'Catch up' time.....

It's Easter.

The Bug is with the other grandparents for the day.

The house has been very quiet all day.

This is a good thing.

I've needed it.

The problem hasn't been hordes of people invading the space here--it's been me. LOL Go figure that one!

I don't think the boss meant 'catch up on all that stuff that needs done' when he told me to take time to do some catch-up.

I think he meant......*gasp*......rest.

Yeah, well, I've always sucked at that.
Front flower garden is weeded and hoed.

Lawn is mowed and trimmed.

Bushes were trimmed.

Laundry was done.

Summer clothes were hauled up and winter clothes were hauled down. (which meant MORE laundry was done, tyvm!)

Potting soil was mixed up and several cuttings were made to try out that nifty hormone 'stuff' that was a well kept secret!

Pots were hauled out from the garage and washed out.

Flower boxes were cleared out and readied for planting.

Groceries were gotten. (yes, I volunteered even!)

Plants were transplanted (good grief they grew like crazy!)

Luggage was returned to the basement storage. (we can hope it stays there!)

Potted plants were hauled in and out and in and out--yes, we've had frost**. (**insert naughty words of your choice!!!!)

Yard ornaments were cleaned and put out..well, some of 'em were...some are still in hiding.....

Patio sitting happened cuz the swing got assembled.
Sidewalk chalk got to happen today!

A new birdie bath was designed thanks to last fall's wreckage of the old birdie bath.....(may it rest in peace......)
Feeders got filled for the birdies.

Corn for Mr. Bunny got put out. (Mr. Squirrel thinks it's for him but he is SADLY MISTAKEN!!!)

Did I mention MORE laundry? Yeah, well...it's the gift that keeps giving.

Himself got a haircut.

Bathroom stuff got sorted out....(I'm kinda a messy unpacker....LOL)
Mail was waded through.

State taxes are now completed.

AND......I chatted with the sister via text--and spoke to her today cuz she needed to be antagonized by me! (I do that soooooooooo well!!)

k....I'm still thinking this is NOT the 'catching up' the boss thought I needed to do......

Am I rested?

Well......more than I was?

*sigh*

I suck!

I'll be done now.
For today.

RIGHT after I get that last load out of the dryer......LOLOL

In process

TFTD

...we live several lives in one lifetime.

Waking up from a terrifying dream, we first sigh with deep relief, "Thank God it was just a dream." After we have made a big mistake in real life we long for the chance to undo it. We do not get to undo those moments, but life is still full of second chances . . . and third and fourth chances. The big question is. Do we learn from our experiences?

In some ways, we live several lives in one lifetime and we have several phases in one relationship. Today is a new day, and it presents all the possibilities of a new beginning. We have learned from the past. As painful and difficult as our experiences were, we can feel stronger today because we have learned from them. Injustice and fateful accidents can befall anyone. Yet many difficult times never need to be repeated. Today we can be grateful for another day with all the new opportunities it brings.

Name one way you are different today because of what you have learned from your experience.

Quilt Barn #43

Fairy Reading for Today

Every day is a different day. You never know what it will bring. That's the exciting thing about getting up every morning.

--Alpha English

No doubt we have all hit spells when we didn't feel the urge to get the day going. Pulling the covers up around us seemed far more inviting. There's nothing wrong with occasionally resisting the next twenty-four hours. We do need variety in our lives. Even a healthy, fun routine is still a routine. Shaking it up is good for us. But if we make a habit of avoiding whatever plans we've made, we need to take an inventory of our feelings. Depression isn't foreign to most of us. Chronic depression needs to be addressed, however.

If we begin to feel blue about our lives, let's make sure we are expressing our feelings to a friend. Generally, there is a simple solution. Maybe we have forgotten to pray and meditate regularly. Perhaps we have become self-absorbed. Being appreciative of others generally changes how we see every aspect of our lives. Recounting with a confidant or in a journal all the blessings and achievements we've accumulated over these many decades often pushes us out of the doldrums.

Let's remember that most days surprised us with their outcomes. We never got exactly what we expected. This is one certainty about life that we can always count on.

Today is bound to surprise me in how it unfolds. I'll appreciate what comes my way.

The laboratory.....

*mmwaaahhhhhahahahaha*

This is just a bit of the project for today.
OMG they went crazy with a couple of really warm days.
I have some separating and transplanting to do!

And those bitty pots--I'm trying a well kept secret.
Does anyone TELL me about stuff like this?! NO.

I learned about rooting hormones while I was at the sisters.
Uh huh.....the sister does it all the time--and it works for her.
Now, granted, I kill things....LOL....mostly inside things.
But outside--they seem to do just fine.
So.

