December 14, 2020 Monday--1pm

Good afternoon!

This group of five partridges is actually here right now as I am starting our chat. 

I think I have two smaller coveys and one really large one that come every day.

Been so cold I am very happy to help them out.  Was supposed to get down to 5 F last night (-15 C).  But it probably was even colder because that is what the temperature is right now this afternoon.

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Leah and I had our video call Tuesday night and then she made a couple of drop offs at my patio door, too, last week.   On Wednesday she dropped off some stuff she ordered for me (and for them, too) for gut health.  ION is the name of it.  Got the drops and the nasal spray.

Supposed to help get your gut microbiome (?) back to normal.  Since Dr. Kessler said that was my priority issue to deal with we've done more research on gut health and leaky gut syndrome...and this could help.  Says to start out slow and I haven't had any issues with it yet.  Nice!  Fingers crossed.  I am willing to try just about anything.  Been a long year and a half with the new and different health issues added to my pain and exhaustion cocktail--LOL!  

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Leah also dropped off bird seed from Fleet Farm and some CashWise groceries on Thursday.  I met her in the garage where she piled the bird seed for me.  She said that the difference between getting a 40# bag or two 20# bags was only a dollar and something so she got me 20# bags.  They should be so much easier for me to haul inside and get into the bird seed bin--whoohoo!!  She is always thinking of things to help me out.  Is it any wonder she is so dear to me.  :) :)

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I worked on Christmas cards/letters all week long...every day.  Finally finished up yesterday and walked the rest of them down to go out in the mail today.  I can't believe I actually got them out by the middle of December--whoohoo!  That's my normal deadline.  Shock!  :)

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Meanwhile...I have limited time to do the free bonus mini-classes for Wanderlust so I decided to go through all of them and watch the videos so I could prioritize which ones I want to be sure and get to by the end of the month.  (Bonus classes aren't all available to download and keep like the Wanderlust classes in 2021.)  

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So, on breaks from Christmas cards, I was going through the bonus classes.  There were a few that were just a coupon code for money off of an online class or classes offered by that particular teacher apart from Wanderlust.  (I splurged enough on Wanderlust for next year, so no money for that.)  Then there was about half a dozen who had free printables for collage papers.  Since I don't really have "collage" papers I took advantage of those feebies!  After that there were 11 or 12 actual classes for free.  Most were one or two short videos, but maybe 3 of them were long full classes with many videos.  So, I know which ones I want to try to get to now and am organized.

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I plan to do all the bonus classes in the square Fabriano journal I did the first and only class in--LOL!

It's an interesting art journal with different shades of paper inside.

My one class so far was the mandala.

Now that I am done with Christmas cards and I have decided to use up leftover birthday cards for 2021...I am free to start on Wanderlust finally!!  That's where my spoons will be going.  ;)

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But what is so funny...

I totally forgot I had also signed up for the free advent calendar prompts by the lady who runs Wanderlust.  I would have remembered if I was getting an email with a link every day.  Turns out it was one link to get to all 24 prompts!  (Talk about being behind--LOL!)

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So I started watching these short videos to get an idea what was involved.  Lo and behold--these sound just perfect for me to start with!  They are supposed to be done in a very small art journal--preferably one you made yourself.  They're specific prompts; supposed to take a short amount of time; you are to try to be loose and fast; and supposed to gather up supplies to keep in a container of some kind to have at hand every day.

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Well, I haven't done any mixed media (or art in general, for that matter) for years!  The blank page is super intimidating right now.  And I actually have a small watercolor journal that I made eons ago.

One of the first journals I made when learning bookbinding...

...that felt too "precious" to use, you know?

So, I decided that it was about time I use this little journal.

Plus the heavy watercolor paper will hold up easily for collage, too.

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Step one: gather up supplies in a container.  

Easy!  

That won't take long, right?

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Three hours later...

...I finally had jammed full this tote with a handle.

I couldn't fit any paints in there--just gesso--but everything is close at hand for me in the studio.  I was mostly just trying to find all the tools!

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Leah was busy with babies when I moved here and I was pretty well shot for a long time after the move.  We have said we were going to eventually go through everything in the studio and hallway bookcases to organize and label things.  Well, we are dedicated procrastinators--lol!  

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So...I had this supply list...tissue paper--where the heck is my tissue paper?  Glue brushes--where would they be hiding?  This went on and on.  Was actually kind of fun because I had forgotten some supplies I had and it felt like an early Christmas!

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But got so tired and hurtin' that I finally had to just quit searching.  I did find tissue paper in a couple scrap satchels that could be used for collage...so I just cleared some space and drug them in from the hallways bookcases.

