Sometimes Monday | 2.13.23

Sometimes Monday | 2.13.23

Brings a slow start thanks to a bad bout of insomnia this weekend. Ugh.

So I am easing myself into the week gently, with an extra cup of coffee before I begin the “Monday Chores.”

But there is sunshine again today!

And I have some weekend embroidery wheels to catch up with and I have a painting to finish, of course! But I thought that these hearts would be perfect (and quick!) coasters for Valentine’s Day…incentive for finishing that painting today? Yes, I think I could get a few done tomorrow with time to spare! I already have a bunch of random width strips in my scraps bag!

I am thanking my last week self for making a big pot of chili which will be our leftover dinner tonight… so the dreaded “what’s for dinner conversation” won’t happen!

And with that, I’d better get started! I hope your Monday is off to a quicker start than mine!

 

 

A Few Good Things | 2.10.23

A Few Good Things | 2.10.23

Hello Friday… it’s been a week where my motto has been this: “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get”

I have felt like I have been playing catch up all week but there were a few good things.

Thing One: I have had tremulous buds on my snow drops for weeks and I feared that the bit of an arctic blast we had last week would do them in. But as you can see above, bloom they did! They opened yesterday and it was fun to see them “dancing in the wild winds” we had! A very good thing for the list!

Thing Two: I got my homework done! Wooo! The theme for this week was “Atmospheric” and while I don’t think I quite achieved an “atmospheric painting,” Rick’s first comment in my feedback: “This reads well” was enough for me. He then gave me some ideas to “fix” my foreground trees… that look a bit like lollypops! Yes, they do!

Thing Three: Kareem Abdul Jabar’s response to having his decades long NBA Scoring Record broken by Lebron James on Tuesday night. I deeply loved watching Kareem play basketball, but I confess… I love even more where he has gone with his life post-basketball.

Thing Four: I stumbled entirely accidentally upon the Emergence Magazine Podcast a couple of weeks ago and I have been meaning to tell you about it. The episode that drew me in was one with Robin Wall Kimmerer talking about Serviceberries. It’s absolutely worth a listen and I been delighted with other episodes as well!

Thing Five: Otherwise known as The Things That Kept Me Behind This Week! I had the appointment with the NP which caused me to have to go for X-rays (which were inconclusive) but I called to make the referral appointment with the Ortho who I eventually did manage to make contact with and set an appointment. Because I was in “Appointment Mode” I also made the appointment for my annual mammogram. I mean what is not to love about calling into Doctor Office Phone Queues and making sure you are pressing the correct number for what you want to do… and then waiting… listening to Hold Music… with interspersed advertisements for UPMC… Oh! And could you please complete a survey for us at the end of this call! (Because who does not want to have the opportunity to push more numbers!!)

And with that, I have some things to finish (still) from this week. See you all back here on Monday!

Unraveled Wednesday | 2.8.23

Unraveled Wednesday | 2.8.23

Greetings Unravelers!

It is Wednesday and I don’t have my painting homework done (which is due by noon today… so guess what I am doing this morning! LOL) It has been a week that I feel “behind” … terribly behind! I begin each day with a plan of action but then a hiccup happens and my plan is aborted and I am left playing catch up!

So I don’t have much to share today! I have joined my sweater in the round and am making my way through the sleeve increases. I have a good bit to go before the Great Sleeve Divide… so you just have a bit of a blob to show for my knitting this week!

This means that next week I will have all manner of fun things to share with you… so I won’t spoil my surprise! Ha!

The reading this week has been so very good though! I found myself “between books”  and although the Hold Avalanche is bearing down on me…I picked up a book that Kym had mentioned some months ago. Which turns out to be just the thing to read when you have to abort all plans… yes I am in sync with Sully currently. So reading about his foibles is exactly the levity I need right now! Although, Sully is keeping me up later than I normally stay up… so that might be part of my problem!

As you can see… not much means not much! But what about you all… inspire me with your creativity!

And if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below and thank you!


Sometimes Monday | 2.13.23

Sometimes Monday | 2.6.23

is overflowing with good things from the weekend.

Krista Tippett’s On Being podcast returned last week, but I did not listen to the episode until Saturday. I am hitting replay this morning… it was just that good! I have also gotten on the waitlist for Dacher Keltner’s new book as well.

Sherman had a rocky Friday, but by Saturday he had turned the corner. He is loving being spoiled and is really loving canned dog food. I fear we are creating a monster, but he is one happy boy this morning.

I spent some time at my Sparrow on Saturday and Sunday and spun up some batts from Hipstrings. I have the “warm batts” almost done and plans to spin the “cool batts” next. I had missed spinning as meditation, but also found it was a great way to spend the day with a snoozing pug!

And I am carrying all those good things forward to begin my Monday. See you all back here on Wednesday!

 

Hello February | 2.3.23

Hello February | 2.3.23

And Hello Friday! It’s been a week, hasn’t it? How about an update on all.things.medical first…

On Monday, the Nurse Practitioner called with my blood test results…sigh. My cholesterol was not at good levels and had jumped extraordinarily since my last blood work. So I am now taking Lipitor™ (or the generic – Atorvastatin) and am working on some adjustments to my diet. I get bloodwork done again in 6 weeks and see how things are going. It was advantageous that the NP called, because when we talked about the “exercise” portion of my day, I told her about my hip pain. She immediately looked at her schedule and I am seeing her on Monday regarding that. She was lovely and I am very much looking forward to seeing her!

And then there is the tale of poor Sherman who had to have a bit massive amount of dental work done yesterday. Today, he is eleven teeth lighter and quite a bit more grumpy than his usual self. We had planned on him needing to have a couple of teeth removed… but eleven… yeah. Poor baby. My goal today is to spoil him even more than usual!

One groggy, grumpy pug who is significantly more swollen this morning, poor guy! 

But, beyond all of that…I really need to set a goal or two this month and focus on them… or February will be over and I will have accomplished nothing!

The Big Thing I really need to accomplish is a rework of my “Office.” I need to rearrange things because painting has become more important than it was when I first set myself up to paint. I like to stand up to paint, and in my current set up… that is not possible. So a big room rearrangement is needed. This will include “rehoming” some things and doing more sorting of other things. Yeah. All the fun… not! Haha!

The only other thing I have to focus on this month is to pull out some cook books and see if I can find some new recipes to entice The Meat and Potato Eater with some meals that have a more vegetal focus… i.e. sans meat and potatoes! As for me, I could easily give up meat and potatoes, if it means that I can keep cheese and the occasional bit of bread! But sadly, I cook for 2 in this house. Sigh.

Seems like so little to want to accomplish in a month… but if I can get these things done, I will feel like I have accomplished much!

And with that, I will bid you all a most amazing weekend and I will see you all back here on Monday!

Photo credit: Mikhail Nilov

 

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