two in the shade they call Pomegranate. Given how much Beloved loved pomegranates, I suspect that was his little joke.
The dresser is also dusted. The four "tinies" (Faith, Hope, Charity, and Temperance) have been dusted, as has the American Girl settee upon which they sit. Chutzpah, Grace, the zombie keychain doll that Squishy gave Chutzpah, and the tiny bear that Beloved gave Chutzpah, are dusted. All of them are hanging out on top of the dresser.
There's a (very) small pile of books by the front door, along with a couple of pictures. A couple more items got tossed into the current "give to Squishy" bag, which is not very full. It's pretty easy to get rid of my stuff. It's harder to know what to do with Beloved's stuff and his mother's. My next big project is tackling the big dresser that was his. It has about a six inch layer of my stuff on top (rather like the desk used to be), and I am dreading the process. I've cleaned out a drawer here and a drawer there, over the past two and a half years, but I need to gird myself and finish the job. It's standing between me and a repainted wall.
I'm home again tonight and hope to make noticeable progress on it. But for now I think I will set the timer for fifteen minutes and tackle something smaller. I love those days when I go to work already having crossed an item or two off the list. I picked up eighteen more Prismacolor pencils on the way home from work last night, and this morning have added them to my inventory on Evernote, in the process discovering that I bought two in the shade they call Pomegranate. Given how much Beloved loved pomegranates, I suspect that was his little joke.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Forgotten poem.
This was another morning when I woke an hour or more before the alarm. I decided to muck out the French laundry basket, which was filled to the brim with books, genealogy, stationery, and the like. I posted that process on Facebook. I also went into my studio, where there was a smaller basket of miscellaneous blank cards, address labels, and envelopes, and put that into the newly organized laundry basket.
In the smaller basket was a folio with the dregs of a collection of Mary Engelbreit postcards and stationery. And the draft of a poem from 2004, six years after my divorce from the children's father.
The fulcrum of my dignity, as a former wife,
was assurance that his spurning was impersonal,
a cool poultice of illness and rationalization
applied to the running sore of my longing.
He had evolved, he thought, above the common need to touch
and lived as contemplative spirit
in a house of breath and bone.
Forsworn, he stands before me now,
telling me of a kindred spirit
whose quiet companionship is present joy,
seeking my blessing.
Eleven years later, I can still remember how devastating that was, though it grieves me no longer. Time, the Atonement which heals not only sin but sorrow, and the love of a most excellent man have done their work. And I am grateful.
In the smaller basket was a folio with the dregs of a collection of Mary Engelbreit postcards and stationery. And the draft of a poem from 2004, six years after my divorce from the children's father.
The fulcrum of my dignity, as a former wife,
was assurance that his spurning was impersonal,
a cool poultice of illness and rationalization
applied to the running sore of my longing.
He had evolved, he thought, above the common need to touch
and lived as contemplative spirit
in a house of breath and bone.
Forsworn, he stands before me now,
telling me of a kindred spirit
whose quiet companionship is present joy,
seeking my blessing.
Eleven years later, I can still remember how devastating that was, though it grieves me no longer. Time, the Atonement which heals not only sin but sorrow, and the love of a most excellent man have done their work. And I am grateful.
Monday, October 12, 2015
A good weekend.
I am ready to hit the floor running when I walk in the door at the office in an hour and a half.
Got an amazing amount of stuff done on Saturday. Attended my young friends' sealing and saw a dear sister from my first ward when we moved to Texas. Was definitely the best-dressed person at the flea market, on my way home. I scored two, two-panel shutters, somewhere between six and seven feet tall. They will go on either side of my bed, once that wall is repainted and my bed is set up. I will attach sconces or wall lamps to them and run the cords behind them to the plug. Saw that on Pinterest and fell in love with it.
From the flea market I went to the grocery store, which is between there and home. Picked up a number of things that I needed. Brought those home, put them away, and headed out again to Central Market to tank the Tardis cheaply and to pick up the glucosamine and a few other things. Stopped at the Lowe's which is across the freeway from Costco and got the switch plates for my bedroom. Came home and put that stuff away. (The shutters are still hanging out in the back of the Tardis, safe from the weather and not re-cluttering the decluttered parts of the house.)