Obviously, I will have to change some things around in order to be ready for an entire year of mixed media.  At least this was a start.

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Anyways, that's how my week went.  All the Christmas cards are in the mail.  [I already have half a dozen new letters to answer from people I already mailed cards to--LOL!  At least they are not time sensitive.]  

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The covey of eight is here right now.  I got this picture last week of the one with 14.

They all stand up if they see me inside or someone coming down the sidewalk.

I froze so they would stay and eat.

But then they took off because of a lady walking her dog.

They do come back regularly, of course.  I think each covey comes by many times a day when it gets cold like this.

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We had a little bit of snow yesterday.

Barely a dusting.

I'm hoping for a good amount before Christmas!

For the partridges, too.  They stay warm by digging down and huddling in the snow.  Got to be a lot colder for them with no snow cover.

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Okay--so this week.  Leah is planning on coming over for a craft night tomorrow night!!  She's going to help me print off and punch all the pages for my 2021 bullet journal.  (You may recall she made up the pages for me for my 2020 bullet--and I have loved them!)  Then she will teach me how to store all the classes I will be downloading for Wanderlust--in the cloud--One Drive?  And finally--most of my colored twinkling lights I have (all year) around the patio door are burned out and I bought some new ones.  Leah is better at climbing around and doing that kind of thing--and she'd rather I didn't try, honestly.  So we will have a lot to do and I can hardly wait.

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We are also planning on an early Christmas on Sunday the 20th!  I will go over to spend the day--and the boys can open their presents.  Really excited about that.  Haven't seen them for a long time.  

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So, I hope all goes well and both those things can happen.  My head isn't AS plugged up as it was.  Seems to have moved into the chronic but less annoying phase.  Today I'm doing laundry and, hopefully, some cooking/baking.

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Oh, the end of that mini-series, Reckoning, was disappointing.  The acting was really good and all of that but it left you hanging.  Which would be fine if it was season one...but it said it was a mini-series.  I don't like being left hanging in the way they ended this one.  Being left hanging can be satisfying sometimes, but this definitely wasn't.

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I am currently watching the final season of Supernatural on Netflix streaming.  I have avoided hearing anything about how it ends--so don't tell me anything!  Had to first re-watch the first half that I already saw, of course.  (They always split their seasons for some reason.)  Fifteen years.  I don't want it to end.  

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Well, I hope to have and be company this week...and to start on the art journaling!  Eight partridges and about 30 sparrows are here at the moment.  Yup--birds are here from dawn to dusk when it is freezing outside...and I am tickled to have smaller bags to haul from the garage thanks to Leah.  :)

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Time to move the clothes into the dryer.  

It is almost Christmas!  

As I seem to say to everybody all the time this past year--stay safe and well.  Till next week...I am grateful for all of your company.  Best wishes!  :) :)

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"Sometimes our light goes out, but it is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.  Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light."

Dr. Albert Schweitzer

December 7, 2020 Monday--10:45am

Well, at least I got something done this week--LOL!  I owed a big stack of letters so I decided that those would be the first Christmas cards sent this year.  Been catching up on letters owed and sending off Christmas cards all week.  No--not done by any means but I have made a lot of progress.  Feels good--no matter how slow I am this year.  :)

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I thought I might have enough extra energy to get back to the bonus Wanderlust classes.  Nope.  But that's okay.  Nice to just be getting partially back to normal--LOL!

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Leah made a trip to Costco on Wednesday.  To be on the safe side I put my cart on my patio and she used that to wheel my groceries from her car to my patio.  That way neither of us had to go through the building now that we know there's covid here.  I sent the boys' Christmas presents to their place, too, so she can quarantine them...and just in case I can't make it over for Christmas.  Who knows these days, right?

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Dagan had to make an after hours trip to work, too, last week.  So we are isolating for a couple of weeks.  Then we'll see how everyone is doing.  Leah might come over (via the patio door) for a craft night to help me with some things.  I might be able to go over for an early Christmas...and maybe play some board games.  ;)  We'll see how it goes.

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Meanwhile, I'm doing okay.  Still no covid type symptoms.  Just is the chronic sinus stuff I usually get almost every winter...that can hang on till spring some years.  Normally doesn't hit me till after the holidays--January or February.  Figures.  It's 2020, after all.

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I had wondered if dairy or gluten contributed to the chronic sinus.  Have been gluten and dairy free for a couple of months--and the crud came early.  So, probably not.  Decided to add back in some dairy this past week.  Have not noticed any changes for the worse.  Same old--same old plugged head.  LOL!

