Life Reset Continues

It was bound to happen-I missed yesterday!  Fell asleep and when I woke I just crawled into the bed. I'll try not to let the misses happen too often.

I have finally gotten the laundry all put away.  Sometimes, I get disgusted with myself over how long it takes to get three  small loads of laundry folded or hung!   It's so easy to just get dressed from the laundry basket, sigh.  Anyway, that's done, and the kitchen is tidied.  I've been taking my little chain saw out and cutting branches, hopefully that will be finished soon.  Then I dug the gigantic dandelions out of the strawberries.  I even picked a few, strawberries that is.  There are many, many berries on the plants.  It looks to be a good harvest!  There are lots of blueberries on the bushes as well but I doubt the birds leave me any. 

I can't get my stapler/tiny nail gun to work, it's finicky and I must not be holding my mouth right!  I can't finish the last bulletin board without it and I don't want to hang the other two until I can hang them all.  

Tomorrow, will be more of the same.  Well no laundry!  More limbs, some raking of leaves-unless it rains, then I'll just have to go down and try to finish something in the studio.

Life Reset Day 16

 I can happily report that there have been no tornado warnings since the 5:45Am on Monday!  Whew, Maybe I'll get caught up again, or not.

Had a chat with my brother about what we are doing while I am there next week.  Some great times in the Rocky Mountains are on tap.  We are headed up to Breckinridge for two days which is always fun (even if you're not a skier anymore.) No trip to the mountains is complete without a trip to Estes Park and  Rocky Mountain National Park.  We had a vacation home in Estes for several years, then my parents moved out and back to Missouri for a while.  Estes has a special place in my heart.  We had a memorial bench placed at the YMCA of the Rockies for our younger brother, as we went there on vacation for years, and I want to go see it.  Looks like a very full and fun time ahead!

I have quite a bit that should get done before I go.  Packing being the most important!

Until tomorrow! 

Life Reset - Day 15

Today has been very quiet,  mostly because at 5:45 this morning the city's tornado sirens began blaring!  Seriously, twice in less than 24 hours!  I was so sleepy I sort of sleep walked to the basement.  45 minutes later I sleep walked back to bed!  Both of these were radar indicated-meaning there was evidence of rotation in the clouds.  Neither touched down, maybe they weren't even tornados but early warnings save lives so I'll forgive them my loss of sleep.  The big outcome has been flooding, not near me but all over the metro.  It was a sunny day today and there is no rain in the forecast for several days so maybe my sleep won't be disrupted again tonight.

I did start the laundry, spent a little time working on projects although none of them are complete.  Then I simply couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, so I had a nap.  I didn't finish the laundry but I'm still really tired so I'm going to take my night meds and crash.  Wait I still need to make my bed, sigh 

Life Reset Day 14

Interesting day.  I fiddled around in the morning and didn't get breakfast until 10am even though I'd been awake and out of bed since 7:30.  I was enjoying the rainbows too much to leave the bedroom! After I finally got dressed I made myself Avocado toast (I didn't like this when I first had but now I do) BEFORE I made my coffee.  Really backwards morning.

Finally, I got to doing something after lunch.  Brought out several yard tools for cleanup.  Used the blower to clean off the patio and began raking up leaves left from last fall.  While raking I decided what I'd do with the cut branches so I emptied one of the old veg boxes of branches and weeds, broke up what I could by hand and put them into the empty box, then brought up the wagon and emptied it.  I'd been out working, with lovely swing breaks when I got tired, for about 3 hours and it was sprinkling so I put the wagon and a big bin under the tree to hopefully keep it dry(ish), and carried in the rest of my tools.

I hadn't been in too long when I received notification of a ZOOM catch up with the Chookshed Stitchers which was fun UNTIL my phone, my watch and the city's sirens all came on with a tornado warning.  So, Off I went to the basement.  For the second time in less than a week.  When we got the all clear I got back on ZOOM to answer the question of how I know when it's safe.  That's a combination of TV saying the warning had lapsed for my area, the sirens stopping-and the lovely voice over them saying that the danger had passed.  That was the first wave of storms, there was a second round about 9, and apparently there is more coming after midnight.  Crazy.

I'm tired after such an "interesting day" so until tomorrow, Goodnight.

Life Reset Day 13

Breakfast this morning!  So good.  Strawberry waffles are a family tradition every Spring.  We used to always have them on Easter but we are scattered to the winds now!  I really enjoyed them.

Chatted with the Nashville duo this morning instead of tomorrow as they were wanting to take a hike in the morning.  We chat nearly every Sunday and I eagerly await those calls.

