2022 Happy To Be Here

 It is Thankful Wednesday!  That means I am two-thirds of the way through my work week.  Work went well.  I have a new manager and I was able to talk with them for a few minutes today.  I let them know that I want to learn more things.  There are staffing issues that are making it difficult to train people right now, but at least I have voiced my wants.   Other things I am thankful for today: Netflix and other streaming services.  I've been using old movies as background noise for when I am weaving the background sections.  It needs to be fairly quiet still when I weave the designs, but the practice has been making that easier too. I completed the weaving part of the green and white band.  Tomorrow it will come off the loom and I will stitch the ends so they don't unravel.  There will be at least two of the eight bands completed, possibly five.  My friend hasn't quite finished the three she has been working on but she is g...

Thankful Wednesday is also a Weaving Wednesday today. Little by little I work on the weaving project. I wish I could weave faster, maybe I'll get faster the more I do it. Still, I'm thankful that I have this skill. Other thankful things for today: My work week is only three days. So I only have one more day this week. Yesterday I got a response to the email I sent to sign up for the ceramics class. I'm in! Keziah is going to take it as well. I'm thankful that I was able to push through my anxiety and send that email. I’m thankful that I got a good (for me) amount of sleep yesterday. It helped my workday go better. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: The Will to Battle , by Ada Palmer Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

It is the last day of August. I'm tired of the heat of summer and looking forward to September weather. I'm thankful for the seasons and the changes that they bring. Other things I am thankful for: When I let a supervisor at work know the job I was doing was making me feel ill, they switched where I was. Sometimes, packages coming at me fast along the rollers give me an upset stomach. Today I was at the fastest area and it didn't go well. So I'm thankful they moved me. There is a possibility that I will have more help with weaving. I'm very thankful for this. I finished the first pattern on the weaving, crossed fencing swords. I'm hopeful that at least some of the pieces will be ready before the event.  I'm thankful that I am remembering how to weave and some little tricks are coming back to me. ☮ I'm going to try to get back into the habit of listing what I am reading... Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affir...

 The temperature outside is a little over 70 degrees and mostly sunny.  There are more signs of flowers to bloom soon in the yard.  The lilacs are already starting to open up.   Soon the sweet fragrance will be carried on the breeze and people with lilac allergies will be dismayed.  To my knowledge, that is not an allergy I suffer from and I will enjoy this.  Other happy things today: I noticed one paper white (narcissus) bud and some lily of the valley buds. Here is what some might consider an odd thing to be happy about; I paid some bills.  They weren't regular monthly bills and so I have been forgetting that they existed.  Now they are paid and I am happy that is DONE. For Weaving Wednesday I found the pattern and did a very small amount of weaving.  Only one repeat of the pattern and I didn't take a picture.  I'm glad I picked up the loom again and worked on it.  Every little bit is closer to done.   ☮ Currently ...

Sometimes, sleep is a wonderful thing. Today went so much better than yesterday! I didn’t feel like I was going to fall asleep at work and my attitude was better. Other happy things from today: Since the forsythia are blooming I got out and did a little pruning of the roses. Truth is, even after watching videos and reading articles I still feel that I don’t know what I am doing. Hopefully I didn’t kill them. There is another bush I will get to another day. Before After... Can't really tell I did much. Also on the plant front I repotted some of the marigolds. I’m not sure that was a good idea either, but it is done. If the ones I repotted don’t make it, there are more. The challenge is over. Today is Weaving Wednesday though and so I wove another three of the repeating pattern I’ve been doing.   ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. And Tracking & The Art of Seeing: How to...

Before the clocks moved forward for spring, when I took my lunch break at work I was seeing the sky lighten. Enough time has gone by that it is happening again. This morning on my way back into work the eastern horizon had a warm lavender glow.  Other happy things for today: Sometimes friends just need an ear to talk to. Today I was that ear, listening as TF talked about a work problem. I'm thankful that I could be there for her. I might be flying to Texas soon. For weeks I have been having a hard time weaving because the tension is off with my threads on the loom.  Sagging threads.  :( For day 94 of the A&S challenge I attempted to fix this problem. It is not fixed. I did find a way to wing it though, and weaving was much more pleasant on this Weaving Wednesday.I did two of the repeating pattern. With this temporary fix I'm hoping to do more next time I weave. What I wove today. My temporary tension solve. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Medi...

