2022 Happy To Be Here

Right after I parked my car to go to work I got a notification from the company. They were offering voluntary time off. I decided that I would go to work, since I was there already. I went in and saw that there was hardly any work to do and I (and some others) didn't have an assignment. So I put my name onto a list for voluntary time off. I got an assignment and ten minutes later they replaced me and I was out the door. Other happy things from today: I was able to sleep for about three hours before getting up again for the day.  While the family slept, I got some weaving done. I'm very close to having the first of three champion's pieces done.  Crossed fencing swords. When the family was up we made cream of wheat and toast and all had breakfast together.  Since I was home and had slept I was able to go to a craft gathering at Joann's with Keziah and see friends. I embroidered three letter D's to put onto favors.   I also finished putting the backing on ...

My breakfast movie today (I get up early on Monday's) was finishing Father Christmas Is Back . I'm not in love with any of the movies I've been watching. They have happy endings though, and that is what counts.  Other happy things from today: Gideon and I walked together to the studio from a local restaurant. I thought the walk was only one mile, but it was two. We walked by the planetarium and some of the planets they have displayed on the solar system walk. Last time I did this walk I only found Pluto and Neptune. Today we found Uranus too! Gideon with Pluto. Gideon with Neptune. Uranus and a little of Gideon. We also walked near a pond that seemed to have a layer of ice on it. It was pretty. Someone has decorated a tree that hangs over the sidewalk near the studio.   At the studio, I came close to finishing the backing on my latch hook, maybe next time. Keziah and I also glazed some pottery. I didn't take any pictures but there isn't much to see once the ...

Another day of waking up before my alarm clock and going to bed later than I wanted. Hopefully that means I will get to sleep easily when I finally rest my weary head. It was a good day. Keziah and I spent some time at the studio, she is still there. My work week starts tonight so I couldn’t stay. Here are some happy things: At the studio this morning I pulled out the latch hook that I didn't quite finish earlier this year. I've finally started putting on the backing. What I got done seemed to go quickly.  The back looks good... While I was sitting hand sewing the backing, Keziah was busy sewing with the serger. She talks to it. Sweet, loving talk to keep it working well. It is pleasant to listen to and makes the rumbling sound of the machine seem a little less harsh.  When I sit down for lunch at home I like to watch something. Today I decided to just start going through all the corny Christmas shows that Netflix keeps suggesting. I started watching Falling For Chr...

Autumn came in with a chill. The temperatures only got up to around 56 degrees today with quite a breeze. I don't want summer back, but I was cold. Here are some happy things from today: My morning started with a follow-up doctor's appointment concerning my thyroid. The good news is that I don't have to go back for another year. I have reason to believe that giving up gluten may have helped reduce some inflammation and helped my thyroid look better on the ultrasound. I visited a friend and we shot archery. I didn't do great, but that is what practice is for. In the afternoon I hiked with some friends. We went about six miles around parts of Crotched Mt. here in NH. There were four different apps used to calculate the mileage with four different results. It is a beautiful area and will be more colorful in a few short weeks. There is a foundation in this picture DRAGON!! In the evening I went to craft night. I have been working on the finishing touches of a latch...

There are things that are hard for me after Pennsic.  To name a few: Getting back to routines, being inside, and wearing pants (and not gowns).  Since three years had gone by between Pennsics this time I forced the pants on early and am good with that.  It took a few days, but being inside is better.  Having to go back to work and being too tired to be outside much helped.  I'm still working on the routines though.  Or perhaps, I'm resisting some of the routines--like the dishes!  Haha!  Or reading regularly.  Here are some happy things from today: --At Pennsic, there were people.  People in camp or in passing.  Sometimes, for this introvert, there were too many people.  Still, being with people can be good.  So tonight I went to craft night and there were some people.   I could sit in my corner and listen, like introverts do, and only enter in conversation if I wanted.   --Not only were there people, b...