I have scissors.
I have bitty pots.

I have things to take cuttings from. *evil laugh*
What's the worst thing that could happen?!

I could have 15 bazillion bugglia's around the outside of the house?
Yeah, well..if one grows, I'll be amazed.

And pleased.
And obsessed with rooting hormones. LOLOL (GO figure!)

Spring Striped

'Out of the office'

Right.
I did get to work.
Only 1573 emails in a month--I made it up to the letter 'K' and then visited with the boss who's standing in for the boss who's out following a surgery of his own. But the stand in is my old boss, bless his heart...... It was good to see him and it was really, really good to get that hug.

So......

I have a few days off.......cuz my old/currently standing-in boss said he thought I needed 'em.
And I didn't argue.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Hold on.

I didn't argue?

I MUST be tired.

I didn't argue.

Holy cow.

I. didn't. argue.

Today's Fairy Thought

Today I will be grateful for where I am now.

My life might not be perfect, and I might not have achieved the goals I thought I would have by now - I might not be living the kind of life I thought I would be or want to be, but I'm grateful for this day, right now, and the fact that I've made a commitment to myself to live a life in which I'm treated with respect and dignity.

I will use this day as a gift, one that I've given myself because I deserve it. I will use this day to be glad for all I've accomplished.

I'm deserving, worthy, and valuable.

Back to work!

Spring found us!

That'd be the daisy in the front yard.

Along with the wild violets.

Along with the weeds.

The weeds are back, the weeds are back!!

I'm guessing they'll wait until I get around to dealing with 'em.
In the meantime, I'm off to the office to see how behind one person can get in a months worth of time.

I'm betting I won't be sitting around twirling my thumbs for lack of things to do.
*laughing*

Now there's a sure bet!

It's spring!

It's spring!!

Yeah......and off to work I go......

The Fairy Reading

Don't take storms personally.

Somewhere out in the Pacific, a storm brewed and swirled and thrashed and died without ever touching the land. Three days, later, under a clear blue sky, the storm surge reached the California coast near Los Angeles. The sea threw rocks at my house, and the waves stacked up and crashed down against the pilings of the foundation. Farther up the street, the ocean ate the back porch of two houses. All night the shoreline trembled and shook from the power of the sea.

The next morning the tide pulled back, the swells calmed, and the sky stayed blue. I walked down the beach, impressed at the way the ocean had littered it with huge chunks of driftwood and rocks. Then I walked back upstairs and drank my morning coffee.

Sometimes storms aren't about us.

Sometimes, friends or loved ones will attack us for no apparent reason. They'll fuss, fume, and snap at us. When we ask them why, they'll say, "Oh I'm sorry. I had a bad day at work." But we still feel hurt and upset.

Hold people accountable for their behavior. Don't let people treat you badly. But don't take the storms in their lives personally. These storms may have nothing to do with you.

Seek shelter if necessary. Get away from hurt friends until they have time to calm down; then approach when it's safe. If the storm isn't about you, there's nothing you need to do. Why try to stop the ocean waves by standing in the surf with your arms outstretched?

Homeless buttons

It wasn't all drama and hard moments--we actually had a bunch of fun. We're like that though. One Mason jar of buttons and we're havin' a party. LOL

I used 'em to play bingo--and she showed me a trick or two.

Under the influence of major pain medications for the tumors (now removed, thank you G-d...) and wanting badly to just have a sense of normalcy....she showed me how to make pretties!

Yeah, well.....she's a scrapbooking sorta gal and she has tons of pretty paper and equal amounts of crafty talent. I, on the other hand, was just foolin' around.

So I grabbed a mail order catalog and cut it up instead.

Ohhhhh.....but I made pretties!

:-)

So today, while himself was running hither and yon--I stepped into the antique store and found a steal of a deal on a bunch of buttons that seemingly no one wanted.

Poor buttons....

<-- gave 'em a good home

I have buttons!!
I can make MORE STUFF! :-)

That's after I pick up my weary arse and have the energy TO make stuff, mind you.......

The weekend is coming.

I'll head into the office tomorrow, start the catch up process and have the weekend to just BE.

Yeah.......well.....that's the hope!

Cuz I have buttons! I can make STUFF!

Home is good!!

My own bed.

My own pillows.

My own smelly stuff.

Geeze home is a good place to be.

And even if it took me a bit, sleep did come.

Still......it feels bad to be here, separated by miles.
But she'll be okay--BIL is as set as he can be.
And the doctor's appointment yesterday brought good news.

