Taking It Easy...or The Great Escape

Either way...so far, so good!

After being slightly slowed down by the ice storm on Wednesday, the roads were thawed enough for smooth driving to the airport Thursday morning. We parked in the Economy lot and caught the shuttle to the terminal.  Check in was surprisingly easy except for our big bag being overweight which required us to shift some things around. We enjoyed lunch at Champs after we passed through security.  We stopped at a couple shops for hand sanitizer and a magazine, then waited for about an hour until boarding.

The flight itself was quick.  A little turbulence but nothing drastic.  Because I wanted some legroom, I sat on the aisle and since we were over the wing and the shade was down, I could see nothing.  I read my book the entire time.  No butterflies this time.  Even the take-off didn't bother me too much.

Dollar Rental Cars?  Wouldn't recommend them. The price quoted to us online more than doubled by the time the agent was finished adding items that we absolutely needed.  I stopped him....and chopped off over $100 from the price.  The car is nice though.

Hampton Inn last night.  Very nice room.  Great bed.  Probably the best nights sleep I have had for a long time.

Longhorn Steakhouse was our place for dinner last night.  I never understand why there is always a wait when there are many tables available.  Maybe it is so the wait staff and the kitchen are not overloaded.  After a 20 minutes wait we were finally seated.  We ordered an appetizer (rare for us) of fried pickles (very good) and our usual drinks.  Even though I like a certain salad at Longhorn, I went with a sirloin, Caesar salad, and grilled mixed vegetables.  Gary ordered chopped steak, French fries, and a tossed salad.

This morning we enjoyed breakfast at the Hampton, then packed up for the move to HGVC.  Our first stop though was our owners update meeting.  We received four $25 Disney gift cards.  After lunch at Olive Garden, we spent them!  Something for everyone at the Disney store and we spent only $25 of our own money!  We also stopped at the Lego store for a couple boxes for two of the boys and finally found the Pandora store, but no purchases made there.  Disney Springs is very different than it was a few years ago!

Since it was close to 4, we checked in at the resort.  This time we are staying in Paget Palce which is building 9. It is newly renovated so all of the furniture, the flooring, and the wall decor plus the kitchen appliances are new.  Very nice.  We are on the 6th floor and overlook the pool at the back.

After we unpacked, the trip to Publix was next. A reminder - check here for stuffed Disney characters.  Much cheaper than the Disney store!  Breakfast and snack foods.  Beverages.  All set for the next four days.

Tonight's dinner was a personal pizza for me and a chicken dinner for Gary.

Checking the weather before we make plans for tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.  Driving to Tampa and to Canaveral are possibilities.  Some shopping is planned too.

Fun fun fun in Orlando!

Oh yes...we saw Deb and Doug today at Disney Springs.  Who would have thought?.

Family on Christmas Eve

Siemens Family Christmas on Christmas Eve is a tradition that NO ONE is ever willing to break.

The location has changed a couple of times - once or twice at Max and Aileen's house, a few times at Ann and Bud's house.  Otherwise it has been at The Farm until last year when we needed to decide on a new place that was big enough for our entire family at once and a tree and gifts and food.

The format has changed somewhat also.  Eating first.  Eating later.  The Christmas Eve service at St. Marks was inserted for a few years when I was playing the organ and the girls were participating in the program.  A few times people had to work late (as in Karen at the grocery store or Hilary at Barnes and Noble) or most of the day (as in Gary delivering the mail).  When the girls were little, we had to come home early so that Santa could work his magic and they could get some sleep before the early morning the next day.  Sometimes we would add in White Elephant gifts and a game or two.  Sometimes we would play games after (but mostly it was with the toys that had been received).

Attendees often changed too.  Ann and Bud were always with us for dinner and to exchange gifts with them.  Sometimes Max, Aileen, Bryan, Reagan, and Grandma Vivian would join us.  A couple of years Mom and Dad were here and once Grandma Greta and Greta were here also (that was 1983 and a blizzard happened that night!). Alex was a frequent visitor on Christmas Eve, and as the girls grew older, Blaine joined us, then Matt, then Caleb and one year Amanda brought a friend.

Menus have changed over the years also.  I can't even remember all of the varieties of food and desserts that have graced the table on Christmas Eve, but the favorite seems to be the appetizers, including spinach dip, cheese balls, shrimp, relish trays, and more.

Gift giving has changed also.  Instead of everyone buying gifts for everyone else, the adults now draw names and everyone buys gifts for the kids.  Stockings are filled also.  We play games with small gifts, recently adopting the idea of a 'color' gift to pass, grab, and steal.

The only thing that has stayed the same is that EVERYONE in the family is there. Together.  All of us.