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Anyways, am doing a bit more than I was.

Been busy at the Critter Cafe.

Cold, but sunny and no snow.  We've had snow at least ten times this winter but it hasn't stayed around for long.  The last thing I want is a brown Christmas this year, so I really hope we get some snow soon!  :)

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My rent went up $26 a month.  [I wondered when Goldmark took over management here when they would show their true colors.  You may recall that people were really upset and some people moved out because they don't have a good reputation up here.]  My federal housing worker told me that they will cover most or all of the increase.  Whew!  Nice to have some good news this week.  :)

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I rented a DVD from Netflix I really enjoyed called The Good Liar.  Has anyone else watched it?  I do enjoy both Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.  

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And this weekend I noticed a mini-series that will be leaving Netflix streaming January 1st called Reckoning.  I'm a little over halfway and it has been really interesting.  I like both the male leads from other series I've watched.

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Meanwhile, I am working on Christmas cards until they are all in the mail...however long that takes.  ;)  I try to go do mail in the dead of night so I don't run into anyone and I take an unused side door to bring out my trash (since there's no snow).  Masked and scrubbing up...all the things.  Am enjoying the Critter Cafe visitors.  Got one huge covey of 12-13 that comes regularly and a couple smaller ones.

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When I am finally able to get back to cardmaking and art classes I did make a Simon Says Stamp order last month.  Usually we order supplies for Christmas or birthday cards because those are constantly being made...but I saw this floral stamp and couldn't resist.

I do want to get back to making some regular cards this coming year.

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Saw another Penny Black weird cat birthday card stamp.  Some of you may remember this same cat with the wild whiskers carrying a cake with tons of candles on it that I used a few years ago.

I know--silly.  

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Then I got some dies that punch holes.

A couple of Christmas tree shapes...

...and a wreath shape.

This is something that I can sit and do while I watch TV.  You use embroidery thread on the card stock.  Something I haven't done before.

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So I ordered a cheap set of Christmas colored embroidery threads to experiment.

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Leah wants to try some origami paper folded trees for the fronts of Christmas cards.  She has the patience for that.  I have the patience for the hand sewing or coloring.  ;)  Anyways, these will be new techniques for us...and something we can work on separately until we get together to construct the cards.  

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Anyways--time for lunch.  Then I will likely move into the studio to work on Christmas letters all afternoon again.  I've been doing the writing in there most of the time.  Just love the peaceful feel in that room.  Nice to be close to my art supplies even if I can't quite get to them yet--LOL!  

Soon!  Soon!

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I'm not as plugged up at the moment.  Sunny and it's supposed to hit 40 degrees today.  Have a peaceful, sweet week, my friends.  :) :)

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"It is far too easy to discourage, all too easy to criticize, to complain, to rebuke.  Let us try instead to see even a small amount of good in a person and concentrate on that.  Let us be quicker to praise than to find fault.  Let us be quicker to thank others than to complain." Desmond Tutu

November 30, 2020 Monday--9:30am

Got a notice last week that we have covid in our apartment complex. 

More than one case, apparently.

The day before this notice went around the guy across the hall from me knocked on my door because he said he had gotten a bunch of my mail in his box.  He fumbled the many envelopes and dropped them all on the floor...picked them up...and then went through them one by one handing me mine.  He did have a mask on, which isn't something he usually ever did.

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But the next day after we got the covid notice letter outside our doors I saw this taped to his door!

Now why didn't he at least warn me that he'd tested positive for covid a few days before!?  I would have had him leave the mail outside my door.  And yesterday the sign was gone from his door.  So he didn't think he needed to even have it up for 14 days of quarantine, I guess.  But he very likely is one of the unbelievers who thinks it's a hoax.  We have many people here who I have never seen wear a mask even though they send out notices and put up signs.  It's probably surprising that it took this long to get into our senior building.

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Anyways, Leah's grandparents decided to skip Thanksgiving.  Her brother, Aaron, came over, though.  He lives alone in an apartment complex in downtown Fargo.  Leah sent me some pictures.  Looks like they had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving.

Mama and the boys.

Ian's "I am thankful for" turkey he made for school.

Video games.

Liam hanging big bells on the tree.

I'm glad Aaron got to go over for Thanksgiving, anyways.  :)

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Myself...

honestly...

I've been in the deep doldrums.  :(

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Still have the sinus issues that hang on and on...like I often have every winter.  Been very tired and decided not to fight it.  Just napping and dozing whenever.  Been through at least one box of Puffs.  But now I really do need to start working on getting Christmas cards ready to mail.  I have had no energy...no mojo.  Need to turn things around somehow.  

