Almost the end of November....time to review the year....and plan ahead.
I have a few ideas for projects for the coming year, for both our home, and for my own self improvement. One that seems to be a big one this year, for many bloggers and writers, is letting go of the perfectionism that tells us that we have to be in control of every little detail or we are failures, but in fact it only strangles us further.....(more on those projects and plans later as I put them all into perspective and prioritize)
I want, of course, to work on my bathroom (which does not mean simply decorating, since much of what is needed is down right re-doing! (and repair in some cases)
And I have a lot to think about this coming year..such as whether to stay here and make the best of it, or move to another location...I LOVE NY, so it will not be easy to leave, and most of my family is here..(if not all of the important ones)
Moving would involve, and change, the lives of other people, so it is a lot to think about for one person...but financially, it may end up to be a necessity. In the meantime, I am trying to move forward (things keep getting in the way....like LIFE...like loss and grief (we lost my husband almost 8 years ago (Dec 13, 2002), my dad 2 3/4 yrs ago (March 31, 2008), my mother 1 3/4 yrs ago (March 28, 2009), and my long time brother in law..our go to person, our substitute anchor, suffered a near fatal accident (January 9, 2009), almost 2 years ago, and suffered head trauma that forever changed his, and my sister's life, and coming to grips with that, and even contentment with what we have..)
One thing I do NOT plan on doing...I am not going to a Mall until after January! I will stick to stores that aren't often crowed.....like AC Moore and thank goodness many places offer sales on line! I LOVE Amazon!
Time to fly! (I think my electric extension cord might not be working so off the check that..maybe that's the problem..)
See ya 'round the corner...
Janie
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Back to the Drawing Board....
It is a beautiful Sunday morning in NY...the wind died down, the sun is out...
......and my hose idea doesn't appear to be working!
So its back to the drawing board.
There was a thin coating of glass like ice on all the water surfaces this morning...It went down to 30 degrees last night. So I thought that in a "small" way I could test out my heated hose and the extention I bought.
Nope...what happened? Yes, thin ice came out of the heated hose, but then nothing..I went up and down the hose, and felt the extension hose over and over again..there doesn't appear to be any ice in the extension hose...so now what??? How will this work when it is 15 degrees?!
I have one more idea to try...the thought of hauling water out from the house, all winter, is NOT thrilling me..I have been doing it for far too many years....(I need a REAL barn! .... with water and electric!!! Can't do that here and we all know what THAT means.... and, "THAT" would be a project and a half...!.)
Right now, the temperature is over 40 degrees (and the next few days they say will be fairly normal for this time of the year, which means not freezing or below at night (yet), so I will have to wait to see if the idea works...
I am eagerly looking forward to having all the winter planning finished, and done with, so I can spend the winter, garden planning and re-doing my bathroom! I don't have a good camera yet (not that its bad it is just an older one), and that might take time, but I hope to get some pictures on with the one we have...we'll see how they turn out...
I have a turkey breast carcass simmering in a pot, on the stove, with onions and carrots to make stock...(I have no celery until I go out later). I made an herbed turkey breast during the week, and it smells so good!
I always make more then enough stock, so I can freeze it for those cold, cold winter nights when you just NEED to make some soup, and there it is, already to go...a hold out from the days of Homeschooling and living on one income.....maybe that was training for now...
See ya 'round the corner....
Janie
......and my hose idea doesn't appear to be working!
So its back to the drawing board.
There was a thin coating of glass like ice on all the water surfaces this morning...It went down to 30 degrees last night. So I thought that in a "small" way I could test out my heated hose and the extention I bought.
Nope...what happened? Yes, thin ice came out of the heated hose, but then nothing..I went up and down the hose, and felt the extension hose over and over again..there doesn't appear to be any ice in the extension hose...so now what??? How will this work when it is 15 degrees?!
I have one more idea to try...the thought of hauling water out from the house, all winter, is NOT thrilling me..I have been doing it for far too many years....(I need a REAL barn! .... with water and electric!!! Can't do that here and we all know what THAT means.... and, "THAT" would be a project and a half...!.)
Right now, the temperature is over 40 degrees (and the next few days they say will be fairly normal for this time of the year, which means not freezing or below at night (yet), so I will have to wait to see if the idea works...