         The Siemens Family - Christmas Eve 2017
We learned so much from Mom and Dad Siemens, but one over-arching theme that they lived by was that nothing was more important than family. Together as a family we are strong.  We know we can depend on each other.   We share happy times.  We support each other during difficult moments.  We laugh.  We cry.  We celebrate.  We mourn.  We stick together through it all.

And that is evident on Christmas Eve.

Year #2 for Christmas Eve in Pymont.  Because of the snow, Sandy and Kent left earlier than planned, but our family was still together for most of the evening.   While last year was difficult with the loss of both Mom and Dad Siemens, the joy seemed to return with this Christmas Eve.  We are finding our New Normal for celebrating the holiday.

                                               The Siblings - Gary, Sandy, Karen, Mike

Family is strong.  We are strong.  And Christmas Eve is one time when we can count on each other to be together...no matter what.  It is a tradition.

The Cousins - Hilary, Nick, Megan

Amanda, Shelby

              Cousins - Cooper (4), Tessa (5), and Landon (nearly 8)

                Sibling and Spouses - Kent and Sandy, Beth and Gary

                            Clay and Karen, Angie and Mike   

"Red sky at morning..."

The saying "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors' delight."

I always thought that was a Navy thing, maybe because Dad said it often and he was a Navy veteran and I just put the two together.

Today I was reading the passages for Day 23 of Reading the Bible in 365 Days.  When I moved to the passage from the New Testament, I read this:

Matthew 16: 2-3 - "When evening comes, you say 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.'  You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, you  cannot interpret the signs of the times."




Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and adduces who came to Him and asked for a sign from Heaven.  This was his response.  And there was more to His response, which would be the topic for another post.

I never knew this before.  Well, I am sure I have read Matthew 16 or it has been a featured scripture in a message or sermon.  But it never hit me before that the signs were not a creation of a Navy sailor somewhere who put it together as a guide for others.

And as I typed that, I thought, well, duh.  Jesus is indeed the greatest sailor of the seas and in Dad's self-written obituary, he said he was ready to sail the seas of his Lord and Savior.

It all ties together, doesn't it?

Sometimes it just takes me a while to put it all together.

Again --Cleaning Out

After taking a respite from cleaning out Mom's house in Wooster and doing some pitching work in our cabinets and shelves before Thanksgiving, we tackled a few spots at The Farm today.

Gary went through the hutch in the living room.  Dishes, glasses, trophies, knick-knacks, pictures, Lions items.

Rather than stand and watch him or put things he pulled out into boxes, I focused on a couple of areas in the kitchen.

First, above the range hood were bottles of various spices and seasonings that Agnes had used for cooking.  My first intent was to check them for expiration dates and smell them to see how potent they still were.  My first touch to the sticky surfaces changed my mind.  They were covered with grease that had drifted there from cooking on the stove, so obviously they had not been used for several years.  Into the trash bag they went.

The next stop was the cabinet above the microwave where the family knew Dad and Mom stored their medications.  The bottom two shelves were a mix of OTC bottles of Motrin and Exedrin and other similar items plus bottles of prescribed medications that had all expired, of course.   The prescription meds were dumped into the toilet to flush away; the rest pitched in the trash bag.  I also found bottles of test strips, various glucose meters, Lions pins, slips of papers with messages, directions and warranty books for appliances which were no longer used, empty weekly pill containers, a glassful of pens (none of which worked), and some nice sharp knives!  Everything except the Lions pins and the knives were tossed in the trash bags.

The medicine chest above the sink by the laundry room door was full of similar items. A few prescription drugs, but mostly little bottles of iodine or mercurochrome and other similar medicine cabinet residents.  Tubes of ointments and denture cream.  Toothbrushes. Random bandaids.  All of that went into the trash bag too.

Next were the two drawers under the sink.  Combs, brushes, bobby pins, more bandaids.  Cover Girl face powder compacts.  All in the trash bag.

Gary said there was more of the same thing in the dishwasher next to the sink.  And there was!  Most of it was pitched also ---gauze pads. Empty boxes for glucose meters.  Wrist type blood pressure cuffs.  More empty boxes with instructions and warranty information.  All in the trash.

My job today was easy.  There were not too many emotional ties to empty bottles and boxes and medications.  I also had no memories of any of the items that I decided to toss in the bags.

As I looked, checked dates, and tossed, mental notes were made that I need to do similar clean outs with our bathroom cabinets. Expired OTC.  Old combs and brushes.   Nearly empty bottles of creams and lotions.  All of those things can be pitched easily.

On my list to do when we return home from the Florida trip.

Again...still...cleaning out.

The Catch--All

Every few weeks I need to clean out my purse.

Yes, it is a gathering place for odds and ends of things.

Lists.

Receipts.

Notes.

The usual - wallet, checkbook, hearing aid batteries, the key pouch, the small wallet type thing that holds my important cards, Kleenex packets, Tylenol tube, pens.