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Too tired to even look up a quote.  Sorry.  Hopefully this will be a better week.  My very best wishes to each and every one of you to stay safe and well.  :)

November 23, 2020 Monday--11am

Well, this will be a short one.

The partridges are around regularly again. 

Been cold.

It's 25 degrees right now.

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Leah came over Tuesday night for the first Craft Nite in many months.  I became really stuffed up that day.  We worked on the Christmas cards.

We were gluing the die cuts on to the fronts and pressing them under the red trays.

Finished them all!!  Thanks to Leah doing a lot more faster than I can.

Then Leah tried to set up the DVD player and it didn't work with my TV.  Was on older model, I guess.  (No wonder it was so inexpensive.)  So have to send it back and order another one.  Leah and I had such a nice evening.  Been so long!!

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But...

by the time I woke up on Wednesday I was feeling worse.  Head totally plugged up, headache, and even took a nap.  Finally took my temp and was running a very low temp of around 100.  So, I got ahold of Leah to warn her.  

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So--no first actual Thanksgiving in 21 years for me.  And now Leah's grandparents and brother are afraid to come over...so I was feeling like I had ruined Thanksgiving for everybody.  :(  But if they want to quarantine from the day Leah saw me for two weeks they could have it on the first.  I'd hate to see them miss out because of me.  

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I have had no trouble breathing--except for a snot-filled head--LOL!  Had the low temp till during the night on Thursday night (couple of days).  Sinuses are better.  Feel better...just tired and draggy.  But that is absolutely normal for me after being sick.  Caught up on laundry yesterday.  Never seemed to have any typical covid symptoms...but it is disconcerting that I even got sick at all when I am wearing my mask and washing my hands and have only seen McFamily the week before and they're not sick.  Just proves to me that I am one of those vulnerable people, I guess.  I mean, I know I have a compromised immune system with fibro and all...but this drove the point home, I guess.  :(

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I got my card in the mail from the boys.

Sadly, even quarantining for 5 1/2 weeks before I visited them and Leah came over here...I somehow got sick anyways.  :(

I really hope they can get together for Thanksgiving after all.  Leah's grandpa wants me to get a covid test...but unless you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone else I'm not sure you can even get tested here.  And then that would be more exposure just to go in for the testing.  So, I think I am going to call the clinic just to question them about symptoms.  A phone visit.  Just to make her grandparents feel better.  Unless I take a turn and start to feel worse (which isn't impossible) I think I just had some regular old sickness.  I'm waiting out another 14 days to see what happens.

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Meanwhile, I got a phone call from Caroline's boss on Thursday.  I am losing Caroline.  I don't plan on having anyone new over till at least January.

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Not one comment on the blog came through to my inbox this week, either.  And then I also had trouble leaving comments on other people's blogs this week for the first time.  Not that I tried all that many because I wasn't feeling well, but I read them all.  Just one of those weeks, I guess.

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But we did finish the Christmas cards, anyways.  So, now I need to work up to addressing envelopes.  ;)  

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I chatted with my mom and she's doing okay.  So far so good.  

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Actually sunny today.

I hope it is a good week.  :)

Till next time.

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"We become what we think about."

Earl Nightingale

November 16, 2020 Monday--noon

 On the cusp of the day, I guess, when I started.  

Blogger did not allow one single comment to my email box this week.  I do comment on your blogs, though, when I can and read every one of your comments before I post them.  This may be the way it is from now on, I guess.  Also the videos seem to be smaller in size no matter what I do.  Oh well.  Adjustments and adaptations are forced upon us.  Nothing much we can do about it.  

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Well, we had a dusting of snow early in the week.  So windy that it blew the dry snow down into the grass and caught it along the edges.

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Big news!  Caroline is going to a new job with a different company come the new year.  Since she has two jobs at her present company (office and cleaner) she is asking if she can keep me as a cleaning client.  After she was promoted, they kind of bent the rules and let her keep a couple of clients she had for personal help visits.  But they might not let her keep me when she leaves her main job there.  Both Leah and I wrote letters asking to keep her, but who knows?  She's been with me since around 2006!  She'll let me know as soon as she hears something.

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Annie doesn't like any visitors whatsoever so she doesn't care.

I do, though.

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Partridges were coming regularly, but visits have dropped way down the past several days and I have no clue why.  

They should be here more often as it has been so cold.  Maybe because I have been gone a bit I just haven't seen them...I hope.

