~Monday Stuff~

A new week.

Boys went back to school today. Husband back to work . . . not that he hadn't been there prior to the weekend. 

I sat in my chair with a hot cup of coffee and cream, wrapped in my blanket and warm cat on my lap, waved them all off and rejoiced in a quiet house. Quiet, but COLD! The sun we had last week has turned back to the usual Pacific Northwest grey and the forecast is calling for lots of rain and freezing temps. I say if it's gonna get this cold, it better just snow. Which it won't . . . sigh. :(

I spent a good part of my morning applying for health insurance online . . . and had to come to a halt when I needed to supply info. that the Husband is unable to find. I'm sure it will turn up, but it was a disappointment to not just get it finished. I hate doing that kinda stuff and don't want it hanging over my head, you know?

I've been working on some little felties lately . . . the one above was delivered to my Grammie just today as a belated birthday gift. When you are very ill for three months, you end up with a lot of belated birthdays! So currently, I'm working on another for a dear friend who celebrated her birthday last October- the day after the Oldest turned 14. Yes, I missed my Oldest son's birthday too! But he got a football- I don't think a stuffed felt animal would have worked. ;) 

Here's to another Monday and a fresh week ahead . . .

Cheers!

~Today and Tomorrow~

Today: 

The sun shone nearly all day and made me yearn for gardening . . .
Plenty of banana muffins (made yesterday) were consumed, along with molasses cookies from my Mother. . .
There was laundry washed, floors vaccumed, groceries shopped for . . . but none of it by me . . .
Christmas was packed away. The Youngest helped. Never has there been an easier time of it as the only decorations brought out this year were stockings and only one box of ornaments for the tree. Bliss! . . .
Cats were played with. That's Quinn up there in a blur attacking his homemade cat toy . . .
Husband took me to Michael's to purchase embroidery floss for a project. Ended up finding a 'portable studio' to use for my crafting. It's really just a glorified lapdesk, but 'portable studio' is workin' for me . . .
Raviloli for dinner and a movie planned for later . . .

Tomorrow:

Sunday breakfast as a family (a mandatory Sunday tradition) . . .
Husband in the basement with football; me upstairs with some crafting (on the portable studio), tea, my book and more cookies . . .
Downton Abbey to look forward to in the evening (and a Husband who likes to watch it with me!) . . .

All in all, not a bad weekend! :)

Cheers!

~Blue Skies But Cloudy Within~

Proof that there was sun and blue sky this morning . . . if only for a little while.

Agh, I'm tired today!!

Though at this point I'm quite used to being sleep deprived, this tired is a little different than my norm- more of an emotional tired than a real physical one. And coffee makes no dent in it- though I've tried.
. 
This is the kinda tired where you want to see no one, do nothing, and try nothing and not even your favorite occupations can distract you from it. You're cranky and pouty and annoyed with yourself for being so. It's the tired that finds you unable to start the creative project you planned, because in the mode you're in you know you'll just screw it up.

A tired where instead of enjoying the morning's blue sky and bright sun you spend all morning angry at your husband because during the night you dreamed that he cut down the blue spruce tree that used to be in your grandparents' front yard . . . years ago. And worse, he did so without asking you. And further more, when you confront him about it as he lounges on the couch, he answers you nonchalantly that you have no right to say anything about it because you're not the type of person who makes quick comebacks. 
Huh?!

Exactly.
That kind of tired.

So here I am, trying to put it out there so I can start moving upward and onward. There are banana muffins to bake and though I am still incredibly sore all over, I'm thinking that if I take it in small stints I may actually get them made. And I'm kinda thinking muffins and Earl Grey could make things a wee bit better. Especially paired with the book I've been reading . . . The Blue Hills, by Elizabeth Goudge. Does anyone else read Elizabeth Goudge? She's out of print but I adore her books. This one I happen to be borrowing from my mother as they're hard to come by. Yes, I'm definitely thinking a long stretch of reading and some muffins may be the answer here. 
I'm off to the kitchen- the sun just came out again. :)

Cheers!

~Hobbling Forward~

The sun burned away the fog and came out to say hello this morning. 

I had just returned from letting my chiropractor put both my hips back in place and it was beautiful and just what I needed. The sun I mean. Well, actually while not necessarily beautiful, I really needed my hips back in place as well. Especially for the sake of my knees which have been swollen and incredibly painful thanks to my hips' discontentment with their God-intended placement. I am now sore all over from my adjustment, but grateful to know I am I as I should be . . . for the time being. I have seen dear Todd (my chiropractor) so often over the last month that if my husband wasn't the one driving me there all the time, he may think there was something else going on. ;)

But seriously, the sun really has been wonderful and I even manged to take a couple decent photos because of it. The little white pitcher full of vintage silver is in my dining room and the door knob happens to be the one on my Oldest son's door. I adore our knobs- original to the house- and this one is the only one that gets any sunlight. It kind of sparkled at me when I was hobbling down the hall and I knew it needed it's picture taken.

As for the rest of the day, I have been enjoying peaceful winter pursuits . . . some reading, lots of hot coffee drinking and some thank you note writing. My boys have been off at their Nana's for days and things have been deliciously quiet around here lately. And a little lonely. Sometimes, a lot lonely.

That's why I was so touched and overjoyed to receive such kind comments on my last post after such a long spell of silence on my part. They literally took away my loneliness and made my heart soar- no exageration. Isn't it amazing how even just one comment can make you feel connected and human again in the best sense of the word? At least I think so. I did not have any expectations, just started blogging again more out of a desire to feel like myself during this illness-induced hermitage than anything else. It reminded me again of why I even started blogging in the first place . . . just to connect to other people; maybe even make some friends.

So, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and say hi . . . it's those little bits of ourselves that we give back that keep us all moving- or, in my case, hobbling- forward. 

-Jen

~Snippets from December~

It's been a long time. 
And yes, I did indeed fall off the face of the Earth. 
In a manner of speaking, of course. 
I would love to say that I was busy enjoying life over the last three months I've been absent from this blog: crafting and painting, reading good books, cleaning the garden for winter; cozying up to a fire with a purring cat on my lap; baking and making homemade soups. I would really love to say that. But the truth of it is that the last three months have been spent with doctors, lots of pain, severe dehydratration, sleepless nights, endless episodes of The Wonder Years, hospitals, my first ambulance adventure and the month of November spent living with my mother to nurse me back to some semblance of health. Oh, and lice.

Let's just say that I am hopeful that the worst of it is over. I still have a long road to full recovery. I can't drive yet and stairs are my worst enemy, but comparatively the month of December was heaven next to the six weeks that lead up to it. 

Christmas was wonderful as it was the least stressful I have ever experienced and somehow, despite all that I can't do right now, presents were wrapped and some festive decorations were put up. We were able to host Christmas dinner for our family and I even found myself doing a little crafting to fill my soul. I look back at December and declare it a month full of little miracles all adding up to something more.

I have lots of hope for what is around the corner. I am so relieved to say hello to a new year and open my arms to all the most impossible possibilities. 

Happy New Year, my friends.

~All the Autumn's Joys~

Today's Joy:

New spade. Favorite gloves. Tulips.

After weeks of rain, the sun came out just long enough for planting.

Sometimes the greatest Autumn joys don't come out until Spring.

Though, unfortunately other things don't wait to come out until Spring- like these naughty bulb eaters . . .

Cheers!

~All the Autumn's Joys~

Today's Joy:

'Tiger Stripe' mini pumpkins found at the market. These little sweeties are just right for Autumn decorating on the cheap.

Cheers!