After all that I took my new toy

out to cut branches that have fallen every time we have a big wind!

It's only about 18" long, quite light and easy for me to use.  So use it I did.

The wagon is loaded with just the branches from the front tree!  I also picked up all the branches on the ground in the back yard.  I will put these in the bottom of my new veggie beds.  I have big piles of branches in the veg garden to cut up as well but I haven't quite decided what to do with them until I get the beds together.  When I went out to do this the weather guessers said it wasn't to rain before Monday, NOW they say rain after 1am, rain tomorrow (plus possible severe weather) and rain Monday.  The wagon will be full of water!

I am way behind on the yard work.  The hostas are looking good and one of my coral bells is blooming.  I do love to garden.  My plans for tomorrow will be a wash if it rains so studio time!

After all that and a shower I just rested.

 

Life Reset Day 12

For some reason each week I have one day when sleep evades me until 4am!  That was last night, I wonder if it is always the same day?  Must track that and see what the fuss is!  Anyway, last night was this week's very late night (or early morning depending on how you look at it.)  When I finally go to sleep, I'm a log until 10ish.  I really do not like sleeping that late, even though I'm not a really early morning girl sleeping til 10 makes me feel like I didn't accomplish anything.

Also, last night we had another series of major thunderstorm roll through, It seemed to go on and on.  No tornados though, just thunder. lightening and rain.

Today, I had to return the suitcase I bought yesterday. I'm looking for a medium sized trunk style suitcase-harder than it seems-and the one I got was the same size as the really big ones I have. Since I have TWO big ones, one I got in Australia.  This one went back.  The big ones get heavy and are hard for me to manage.  I'm flying out to my brother's in Denver next week so a trunk style one would be nice but I will use the clam one (which I hate) and my backpack.  I'm not doing carryon luggage any longer-I have trouble lifting them into the overhead bins and then getting them down, even though someone is always there to help!  I had to carry one up many steps getting on and off planes in Australia, no fun.  You learn something with every trip you take!  Also, You learn to adapt when you get old (and I am old!)

I think perhaps my daily doings will be boring (or perhaps they already are ) but for some reason knowing I need to write one each day is easier than remembering occasionally. If you get bored let me know!

 

Life Reset Day 11

Shopping. Ugh.

I am not a big fan. 

I know I got in 10,000 steps. 

Lowe's- big place even if you don't walk all over.  Many paint swatch cards and some lettuce seeds.  I always plant early lettuce in a container and enjoy the yummy fresh green stuff until it gets hot.

Target-A big place.  A notebook, some file folders and some snacks.  Not the summer dresses I was hoping for.  What's the deal with all the ruffles? 

Michaels-Not such a big place.

T J Maxx- again not such a big place .

One other stop and then I went to have a supper/lunch at Red Lobster then home, exhausted.

Many, parking lots. 

 I can walk a few steps without the cane or walk with the assistance of a shopping cart. Every day it seems better but not enough to go it alone.  I'll get there!

Life Reset Day 10

 I woke early this morning-I am NOT a morning person! There were no rainbows because the sun had decided to hide behind clouds.  It is amazing how much that fact affects your mood and energy levels.  Or maybe Wednesday is just the day that I need to be a lump of uninspired  human.  I did manage the weekly chore of cleaning the bathroom, which fortunately was not very dirty.  I also cleared the table of the clutter that seems to build up in a few days--I'm blaming that on last weeks tax marathon on the mess.

Do not go into shock.

 I went down to the Studio and I actually turned on one of my sewing machines and sewed two patches (Canada) on my patch blanket.  Then I turned it off and came back upstairs.  Maybe it's the beginning of a streak?

Life Reset Day 9

Today, being Tuesday, was Kitchen day.  Here's where I started, what a mess!

It's small but it has a cook who really doesn't like to clean up after herself!

This is where I ended today!

I did good!

Look fast it won't last!

I should tell you the story behind the newly sheet rocked wall.

While I was gone last Spring my Bonus Son mentioned that there was a small leak in the basement.  (There were actually TWO leaks and I knew about them, Had spoken to a plumber about fixing them.  He wasn't terribly interested in fixing them.) After I got home and settled I called a different plumber. so the leak I was reminded of was very small and easy to fix.  The other one was not.  In order to find and fix the leak the three tall cabinets that were along that wall and the sheet rock had to go.  My youngest son came up to help me-there is no way I could manage those cabinets alone-especially when two of the three were so wet they practically dissolved.  There is a four inch plastic drain pipe in that wall, where it shouldn't have be, and when they added the vinyl siding on the outside they punched NINE nails into the pipe.  The nails rusted fell out of the holes and began leaking.  It was a mess!  Had water damage people and the horridly noisy machines here for a week.  The kitchen floor had to be taken out and there is still a little fix needed in the basement.  It has been a LONG project, mostly due to my hip pain.  The Nashville duo came up last month and finished the wall to the current state.

