January 22, 2023 Monday--5am

 Good morning!

Been another week below freezing.  The past couple of days the wind has been pounding even louder against the building.  I am glad the partridges feel comfortable enough to settle in to stay once in a while.  They sit up on the planters or sometimes hide in the bushes next to my patio.  Not so far to go for their next meal.  ;)

Not enough snow to burrow down into to protect themselves against the wind, so they do look fluffed up twice their size to keep warm.  Really do enjoy seeing them every day.

Just in case you're interested, I still am changing my shower curtains about every two weeks.  Still is such fun for me.

Miss Allie still sleeps away the afternoons on her favorite cat bed up on the table in the bedroom.  Been good cuddle up and snooze weather, that's for sure.

This past week I have slowly gotten all the cards and letters owed all set up...

...with all sorts of clips to hold each one together.

They are finally ready to go.  

Yes, I know how slow I have been.  After pushing myself for the past year to do all that P&P...well, since I finally basically finished...been in collapse mode.  And it is marvelous!  Has hindered my card and letter writing, though.  Sorry.  Plus it is freezing out and that the cold air runs along the floor...so that you want to just hibernate under a blanket with your feet up and get lost in a good story on the screen--lol! 

Despite that, I have given myself an arbitrary rule that I have to do my journaling up at the table.  Unless I am sick-sick or having such a horrible day I can't manage it at all, of course.  So, I have actually been up at the table every day since Tuesday, I think.  Progress in those small baby steps.  :)  

I've been randomly doing pages in the 365 Days of Art book, too.  I knew I'd never do a page a day and that I planned to just have fun with it whenever I could manage...so it is nice to be playing in there, too.

There is big news on the apartment build.  Was dangerously cold to get together for a confab at Dagan and Leah's so we had a video call with the three of us and discussed the new issues.  Long story short--it was decided that we would have the rest of the apartment finished by contractors.  The electric people are probably going to be here the end of the month, they said.  We'll need to hire a HVAC/Plumber company to finish those.  Leah had already talked to someone about doing the sheetrock/drywall.  The cabinet company will be ready to go when the walls are done and they will also put in the carpeting down the stairs to the basement after they are finished installing the cabinets.  Oh, and the drywall people will paint everything with the light tan/cream color.  Dagan and Leah will paint the accent walls. 

So--it may still take a long time--as it can with contractors--but it will be done by licensed professionals, so we don't have to worry about getting in trouble with the City or County and (since they both work with him) Trent won't be in any trouble, either.  (Not that he seemed bothered by it all, Leah said.)  Anyways, that is the new plan.

My plan to not give my two month notice until it is finished remains the same.  There's a ton of IKEA furniture to put together and I still have a lift chair to buy and we have things to sell...things like that.  So, I'll let you know what is happening as I find out.  Meanwhile--I am worn out and happy to be done with the P&P on my end (except for little things that don't even need to be done before I move).  

This past week all of McFamily was sick with a sore throat-runny nose thing.  This time Dagan had it first.  But they were all doing fine by the weekend.  

Myself--besides setting up the 29 cards & letters--laundry, dishes, crock pot stew, baking...general puttering...watching videos, good shows and some movies.  A quiet, wonderful week...  

...with all the visitors to the frozen Critter Cafe.

You know I will miss them when I am gone.  The limper is still with the group but the hopper...haven't seen it.  :(

This weekend McFamily went to Sky Zone in Fargo.  They brought with the next-door neighbor boy, Nash (who spends a lot of time at their house--he's the one with the trampoline in his back yard).  Leah said there were a lot of other kids there, too, from the neighborhood.

There are four really short videos to show you (and Gramma) what there is to do at a trampoline place--lol!  

This does not look easy!  Trying to jump up from the trampoline onto a ledge--no thanks.  Not too many kids could do it.  Here's Ian taking his turn to try.

This is Liam jumping from trampoline to trampoline across this whole room.

Liam was pretty nervous about jumping from the platform on to that squishy mess below.  It took him a long time but this is the video where he finally took the leap.

Ian doing a twirl jump off the platform.  

Goodness!  It's no wonder they need employee spotters all over the place there--lol!  What a fun place, though.  The boys enjoy going there--like they do the rock-climbing-wall place.

Oh, and this was something called the hurricane.  A few of the boys stood inside and I guess they get swirled or blown with air.

Nash, Ian, and Liam--all were thirsty boys when they got back to the house--lol!

My "Rita" snowflake arrived for next year!  So, I will have a tree ornament and Allie and I will have stockings next year.  

We are supposed to finally get above freezing by Wednesday.  It will feel like spring--lol!

To all of you waiting to get snailmail--may take longer than usual (already has) but I like to take my time with each paper chat, as you know, and I am just not moving fast.  Moving again, but not fast--lol!  For once I am not slow because I am feeling totally miserable (well, I was sick-sick for over a week there), but because I mostly feel like a hibernating bear who just wants to curl up and stay put where it is warm and safe--lol!  The cold may be making me more achy, not sure, but I am pretty much back to my usual 3-4 on the pain scale most of the time so I can handle that.  Thankful for furnaces, cats, the internet, coffee, snailmail, and all you wonderful people!!  Life is good!  See you next week!!  :)