On the way to the wedding reception, I mailed the box to Middlest, dropped off the bags to Fourthborn, and grabbed a quick bite at Arby's in case there was only cake at the reception. I needn't have worried. They kept it simple, but there were all sorts of things that were delicious and safe for me to eat. I did not stay long enough for a piece of cake. I did eat one cookie. I am on something of a cookie kick these days.
It was wonderful to be in my old, Fort Worth ward again, and to see people I hadn't seen since the wedding or the memorial service. There are days when I wish I could scoop up the house, Mel, Squishy, and my easier commute, and plop it all down in a corner of Tarrant County. I know my kids would like it if I were closer.
On the drive home from the reception, I hit three more Lowe's until I had picked up the rest of the switch plates I will need for the middle bedroom, my studio, and the master bathroom. I suspect that this style is being phased out, and given all the colors I am using throughout the house, matching switch plates will help tie it all together.
Tonight is dinner with the Empty Nesters, and I need to call my eye doctor and break the news that my new glasses aren't working. It was hard to keep tail lights and street signs in focus on the drive home Saturday night, and I wasn't that tired. And yesterday, when I was conducting the music in sacrament meeting, I couldn't see the hymnal. I had to pick it up and hold it in my left hand, which made my hand ache. I've been doing business with the eye doctor for twenty years or so, and I have faith in his integrity.
The dishwasher is humming, my lunch is packed, and my bags are at the front door. I know what I'm wearing to work. I am going to set the timer for five minutes and read until it goes off. Thoroughly enjoying The Happiness Project.
Got an amazing amount of stuff done on Saturday. Attended my young friends' sealing and saw a dear sister from my first ward when we moved to Texas. Was definitely the best-dressed person at the flea market, on my way home. I scored two, two-panel shutters, somewhere between six and seven feet tall. They will go on either side of my bed, once that wall is repainted and my bed is set up. I will attach sconces or wall lamps to them and run the cords behind them to the plug. Saw that on Pinterest and fell in love with it.
From the flea market I went to the grocery store, which is between there and home. Picked up a number of things that I needed. Brought those home, put them away, and headed out again to Central Market to tank the Tardis cheaply and to pick up the glucosamine and a few other things. Stopped at the Lowe's which is across the freeway from Costco and got the switch plates for my bedroom. Came home and put that stuff away. (The shutters are still hanging out in the back of the Tardis, safe from the weather and not re-cluttering the decluttered parts of the house.)
On the way to the wedding reception, I mailed the box to Middlest, dropped off the bags to Fourthborn, and grabbed a quick bite at Arby's in case there was only cake at the reception. I needn't have worried. They kept it simple, but there were all sorts of things that were delicious and safe for me to eat. I did not stay long enough for a piece of cake. I did eat one cookie. I am on something of a cookie kick these days.
It was wonderful to be in my old, Fort Worth ward again, and to see people I hadn't seen since the wedding or the memorial service. There are days when I wish I could scoop up the house, Mel, Squishy, and my easier commute, and plop it all down in a corner of Tarrant County. I know my kids would like it if I were closer.
On the drive home from the reception, I hit three more Lowe's until I had picked up the rest of the switch plates I will need for the middle bedroom, my studio, and the master bathroom. I suspect that this style is being phased out, and given all the colors I am using throughout the house, matching switch plates will help tie it all together.
Tonight is dinner with the Empty Nesters, and I need to call my eye doctor and break the news that my new glasses aren't working. It was hard to keep tail lights and street signs in focus on the drive home Saturday night, and I wasn't that tired. And yesterday, when I was conducting the music in sacrament meeting, I couldn't see the hymnal. I had to pick it up and hold it in my left hand, which made my hand ache. I've been doing business with the eye doctor for twenty years or so, and I have faith in his integrity.
The dishwasher is humming, my lunch is packed, and my bags are at the front door. I know what I'm wearing to work. I am going to set the timer for five minutes and read until it goes off. Thoroughly enjoying The Happiness Project.
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