On Friday, I have many errands to run (hopefully, I can do them all!  First to Lowes for paint chips to attempt to match the rest of the wall, then to look at cabinets, drop off some donations   and maybe some shopping not related to the kitchen.

Progress is being made, at long last.

Leaving you with rainbows!

 

Life Reset Day 8

Another Rainbow morning! I won't be long until the sun will be so high in the sky that I  will sleep through the rainbows so I have to enjoy them now.

Today, I tried getting back into the schedule I have always kept.  Mondays are for changing the sheets on my bed and doing laundry, I still have a small basket of thing to be folded away but I'm calling it a win.  I spent most of the time clothes were actually being washed or dried in the studio.  At this point I have to finish some  ongoing studio projects before I can say I'm finished, they are in the way!   

Cleaning continues.  The kitchen and the great room are for tomorrow morning.  I need to get out and work in the gardens-the hostas will soon be covering up the weeds!  Wait, is that a bad thing?  More importantly I need to get my new little chain saw going at cleaning up all the tree limbs. 

It was a lovely day, windy but nice and enjoyed some time reading on my swing.  We have another round of storms coming in on Thursday and Friday so I am required to enjoy it when I can.   

Tomorrow comes even when we don't want it to!  Talk more then.

Life Reset Day 7

I almost forgot to  write this!

Another rainbow morning. 

It was a quiet day. First thing, after coffee and oatmeal, my Nashville family FaceTimed with me.  We do this most every Sunday morning and I really look forward to talking to them.  He begins a new job tomorrow and is quite excited.  She is a Kindergarten teacher and will be more excited then her students when summer vacation starts! Seriously, she loves teaching and is very good at it!  They laughed at my new toy (a cordless mini chain saw which is seriously cute!)  Then I made sweet pickles, not really from scratch but from whole dill pickles. They will certainly taste better than the Broccoli pickles.  Will have to try a different recipe when and if I make those again.  The sweet pickles are an old recipe, very easy.  They will be ready tomorrow.  I did some kitchen clean up and put in some serious time on the current jigsaw puzzle.  Didn't spend much time in the studio but it is beginning to look better.  Tomorrow is laundry day and I will be down there all morning.  I think I will be finishing up some projects as well as the general cleaning that's going on.

My life is a bit boring, but I really feel like I am getting back to myself.  Pain makes your brain fuzzy and you a bit grumpy!  Now, my brain is doing much better, I laugh easier and can take the set backs to my plans much better.  (That last part is especially good since plans rarely go as you hoped.)

 That's all for tonight.  I'm in need of  ZZZZzzzz's

Life Reset Day 6

All those little things you put off  which you are supposed to do routinely, like changing furnace filters, going to the dentist or changing the batteries in your smoke detectors, sooner or later come back around to annoy you!  That happened today about 8:30 in the morning when my smoke detectors began "chirping" about every 5 minutes.  I can't remember when I last changed the batteries, only that it has certainly been longer than two years!   Since they require  4 volt batteries I was off to Walmart before coffee.  Since I was already there I bought a few groceries.  Walking around Walmart  I think you could get in  a  few hundred steps!  I decided I didn't need the electric scooter so I was leaning on a shopping cart.  I was tired and a bit sore by the time I got home.  When I tried to change the batteries I discovered I just wasn't tall enough-I got one off but couldn't get it back on.  An SOS was sent out to my daughter for a TALL person (this is a family joke, whenever something is beyond the reach of my 5'3" I say,  " I need a Tall person") So, she added the task of saving me from the chirping of my smoke detectors to her son.  He was coming to cut my grass anyway.  He put the one back up but that didn't stop the chirping --my house has 5 smoke detectors--so we went looking for the chirping one.  In the end he changed out 2 more! I not live in glorious quiet!

While all the chirping was going on I went down to the studio for a couple of hours.  Hauled out 3 bags of trash!  Put more things away, began to see the tops of more tables, so good progress.

I wonder how many more small chores I've neglected in the past two years are going to enliven my life. 

Life Reset Day 5

 Even a rainbow morning couldn't save this day!