After yesterday's dog escapades it was late and I would have only had about two and a half hours of sleep before going to work. I thought about not going in so I checked the app to see if there was any voluntary time off available. There was, and even better, there was a part day time off available so I went in four hours late. I really needed sleep. Other things I am happy for today: Aesop, our dog of yesterday's escapades, greeted me when I got home from work. Yesterday we weren't sure we'd find him. Sometimes he ignores my coming home, others he barks, today he seemed happy to see me. Monday night Keziah made carrot soup. I wasn't awake to eat it but I had the leftovers today. Yummy! It is Weaving Wednesday. I made a mistake, which took some time to fix, so I only wove two repeats of the pattern. Day 87 of the A&S challenge is done. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Da...

The lilac buds seem a little larger today.   The plant that I am impatiently waiting to bud out is the forsythia bush.  On more than one YouTube video I have heard that the right time to prune roses is when the forsythia blooms.  I want to prune them in the fall, but they are supposed to be pruned until spring... it has been a long winter for me and the roses.  Other things I am happy for today: The local ice cream shop is now open for the season.  I had a nice large amount of my favorite, peppermint stick ice cream. Weaving Wednesday brought me to day 80 of the A&S challenge.  Only 20 days left!  I did the normal weaving, three repeats of the pattern.  It took me over 30 minutes to do that.  I'm still having tension problems.  I'm kind of determined to get this finished, unless a warp thread breaks, then it will be done early. ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spi...

 It was another good night at work.  Sometimes it is the smallest things that make an ordinary day seem better.  Today that was the casual sarcasm I tossed out to a coworker.  I'm walking behind them as they move some boxes, the boxes fall over, I dryly say, "Oops," as I go by.  A few minutes later he is again moving boxes that fall over, this time towards me but I am at a safe distance.  This time I cheerfully say, "Missed me!"  Yup, it was that kind of morning.  Some other happy things from today: Keziah was at the studio and found that there was a meeting of the weaver's guild.  They have a small library that is opened every month or two for members to browse and borrow from.  I was out of work early enough that I went by to see what they had.  It was kind of fun noting five or six of the books that I own were there to be loaned.   A porta-potty was delivered to the local seasonal ice cream shop today.  A quick se...

 Yesterday's funk is not completely over, but things are looking up.  Here is a little list of things that made me happy today: The job that I was assigned to at work was repetitive and I was aching all over.  The happy part is that I came home early and I feel a lot better now.  Sometimes just stretching out the back is all it takes. After coming home early from work I filled out a job application elsewhere.  It is highly unlikely that I will get offered this job or that the job will allow me to not work weekends, but it is worth the exercise of trying.   It is snowing.  Perhaps the last fresh snow of the season?  It is pretty outside.  I know I will feel different when I am clearing it off the car later.   It is Weaving Wednesday and so I wove.   Day 65 of the A&S challenge is complete.  Only 35 days left of the challenge! ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to...

After work I met Keziah at the SCA storage unit to look through things for the event this weekend.  The person who is in charge of the Barony's things has done a great job of cataloging many of the containers.  It has made finding things so much easier.  We were able to find all the things that we were looking for that we thought were in there.  Not everything fit in the van so another trip will need to be made on Friday.  Yay, organization!  Other happy things for today: When I left for work there were coyote tracks walking down the driveway.  At least I am fairly certain that is the animal that left these. The picture was taken quickly as I was heading out to work. Hugs.  Hugs from friends are one of the things that I have missed during the pandemic.  A friend came by to work with us at the studio for a bit and she is a super hugger. For day 59 of the A&S challenge I tried to fix the warp on one of the looms.  It is Weaving Wednes...