Happy Twosday!   The weather today stayed at the freezing temperature or above.  This meant that my winter jacket was really not necessary for work today, my fleece jacket was enough.  I wore it in and then left the winter jacket in the car at lunch break.  Eventually it started to rain, but I was home from work in the dry house by then.  Other happy things for today: This one may seem weird, but I remembered to clean the cat litter boxes today.  This is normally a Gideon chore.  With them vacationing it became a chore for me.  I feel bad that I forgot about them until now, but glad they are done.  I think the cats are happy about that too. Nanni. In looking at one of the geraniums today I have decided that that one at least, might make it.  There seems to be new growth.  It may be my imagination but the little leaves seem slightly larger than the other day. For day 51 of the A&S challenge I finished the latch hook part of ...

 This morning I dropped off Aesop with his daycare/border.  He will be there until Friday.  With part of the family away and the rest of us with such odd hours we felt that he would spend less time in the crate and more time having fun then he would at home this week.  Aesop doesn't like to ride in the car but he is always so very happy when he reaches his destination.  Since he wasn't home to take care of I got a few errands done that I have been putting off.  Other things I am happy for today: The weather is unseasonably warm today.  This meant that the air carried smells of spring which is a scent I love.   I made time for a walk with my friend, Amy.  We met at a very muddy parking lot to walk along a rail trail.  The trail is paved and parts were dry and other, more shaded spots, were bumpy ice rinks.  We had no mishaps and had a nice walk. Day 50, the halfway point of the A&S challenge is done!  I worked on the l...

If yesterday the wind sang a song of spring, today the wind screamed winter.    Happy things for today: My first real order of business today was taking Aesop for a walk.  The warm weather from earlier in the week has created a lot of melting.  In the picture below, the water is running off and mostly missing the nearby drain.  The run-off waterfall is pretty though. Waterfall. Spending time with my protege.   Finding triple ginger cookies at Trader Joe's.   For day 47 of the A&S challenge I again worked on the latch hook.  Soon it will be finished and I will need another at home project. The vacationing part of the family has finally made it to California!! Aesop misses the rest of the family.   ☮ Currently reading: Pocketful of Miracles: Prayer, Meditations, and Affirmations to Nurture Your Spirit Every Day of the Year , Joan Borysenko. Currently listening to: Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer Thank you for being part of...

 It is still early but there were some signs of spring I noticed today.  The first was when I was walking back into work after having the half hour break.  It was around 6 AM and the sky showed the slightest signs of starting to get light in the east.  The smell of spring was in the air today too.  The temperature was up to at least 59 degrees (in Boston) and the wind sang a song of spring.   Excuse the dust. Other happy things from today: Keziah and Zed have been planning a surprise vacation for Gideon for months.  He learned that it was happening on his birthday at the beginning of February.  He learned that they were going to California and he knew that there were friends involved.  Who the friends were was supposed to be revealed at the airport.  While driving to the airport Keziah handed Gideon her phone for a quick crossword puzzle.  While he was playing that, a message came through which revealed the other vacation famil...

It has been another long day.  After work I decided to take care of most of the little things that I like to do daily.   There were so many errors that I made on DuoLingo; I kept falling asleep and submitting answers like, 'Por que alkkkkkkkkk,' and things like that.  😄  Eventually I did get through a lesson.  Happy things for today: Before I left for work I checked the temperature in the greenhouse.  It was around 40 degrees in the greenhouse and single digits outside.  This is with a plant heat pad and some planters with water in them to help with humidity and nothing else.  I'm hopeful. Because I am hopeful and because something is eating my plants in the cellar, I moved some of them into the greenhouse today.  I had two geraniums that were looking very good and the rodent that has moved into the cellar prefers them to the bait in the traps.  So my geraniums are bare.  Maybe they will come back without a predator having th...

 Once again I have stayed up too late.  I had a fairly productive afternoon.  It is what my happy things for today revolve around.  I forgot to take a before picture, but I did take an in the middle picture. That is a small part of the mess I had made over the last few months on the front porch.  It got cleaned up.  Then, when the room was still mostly empty I set up a little greenhouse in the corner.  I'm hoping for plants to be in there in the next few days.  More progress pictures: The greenhouse!  If I want, I can fit two there, side by side. Slowly adding things back in. There are four rocking chairs back in. One is not usable because of the container full of  random gardening supplies. The room still needs work, but it is way more usable now than it was.   I also completed day 43 of the A&S challenge with the latch hook.  Soon I will need to find something else to do at home for the challenge. ❤ ☮ ❤ Currently rea...