But the rest of it?  The purse, no matter the size, seems to be the catch-all for various strange things.

Today was the day I sat at the table in the dining room to clean up, sort, pitch, pay bills, condense, put away.....because for one, it needed to be done, and for two, Amy and Sarah are coming to clean and I like for the table to be cleared off of all the junk that accumulates there.

My purse.

Lots of receipts.  Most of those were pitched in the trash.

Hearing aid batteries that had been used, died, and replaced were in the little pouch and needed to be in the trash, plus those little silver or brown (depending on the brand) of pull off stickers that need to be pulled off when the new batteries are inserted.

Wallet- rid it of receipts shoved in the paper money compartment, then put the random bills that make their way to the bottom of the purse or into an interior pocket into the money compartment too.

Loose change that drifts to the bottom of the purse and into random pockets- where does this all come from.  Have I just tossed change into my purse to make its way like Plinko discs into a final resting place?  Evidently. All of those coins are gathered and either make their way into my coin pocket in my wallet or into the change container on the shelf behind my recliner.

Pens.  Why can't they just stay in the pocket designated for them instead of drifting to the bottom of my purse?

Kleenexes - packets, some opened, some unopened. Random used tissues to put into the trash also.

Then surprises - A Baby Ruth individual mini.  A Rolo wrapped in gold paper.  Two Reese's cups.  All of these were in a pocket where I had hidden some candy to take to the movies on New Years Day and had forgotten about.

A smashed something in its original packaging.  From the looks of it, it was one of those decorated Christmas tree cakes that we put into the stockings for the kids.  Why it was in my purse and smashed to an unrecognizable state is beyond me.  But it is in the trash now.  Where it belongs.

Lists.  For the Meijer stop on Thursday.  For the quilting lessons that begin in February.  For medications that needed to be filled at the Kroger pharmacy.

The print out of needed information from the Dr. Hart visit in December.

Coupons. Some gift cards.

For now my purse is clean and organized.  How long will that last?  For a few days.

Until I re-organize again and change to a smaller version for the trip to Orlando.

Too hard to find the necessary items when flying if I have a big purse.  Right?

Disney on Ice

Tessa is a Disney Princess girl!  She loves all of them, and her favorite changes frequently.  When we learned that Disney on Ice would feature the princesses when it came to Indianapolis this month, Hilary and I knew she would love it.

One day before Christmas I checked out tickets and ordered three for us. We knew that the boys would not enjoy the focus on Anna and Elsa or Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.  Megan would probably enjoy the program, but she was nursing Lynnlee and if we went to a show on a weekday evening (which we did) it would be a late night and early morning for her.

Our choice for the performance was Wednesday evening at 7.  Gary and I would be around that day anyway because of Cooper and Lynnlee, and Tessa would not have pre-school on Thursday so it seemed like a perfect choice.

Tickets were ordered, then I forgot about it.  What I thought might be a Christmas gift turned then into a 'surprise' event for Tessa.

On Wednesday we left Gary with Lynnlee and Owen at Hilary's house, Landon would get off the bus and do his homework with Papaw, then Blaine would be home and Megan would pick up Lynnlee after her doctor's appointment.  Tessa had no idea what we were doing, just that it was a surprise for the three of us.

Pedicures and manicures?  No.

Painting pottery?  No.

A movie?  No.

The zoo?  No.

The Children's Museum?  No.

Our first stop in Indianapolis was at the Oshkosh store at Keystone at the Crossing.  Hilary had a coupon and was looking for a couple of things for Tessa.  I picked out matching leggings for the little girls and tops for their Valentine's Day presents.

Then Tessa wanted to eat at Applebees.  Not a favorite for Hilary, but we did enjoy our meals there.  Chicken cavatappi for Hil and me, mac and cheese for Tess.

Next was the journey downtown to Bankers Life.  Tessa still didn't know what her "surprise" was and we were not telling her.  Even after parking in the garage by the event center, she had no clue and didn't ask.  But when we walked to the door, she saw the banner.  

The squeals of delight and her enthusiasm were worth keeping her in secret.  She was SO excited, SO appreciative, and SO ready to see the princesses.

Our seats were in the upper level, but we had a super view of the ice.  The segments of the program focused on Belle and the Beast, Cinderella (MY favorite), then Rapunzel (Tessa's favorite).  After intermission Anna and Elsa, then Muona were featured.  We saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy at the very beginning and at the very end of the program.

Tessa was overjoyed and over-the-moon happy with her 'surprise' from Papaw and Mamaw.  I thought it was very special too, especially since I had never been to a Disney production like that before.  

Next year we will keep our eyes open for other Disney opportunities and maybe  Landon and Cooper can go along with us (and either Megan or one of the men in the family). 

Perk of Retirement?