 This morning I did what I said I wasn't going to do anymore and I left work after only two hours.  They had me assigned to busy work and I couldn't stop thinking about the things I could be doing at home.  When I say at home though, I really mean the studio.  I didn't go straight to the studio, I did a few things at home first.  I spent at least 8 hours at the studio and forgot to eat lunch!  Happy things for today are: At the studio I finished the tunic I have been making for a friend.  No picture because I forgot and it doesn't look different, I just reinforced some seams and tried to make sure all the threads were cut. I worked on the tunic for Gideon.  It is almost done.  I'm supposed to leave the neck for when Keziah can size it up on Gideon.  I also left the clavi unfinished in the back because I needed to get home to get ready for work tonight. Another thing I worked on at the studio was a pair of earrings.  I've had the pa...

 Walking outside to go to work tonight I was pleased to see the almost full moon shining down.  It was clear and shone like a beacon.  Other things I am happy for today: Work wasn't busy so a few of us got to odd jobs like moving things around to organize them.  It was a nice break from the front lines. Cats being cute. After work I had to run some errands.  Keziah and Gideon were with me and Keziah mentioned that the Shamrock shakes were back at McDonald's.  So, yes, I went there for lunch and a shamrock shake.  They taste better than I remember. Things in the greenhouse did not seem to freeze last night.  Yay!  I put more plants that aren't doing well in there, hopefully they will improve. It is Weaving Wednesday.  I almost forgot and worked on the latch hook instead.  I'm sure the picture looks much the same as last week, more is done though.  It is starting to get easier for me to do.  I think my weaver's brain is star...

 Totally forgetting my phone-- and thus my camera --when I took Aesop out this afternoon, I missed some picture opportunities.  I say missed, but if I was not so tired I could get my boots and coat on and go back outside for the pictures.  Deer have been wandering around on the back driveway.  There were large prints that broke through the icy layer in places.  There were small prints that must be from a fawn.  There were sizes in between.  Perhaps the next wildlife camera will be closer to the house.  Other happy things from today: While I was sleeping yesterday a new range was delivered.  It is pretty and already has cat prints on the top. It's Weaving Wednesday!  I wish I could say that I did more.  I got three of the repeating patterns done.  Three was one too many for my back, I need to find a more comfortable position.  Day 38 progress was made on the A&S Challenge! ☮ Currently reading: Faith Hacker , by James ‘J...

February 2nd marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.   If we are to believe the groundhog, there will be six more weeks of winter.  Personally, I'd like it if the groundhogs around here would pack up and move away.  It is good to know that spring will be here in about six weeks regardless of a shadow.   My happy thing for today is that it is Weaving Wednesday.  I did a little bit of weaving, I think three of the pattern designs from the picture.  Next time I think I will turn off the TV while I weave.   That makes day 31 of the A&S challenge done.  Yay!  Now I must sleep. ☮ Currently reading: Faith Hacker , by James ‘Jim’ Wilcox. And Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

 In this house, my room is the one of extremes, at least it seems that way to me.  It seems that it is either cold or hot.   Walking in this afternoon it seemed on fire.  That is when I noticed the orange glow of the sun setting through my window blinds.  As usual, real life is better than the pictures I took. Other happy things from today: They were looking at people to volunteer to leave work so I did.  I only worked a few hours.  I went to sleep late yesterday and didn't sleep well so leaving seemed better than falling asleep on my feet.  It made for a nice day where my feet didn't hurt too much. There were errands that I got done today instead of waiting for Friday.  That means I will have time to do other things on Friday. One of the errands was to shop for Gideon's birthday.  I have amazed myself by getting some things for him more than two weeks before his birthday.   The things still need to be put together in a w...

 When I am at work and the end of the day is closing in and work offers to let people go home early, I often do.  It is self care.  Sometimes I regret this choice when my paycheck arrives, but then again, not really.  There are huge benefits to living with my daughter, her husband, and my grandson.  Financially, rent is cheap.  The biggest and the best benefit is that I am with my family.  Do I want to move sometimes?  Sure I do!  Mostly, it is a wonderful experience.  Keziah suggested I start watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix.  I like to sit and watch something when I come home from work, it keeps me from using my feet.  After the episode Keziah and I ended up having a brief but sort of deep talk about our growing up.   It was a special moment that I am grateful to have had the opportunity.   Keziah was snuggling with Aesop. Other happy things for today: Keziah also suggested a book that she thinks that T...