I am eagerly looking forward to having all the winter planning finished, and done with, so I can spend the winter, garden planning and re-doing my bathroom! I don't have a good camera yet (not that its bad it is just an older one), and that might take time, but I hope to get some pictures on with the one we have...we'll see how they turn out...
I have a turkey breast carcass simmering in a pot, on the stove, with onions and carrots to make stock...(I have no celery until I go out later). I made an herbed turkey breast during the week, and it smells so good!
I always make more then enough stock, so I can freeze it for those cold, cold winter nights when you just NEED to make some soup, and there it is, already to go...a hold out from the days of Homeschooling and living on one income.....maybe that was training for now...
See ya 'round the corner....
Janie
Saturday, November 27, 2010
One of those cute little quizzes...
Your fairy is:
Bindweed Goblinwitch
.."She brings riches and wealth.
She lives at the bottom of tangled gardens and in hedgerows.
She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking.
She wears tangled multicoloured skirts made of petals and has gentle green wings like a butterfly..."
....Interesting because one of my grandmother's friends used to call me a 'Fairy Child'...
Monday, November 22, 2010
Where were you....
47 years ago?
I remember it, as if seared in my brain with a branding iron, and I am sure almost everyone of that era also feels that way...
I think as much as that horrid moment is part of my history, our history, an even bigger part for me was, I think that was when my father saw me as an adult for the first time.
I was 17 and in school when "it" happened..everything shut down...teachers and students crying....school closings.... not for a "school shooting", because of fear and hate, but for a National tragedy that affected the world, and we were closing down to a great collective mourning...
I am sure that the whole rest of the family was aware of what was happening, but it is my father and I, that I remember staying up around the clock watching tv coverage..he talked to me about his political feelings and feelings of what happened that day, and days afterward, adult to adult....
My dad died 2 1/2 years ago, and I miss him every day.
Love you daddy...
Janie
I remember it, as if seared in my brain with a branding iron, and I am sure almost everyone of that era also feels that way...
I think as much as that horrid moment is part of my history, our history, an even bigger part for me was, I think that was when my father saw me as an adult for the first time.
I was 17 and in school when "it" happened..everything shut down...teachers and students crying....school closings.... not for a "school shooting", because of fear and hate, but for a National tragedy that affected the world, and we were closing down to a great collective mourning...
I am sure that the whole rest of the family was aware of what was happening, but it is my father and I, that I remember staying up around the clock watching tv coverage..he talked to me about his political feelings and feelings of what happened that day, and days afterward, adult to adult....
My dad died 2 1/2 years ago, and I miss him every day.
Love you daddy...
Janie
Monday Monday...Counting Your Blessings
A lot has been said about Mondays...
There have been many jokes, comments that make you think about whether you are "working", or have a "job"...
Many dread Monday with a back to the "grindstone..." mentality...
For most people, Sunday is their day of rest..and maybe it is as it should be...but when you kick off Monday by thinking you have to get; "back to the grindstone"; or dreading the coming week feeling; "chained to your desk"; maybe you should be re-thinking what you are doing.
For me, Monday is a time of a fresh start..whether it is for a new project, taking care of business for the week (whatever it is that sets you up for the week, or even months, ahead), or getting back to "what I Love"....(maybe that long term project that you really Love doing)
I try to think of Monday as my "set up day"...and in doing so, it makes the rest of the week easy-as-pie......fall into place. And by getting the "business" out of the way early in the week, I think it also helps over come any "surprises" that come my way too. I can look over what was accomplished last week and look ahead...
Oh, and what happens when the 'surprises are on Monday? I make Tuesday my set up day that week!! Because generally when you set up your week, and follow your plan during the week before, the really important things might already be taken care of!
So with that in mind...I am finishing up leaves in the front, today (have not touched the back yet, except for a small part of the corral...(it is not unheard of to put out over 100 bags in our area.). I store my leaves for the chickens in the winter and the garden in the spring, and in that way feel like in some SMALL way I am helping the landfills, by keeping at least my 100 bags out of them, and helping the environment, by putting some of them back into the ground.
Then it's off the the local home center to pick up some final items to get ready for winter, some sand (I don't like using chemicals or salt on the front path and back deck), more caulk for the windows, and pots to put up some stray plants that have outgrown what they were in... I have this CRAZY notion that if I keep some of my favorite plants (or plants that were gifts from family members and friends) I can MOVE them when we move..if the housing market ever picks up, even if it is in the winter......