Spur of the moment take off on a trip!

From the sounds of Gary in the dining room on the phone, I think we are going to be in Orlando at the end of the month, soaking up some sun, keeping warm, and enjoying some time out of the snow!



After debating it for about 24 hours, we finally decided to go because we can, because we have the points to use, because we found a reasonably priced flight, because we are familiar with the Orlando area.


Plane tickets purchased?  Check!
Rental car reserved?  Check!
Condo at the resort booked?  Check!

Just need to pack the bags and go!


So off we will go to the Sunshine State on Jan. 25.

Wow.

Application!

I like the way Jim's sermons are organized.  Maybe it is because I was a teacher, and I liked to be organized.  Maybe it is because his sermon plans resemble my lesson plans.  Maybe it is because I like note-taking and tried to develop a sense of organization with my students, so I appreciate what he tries to accomplish with his congregation.  I also know his method of delivery is not for everyone.  My daughters have told me that.  Well, one of them has.  But I like his method and that is what counts for me.

Today's sermon was titled 'Learning to Love God' and the plan was divided into two sections:  Bible Study and Application.

Right up my alley!  I love Bible Study.

But the Application part is what caught my attention today.  Here goes:

Discipleship is learning to love God and Jim suggested 8 "Activities to Help You Grow" (I listed them and will add my comments in red)

1.   a devotional life  I had to smile on this one because I have started January and 2018 very strong in this activity!  Reading the Bible in 365 through YouVersion has been exciting for me.  Today, in fact, I was a little miffed that I did not have time to complete my daily devotions and reading before we went to church. Plus the renewed reading of Made to Crave and the discussion with the FB group has been good for me.  Also the new OBS with Proverbs 31 will be starting soon, and I am excited about that.

2.  regular worship - church attendance This is one that we struggle with because we are gone so often, plus sometimes it is just easier to stay in bed where it is warm and just start our day whenever it happens.  This morning it was very tempting to do just that, but I was determined to go to the early service.  I was out of bed with the alarm at 6:15 and in the shower, out, hair dry, face cream on, and nearly dressed before 7.  After church we went to Medaryville for gas, stopped at The Farm to put the trash cans away, then home with time to relax a bit, fix lunch in the Instant Pot, and then we plan to go to Landon's birthday party.  I feel SO much better when I am up and moving, and I like taking a shower first thing and getting ready for the day. Plus I feel more energized and focused since we went to church. Another bonus was chatting with Jane and making plans for the next week, catching up with Tina, and checking in with E. Anne.  Plus Tyson's communion meditation was great and Jim's message was very applicable - since I am doing this!

3.  regular group Bible study As I said before with the devotional time.....Reading the Bible in 365 Days with Beth Z, Babette, and Karen C.  Made to Crave with Beth Z, Babette, and Karen F.  

4.  develop Christian friendships Even though we are not to discuss religion and politics on DWLZ, I have found several Christian friendships through that site.  Plus I really enjoy talking to Jane and Tina and E.Anne.  I have to count them in my group of closest friends.

5.  participate in ministry at church  need some work on this one.

6.  develop a compassion ministry - send cards, take meals, babysitting I try to send cards, but I can do better with this.  I need to add possible recipients to my notebook.

7.  develop an evangelism ministry - have a name to pray for every day  I can do this, and I do do this often.

8.  participate in stewardship - giving  Another one to work on

There we go!  Great sermon today, and I am SO glad we didn't shut off the alarm and stay in bed this morning.

Little Glitches--and a Delivery!

I have been working on a quilt for Owen.

A little over a year ago, Hilary and I stopped at Rossville Quilts to pick up fabric to cover the cushion on the window seat.  We had picked up Landon after school, and when we stopped, he wondered where we were and why we were there.  He was not too thrilled about being at a fabric store.

However....when we walked in the door, he stopped and said "WOW!  LOOK AT ALL OF THIS!" and off he went to check out the bolts of fabric.  Hilary and I located some cloth to re-cover the window seat cushion.  After the clerk had cut the needed amount, Landon appeared again with a layer cake of fabric in a dinosaur print.  He asked me if I could make a quilt for Owen out of that fabric since he really liked dinosaurs.  So there was my next quilting project.

The layer cake squares were cut.  New squares were sewn together.  Agnes died. Mom had heart valve replacement.  Thanksgiving.  Christmas. New Year's Eve trip to Gatlinburg.  More trips to Ohio.  The quilt was put aside for other things, other projects.

Now it is out again.  I knew that I would need sashing between the squares. For one thing the print would be too busy if all of the squares were stitched together.  For another there aren't enough squares to make a twin size quilt.  Sashing is needed plus a nice border to enlarge the size to fit a twin bed..