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I've been working on Christmas cards the past week.  It's taking me longer than normal as I have had some really sharp back pains--kinks, I call them.  So I work a while and rest a while.  My back is the boss of me.

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I started out trying the circular die we wanted for the fronts of the cards...but it was really hard to get it out of the die...even using waxed paper.

So I switched up to another Merry Christmas die that was much easier to pop out and will be easier to glue, too, because the font is wider.

That's been my big project for this week.  

The Vagabond has been getting a good working out--LOL!

Got 80 out of 100 of them cut out so far.

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On Thursday I went for my first bubble visit in 5 1/2 weeks!  Ian was still working on my surprise.  I took a short video.

Gramma usually uses the recliner when I am visiting.

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Mama put a halt to the masking tape beginning platform--this was plenty--LOL!  

BTW--Ian bundles up all the used tape into a ball and uses it to aim at a masking tape target he made on the wall.  Always thinking of something!

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Ian showed me his big drawing of all the characters from Guess How Much I Love You that he made!

Wanted me to be sure and get the whole thing in the picture.  It's four sheets taped together to make a kind of mural.

And you can see, that's exactly what we were watching--LOL!

I also got to be there for a second Halloween!  Due to USPS being slow with the mail lately half the sugar free candies hadn't arrived in time so the boys got to have a second candy search in the dark with flashlights and glow sticks.  Then it was time to divide the goodies evenly.

Ian was in such a generous mood!  He gave Gramma a peanut butter cup right off the bat!  And he shared with Mama and Daddy...and even Ian got an extra goodie--LOL!

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Annie wants me to settle down in my chair ASAP when I have been gone.  Follows me around until I do and then hops up between my legs to sleep.  Here she wondered what the heck I was doing, though, taking her picture.  She was worried I wanted to get up again--LOL!

Otherwise, did the usual--laundry and cooking and such.  Back has been in a really bitchy mood lately...so instead of finishing the die cutting I sat and cut down the front papers that were bad.

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I think I showed you how only some of the fronts I had pre-taped the backs with the double-sided tape (last year, I think) had the glue soak through to the front side.  Yuck!

So I had to cut them down--30 of them.

So 70 of them will look like this.  The Merry Christmas isn't glued down but other wise these are done.

And 30 of them will look like this.

I cut down, creased, and folded the green card bases.  Still have to put double-sided tape on the back of the front background paper and tape them down...and we need to glue down the 100 die cuts on the fronts, too.  So a ways to go.

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Luckily, Leah is planning to come over on Tuesday night for a Craft Night!!  The first in months and months!  I hope to get done enough that all we have to do is glue on the die cuts to them all.  They won't all match this year, but them's the breaks--LOL!  ;)

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I went back for another bubble visit yesterday so I could spend time with the boys while Dagan and Leah worked on stuff.  Liam and Ian were supposed to work on making paper turkeys from their handprints, color them, and then Ian cut them out.  Liam didn't last long after the hand tracing.  He always seems to need to go find Mama, so I wasn't able to keep him out of their hair the whole time when they were working upstairs.  (Sorry, guys!)

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But Ian worked on the turkeys, finished them, and then did a little writing on and signing his name to the cards.  They were making cards to thank Uncle Aaron and his Great Grandma and Grandpa for all quarantining for two weeks so they could come over for Thanksgiving...and plus a hope you have a good Thanksgiving card for his cousin's family since they can't come (because they can't quarantine for two weeks as they teach school).  

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Yes, I forgot to take pictures.  

We were so busy.  ;)

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This afternoon Leah is picking up Cashwise groceries--and not only some for me, but her grandparents and brother so they can stay quarantined till Thanksgiving.  She does the drive up thing where they just stick it in the trunk.  I'm meeting her at my garage because I have a couple things to bring out anyways and I try to leave the apartment as little as possible.  Two birds with one stone.  We do masks, etc.  Leah washes up well when she gets home--me, too, after I put my groceries away.  Life is just like this now.  It is routine.  :)

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Woke up to a little more snow again.  It's 24 degrees right now (-4.4 C just asked Alexa) and supposed to get down to 16 tonight (-8.9 C).

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Three residents and one employee have tested positive where Mom lives now.  That's the most residents there have been.  I hope they nip it in the bud again.  They've been so strict there, but the virus is running rampant everywhere.  Fingers crossed and saying a prayer.

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Meanwhile...I shall be working on the Christmas cards and looking forward to a Craft Night with Leah tomorrow!  Stay safe everyone!  :)

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"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."

Charlotte Bronte