So off we go...see you around the corner...
Have a great day!
Janie
(pictures to come soon...if all goes well..)
There have been many jokes, comments that make you think about whether you are "working", or have a "job"...
Many dread Monday with a back to the "grindstone..." mentality...
For most people, Sunday is their day of rest..and maybe it is as it should be...but when you kick off Monday by thinking you have to get; "back to the grindstone"; or dreading the coming week feeling; "chained to your desk"; maybe you should be re-thinking what you are doing.
For me, Monday is a time of a fresh start..whether it is for a new project, taking care of business for the week (whatever it is that sets you up for the week, or even months, ahead), or getting back to "what I Love"....(maybe that long term project that you really Love doing)
I try to think of Monday as my "set up day"...and in doing so, it makes the rest of the week easy-as-pie......fall into place. And by getting the "business" out of the way early in the week, I think it also helps over come any "surprises" that come my way too. I can look over what was accomplished last week and look ahead...
Oh, and what happens when the 'surprises are on Monday? I make Tuesday my set up day that week!! Because generally when you set up your week, and follow your plan during the week before, the really important things might already be taken care of!
So with that in mind...I am finishing up leaves in the front, today (have not touched the back yet, except for a small part of the corral...(it is not unheard of to put out over 100 bags in our area.). I store my leaves for the chickens in the winter and the garden in the spring, and in that way feel like in some SMALL way I am helping the landfills, by keeping at least my 100 bags out of them, and helping the environment, by putting some of them back into the ground.
Then it's off the the local home center to pick up some final items to get ready for winter, some sand (I don't like using chemicals or salt on the front path and back deck), more caulk for the windows, and pots to put up some stray plants that have outgrown what they were in... I have this CRAZY notion that if I keep some of my favorite plants (or plants that were gifts from family members and friends) I can MOVE them when we move..if the housing market ever picks up, even if it is in the winter......
So off we go...see you around the corner...
Have a great day!
Janie
(pictures to come soon...if all goes well..)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Off we go...
Those last gasps of fall..
So beautiful....it is as if every leaf but the brilliant reds, and pale apricots, and bright yellows, of the shrubs, fell over night....
And the Japanese red maples are surrounded buy a bed of red.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Off we go today to run errands..and when they are through we start to rake leaves... Living next to the park that can be an all winter process, because lets face it....NO ONE rakes leaves in the park!
See ya 'round the next corner....
Til then..have a Great day!
Janie
So beautiful....it is as if every leaf but the brilliant reds, and pale apricots, and bright yellows, of the shrubs, fell over night....
And the Japanese red maples are surrounded buy a bed of red.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Off we go today to run errands..and when they are through we start to rake leaves... Living next to the park that can be an all winter process, because lets face it....NO ONE rakes leaves in the park!
See ya 'round the next corner....
Til then..have a Great day!
Janie
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wednesday Beautiful Wednesday
And beautiful it is....
This morning it has been 60 degrees since almost 7am! It is dropping now a little and it is windy, and the wet leaves are now drying. I noticed almost ALL the trees suddenly dropped their leaves over night! So the lawn is covered with leaves!! Guess I know what we will be doing the next couple of days!
I ordered my new coiled drinking quality hose for the winter and we are set to go.. a quick trip to Home Depot for sand (for ice this winter), and window caulk will get us set for the winter...
It's not easy....I sometimes feel like I am taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps back (and sometimes it is reversed) ...but we are moving forward .... things feel like they are coming together..where they will lead I do not know...but..
Life is Good!
This morning it has been 60 degrees since almost 7am! It is dropping now a little and it is windy, and the wet leaves are now drying. I noticed almost ALL the trees suddenly dropped their leaves over night! So the lawn is covered with leaves!! Guess I know what we will be doing the next couple of days!
I ordered my new coiled drinking quality hose for the winter and we are set to go.. a quick trip to Home Depot for sand (for ice this winter), and window caulk will get us set for the winter...
It's not easy....I sometimes feel like I am taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps back (and sometimes it is reversed) ...but we are moving forward .... things feel like they are coming together..where they will lead I do not know...but..
Life is Good!
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