Since I knew I would need sashing, one day when I was in JoAnn's I looked at fat quarters for solid colors that I could use.  It turned out that the matches are just about perfect or close complements to the colors in the print.  Also the size of the fabric is perfect for strips to be cut, 9" x 2 1/2".

Today after I cut strips for sashing, I started to put together the rows. Betty had told me to work on the horizontal rows, then make another row of sashing with the cornerstone to lay between each horizontal row.  I understood that. That was the plan.

As I started to sew the strips onto the squares, though, something was wrong.  Some of the strips didn't really match up well with the squares.  After struggling with two rows, the light bulb clicked on.  When I measured the square again, it was not really that square and the measurement was slightly over 9".  Well, no wonder the strips weren't matching up very well!

Next step---trimming all the squares to 9".  The next two rows I sewed together were perfect with the trimmed squares.  But then I had the already finished two rows. What to do?  What to do?




I like straight lines and square corners and nice angles.  Could I look at the quilt later on and know that two rows were really off?

As I sat and watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, I also was ripping out stitches on two rows of squares and strips!  Next was ironing flat all of the pieces, laying the squares on the mat and trimming off the excess (and there WAS excess fabric on nearly all of those squares!) and re-stitching the rows.

Now there are five rows of squares and strips sewn together and I am getting excited about the finished product.  At first I wasn't sure I was going to like how I cut the fabric and put together the squares.  Now I can see Owen looking at each of the triangles and picking out specific dinosaurs. I think it will be really cute when it is done!

I am still learning little by little, step by step.  At least this time I seem more unflustered as I work on the project, and I feel more confident.  That is a good thing!

This morning in our email was a note that UPS would deliver a package today.  I had ordered a book from Amazon for the next Proverbs 31 OBS a few days ago and the book for the quilting class just yesterday.  Imagine my surprise when the new book about quilting was stuck between the doors this afternoon!  Just a little over 24 hours after ordering!  I am excited about going through it.



One of the perks of retirement - having the time and energy to work on something I really enjoy.  Making quilts is fun, creative, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment.  I know something about putting the fabric together, selecting colors, and planning a design.  I still have so much to learn!

What fun!  Life is good!

Subtraction Project

One of my friends on Dotti's mentioned Subtraction Project when we were discussion the de-cluttering process.  Some ladies like to follow Fly Lady, but they felt the emails were overwhelming.  Another person suggested another group to follow, but a credit card was needed for a monthly subscription charge.  Finally one friend mentioned the Subtraction Project, another one tried it and recommended it, so I decided to give it a whirl also.

Daily emails are popping into my Yahoo mailbox.  So far, I like several things.  One is the tone of the writer.  Cass McCrory is very conversational, and it feels like she is writing to a group of friends in her notes.  Plus she gives practical examples and reasons why this particular area might be a problem..

Second - her tip is something that can be done quickly without too much time or effort spent.  It isn't something that has to be planned or a block of time set aside to do the task.  

Third - the tasks are such that even though they seem small, there is a sense of accomplishment when they are completed.

Finally - I feel really great about this because many of her suggestions, so far, are ones that I have already completed and have done so for the same reasons.  At least I feel like I have been doing something right in the de-cluttering process.

You see, in the space of time between Halloween and Thanksgiving, I spent a lot of time de-cluttering and cleaning out things in the house.  At times Gary would give me a look which seemed to question why I was doing these things at the time I was doing them.  Later when Thanksgiving rolled around, I was ready and had more room for other items, such as food in the fridge, or I could easily find the Thanksgiving plates and napkins in the drawer of the hutch instead of having them hanging in the Hobby Lobby bag on the door handle in the back room.  I felt much better, and it turns out, as I said before, I was doing something right in this process!

The daily tips so far:

Day 12 - cleaning out the candles, such as birthday candles that have been partially burned and won't be used again, bigger candles that have been started and didn't smell that great, 'nice' candles that are being kept 'for good'

**I cleaned out all of those birthday type candles in the hutch in November and went through a bunch of other candles on the shelves in the living room when I cleaned them off in November also.  Some of them went to Goodwill. Some are being burned now.  I also consolidated the waxes for the Scentsy burner and made a note to switch them out every few weeks.

Day 11 - Pots and Pans  This includes old muffin pans, cookies sheets, and other items like that.

**I cleaned out these a few months ago too. What I haven't done is get rid of some of the extra skillets we have, especially those with marred coatings.  We won't use them, so why keep them?

Day 10 - Under the Sink - cleaning out the cleaners and condensing bottles of similar items plus pitching containers that have very little left in them

* I don't do the under the kitchen sink, but I have gone through the under the bathroom sink area and sorted through items there.  Now I need to go through the other cabinets in the bathroom and pitch outdated over the counter meds and get rid of bottles which contain just a little bit of lotion and those types of things.

