Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Tuesday-10:15am

We still haven't had much snow up here.
Just enough for them to shovel the walks. 
Many days have been cold and gray. 
It is most definitely winter. 
Was cold and windy--my direction--yesterday so that it was one of those days the blinds swayed gently as I sat by the window and my hands and feet were cold.  Ever since they bolted the top halves of the windows up a few years ago (because some of the apartments had leakage from rain), I can't lock my windows and there's a wider gap between them.  But more cold air comes in through the dryer vent, actually--LOL!  It's nothing new.  I'm used to wearing an extra layer whenever it gets below freezing.  Otherwise it stays pretty warm in here because heat rises.  
But yesterday I appreciated being able to sit at my desk to journal...farther away from the window...with my coffee (for the ladies over at T Stands For Tuesday).  I've been drinking a lot of hot, black coffee on these frigid days of winter.  ;) 
Caroline helped me bring in my meager Christmas decorations last week.  I haven't put them up for maybe 5-6 years.  Can't even remember how long.  Funny how having a baby in the family makes one want to get out the Christmas decorations--LOL!  I'm surprised the table top tree still lit up.  And I had forgotten about the angel that lights up, too. 
I strung the two sets of lights that still worked over the window, too, so it is quite festive at night.  Especially since the one set blinks and can play carols if I turn the sound on--LOL!  Not that the lack of decorations ever put a damper on my high holiday spirits.  ;) 
Miss Karma spends a lot more time up in her chair and off the floor in the winter.  I had her gray foam bed out of reach for quite a while.  I laid it on the ottoman.
New spot for it.  Immediate interest, of course. 
Do you see I have both Karma's hazelwood collar and her red collar on? 
She had a big, long area under her chin on her neck where she'd scratched off all her hair.  That was before she got the hazelwood collar.  She was still scratching when I first put it on her and she got a couple bloody sores.  I wondered if it was from the edges of the hazelwood beads against her bare skin, so I put her big red collar on to kind of protect the bare area because it hangs right over it.  And in the last couple weeks all the sores are gone and the hair has grown back!  :)
She still scratches, of course, but only occasionally and not frantically or for a long time.  No cat or dog is going to quit scratching altogether...and she still has dry skin...but I even noticed a lot less cat dandruff when I comb and brush her lately.  Can all that goodness really be from the hazelwood collar?  Can it really help remove toxins?  Oh, and the tabletop humidifier has also been going in the bedroom.  I'm sure that may have helped, too...but I have that going every winter and it has never stopped her dry skin and cat dandruff that she has year round?
I may have to get me a hazelwood necklace for myself for Christmas.  ;)
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Anyways, Leah texted me Black Friday morning that Ian cut a bottom tooth--and by evening he had cut the other one.  Apparently Ian's baltic amber necklace/anklet really helped him with pain, too.  He wasn't really acting any different.  Nice!
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I may have to get me a baltic amber necklace for myself, too--ROFL!  ;)
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The red FriXion pen from the set I just bought last month quit writing...and I only use them in my new planner so I've barely used it.  I emailed JetPens.com because I know they are such a good company.  They responded quickly--but you'll chuckle at what the person asked me to do.  Remember I showed you how the ink disappears when it gets cold, etc...well, he asked me to put the red pen in the freezer overnight, let it warm up for a couple of hours, and then see if it would write.  I realize they are temperature sensitive but all the pens have been together in the one cup holder, right?  Well, I tried it...but it still wouldn't write at all.  Emailed him back...and another red pen is already in the mail.  In the cold, cold mail.  I'll let you know if it works well when it gets here...after it has warmed up.  ;)  JetPens has fantastic customer service.
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I am planning to go over to Leah's to finish up Christmas projects this afternoon.  Tomorrow Caroline is coming over to go buy groceries for me.  Since they still don't have all the items from the natural foods department on their website yet and they will only allow a small amount for a written add on, Caroline will get groceries for me until they get everything back on the website.  She's such a sweetheart!  We're so funny!  You'd think this was a real adventure or something...we get so excited about having a change in plans after nine years--LOL!  It's cool because Caroline actually saved me money when she went that time.  She can call and ask me questions and tell me what's what, you know?  Such fun!  Doesn't take much to make me happy, eh?
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Leah's had the same problem because she also orders a lot from natural foods that still isn't back on the new website so she's been going to the store to shop for a couple of months.  They've been getting delivery for as long as I have.  She said you forget how long it takes to grocery shop.  Especially when you don't know where things are anymore--LOL!  Cashwise has the very best natural foods department in the area, too.  Dagan and Leah shop for a lot of things at Costco now (yes, we got a Costco in Fargo!)--but there are a lot of items you can only get at Cashwise.  I am so lucky to have Caroline volunteer to get groceries for me for as long as it takes them to get the website up to date with all their products.  (Funny how slow an entire corporate website "team" can be--ROFL!) 
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It only got up to about 5 degrees yesterday.  It's already 17 today (but it says feels like 3 degrees with the wind chill factor).  Will be a nippy trip.  Good day for hot, black coffee.  ;)  I know some of you are desperately trying to stay cool while we are trying to stay warm here...but may we all have a really good day no matter where we are.  :):)
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"I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding."
John O'Donohue