She can begin trying soft foods. And while it'll take a year to completely heal, the arm they took the flap graft from can see daylight sometime next week. That'll help immensely.....she'll be able to do somethings differently.

Ah, but it's good to awaken in your own bed.

And it's good to steal that cuppa French Pressed coffee from himself.....who opened the window to the patio with a laughing "You can be returned ya know!"

*laughing*

Home is good! :-)

Garden Beauty

Today's Fairy Thought

Love doesn't just sit there like a stone: it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.

--Ursula K. Le Guin

Everyone could use a new batch of love every day. Way too often, we forget to make a new batch. Then we end up eating hard, old, crumbly stuff that doesn't even taste good. We forget to talk with the people we love. We tell ourselves that they should "know" we love them, even if we haven't called to connect with them for a long time. So we expect them to live off hard, old, dry crumbs too!

But baking a fresh batch of love is a lot easier than baking bread. All we have to do is make a phone call, write a letter or an email, or stop by our mom's house. We need to deliver the message that the people we love are important. What could be easier or more rewarding?

Uh huh.....

I'm home!

I've had a tour of the garden that's teeming with growth.....wow.....
I've had a tour of the house that's not only cleaner than clean....but it's got a freshly painted 'puter room. Oh, gosh it's lovely in the gray/green/blue that he chose....
I've had dinner--garlic chicken on salad with fresh veggies......yummmmm....

I've had my bubble bath run, duckies were thoroughly enjoyed and fresh jammies are donned!

I'm tired but I'm really, really glad to be home.

REALLY.

And the sister and BIL--they're enjoying their first 'alone' evening in a month, celebrating it with a shower for her which included......tada!!!!......shaving! ROFL
I'm told this was his first experience and he's now learned how razor burn happens on women. It happens differently for men? Hmmmm....

Note to self: Keep he-who-painted-the-study in the loop on all the goodies the BIL is learning.....just cuz......LOL

Fairy Reminder!!

Pretending we are not anxious, when we are, is a tactic that fools no one, especially not ourselves. Attempting to deny or repress our fears and worries does not work. The result is often depression or a physical ailment, indicating that in our subconscious, we know very well that something is wrong.

So let's ask ourselves what it is we fear. If our worry is a rational one, we need to decide what we can do to prepare for the worst-case scenario. If the worry is irrational, we need to figure out how to get rid of it. But, no matter whether a worry is rational or irrational, we can't turn it over until we acknowledge we have it. Getting our worries out in the open and talking about them with people whose judgment we trust keeps us grounded in reality.

If I am worried about something today, I will consciously examine it so that I can resolve it.

It's time.....

And folks who support her have been so kindly.

I don't want to leave. I know I need to, for a number of reasons.

And yesterday it was a tough talk with the BIL for all that's changing in his life, too. I suggested a gardener, one less thing on his plate. And we talked life changes for him--which he's becoming well aware of.

So I think we're the closest we can be to ready at this point.

Granted, that will all change once radiation begins.

That's not for another month, which will give them some time to get some other things in order.

I've talked with care givers, set up communication through email with her and we're looking into phone service through typing which would cut down on some of the frustration for her as she's learning to talk. There's an AIM service through AT&T and I'm thrilled cuz it'll work well for her.

In the meantime, I have packing to do and loose ends to tie up.

I hate to leave.

I do.

But I was clear when the Brit got the photo of me yesterday that I'm beginning to look how I feel.....exhausted.
More confident about leaving, but exhausted nonetheless.

I'm ready for nothingness.

And he-who-moved-plants-on-to-the-patio is ready for me to return to the patio swing.

OMG.......the patio swing is out! :-)

Yup.

Time to go home.

I can field some of it from there, even!

*sigh*

But I'm sad.

Horribly so........

Today's Thought

Don’t let disappointing results reduce your confidence. It’s more realistic, and much more effective, to let each failure strengthen your confidence.

The more experience you have with what doesn’t work, the more you’ll move in the direction of what does work. With persistence and a clear sense of purpose, failure can lead you steadily toward success.

Failure is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing that can happen is to do nothing.

Fairy Reminder

We are learning, maybe slowly, how to find a more permanent happiness.

And we know the happiness that comes from "getting" is elusive.

Giving to others, giving attention, sharing hope, sharing our own stories, listening to theirs, is the key to finding the happiness for which we've searched so long.

We must get outside of ourselves and focus on another's joy or sorrow.

Only then do we get a clear perspective on who we are and the necessary role we play in the lives of others who need our attention and who have a message we also need to hear.