Day 9 - Cookbooks  - now some people collect cookbooks, and it is true that I have several that are good collections and have great recipes.  But I also have many that are just repetitive or have no real recipes that I can use.  Why is it that some recipes require ingredients that either can't be found in any of the stores I shop in? What about those that need only 1 teaspoon of the ingredient which only comes in a huge bottle and is expensive and that I will not use again for anything?  Those books need to be pitched.

*This was another thing I did in November. When I cleaned off the shelves in the living room, the Amish cabinet in the kitchen and Ann's wash stand, many of the cookbooks that I never ever used went into the Goodwill bag.  Another suggestion from this project was to donate them to libraries, which would be a great idea.  I need to investigate that.  And side note, much as I like family recipes and cookbooks and recipe boxes, Pinterest has a great online way to save recipes that doesn't take up any space!

Day 8 - Refrigerator Doors - cleaning out the bottles of salad dressings, juices, and other things that are stuck there.

* Once again, this is something we did when we were prepping for Thanksgiving.  Everything came out of the fridge, all the shelves were cleaning, lots of items were pitched. 

I felt very good, and quite accomplished, as I have been reading through these.  As I said, there is a feeling of success when the task is completed, and little by little, the de-cluttering task is happening.  It isn't overwhelming.  It just works!  And if there is no time on a particular day to complete the task, one can return to it another time.

Great set of emails! If you need help with this process, I highly recommended signing up!

Hunkering Down!

I feel a little thrill of excitement about a possible snow day.

Not that is just silly.  I don't have snow days anymore.  I don't have to worry about driving ANYWHERE tomorrow because I have NOWHERE to go.

Just think....tonight is Adjunct Orientation.  If I were still teaching, I would be in charge of the event.  I would be in Kokomo.  I would be staying until most of the event ended.  And most likely I would be staying somewhere overnight in Kokomo because I understand the meeting from Monday was postponed to Friday so it would be another trip to Kokomo tomorrow  morning.  With ice and snow in the forecast a hotel room would be the best bet.

But..I....don't...have..to...worry...about..that.

We have food.

We have electricity.

Gary has the television and the dish and he can watch hours of NCIS if he wants to.

The dinosaur quilt blocks are laid out in a plan for Owen's quilt and I am ready to start cutting pieces for the flashing between the squares and work on that all day tomorrow.

A new book is started.

All tech devices are charged.

We are ready.

But what I am looking forward to is not needing to be anywhere.  No obligations to leave!  No place to be.  Nowhere to go.

Ahhhh....sleeping late.  No schedule.  I am pumped for this!

Getting Excited for Quilting!

Not only am I finally to the point where I can spend some quality time with my quilting projects, I think I am going to take advantage of a new opportunity!

On my FB feed popped up an event that I might be interested in.  It is a class for Beginning Quilters, offered at the Rossville Quilt Shop on every Tuesday in February, during the day.

Not this sounds like it was created just for me.

Yes, I know that I have made quilts.  I know that I know some of the techniques.

But what intrigued me with this were several things:

• learning nine different blocks (that will get me out of my comfort zone of just squares
• sashing (still baffles me, no matter how many times Betty tells me how to do it)
• borders (yes! I love them but I am not sure how to add them so they look good)
• machine applique blocks (would be really good to know)
• it is close to Hilary's house
• it is a formal class setting, not just telling me how to do things
• I will be able to see progress
• I will have a finished quilt when the class ends
• I can learn more about binding
• the timing is perfect

I ordered the book.

I printed the list of supplies needed.

I will call them today for more details since we are not going to Hilary's today and I can't just 'stop by.'

I am excited!

Uncertainty of Weather Forecasts

The forecast from Indiana Weather Online is usually quite accurate.  I trust it more than listening to the forecast on television or checking weather.com.

Yesterday IWO posted on FB that beginning on Thursday, rain would be turning to sleet and ice, then snow would hit our area through the weekend with up to a foot possible.  When we picked up Cooper and Lynnlee at Hilary's yesterday afternoon, she was concerned that Landon's 8th birthday party on Sunday would need to be postponed.

When we talked to Megan and Matt, they planned to grocery shop today after school so they would have enough to get through the weekend, then they were concerned about snow days (which is a double concern because the kids go to Auntie's on Thursdays and Fridays which means more travel on possible slick, snow-covered roads).

Today everything changed.  The track of the storm is to be south of us now.  However there is still freezing rain and ice in the forecast for Thursday night/Friday morning for us.  No snow. In fact no snow for the northern third of Indiana for the weekend.

Then tonight we stop at Kroger's on the way home and the parking lot is full. People are everywhere in the store.  Stockers are re-stocking the shelves, and many shelves show the reasons why those stockers are blocking many of the aisles.  Empty shelves in some aisles.