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I lived in Fargo, I'd be a duckcicle!!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

So glad to read that both Karma and Ian are benefiting from those hazelwood products. Karma looks quite content, too.

It's cold here, too. We had 72 F for a high on Saturday and 22 F for a high on Sunday. We're back in the deep freezer with you, dear.

Thanks for sharing your week with us and your happiness that Caroline is buying your groceries for T this Tuesday.

DJan said...

I'm glad you will be getting a new pen. They sure do have good customer service. And that's great news about Karma! :-)

Dianne said...

oh my, you need the Christmas decorations and journaling to warm you up! fun to see your place...stay warm dear! happy T day!

Intense Guy said...

You might want to try a copper necklace too - with all those necklaces, you'll never be able to stand up (or you will build up some really strong leg muscles!)

Yes, winter is here - I'm not too please by that - but the bright Christmas lights now (and to come) will help somewhat when I'm out driving or walking around in the dark evening hours!

Hi Karma!! You Krazy Kat! Move your bed and you suddenly think the new location needs "testing" out!

TexWisGirl said...

really glad the collar seems to be helping karma!

our gazebo house gets plenty drafty in winter, here, too. the chill sets into the bones even if we're not anywhere near your temps. :)

GrandmaG said...

Love your little tree! When our big one dies, I'm sizing down. I just hate walking around the tree and up and down the step ladder trying to give the thing a symmetrical look. Oh the curses of being a perfectionist! LOL Have fun with Leah today!

Craftymoose Crafts said...

I didn't get a chance to put up a post this week, but wanted to stop by and say hello! Your apartment looks so festive. So happy to hear the hazelwood collar has helped Karma's itchy skin.

Besides 5" (almost all gone now) the day before Thanksgiving, we have not had any snow. The temps continue to boomerang high and low.

Hilary said...

That's good to hear about sweet Karma. You never know what might work, or why but it's good to know that something does. And nice that Ian's teeth didn't bother him. Both of my boys got through teething without issues. The first signs of new teeth were the clinks on the spoon. :)

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, Rita! It got uncomfortably warm in my Florida town today, above 80 degrees and humid. I'm sorry to learn that Karma was suffering from sore, itchy skin. Even here in Florida, dry, sore, itchy skin becomes a problem when winter dries out the air. You are wise for owning a humidifier. I love these latest pictures of Karma relaxing and snoozing in her kitty bed. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend!

ChicagoLady said...

This suggestion probably wouldn't work for you, as I'm sure you like to open your blinds and look outside, but have you considered putting up plastic over the window to keep the draft out? I do it in one of my bedrooms that has a terribly drafty window, and it has really saved me. I used to sit here at the computer with so many layers on, the heat jacked up in this room, and I'd still be cold. Then a few years ago I started putting plastic up, the kind you seal closed using a hair dryer. It has made all the difference. The only problem for me is that I have to seal the entire window around the outside edge, so my blinds are either open or closed, so I chose closed and they don't get opened again until spring.