I did a few things, very few.  Finished nothing. SIGH.  Would have been better if the storms with their wind had gone somewhere else!  I usually have a "weather headache" before big storms so yeah my pillow called.  Right after dinner the tornado alarms went off!  Greenwood was pretty much going to take a direct hit but it was a small one, I'm not sure it even touched down but anyway, I took my laptop, my phone and my flashlight down to the studio turned on the TV and waited for the alarm to stop and the warnings to expire for I went back up.  Much thunder and lightening and rain!  Plus it was 82F and icky sticky (Humid)!  Tomorrow, it's to be in the 60's!  I really hate the hot weather that's coming.

Here's hoping I will feel more motivated tomorrow!

Life Reset Day 4

First thing this morning I opened the blinds in my bed room, mostly because the sun was shinning for the first morning this week! Then the magic  happened, rainbows from my crystals decorated every wall!  This ALWAYS makes me smile, also I get a surge of happiness from them.  What can I say, I'm simple.  Perhaps that little burst of joy is why today was a pretty good day (or maybe it was because I didn't have to deal with taxes!)  

This whole reset thing is because I've let so much slide over the past couple of years and now I want it back!  So routine things are back:  like making the bed, wearing both my teeth and my hearing aids,  and putting the trash bins on the curb after filling them.  Picked up some tree branches from all the rain and wind we've had lately.   I measured my patio swing for new cushions and finished putting away the clothes I washed on Monday.  Last but certainly not least I spent 2 hours in the Studio.  I'd like to say I made a ton of progress but the reality is I managed to clear the top of one table. Plus put away a few things on the arts and crafts  table, and emptied some baskets.  I've found a few things I was missing.  I really would like to find my rocks from Oregon-I remember bringing them in the house but I have no idea where I put them!

I'm heading off to lullaby land next!

Life Reset Day 3

Today I didn't get much done.  I spent most of the day on the phone with the Accountant or on Turbo Tax with and expert trying to make my form (from the accountant) fit.  I finally managed to make Turbo Tax happy and hit the electronic filing SEND around 2 pm.  I have no idea why but I was exhausted by the end!

 

I cruised up to Chipotle for food, yum. 

Then I worked on the current puzzle--bought  in Grand Lake, Colorado--I think this is the 6th one for this year.  It's challenging but I don't care.

After that I headed down to the Studio to do a bit more work.  Adding shelves to yet another bookcase. Tossing out the multitude of empty prescription bottles, I did keep 4 one for each machine and bent pins and needles!  Puttering mostly.  

Still feeling tired I came up to watch Chinese TV on YouTube.  Funny thing about watching TV from another country using English subtitles you can't multitask!  I do understand a little 

Chinese but don't ask me to speak it!

 

Life Reset Day 2

Today did not go as planned.  Partly because last night did not go as planned.  I was almost ready to hit post last night when a pretty nasty thunderstorm (complete with a Tornado Watch) pulled into Greenwood. Quickly followed by a power outage.  Totally dark!  I used my phone light to find my flashlight and sat down in my room.  I'm sure you guessed that I fell asleep and only woke when all the lights came back on about an hour and a half later.  I got up and finished the post then tried to go to sleep, not a great nights sleep so I didn't wake up until 10:30 am.  (don't judge I live alone, I'm the only one this bothers!)

Today, I need to complete my taxes.  I wish I didn't always leave this until the very last minute!  That did not happen quickly, and in fact I need to talk to the accountant for the estate in the morning to finish off.  

I did manage to finish my broccoli stem pickles today and made my bed.  Some small accomplishments at least.

Here's to hoping tonight is not a repeat of last night!

Resetting my life

Don't go into shock!  I am finally posting!

I am recovering nicely from surgery (hip replacement) the doctor said everything was good to go and I can now DO things!  Like Drive!  My children haven't been letting me do anything much and I was terribly bored but I was freed from all restrictions last week!  So I'm trying to reset my life and do the things I use to do before pain caused brain rot.  So, I'll be posting more often.  I hope each and every day!

 Before surgery I worked really hard at getting the house ready and my TO DO list whittled down.  Of course, a TO DO list is never done.  Not when I keep adding things to it!  Six weeks of doing nothing, plus drywall and new floor in the kitchen created a complete mess.  Not to mention work in the garden before it gets away from me!  

I decided I would work at making one space tidy and useable again so I started with my studio.  This is one room that didn't get too much done before surgery and lots of stuff dumped into it. So this is where I began on Saturday.

By Sunday evening I had moved the stitching books and project boxes to the white  bookshelf on the left above and my art and craft books as well as my paints, inks etc to the bump out case.

     

Today, while I did laundry moved more craft supplies to the bump out shelves and into the cabinet emptied by moving the art stuff out.  There is now room on the bookcase behind the ironing station for boxes of  fabric etc.

Still so much to do down there but I am determined!