When we stopped at USA Restaurant for a quick bite for dinner on the way home, the talk was that no one seemed to be sure of where the storm was tracking or what type of precipitation would be expected.  No one was sure.

This retired couple made some decisions:

Since we have food for several days, we are going nowhere unless absolutely necessary for the next few days.

My doctor's appointment for Friday will be re-scheduled. It is a follow-up from the one I had in early December to check my BP and my swollen ankles, so it can wait.

I will cancel my spot at the quilt shop for the quilted table runners lesson on Saturday morning.

We already gave Landon his birthday gifts, so if we have to miss his party, we can. (Not that I want to do that, but if the roads are bad...).

As long as there is no ice damage to the wires and we have electricity and the television, we will be fine!

I am SO thankful that I have retired and I don't have to go to Kokomo tomorrow for Adjunct Orientation.

I am SO thankful that we have no cattle to check on and be sure they have feed and water.

I am SO thankful that *I* will not have to drive anywhere, that if we do travel by car, Gary will be the one behind the wheel.

I am secretly glad that we won't be able to go anywhere for a couple of days.  More time to pull out the quilt pieces and work on some projects!  Yeah!

But, of course, the track of the storm could be so far south that we will be missed completely. Who knows?  Who cares?  We are in for the duration!

Correlations! Love them!

You know I am doing the "Reading the Bible in 365 Days" on YouVersion.  I love it so far, and I have completed Day 10 (since I started on Dec. 31).  I am always afraid that when I start something like this, my interest will wane and then it will be "Oh yes, I WAS reading the BIble every day but then...life got in the way and I stopped" but so far, I have been excited to settle into the recliner with a cup of tea and read the devotion and the scriptures each morning.  The app is on my phone and on my Nook so I can read along wherever I am, in the car, at one of the girls' houses, sitting in the waiting area.

I also began a re-study of Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  This is with a group of ladies on the WW over 50 FB page but it is a separate group who are studying the book together.  One thing I do crave is discussion and interaction during a Bible study.  Maybe it is because I am a teacher, a teacher of literature, one who thrives on discussion of what one reads.  The 'leader' of this group listed a reading schedule and a set of questions from the book to answer as springboards for discussion.  After the first few days and seeing nothing posted, I plunged in and started.  Several followed, and that format has continued into our second week. However, I am noticing that not too many people have responded to my posts, or to any of them for that matter, and most of those who are posting are Babette, Karen F, and Beth Z, all who are friends from DWLZ!  I will keep plugging along with this and try to respond to others' posts, if there are any!  

Last night during the football game I read Chapter 5 in Made to Crave and it really hit home.  "I am made for more" was the recurring theme. I read it, then I returned and re-read it.  I really began to think about it, more deeply than I had during the first time through the study, which was several years ago.  I really am made for more than being an overweight retired grandmother.  The 'retired' part I like and the "grandmother" I like to replace with "Mamaw" but the 'overweight' I don't need.  When I am overweight, I am sluggish.  My knees hurt.  My energy level is zapped.  My self-image and sense of self-worth begins to plunge and that is happening right now.  I feel fat.  I think I look fat.  Plus I think my knee problems and the swelling ankles have a direct correlation to the excess weight I am carrying around.  I just feel so much better when my weight is lower.  I also like being able to pick out clothes and not worry about whether they will fit or not or if I can zip them or if the muffin-top shows too much.  I am, really, I am made for more than this.

This morning when I started the devotional reading there it was again.  Not exactly in the same words, but it was there.  Two spots.  

In Psalm 7:10-17 is this message:  If we fall for temptation and start to enjoy and nurture it, we give birth to disillusionment.  Falling for temptation - yet another roll at Logan's or Texas Roadhouse or a piece of fudge from the candy store at The Island.  We start to enjoy it - the sampler pack of fudge from The Apple Barn?  I sat down with it and carefully divided the three small cubes in halves, then ate one half from each type.  Before I stood up, though, I had eaten the rest of it.  All myself.  It tasted good. It was there.  What was I going to do with those extra pieces anyway?  So I ate them.  Threw the empty package away!   Same thing with Rolo candies.  I can't eat just one of them. I have to eat several, letting them melt in my mouth to savor the chocolate, then chew up the caramel and savor it as well.  Talk about a slippery slope......oh my.   And I enjoy eating those things, so I nurture it (buying the fudge at The Island when I knew I shouldn't) and then I think "Oh I can eat some of it and it won't hurt me because I will start to watch what I am eating later on" and that is just wrong.  I can't eat that stuff and I wasted my money on a box of fudge I can't and won't eat now and if I had just left it there, I wouldn't have this dilemma.  (the box of fudge is going to Megan's house today and I am leaving it there ---she can take it to school for her students)   I can't be disillusioned to think that I can handle eating just one piece of fudge or one cookie or make poor food choices and I will still lose weight (or maintain a healthy weight).  Drive that point home.