Krisha said...

Hi Rita,
Happy T-day, even though it's Wednesday now and we both drink coffee.....LOL

Your post made me shiver, remembering how cold the wind can blow in Fargo. It finally rained here yesterday, an all day, steady rain....it smelled so good!

Plastic over the drafty windows is a good idea, you can always leave it off the one you take your pictures through. I can't stand NOT being able to look out a window.

Glad to hear Karma is getting some relief from the itching, poor baby!

There are some days I wish somebody else would do my grocery shopping....LOL What a great gal Caroline sounds to be. So glad you have her and her helping ways.

Krisha said...

PS........missed Ian this week!

dawn said...

Hello and Happy T Day! Love the pictures of Karma. Brrrr it's cold there, I thought our temps were cold. Love the peeks at your decorations. So far just the tree and lights on it is all we have. Pulling out the rest next week. Stay warm and thanks for sharing.

jinxxxygirl said...

No snow here but we have RAIN! Much much needed rain!!!! Its a balmy 65 degrees during the day. AAaaahhh California! LOL! So glad Karma is feeling better. Hugs! deb

Divers and Sundry said...

I'm enjoying hot coffee with you and your pretty decorations :) I'm cold here, and we're expecting a high of 48F! I'd surely freeze there lol

Anonymous said...

I have been drinking a lot of black coffee too...with a lot of cream and sugar.

I bought two Dr. Grip pens. I think that's what they're called. They have a spongy grip.

Anyway they are not cheap and they both stopped working. I haven't done anything about it though.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Today started out wet but it has stopped raining and now it is just sticky and yuck but such is life.

AliceKay said...

We got almost a foot of snow here last Wednesday, and it snowed on and off throughout Thanksgiving Day. By Sunday, most of the snow was gone. Then yesterday rolled around and we had snow, then sleet, then snow, then sleet, and then rain. Crazy weather patterns these days.

I'm glad you and Caroline have worked out a good arrangement for you. Hope the website gets "fixed" soon.

Need to take some pics of Ian with his new teeth the next time you're with him. :)

Victoria Zigler said...

Well, you may not have had much snow, but you still have more snow than me. It's cold, and often damp here, but though we've had rainstorms and thunderstorms, and even some sleet the other day, we haven't had snow yet. Only snow I have is the snow on the Wintery scenes I'm making on Christmas cards. Oh, and a bag of fake snow Iggy sent me last year, which I'm going to put around the base of my tree when I put it up.

I'm glad you felt like having your decorations out this year. I haven't put mine up yet. I usually do on December 1st, but I've decided to do it later in the month this year.

That's great about Karma's sores. It does sound like it's the collar helping, since it's the only thing different.

I'm glad the amber anklet seems to be helping Ian with the pain of teething. How cool that he has two teeth now! Hope the anklet continues to help him with the pain.

It's a good thing you have people like Caroline to help you while they get the website sorted out. Isn't it amazing how exciting just a little change can be sometimes?

carol l mckenna said...

Karma is a love and you sound well 'Grandma' ~ so good to hear from you and that you have decorated for the Holidays (I love the lights) ~ and you are warm, cozy and safe.
Be calm and carry on ~ xoxoxo

artmusedog and carol
www.acreativeharbor.com

Halle said...

I believe a warm up is in store for us next week...hope it filters a little further north for you. :)
I'm really interested in the hazelwood and the detoxifying properties. I'm going to go search that out right now!
Have a wonderful week!
Happy late T day!

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear Karma's sores are much better. Love the snow - we're still waiting over here.

Feral Turtle said...

I might have to get my sons dog a hazelwood collar. Glad it is helping Karma. Ohhhh Ian's first tooth! I've heard good things about those amber necklaces. We were thinking of getting my dad one for his arthritis!

Serena Lewis said...

I love your festive bling! :)

Where did you order Karma's hazelwood collar? I think I need to get one for Jack as I'm at my wit's end. I can't find anywhere that sells pet necklaces. Did you just order one meant for people? I'm tempted to do that but not sure about size etc. So glad to hear it's been helping Karma. :)