The second spot was from Matthew 8:23 - 9:13  During the storms of life (dieting, swollen ankles) it is natural to panic (and I think something is horribly wrong with me).  The response should be trust and be not afraid.  This one is hard for me because my imagination is very active.  Also I have been watching too much television and the commercials on some of the pharmaceutical products are downright scary.  When I woke up this morning, I just knew that my appointment with Dr. Hart was going to lead to a hospital stay for me.  Of course I thought the same thing the last time I saw him.  I felt so relieved and comforted after my appointment, but all of that flew out the window when the girls and I went to Jingle Rails and my knees hurt so bad going up the stairs and I was out of breath too. I need to trust that God is with me, that He is walking beside me each and every day, that I need to listen to Him and trust Him, and that Dr. Hart will get to the bottom of why my feet are swelling and take care of the problem.  No panic.  Trust.

The final spot that hit me hard was that the relationship with Jesus should be our top priority.  I don't like to admit it, but often with me it is not.  There I said it.  I try.  I really do.  But I don't focus on it and nurture it like I need to do.  This morning really hit me hard - with my weight loss I need to nurture that relationship and trust Him.  With my health issues I need to nurture that relationship and trust Him. With every facet of my life I need to nurture that relationship and trust Him.

Today many things that have been on my mind and in my heart seemed to correlate. I love it when that happens!

It's Dark!

Today the Christmas tree was undecorated.  The candles, the Santa Clauses, the wreaths, the snowmen, the various small Christmas trees...all made their way back into boxes and into the blue bedroom where they will remain until next Thanksgiving weekend.

Yes, it is later than usual for us to tackle this task.  But we spent a couple of days at Hilary's for Christmas, then we left for our Gatlinburg trip, then we returned to, not home, but first to Megan's house to watch the kids and take Cooper to pre-school, then to Hilary's to watch Owen while the rest of the family watch Purdue beat Rutgers at Mackey Arena.

Finally we came home.  Then it was unpacking from 12 days away.  Laundry.  Sorting through purchases.  Menus and groceries.  Picking up mail. Paying bills.  Looking at Christmas gifts since it was the first chance we had to really look at what others had selected as gifts for us.  Another trip to Hilary's to celebrate Landon's birthday with a lunch just for the three of us.

Plus it was just nice to sit in the living room, nothing but tree lights and candles glowing in the windows, while we watched television and knew that there was no rush to move forward.

But today.  It was time.

Boxes were dragged out.  Items were collected off the top of the hutch and entertainment center and the bookcases by the big picture window.

Holiday signs and wreaths were removed from the walls which had been their home for a month.

Ornaments were removed from the tree and I realized just how many bell ornaments were really decorating it!

Family pictures returned to the top of the entertainment center and on the table in the fireplace room.

Christmas candy was collected and put into a ziplock bag to take to Megan so she could share it with her library students.

The stockings, the collection of old Santas, and the garland were removed from the mantle and replaced with the country farm animals and candles and signs proclaiming favorite scriptures.

A few items were tossed in a black trash bag, ready for donation to Goodwill.  No sense in keeping those things around that are never used for the Christmas season.

The boxes and tubs were stowed in the blue bedroom once again.

The specks of glitter, the random lost green sprigs from the Christmas tree, the dead ladybugs from the window seat under the snowmen, the random specks of lint and threads on the floor - all removed by the sweeper, the dust swept away from a Pledge wipe.

Soon the house looks as it did nearly 6 weeks ago.  Before Thanksgiving. Before the Christmas holiday.  Just as it is in 'real life.'

Granted, the snowmen trinkets are hanging on the wooden peg strip on the wall above the television.

The lights remain on the tree in the corner and are lit (can't go to complete darkness---shock to the system!).

The window lights are glowing - at least most of them are.

And the outside lights still proclaim the festivity of the holidays in multi-colored lights gracing the fence along the sidewalk and the posts on the front porch.

But the rest of the house is dark.  Christmas is over.  The holiday season has come and gone.

Back to the routine. Once again. In the dead of winter.

I read somewhere today, probably on Facebook since that is what I read most often nowadays, that it is sad that we don't carry the spirit of Christmas with us as we continue into the new year.

I was thinking today about the happiness in this house on Dec. 22 when everyone was here to celebrate and open gifts. So much noise. Lots of laughter.  Squealing with delight and excitement.

The day was perfect.  The feeling of family was overwhelming and the spirit of Christmas was alive.

Our goal should be to continue that feeling each and every day.  Just because the house is dark again, the lights are put away, the red and green décor no longer graces the tops of furniture and the walls of every room in the house, this doesn't mean that the joy is gone.

It's dark, but the light in our lives shine on.  Let it shine!